We remember what happened at Talladega during the spring. The race ended with carnage on the final lap, which included several injured fans. This race, however, was just as dramatic, and the carnage stayed on the race track. When it was all said and done, Jamie McMurray stayed out of the most trouble and pulled off his first win of the season. It was also his first win since that dramatic finish at Daytona in July of 2007, when he beat Kurt Busch by 5 thousandths of a second.
McMurray stayed out of trouble, which seems to be the goal at Talladega nowadays. It’s not about trying to win the race…it’s about trying to miss the big wreck. As the ABC announcers pointed out, if you were trying to miss the big wreck, you would frequently find yourself starting the big wreck anyway. A couple of big wrecks involving Ryan Newman and Mark Martin each flipping upside down really added to the level of danger these restrictor plate races present. ABC’s camera crew was able to spot the flips instantly, despite the drivers traveling at over 200 miles per hour in a sickening pack of cars.
As far as implications in the chase, ABC ended up filming a lot of disappointed drivers. I admire the pit reporters for having the courage to go and interview Ryan Newman after his nasty flip and after being trapped in the car for well over 5 minutes while it was upside down. They dealt with his frustrations of having to wait to be rescued from a pretty nasty crash which saw him slide for numerous yards down the back straightaway and came to rest in the grass.
I have to give ABC a 9. It was a solid broadcast, bringing into perspective that this was anyone’s race, by far the most exciting set of circumstances. However, notice that they had no audio for the end of the race! (Video below) They were able to get drivers excited about the race, including McMurray, and some frustrated drivers, including Mark Martin, who also flipped over at the end of the race. The camera work seemed rather easy since the pack was all together. It just fell into ABC’s lap for excellent ratings and a sound technical presentation.
Johnson has extended his point lead to infinity, it seems. It’s 184 points as we head to Texas…the Lone Star state. I’ll go out on a limb and say that Johnson is going to win again. Last time I said this was at Charlotte, and Johnson pulled together a win. ABC will need a great broadcast to try and get viewers into the race as Johnson pulls away further and further to his 4th championship.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
HAMLIN FINALLY PUTS A NEW FACE IN VICTORY LANE
Martinsville didn’t really have the beating and banging we hoped for…but the good—no—the EXCELLENT news is that someone without the first name of Jimmie and the last name of Johnson was able to win. The bad news…Johnson increased his points lead by 28 points over Mark Martin. The points leader finished 2nd after getting passed by Hamlin with 139 laps to go.
Hamlin won the race because his car was incredibly strong on long runs. There was a short run with 12 laps to go, a run which the ABC announcers pointed out would be a concern for Hamlin since it took him a number of laps for his car to “come in.” Fortunately, a picture perfect restart by Hamlin helped him get out front…then another caution with 2 laps to go forced Hamlin to get another great restart…and it worked.
It was another race that proved that the drivers in the chase belonged there. Juan Montoya picked up his second 3rd place finish in 2 weeks, a point of emphasis for the AB crew. Dr. Jerry Punch was impressed with how well Montoya has been able to adapt to a track when he had been so awful at the same track earlier in the season. Juan Montoya was the worst Martinsville driver, always burning his breaks and flatspotting his tires. Montoya showed tremendous guts and made the race fun.
ABC gets a 9 out of 10 this week. The producers made many attempts to try and find ways to limit the conversation about Jimmie Johnson. Naturally, this race got more viewers and a higher rating than any of the other chase races. The announcers continued to talk about how dominant Jimmie Johnson would be for the final four races of the chase, but nowhere near the extent that would drive viewers away.
Talk about a change of scenery, the NASCAR guys will take a trip to Talladega, Alabama—from the smallest track on the circuit to the LARGEST and FASTEST track. To be honest, I have no idea where to even start for a prediction. All of the cars will be equal for this race, and it is truly the wild card, as ESPN’s Rusty Wallace pointed out during the Martinsville broadcast. Hang on for some blazing speed next weekend!
