jeff gordon

NASCAR 2012 Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway – Day 1

by on January 12, 2012

in nascar, sports

54th Annual Daytona 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race

Softer springs, smaller spoilers, smaller radiators, new fuel system and a no-talk rule are all the new rage in NASCAR for this 2012 season…  is everyone ready for some racin’?  I know I sure am…  NASCAR has always been good to me, and the folks within the industry are just awesome to deal with, so bring it ON!

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With the Daytona 500 only 45 days away, well, one of the longest sportings seasons is about to get back underway, and it started with PreSeason Thunder as the teams got to get out on the track and test the new scenarios they’ll be up against when the 2012 NASCAR season commences once again.

Jeff Gordon paced the morning pack today in practice hitting a lap speed of 192.773 as everyone got on-track and practiced their solo and two-car runs, to see how things are going to shake out.

Daytona Preseason Thunder - Day 1 - Kyle Busch in the No. 18 M&M's Toyota

Kyle Busch, with Joey Logano tailing him, paced the afternoon pack with a 202.402 speed.

And not to mention, how the new fuel injected systems are going to work for the gang.

As teams hit up the track, this is the race, the Super Bowl of NASCAR.  Sure, it’s the first race of the season, but it’s a storied track and many important events have taken place here, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr during Daytona Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway on January 12, 2012

Coming into today, everyone was looking to get a feel for the smaller spoiler, smaller radiator & larger restrictor plate!  And I presume, they were also possibly playing around with the new radio rule, which is no more chatter between drivers in a race.

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NASCAR News Bits: Loopies, Sprint Renews and HoF Specials on SPEED

by on December 10, 2011

in nascar, sports

NASCAR News and opinion from NASCAR BITS & PIECES on Brusimm.comFind out who won a few NASCAR Loopies awards, how many years Sprint has renewed their title sponsorship for and the specials on SPEED that are focused on the NASCAR HoF inductees!

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I have a collection of press releases sitting in my inbox so I thought I’d share some of these items.

Sprint Extends Their Contract

First up, NASCAR and Sprint have extended their relationship with each other, through the year of 2016.  And that’s a good thing, considering how some sponsors aren’t fully committing to sponsorships within the sport.

So to Sprint, thank you for re-upping and remaining the entitlement partner to NASCAR.

Sprint Nextel has been the NASCAR title sponsor since February of 2004.

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NASCAR’s Loopies

NASCAR has put together what they call The Loopies, or their fifth annual Best-Of-Loop Data from the 2011 season.  That’s right, the statistical look at some milestones in on-track performance.

And they added a new category that is funny and interesting, that has to do with Brad Keselowski.

But first some simple Loop stats:

“There were 131,989 green flag passes this season, the most since NASCAR started recording the stat in 2005. Though not Loop Data, there were also an average of 27.1 lead changes and 12.8 leaders per race, both Cup Series records.”

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“Boys Have At It” Does Work in NASCAR, But You Have To Catch Them First

by on November 7, 2011

in nascar, sports

A NASCAR Bits & Pieces opinion piece:

Kyle Busch wrecks Ron Hornaday Jr

Classic fans of the latest NASCAR policy of letting the “Boys have at it” echoes back to the classic days when drivers policed themselves.  It’s a practice I completely approve of, but when handled properly.  Of course, in between the spats, we have new races each weekend to make more spats!

But all joking aside, emotions run high in any sport and this isn’t isolated to onl NASCAR .

First Daytona 500 breaks out into a fightOf late, boys having at it involves sheet metal and I mean lots of sheet metal.  I’m going to try not to pull up my favorite examples of that, because if you’re a regular around these parts, you know my premise comes from how Carl dumped on Brad for an entire season, for whatever the reason.

But in the old days, having it it meant that when a driver did stupid things out on the track, other drivers would have a “conversation” with “that” driver in the garage, and more than likely, the stupid driver would not be so stupid in future events.

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NASCAR Bits & Pieces Perspectives On The Talladega Race This Weekend

by on October 20, 2011

in nascar, sports

NASCAR News and opinion from NASCAR BITS & PIECES on Brusimm.comThis weekend, we have the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series leagues hitting up Talladega Superspeedway.  Specifically, we’re looking at the Cup Series winding down and who will win the championship.  I have schedules, some thoughts, then point standings and at the bottom, some Talladega-specific stats for the top-12 spots.

