NASCAR 2008 wrap-up podcast available

My last podcast for the 2008 season is now available on iTunes (search "Caution Laps") or click here.

Vickers Penalty at Martinsville

This is a consolidation effort from my previous blog site.

The original post date was Thursday, October 23, 2008.

In response to NASCAR's penalty for Brian Vickers #83 Toyota Red Bull team, David Poole of Sirius satellite radio's "The Morning Drive" program on channel 128, stated that he would also include hefty penalties for the sponsor of a team found in violation of NASCAR rules. Poole stated at 7:28 am this morning, that if he had his way, a race team found in violation of NASCAR rules would be parked for one race (along with other various point deductions, suspensions, etc.) and the sponsor would not be allowed to host any hospitality or participate in that race weekend in any way.

Well, somebody is trying to bite the hand that feeds them. You cannot hold the actions of a race team against a sponsor. Sponsorship is the driving force of this sport we love. Sponsors pay good money to these race teams to get their names on the cars and when a team is penalized and points are taken the profile and visibility of that sponsor may be lessened, which is a huge blow to a sponsor. Television doesn't discuss too much, those teams outside of the top 15 or so in points.

Along with being a major sponsor comes some benefits like being able to host hospitality events at the tracks for their customers. Poole would have them locked out and bleeding cash because they can't host cool events for their VIP clients because the race team they are associated with had a rules infraction the week before. And to punish the race team, you must alienate the pocketbook that keeps food in the race team’s mouths and keeps NASCAR alive. The idea of sponsorship lockout is insane.

If Kasey Kahne's #9 Budweiser dodge had a rules infraction; no Bud could be sold or consumed that weekend at the track? If Kevin Harvick's #29 Shell Chevy broke some rules; nobody with Shell gasoline in their tanks would be able to drive their car to the track? Poole needs to remember that sponsorship build the sport that he makes a living off of. Leave the sponsors out of it.

NASCAR is doing a fine job of being judge, jury and executioner. They haven’t forgotten what’s gotten them here.

Britney Spears? Didn't "Chinese Democracy" get released this past week?

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have reserved the right to refocus the subject matter of this blog during NASCAR's off-season. Since Jimmie Johnson nailed down the title a few weeks back, I really haven't felt the need to address any of the issues facing NASCAR. The testing ban, teams merging/folding and the advent of Stewart-Haas Racing all have been diligently covered in traditional media and the blogosphere.  So I'm leaving the track for now to take a look at a matter of pop-culture that is puzzling me. Axl Rose releases Chinese Democracy, the most anticipated rock record of all-time, and Rolling Stone magazine's comeback cover story is...Britney Spears! 

Rolling Stone! The music magazine of record, puts TMZ Princess Britney Spears on the cover and not the real comeback story: Axl Rose and the 13 year Guns N' Roses odyssey. I've had my beef with Rolling Stone in the past: leaving Mike McCready off the list of the top 100 rock guitarists, giving Tool's masterpiece 10,000 Days 3-and-a-half stars (the same score they gave to Britney's new album Circus), and having Barack Obama featured on the cover 3 times in the last 9 months, but this is ridiculous. How much did Jive Records pay to have this story done? RS—I've questioned your integrity before, now I know you are all in bed with a marketing blowup doll.

I suggest Rolling Stone include themselves in their standing feature "With us/Against us" and place themselves as far to the right as possible. You are the bubblegum pushers. You've poisoned what's real and forgotten the proletariat that made you. 

NASCAR Chase Rundown - 10th Place: Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch had, without a doubt, one of the best seasons in the history of NASCAR. His combined stats for the top three series in NASCAR racing for 2008 are mindblowing. "Rowdy" had 21 wins , 45 top 5's, 57 top 10's and led a staggering 4,362 laps. He also gave Toyota it's first win in Sprint Cup history. What's even more unbelievable is that the junior Busch brother barely finished the season in the top 10 in points for the Sprint Cup Championship.