Hamlin won the race because his car was incredibly strong on long runs. There was a short run with 12 laps to go, a run which the ABC announcers pointed out would be a concern for Hamlin since it took him a number of laps for his car to “come in.” Fortunately, a picture perfect restart by Hamlin helped him get out front…then another caution with 2 laps to go forced Hamlin to get another great restart…and it worked.
It was another race that proved that the drivers in the chase belonged there. Juan Montoya picked up his second 3rd place finish in 2 weeks, a point of emphasis for the AB crew. Dr. Jerry Punch was impressed with how well Montoya has been able to adapt to a track when he had been so awful at the same track earlier in the season. Juan Montoya was the worst Martinsville driver, always burning his breaks and flatspotting his tires. Montoya showed tremendous guts and made the race fun.
ABC gets a 9 out of 10 this week. The producers made many attempts to try and find ways to limit the conversation about Jimmie Johnson. Naturally, this race got more viewers and a higher rating than any of the other chase races. The announcers continued to talk about how dominant Jimmie Johnson would be for the final four races of the chase, but nowhere near the extent that would drive viewers away.
Talk about a change of scenery, the NASCAR guys will take a trip to Talladega, Alabama—from the smallest track on the circuit to the LARGEST and FASTEST track. To be honest, I have no idea where to even start for a prediction. All of the cars will be equal for this race, and it is truly the wild card, as ESPN’s Rusty Wallace pointed out during the Martinsville broadcast. Hang on for some blazing speed next weekend!
NASCAR BANKING 500 WATCHES JOHNSON BREAK THE BANK
I’ve come to the decision that I should be psychic! If I may cite my last blog, I noted that I would be “incredibly surprised if Jimmie Johnson doesn’t win this race.” This guy continues to set records; his most recent feat? The first NASCAR driver to win 3 of the first 5 races in the chase format, which was adopted in 2004.
To no one’s surprise, Jimmie Johnson was the fastest driver in all 3 practice sessions before the race, and proved to be the strong horse in the race, beating Matt Kenseth (surprisingly) by over 2 seconds in the final 17 laps. Once again, Jimmie Johnson accomplished the almost unthinkable feat of becoming the first driver to win the fall race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway from the number one starting position since Harry Gant did it in 1982.
The turning point of the race, which Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree and Dale Jarrett revealed at lap 125 involved Mark Martin and Juan Montoya (who finished 2nd and 3rd the prior week) ended up with damage on their cars during a restart. One of the concerns early in the season involved trust with the lead driver on a double file restart. The announcers pointed out that Lowe’s Motor Speedway is a very slick race track, which had a tendency to be inconsistent with grip. Jeff Gordon caused an accordion effect while bringing the field to the flag, resulting in two driver’s chase hopes being tarnished.
The ABC crew gets an 8 out of 10 this week. A lot more action in this race as compared to the California race, but unfortunately many fans probably turned the race off once Jimmie Johnson assumed the lead for good (including my mother, who is an avid Jeff Gordon fan like myself). They couldn’t stress the implication of the wreck on lap 125 enough, but pointed out that many of the chase drivers, including Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch still rounded up top 10 finishes.
On we go to the paperclipped half mile: MARTINSVILLE! The only short track race in the chase will bring the beating and banging back into the chase, especially with double file restarts at the track for the first time! I think Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin will have another battle to the finish. I will be optimistic and say Gordon will win it (without alluding to the fact that I’m a Gordon fan). Can’t wait to see if this chase turns around!
To no one’s surprise, Jimmie Johnson was the fastest driver in all 3 practice sessions before the race, and proved to be the strong horse in the race, beating Matt Kenseth (surprisingly) by over 2 seconds in the final 17 laps. Once again, Jimmie Johnson accomplished the almost unthinkable feat of becoming the first driver to win the fall race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway from the number one starting position since Harry Gant did it in 1982.
The turning point of the race, which Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree and Dale Jarrett revealed at lap 125 involved Mark Martin and Juan Montoya (who finished 2nd and 3rd the prior week) ended up with damage on their cars during a restart. One of the concerns early in the season involved trust with the lead driver on a double file restart. The announcers pointed out that Lowe’s Motor Speedway is a very slick race track, which had a tendency to be inconsistent with grip. Jeff Gordon caused an accordion effect while bringing the field to the flag, resulting in two driver’s chase hopes being tarnished.