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

  • Next Race: Good Sam Club 500
  • The Place: Talladega Superspeedway
  • The Date: Sunday, Oct. 23
  • The Time: 2:00 p.m. (ET)
  • TV: ESPN, 1 p.m. (ET)
  • Radio: MRN, Sirius XM Ch. 90
  • Distance: 500 miles (188 laps)

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NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

  • The Race: Coca Cola 250 Powered by Fred’s
  • The Place: Talladega Superspeedway
  • Date: Saturday, Oct. 22
  • The Time: 4 p.m. (ET)
  • TV: SPEED, 3:30 p.m. (ET)
  • Radio: MRN, Sirius XM Ch. 90
  • Distance: 250.04 miles (94 laps)

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Jimmie Needs to Points Race (Play if Safe)

Coming into the superspeedway, Carl Edwards has a five-point lead over Kevin Harvick coming into Talladega, and Jimmie Johnson‘s mistake that put him into a wall at Charlotte dropped him five spots, down into 8th, and 35 points out of first.  If Talladega strikes at him like it does when those big wrecks happen, we could be writing off Jimmie Johnson’s chances for the NASCAR title for 2011.

Carl Edwards Should Worry

Coming into Talladega, Edwards has the points lead, but this track does not like him.  Looking at Loop Data, this is his worse track, with a driver rating of 67.8, an average finish of 20th.

But that’s how dancing with this track can be.  And it can be ugly to points leaders:

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NASCAR: Kansas In The Books, Edwards Adopts Points Lead from Harvick

by on October 10, 2011

in nascar, sports

NASCAR News and opinion from NASCAR BITS & PIECES on Brusimm.comWith the NASCAR‘s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway in the books, it looked like another points blender event in The Chase, and we’re suddenly starting to see a pattern developing with the top 6 spots in The Chase for the Cup.  And one of those patterns involves the last ten races and a certain blue & silver car team turning it on.

Jimmie Johnson won the Hollywood Casino 400 as he paced the field, while forty-two other cars jockeyed for positions behind the blue & silver Lowe’s Chevy No. 48 car for the entire race.  And Jimmie Johnson winning moved himself 2 more spots up the points standings, putting him in third place, only 4 points out of first.

And after Kansas, there are now only nine teams within one race’s worth of points (43, not counting bonuses) behind the points leader.

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Here’s how it’s looking after Kansas:

1st:  Despite straggling along all day, Carl Edwards managed a 5th place finish and that was good enough to propel him 1 spot up the standings into the points lead.

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With 8 To Go Stewart Looks Strong & Hamlin’s Got Crap Luck [NASCAR]

by on October 2, 2011

in nascar, sports

Two races into NASCAR’s Chase for the Cup.  Can Tony Stewart be called the sleeping dragon which awoke?  Or Denny Hamlin, the little train that couldn’t?

NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase for the Cup 2011One friend I know over at WOMR suggests that like the mythical Phoenix, Tony Stewart has risen from the ashes of his 2011 NASCAR season.  He also thinks that Denny Hamlin is down and done in The Chase.

As far as the Kyle and Kurt, well, he says the leaves are starting to fall off the two Busch’s.

I can’t argue with Leon’s thoughts.  They’re all valid, but as long as any team is within 24 points of the lead, ANYTHING can happen to swap things up.  That for me, is the magic cut off point.

In fact, after race one, the magic cut-off was 48 points behind the lead.  The difference between 1st and last place finishing spots.  But as the contenders progress through The Chase, that number gets a bit smaller each race.  But for anyone outside of 30 points down, I am not holding my breath!

Technically, one has to be within 48 points of the leader to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but realistically, for someone to be 48 points out, they would have to win, get bonus points, and the guy that was 48 points in front of them would have to falter and come in last.  Seriously?

Going into Dover:

1 Tony Stewart 2094 Leader
2 Kevin Harvick 2087 -7
3 Brad Keselowski 2083 -11
4 Carl Edwards 2080 -14
5 Jeff Gordon 2071 -23
6 Kyle Busch 2068 -26
7 Matt Kenseth 2068 -26
8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2068 -26
9 Kurt Busch 2066 -28
10 Jimmie Johnson 2065 -29
11 Ryan Newman 2060 -34
12 Denny Hamlin 2028 -66

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Do Team Orders Happen At Any NACSAR Race?

by on September 24, 2011

in nascar, sports

Do You Really Think There Aren’t NASCAR Team Orders?