Kyle Busch entered the playoffs 30 points ahead of Carl Edwards and left New Hampshire 74 points behind. A broken suspension piece early in the race put Busch 12 laps down and was a harbinger of things to come. The seemingly unbeatable Busch from earlier in the year was no where to be found; his car suffered catastrophic engine failure after 172 laps at Dover and finished 43rd. Kansas was no picnic either. The #18 M&M's boys couldn't get that JGR Toyota hooked-up and Busch finished a disappointing 28th. The one no one could catch was now mired in last place in the Chase after 3 races and was in a fight just to make the stage at the awards banquet.

Busch gutted out 4 top 10's later in the Chase, but he never truly contended for a win in any of the races. His amazing season ended with a sputtering 19th place finish at Homestead; having to stop for fuel with under 5 laps to go. He did manage to finish 2 points ahead of Matt Kenseth in the final Championship standings.

Did the rigors of racing in 84 NASCAR events between Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Trucks take its toll? Did Busch's team peak too early or did other teams just get better? Was Kyle a victim of bad luck or just bad timing? I'm not rally sure. What I do know is that this kid is only 23 years old and he is a wheelman! Kyle Busch has many years of race car domination in front of him. He is "checkers or wreckers" every race he is in. You build him something with 4 wheels and he'll get you the best finish that machine was capable of (and often two spots more). A future champion? You bet. The question is not if, but how many.

NASCAR Chase Rundown - 11th Place: Matt Kenseth

2003 NASCAR (Winston) Cup champion Matt Kenseth makes the Chase again, but fails to make any progress toward his second cup. He is one of only 2 drivers to make the playoffs every year since the system was implimented (Jimmie Johnson being the other). Starting the Chase in 12th place and having zero wins on the season provided the #17 car with a difficult challenge; finishing 40th at New Hampshire didn't help matters any.

Kenseth's bright spot in the Chase came in the second race, The Monster Mile of Dover International Speedway. He led a race-high 136 laps and finished second to his teammate Greg Biffle (Biffle's second win in a row). Matt followed up his Dover performance with a solid weekend at Kansas, qualifying 3rd, leading 49 laps and finishing 5th. The only problem was that 4 Chasers finished in front of him and Kenseth failed to make up much ground in the Chase.

Mr. consistent was really anything but in the Chase. The #17 had 5 top 10's and an average finish of 29.4 in the other 5 races. Those stats just won't get it done against the talent pool currently in Cup competition. Kenseth's frustrations were apparent with a deliberate wrecking on A.J. Allmendinger at the checkered flag in Phoenix.

Hope is not lost however. Matt Kenseth has solid support from team owner Jack Roush; having just inked a new contract extension. He is also surrounded by talent that rivals Hendrick Motorsports with Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards also being locked-up long term by Roush Fenway. It should also be mentioned that this was Kenseth's first season with crew chief Chip Bolin. His Championship crew chief, Robbie Riser is now involved with all of the Roush Fenway teams in a front office capacity.

NASCAR Chase Rundown - 12th Place: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

A Big move to Hendrick Motorsports and Junior Nation doesn't even get to see there hero on stage at the awards banquet in NYC. Only 3 top tens and 5 finishes outside the top 20 will not get it done in the chase for NASCAR's Sprint Cup.

Starting 4th in the Chase, things looked good for the #88 to bring home his first big-time championship. A solid top 5 at New Hampshire gave "The Nation" encouragement for the next 9 races, but finishing 3 laps down in 24th at Dover quickly dashed those hopes. Things didn't get much better with a 25.5 average over the next 3 races. At this point the Chase was pretty much over for the Amp Energy/National Guard team as they now sat in 10th place.  Junior earned a well fought 2nd place finish at Martinsville, but still lost points to the Chase leader and the winner of the race, Jimmie Johnson.

A 19.5 average finish over the final 4 races sealed the deal for June-Bug and there would be no joy in Kannapolis this year.

Overall, not a bad year: 1 win, 16 top 10's, but you've got to do much better when you are playing the same game as Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch. Next season Mark Martin joins Hendrick Motorsports and Dale Earnhardt Jr. should benefit greatly from the wisdom of a man who has finished in the top 5 of the NASCAR top series Championship standings 12 times.

Silly Season Off-Topic Disclaimer

I'm just putting it out there, that I reserve the right to go off-topic occasionally until speed weeks next february.