The ABC crew gets an 8 out of 10 this week. A lot more action in this race as compared to the California race, but unfortunately many fans probably turned the race off once Jimmie Johnson assumed the lead for good (including my mother, who is an avid Jeff Gordon fan like myself). They couldn’t stress the implication of the wreck on lap 125 enough, but pointed out that many of the chase drivers, including Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch still rounded up top 10 finishes.
On we go to the paperclipped half mile: MARTINSVILLE! The only short track race in the chase will bring the beating and banging back into the chase, especially with double file restarts at the track for the first time! I think Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin will have another battle to the finish. I will be optimistic and say Gordon will win it (without alluding to the fact that I’m a Gordon fan). Can’t wait to see if this chase turns around!
WATCH THAT 48 DOMINATE
“Wow” is all I have to say this week. The Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship seems to once again be morphing into the “Chase for Jimmie Johnson.” Same song, 4th verse? Seems like this is getting old. However, Jimmie Johnson and the 48 team played their cards correctly once again, and used quick pit work and a lightning quick final restart to secure yet another victory in 2009.
We had to expect this from the Lowe’s team, as they had won 3 previous times at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Now that he’s got win #4 in the bag, he continues to motor to a 4th championship. Plus he held on for the win with 4 laps to go. His car number is a multiple of 4. Each DIGIT on his car number is a multiple of 4. Something tells me this is foreshadowing a pretty bright future in this chase for JJ.
Despite an unusually high number of caution flags (7) including a huge wreck near the finish, lots of the chase drivers were able to lock in excellent finishes. Jeff Gordon ended up 2nd, Juan Pablo Montoya continues to impress with solid runs, finishing 3rd and FORMER points leader Mark Martin ending up 4th. Tony Stewart ended up 5th with Carl Edwards 6th and Kurt Busch ending up 8th to round out the chase drivers in the top 10. ABC continued to keep the viewers updated on all the chase drivers, however sometimes it was overload. The cookie cutter 2 mile tracks allow for the announcers to fill a lot of time, especially when the racing gets boring.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I have to give this broadcast a 7. It’s not so much the fault of ABC, but they consistently made a huge deal about how dominant Jimmie Johnson is. Every week, the announcers say the same things: “Jimmie Johnson is unstoppable.” “Somebody’s going to have to get up there and challenge that 48 car.” It’s just become a dull chase for fans of other drivers…and I feel that it’s been a dull chase with one car dominating everything.
Next week, another similar track awaits the NASCAR guys as they travel back across country to Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte. I will be incredibly surprised if Jimmie Johnson doesn’t win this race. He’s just too strong, especially at Lowe’s. However, Mark Martin needs to keep pace with his Hendrick teammate since Martin is now 2nd in points. Despite Martin’s 4th place finish, he’s now 12 points behind. Can someone stop the Lowe’s team at Lowe’s Motor Speedway? Until Saturday!!
We had to expect this from the Lowe’s team, as they had won 3 previous times at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Now that he’s got win #4 in the bag, he continues to motor to a 4th championship. Plus he held on for the win with 4 laps to go. His car number is a multiple of 4. Each DIGIT on his car number is a multiple of 4. Something tells me this is foreshadowing a pretty bright future in this chase for JJ.
Despite an unusually high number of caution flags (7) including a huge wreck near the finish, lots of the chase drivers were able to lock in excellent finishes. Jeff Gordon ended up 2nd, Juan Pablo Montoya continues to impress with solid runs, finishing 3rd and FORMER points leader Mark Martin ending up 4th. Tony Stewart ended up 5th with Carl Edwards 6th and Kurt Busch ending up 8th to round out the chase drivers in the top 10. ABC continued to keep the viewers updated on all the chase drivers, however sometimes it was overload. The cookie cutter 2 mile tracks allow for the announcers to fill a lot of time, especially when the racing gets boring.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I have to give this broadcast a 7. It’s not so much the fault of ABC, but they consistently made a huge deal about how dominant Jimmie Johnson is. Every week, the announcers say the same things: “Jimmie Johnson is unstoppable.” “Somebody’s going to have to get up there and challenge that 48 car.” It’s just become a dull chase for fans of other drivers…and I feel that it’s been a dull chase with one car dominating everything.