NASCAR News and opinion from NASCAR BITS & PIECES on Brusimm.comAn NBaP Opinion piece:

Back at Richmond, there seemed to be a questionable scenario where one driver seemed to be in cahoots with other drivers and spun his car during the NASCAR Sprint Cup event, bringing out a caution which gathered up the field and gave Kevin Harvick the shot he needed to win the race while he was trying to beat Jeff Gordon.  And that other driver is, in a fashion, associate with Kevin Harvick’s team.

At first I wasn’t sure.  But watching the video tapes of radio chatter that we were pounded with during last week’s rain delay, well, it sure does look fishy.  And obviously, the driver forget his code for changing radio channels.

Now there’s an interesting perspective that when J.J. Yeley pushed Matt Kenseth around the track on the last lap at Chicago, that he was running under suggestions from a fellow Ford team.

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The Ugly of the Reality

To be honest, no matter how you cut it, no matter what really happens there’s bound to be things that take place between teams that are in some way, related teams.  Considering there are really, it feels like, only four, five huge entities in the sport and where they’re not in a garage, they’re leasing engines or chassis to other teams.

Plus, I think we get caught up in the spin we are subjected to (That might be too harsh a term), where everyone is, more or less, super nice to the world outside the sport of NASCAR.  It is a family oriented sport, is it not?

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The NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase Driver Ratings at New Hampshire

by on September 24, 2011

in nascar, sports

NASCAR News and opinion from NASCAR BITS & PIECES on Brusimm.comI don’t know if you heard, but as NASCAR qualifying was charging along, Brian Vickers had the pole, and then, with five cars left to qualify, the rain came.  That’s in this second race of the 10-event final rounds pursuit , the Chase for the Sprint Cup or just called, The Chase!

Juan Montoya had declined to take to the track at that point, with a light drizzle, and Montoya was noted in saying that

“Send out the No. 48, if he’s so brave.”

Talk about nerves being frazzled by weather! I was worried for Vickers, after all their hard work, it might go by the wayside, but then they got qualifying back under way and Ryan Newman ended up snagging the pole.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase for the Cup 2011Here’s where the Chase drivers sit in the field after qualifying:

Ryan Newman (1st),
Kurt Busch (5th),
Kevin Harvick (6th),
Jeff Gordon (7th),
Kyle Busch (8th),
Jimmie Johnson (10th),
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (12th),
Brad Keselowski (16th),
Tony Stewart (20th),
Carl Edwards (23rd),
Matt Kenseth (27th) and
Denny Hamlin (28th).

(Race Lineup )

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Weekend Schedule for Loudon, New Hampshire

by on September 22, 2011

in nascar, sports

NASCAR News and opinion from NASCAR BITS & PIECES on Brusimm.comThis upcoming weekend, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is hitting up the 1 mile paperclip shaped track in Loudon, New Hampshire.

If you’re looking at past performances, Denny Hamlin has the best average finish over the last 6 years here at Loudon.

After Denny, there’s Jeff Gordon who has the 2nd best set of stats at Loudon.

Last time they were at the beautiful New Hampshire track, Ryan Newman won the race and did so from the pole position.  Did you know that over the last 33 NASCAR Sprint Cup races here, the race winner has started from the pole 5 times.

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The New Points System Will Tame The Chase for the Cup [NASCAR]

by on September 19, 2011

in nascar, sports

NASCAR News and opinion from NASCAR BITS & PIECES on Brusimm.comWith the new points system that NASCAR put in place this year, I think that will be a huge equalizer and may very well make the points race seem dull.  There’s no room for error with this new system.

It’s one thing to compete in the point system and have the point spread look exciting,  but bad points days are very very hard to recover from in this new points system.  An interesting case in point is that during one of the rain delay segments on Sunday, they talked about how Jimmie Johnson made up a 30+ point deficit in the last race last year.  But I don’t remember them pointing out how different the old points system was versus today.  Last year, 30 points wasn’t 30 positions.  It was less then 10.

If you dwell on it though, in the new points system, if anyone has a bad points day, they have to hope the other 11 drivers also have a bad day too at some point in the next few races because it’s much harder to recover from a bad day in this system.  This is why I think it’s not going to be as exciting to watch.

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