Why I watched…
It sure was not to see Denny Hamlin behind the wheel, who is out with a back injury until Talladega a month from now. However, not only does he need to win a couple of races in the first 16 events after his return to have a chance to make the Chase, but Hamlin has to be back into the Top 20 to make those wins count. Hamlin leaves with 145 points, while the 20th place Ryan Newman had 121 going into Martinsville. While Newman probably will count more, a good rule of thumb would be to expect whomever is 20th to average 24 points per race over the next five, or 120 points. That theoretically could move the 20th place threshold to 241 points in Hamlin’s absence. That would require Hamlin to gain nearly a hundred points, or about six points per race, on whomever holds that spot each week. It can be done, but he will have a mountain of work ahead of him.
The race…
The lad hopes to get back earlier, but in the meantime Mark Martin took his place on Sunday. The car was not entirely to the veteran’s liking to start and then got clipped in a 10-car pileup 180 laps in. Later he came in for tires but rolled away too early as his front left side tire tried to do the same. Yet, when the checkered flag waved Mark had found a way to finish 10th.
Dale Earnhardt Jr started the day our points leader, but finished it sitting third. Things started well, but they totally lost the handling in the second half of the contest. Junior faded out of the Top Ten, the Top Twenty, then when Brian Vickers bumped Danica Patrick into Junior to spin him, he wound up 24th, a couple of laps down.
Brian Vickers is too good a driver to be sitting on the sidelines. However, I was reminded how he won his first ever Cup race and the talented fellow is right back on my jerk list. He is on Kevin Harvick’s, as well. While Vickers did rebound from a cut tire and a blown rear fender, he bounced Patrick into Junior then hit her again as they came to the finish line. The Southern Gentleman Award goes to the California-born Harvick who took exception to how Vickers was treating the lady. He spun him out just after they finished, he cut him off as Vickers was about to exit the track, then cut him off again to take point on the return to the garage. Harvick finished 13th, Patrick 12th, Vickers 11th. Brian sits in for Hamlin this Saturday night in Texas…the jerk.
Patrick went from two laps down and an after thought to coming back to be among the top dozen on the day. The boyfriend ended up 25th two laps down. As for Hamlin’s hold on a top twenty spot in the standings, he is ahead of the 21st place Martin by nine points, ten up on Stewart, and eleven up on Newman. Meanwhile, I have no word of anyone wanting to punch out Joey Logano (23rd on Sunday) immediately after the race.
Not even Tony Stewart, who had to settle for 17th. Not even Ryan Newman, who had a tire go flat, parked on the track to force the caution and got a three lap penalty for his actions. He ended the day 31st as both team mates are still outside the Top Twenty in the standings. Same for Martin Truex, Jr, who got the worst of it in the big fender bender early in the race and was left 40th.
Biggest blunder of the race was the official who called Brad Keselowski’s front tire being on the line when he pitted with about twenty laps remaining. The fat part of the tire might have looked like it from above, but the replays showed that the tread was most definitely not. It is not what hangs over the line that prompts a penalty, but what actually touches the line. The dumbass. Probably a fan of Vickers. Still, the mistake only moved Keselowski from 9th to 11th, as he finished 6th.
Rating the race – 7.5/10…
If only the outside grove had come in. Jimmie Johnson led most of the laps, he was always in the top three, and almost always on the inside. After the final restart we knew he was about to win his 8th race on this track, claim his 2nd victory of the season, and the 62nd of his career. Clint Bowyer might have restarted beside him, but as he was on the outside he did not have a hope in hell. It was that kind of race. Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, and Kyle Busch rounded out the top five.
A good race to watch if you were a fan who knew what was what, but for those who did not it might have seemed a whole lot like follow the leader. Hey, some folks watch NASCAR like I watch English Premier League soccer…at gun point. However, I am getting ahead of myself as the NRA 500 in Texas is not until this Saturday night. For those who follow the sport, Martinsville proved to be a nice pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon and added another interesting chapter to the 2013 Cup season.
Yes MP, an undeveloped kid who needs another two years in the minors before being good enough (thinking included) to play with the big boys.
What? Is everyone just supposed to let her alone. Join the club if you want to race. Harvick is a jerk!!!! Who appointed Sargent at Arms? Nascar need s to fine or suspend him and Tony Stewartfor their A.H. actions. Big man Tony! A 22 years old Kid. Is everyone just supposed to let you pass and win? 2 ignorant Morons
Agree with you completely, Ron. I thought the same thing – replays in my mind of his first win! I had almost let Vickers slide off my “jerks” list, in sympathy for his health/job problems – but now he’s right back up at the top!
And while Harvick has never struck me a a southerner or a gentleman (Bakersfield, north of LA,is not considered southern California by the locals), you have to admit it was entertaining to see him stand up for his future team mate.
Harvick a gentleman ? Vickers a jerk…..OK you were on with that one but Harvick a gentleman ? much less a southern gentleman ? whatever you are on you need to cut the dose waaaaay down. I will check your next diatribe and see if you followed doctors orders.
But they are very good drugs, Nick. I might need another prescription, however.
Nice going Duke. Maybe the girl can hit him with her purse.
Harvick is a complete idiot and for him to be called a “gentleman” is a joke. For him to tear up two cars after the race in what he believed to be a deliberate shove of someone else in which he wasn’t involved in should have resulted in fines/penalties. Personally I would have hunted Harvick down in the garage after that.
Vickers and Danica have had issues in the past which I’m sure stem from the no drive Danica and her wrecking just about everything on the track including Vickers a time or two, none the less I’m sure she can take care of herself.
Why are you in writing racing columns? Your perceptions are quite different than most writers. (I’m being kind)
Thank God they are. As for me writing, I got some dirt on our publisher.
We must have watched a different race. Harvick was the jerk.
I guess you didn’t see 43 get into 55 before he got into Danica spinning Jr.
Harvick is a hot head and the idea that he’s a Southern Gent is laughable. And frankly Danica can take care of herself, or at least she should.
James, the problem w/Danica taking care of herself isn’t that she won’t do it, it is that she WILL!
For all that she is a 5’2″, 100lb supermodel, she is a spitfire w/a FEROCIOUS Irish temper! In an earlier interview, her boss (Tony Stewart) said a problem w/Danica’s driving @Martinsville for the first time was that they needed to be sure that she realized that bumping and banging was perfectly normal at this track – that when it inevitably DOES happen, that she needs to hold her temper and NOT smear that person into a wall (and ruin her popularity).
From what I could see on TV, she handled this well (after all, she finished 12th after being 43rd, and down two laps as a result of being deliberately spun out), but some of the other drivers took offense at others who took advantage of this particular rookie’s restraint.