Next week, another similar track awaits the NASCAR guys as they travel back across country to Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte. I will be incredibly surprised if Jimmie Johnson doesn’t win this race. He’s just too strong, especially at Lowe’s. However, Mark Martin needs to keep pace with his Hendrick teammate since Martin is now 2nd in points. Despite Martin’s 4th place finish, he’s now 12 points behind. Can someone stop the Lowe’s team at Lowe’s Motor Speedway? Until Saturday!!
Monday, October 5, 2009
SMOKE ON FIRE AT KANSAS
The race to the chase is now three races old…and the Price Chopper 400 at Kansas Speedway almost looked to be another “Jimmie Johnson steals the show” yawner. However the fans who packed the stands at the Kansas Speedway were treated to by far the most competitive race in the chase in 2009.
After a few rather subpar runs to start the Chase, it was Tony Stewart who finally broke into the win column. Stewart had a quiet afternoon, not really making any noise until the final segments of the race. He didn’t make any noise in the past six races, finishing no better than 9th. Fortunately, “Smoke” rose to the top of the leaderboard and never looked back. Watch Smoke take the lead on the video below.
While it was a fight at my parents’ house to watch either the race or the Cleveland Browns football game, I was still able to watch majority of the opening stages of the race. What really caught my eye was the outstanding use of surroundings by Dave Burns, one of the pit reporters. On lap 78, after a round of pit stops, Burns was in the pit of Juan Pablo Montoya reporting that Montoya’s tire was going flat. Much to the surprise of the announcers, Dave Burns placed his microphone right next to the leaking tire, emphasizing how loud and obvious it was. This was the first time that any of the announcers in the booth had heard this effect, and it won major brownie points with me as a viewer.
I would rate this broadcast a 9 out of 10. I think ESPN has a wonderful team running all of these races. The only thing that hurts this from being a perfect score is camera placement. For the second time, a camera was placed on the helmet of a crew member on the #7 Robby Gordon team. The angle where the camera was placed was not as consistent as it was before. Fans noticed a dizzying display of work on pit road when the camera was pointed too high above the target it was aiming toward. It was a minor issue, but it was definitely a dizzy angle.
Next weekend, we motor on to Auto Club Speedway in California. Being a Jeff Gordon fan, I highly anticipate a win from that team this weekend. Their intermediate program has been incredibly stout this season. He may have the best performance out of the chase contenders. Watch out for Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle too…they perform well here historically.
Sunday at 2:30 on ESPN…don’t miss it!
After a few rather subpar runs to start the Chase, it was Tony Stewart who finally broke into the win column. Stewart had a quiet afternoon, not really making any noise until the final segments of the race. He didn’t make any noise in the past six races, finishing no better than 9th. Fortunately, “Smoke” rose to the top of the leaderboard and never looked back. Watch Smoke take the lead on the video below.
While it was a fight at my parents’ house to watch either the race or the Cleveland Browns football game, I was still able to watch majority of the opening stages of the race. What really caught my eye was the outstanding use of surroundings by Dave Burns, one of the pit reporters. On lap 78, after a round of pit stops, Burns was in the pit of Juan Pablo Montoya reporting that Montoya’s tire was going flat. Much to the surprise of the announcers, Dave Burns placed his microphone right next to the leaking tire, emphasizing how loud and obvious it was. This was the first time that any of the announcers in the booth had heard this effect, and it won major brownie points with me as a viewer.
I would rate this broadcast a 9 out of 10. I think ESPN has a wonderful team running all of these races. The only thing that hurts this from being a perfect score is camera placement. For the second time, a camera was placed on the helmet of a crew member on the #7 Robby Gordon team. The angle where the camera was placed was not as consistent as it was before. Fans noticed a dizzying display of work on pit road when the camera was pointed too high above the target it was aiming toward. It was a minor issue, but it was definitely a dizzy angle.
