Q: Hi Matt! My husband and I were trying to remember the last time brothers won three straight races before Kyle and Kurt did so. We can’t think of a time it has happened unless Terry and Bobby Labonte did it. Or maybe Kurt and Kyle themselves? Can you help us out? Thanks! – Linda Davis
A: Terry and Bobby were close, Linda. In June 1995, the Brothers Labonte (as Bob Jenkins used to say) won at Pocono (Terry) and Michigan (Bobby) on consecutive weekends. Two weeks prior, Bobby Labonte had won at Charlotte and then ran second to Kyle Petty at Dover before the back-to-back wins. So that eliminates them.
Kyle and Kurt have never pulled the feat, but I was absolutely amazed at what my research found:
The Flock brothers – Bob, Fonty and Tim – had some incredible runs in the 1950s. Tim and Bob combined for three straight in 1951 (Fort Miami Speedway, Morristown Speedway and Greenville-Pickens Speedway). In fact, the three brothers won seven of 11 races in one stretch.
They topped themselves a year later when the trio combined to win four straight at Playland Park Speedway in South Bend, Ind., Monroe County Fairgrounds in Rochester, N.Y., Asheville-Weaverville Speedway in Weaverville, N.C. and good ol’ Darlington. This time, the boys won nine races in a 12-race stretch and Tim won a championship.
Just to rub it in, they decided to go all quad-tastic again in 1955, when they won four in a row at Montgomery Speedway in Montgomery, Ala., Langhorne Speedway in Langhorne, Pa., Raleigh Speedway in Raleigh, N.C. and Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C. And once again, Tim was the Grand National champion.
I don’t give a flying Flock who you are, that’s impressive.
Also of note, Donnie & Bobby Allison almost won three straight in October and November 1978. They won three of four during one magical stretch, with Bobby finishing second to Cale Yarborough in the other. They were so mad that they failed to hit the four-for-four plateau that they tried to beat the crap out of Cale three months later.
Q: We were having a discussion down here about the top-five drivers talent-wise. Would you change this list at all? 1. Tony Stewart; 2. Kyle Busch; 3. Jeff Gordon; 4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.; 5. Carl Edwards – Doug Williams
A: This is always the question I dread answering, and it seems to be the one I get asked more often than not when bellied up at Calhoun’s down the road. So here goes – and this is solely my opinion, so take it for what you will – but give me, in no particular order: Mark Martin, Gordon, Stewart, Greg Biffle and Kyle Busch.
Of course, ask a different person, get a different answer. Or ask me on a different day and most likely get a different answer. Ole!
Q: Martin’s going to the Hendrick Dream Team with Junior, Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. What are the odds that the four-time Cup runner-up wins it all (or maybe just the Daytona 500) in 2009? Martin’s one of the last old school gunslingers left, could he run full-time in 2010 even though his contract is only part-time in the second year? – Dale Petty
A: Never say never when discussing Martin’s future plans. As it stands now, he is to run a 26-race slate in 2010, but the plan four years ago was to be Truck racing by now, so who knows. And I think the odds are long that Martin wins the Cup next year. I have no doubt he’ll be successful in the No. 5 car – I’d say three wins aren’t out of the question – and I think it’s a perfect fit for both driver and team, but winning a title out of the gate with a new team? Boy, that’s tough. He’ll drive that No. 5 into the Chase, though.
Q: What type of future do you think Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss will have as a NASCAR owner? And how does he pay his crew – direct deposit, via check, etc….? – Rowdy Rush
A: Straight cash, homey. He pays ’em straight cash. Thanks for the setup, Rowdy.
As for Randy’s future in NASCAR, I sure wish I could tell you. We’ve seen many a football name come into the sport and try to hit it big. I think the difference in this case is Moss is buying into a Craftsman Truck Series team that has been around for 12 years, not attempting to build an organization from the ground up. Randy said so himself:
“Most of those guys [football players who have attempted NASCAR team ownership] started out at the top. I’m a true believer in, ‘you have to crawl before you walk.’ I wanted to start out at the bottom, in the Truck Series.”
And of course, a truck team is a bit more manageable – financially and from a time investment perspective – than a Cup or Nationwide team. Priority No. 1, however, is finding sponsorship. Moss claims he’s willing to fund the team out of his pocket, but we know how long that usually lasts.
That’s it for this week. Send in those questions, comments and opinions my way.
The Frontstretch Staff is made up of a group of talented men and women spread out all over the United States and Canada. Residing in 15 states throughout the country, plus Ontario, and widely ranging in age, the staff showcases a wide variety of diverse opinions that will keep you coming back for more week in and week out.