Texas
Rain Friday, no qualifying, and once again Michael Waltrtip will be watching this race from his couch. You realize that by Sunday night he'll be more than 1,000 points behind the leader?
Other randomness:
** Dustin Long was at the track Friday and blogged a bit. Check that space today for more, and make sure to check the Sunday paper. He'll have a really interesting piece on clutch driving. Anyone want to guess who's the best clutch driver in NASCAR today? (By clutch, I don't mean the guy who's best at changing gears. Sheesh.)
** A week ago, Bram wrote a short piece on how the COT handles. (Keep it in mind when the series heads to Phoenix this week.) The short of it: Because the COT is bigger and taller than the COY, it wants to take a hard right instead of the preferred left when it comes around a corner. (It's all about momentum. Remember that from high school physics?) Teams can't use shocks and springs like they've been doing, so they have to make the car loose to get it to turn. It's interesting stuff. Bram can explain this stuff as well as anyone. My only wish is that he could draw, too.
** Jeff Gordon starts from the pole Sunday at one of just three active tracks he doesn't have a first-name relationship with victory lane. (The others: Phoenix and Homestead.) So do you like Gordon's chances now? What about Johnson, who's driving better than anyone right now? Kahne won last year - how about him? Newman? Remember him? Your two fastest drivers yesterday were Kyle Busch and Casey Mears - what about them?
** Speaking of Hendrick, there's no doubt that it's the best team in the business right now. Gordon's leading the points, Johnson and Kyle Busch are in the top 5, and the three of them have won four of six races this season. The second-best team ... no one right now. Third, no one either. Next I'd have to put, oh, Childress in fourth, Gibbs in fifth and Roush in sixth. Everyone else is battling for 10th-best.
Gotta run. I've got plenty of chores to do before the rains come.
Comments (4)
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Not only is the Hendrick team doing well in the regular Cup cars, but they appear to be the only team that has the COT configuration working well for them.
They're gonna be tough to beat this year.
Posted on April 14, 2007 6:04 PM
I wonder if anyone has ever finished with negative points for the year before?
Posted on April 14, 2007 7:40 PM
Jamie McMurray's saving his job the way he has been driving.
Posted on April 16, 2007 12:35 AM
Jon, I think JGR has a pretty good handle on the CoT as well, it's all matter of time and timing, and Jimmie Johnson's comment, however hyped, about not having a "neutral set up yet" should be pretty foreboding to the other competitors. Richmond was a good test for Phoenix, as far as CoT handling, but I still lots changes in store for the beast.
And Matt... as far McMurray,he'd better be doing something about changing his driving habits.. as should Reed Sorenson and other well-funded backmarkers....time is running out, renewals are due... and guarantees of seat are short.
Posted on April 16, 2007 11:07 AM