Next weekend, we motor on to Auto Club Speedway in California. Being a Jeff Gordon fan, I highly anticipate a win from that team this weekend. Their intermediate program has been incredibly stout this season. He may have the best performance out of the chase contenders. Watch out for Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle too…they perform well here historically.
Sunday at 2:30 on ESPN…don’t miss it!
JOHNSON TAMES THE MONSTER
Dover…The MONSTER mile. I think it is one of the coolest looking tracks in all of NASCAR. They also call it “White Lightning” since it’s totally made of concrete on the racing surface. The Triple A 400--Race number two of the Chase for the Sprint Cup-- was surely full of surprises…except for the winner of the race.
In the spring, Jimmie Johnson dominated Dover, and simply carried his momentum into Delaware to pull off the season sweep. Most of us race fans knew that he would win based on his communication with his crew chief Chad Knaus. When a driver feels as if his car can perform even better than it is, yet he’s pulling away lap after lap, the competition is in MAJOR TROUBLE.
Speaking of major trouble, the ESPN crew did a brilliant job in camera work and reporting on an incident which was seemingly impossible to occur at Dover. 19 year old Joey Logano got bumped from behind by Tony Stewart and it sent him on a wild wild ride.
Jerry Punch, Andy Petree and Dale Jarrett don’t get overly excited when this happens live. They do, however bring the whole accident into perspective. Punch mentions that the banking of the track is 3 stories high. Also, reporter Shannon Spake asked a great question in Logano’s post wreck interview: “In your 19 years of racing, how did this compare to anything you’ve been through?” Big props to the reporters and the cameras once again for bringing the whole incident into perspective.
This broadcast deserves a 10. All strategies were painted well, and the whole crew had to find time to fill throughout the delayed portions of the race since track cleanup took so long. Any time those guys can fill an extra half hour or 45 minutes (in addition to the 4 or 5 hours they spend on the telecast), they deserve a high rating like this. It’s an art to cover this sport and these guys proved it.
Next week…Kansas. Again, Jimmie Johnson should have the car to beat. However, I’ve read that Greg Biffle has built a brand new car SPECIFICALLY for this race. New cars generally have major implications on a race. Biffle should hover around the top 5 all day. On to race three of the chase for the sprint cup!
In the spring, Jimmie Johnson dominated Dover, and simply carried his momentum into Delaware to pull off the season sweep. Most of us race fans knew that he would win based on his communication with his crew chief Chad Knaus. When a driver feels as if his car can perform even better than it is, yet he’s pulling away lap after lap, the competition is in MAJOR TROUBLE.
Speaking of major trouble, the ESPN crew did a brilliant job in camera work and reporting on an incident which was seemingly impossible to occur at Dover. 19 year old Joey Logano got bumped from behind by Tony Stewart and it sent him on a wild wild ride.
Jerry Punch, Andy Petree and Dale Jarrett don’t get overly excited when this happens live. They do, however bring the whole accident into perspective. Punch mentions that the banking of the track is 3 stories high. Also, reporter Shannon Spake asked a great question in Logano’s post wreck interview: “In your 19 years of racing, how did this compare to anything you’ve been through?” Big props to the reporters and the cameras once again for bringing the whole incident into perspective.
This broadcast deserves a 10. All strategies were painted well, and the whole crew had to find time to fill throughout the delayed portions of the race since track cleanup took so long. Any time those guys can fill an extra half hour or 45 minutes (in addition to the 4 or 5 hours they spend on the telecast), they deserve a high rating like this. It’s an art to cover this sport and these guys proved it.
Next week…Kansas. Again, Jimmie Johnson should have the car to beat. However, I’ve read that Greg Biffle has built a brand new car SPECIFICALLY for this race. New cars generally have major implications on a race. Biffle should hover around the top 5 all day. On to race three of the chase for the sprint cup!
Monday, September 14, 2009
CHASE THIS!
Richmond International Raceway…a short track. A track with more prestige than ever because it wraps up NASCAR’s version of a “regular season”. This race dictated who would be a part of the top 12 teams in the hunt for a Sprint Cup Championship. In a race requiring precision and guts from those who were outside the top 12, the only disappointment belonged to those who just didn’t have lady luck on their side.
As far as lady luck is concerned, she took the front seat with Denny Hamlin…who considers Richmond to be his home race track. Much like in football or basketball, home field advantage is always special. Many race car drivers don’t even have a race track to call “home.” Denny Hamlin’s victory at Richmond marked his territory not just at home, but also in the chase for the Sprint Cup in 2009.
The ESPN crew points out that it was the race off of pit road on a late set of pit stops that allowed Hamlin to assume the lead and run away with the show.
After many articles raved about Kyle Busch and the impact he would have on the chase, his Richmond performance proved that his team had overcome adversity. 5th place doesn’t look bad on the stat sheet…but despite the top 5, the M&Ms crew will have to race for 13th place in the points instead of contending for the title.
Throughout the 400 mile affair, ESPN’s director pushed his crew to concentrate on the drivers who were on the bubble (Brian Vickers, Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch). Viewers were consistently updated with where each of these drivers was running on the track, especially at the end of the race. It seemed as if the leaders and the race for the win was completely overshadowed by a race between two drivers who were battling back between 5th and 7th place to make “the big dance.” It turns out that this in-race strategy’s presentation paid off and it had relevance to it, since Busch and Vickers were separated by only 8 points when the checkered flag flew.
As usual, after 26 races (Richmond being #26), the drivers in the top 12 are “seeded” based on wins. This means that even though Tony Stewart led the point standings for most of the season, he will be behind Mark Martin, who won 4 races, and thus acquired 40 bonus points. Stewart will be 2nd in points, 10 behind with his 3 race wins. The chase will also include Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Juan Montoya, and Greg Biffle.
This means next weekend’s race at New Hampshire will begin the countdown to the cup…12 drivers, 10 races, ONE MISSION. Look for chase contenders Jeff Gordon and Greg Biffle to be strong at this race track, especially with the added incentive of additional points for winning a race. I’m excited to see who is going to be the headline and who will start off the chase either a contender or pretender! LET’S GET CHASIN’!
As far as lady luck is concerned, she took the front seat with Denny Hamlin…who considers Richmond to be his home race track. Much like in football or basketball, home field advantage is always special. Many race car drivers don’t even have a race track to call “home.” Denny Hamlin’s victory at Richmond marked his territory not just at home, but also in the chase for the Sprint Cup in 2009.
The ESPN crew points out that it was the race off of pit road on a late set of pit stops that allowed Hamlin to assume the lead and run away with the show.
After many articles raved about Kyle Busch and the impact he would have on the chase, his Richmond performance proved that his team had overcome adversity. 5th place doesn’t look bad on the stat sheet…but despite the top 5, the M&Ms crew will have to race for 13th place in the points instead of contending for the title.
Throughout the 400 mile affair, ESPN’s director pushed his crew to concentrate on the drivers who were on the bubble (Brian Vickers, Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch). Viewers were consistently updated with where each of these drivers was running on the track, especially at the end of the race. It seemed as if the leaders and the race for the win was completely overshadowed by a race between two drivers who were battling back between 5th and 7th place to make “the big dance.” It turns out that this in-race strategy’s presentation paid off and it had relevance to it, since Busch and Vickers were separated by only 8 points when the checkered flag flew.
As usual, after 26 races (Richmond being #26), the drivers in the top 12 are “seeded” based on wins. This means that even though Tony Stewart led the point standings for most of the season, he will be behind Mark Martin, who won 4 races, and thus acquired 40 bonus points. Stewart will be 2nd in points, 10 behind with his 3 race wins. The chase will also include Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Juan Montoya, and Greg Biffle.
This means next weekend’s race at New Hampshire will begin the countdown to the cup…12 drivers, 10 races, ONE MISSION. Look for chase contenders Jeff Gordon and Greg Biffle to be strong at this race track, especially with the added incentive of additional points for winning a race. I’m excited to see who is going to be the headline and who will start off the chase either a contender or pretender! LET’S GET CHASIN’!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
