Search Results for: Mark Martin

Thinkin’ Out Loud: Texas Race Recap

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*Key Moment* – Martin Truex Jr. was comfortably ahead, in position to break a six-year drought since his lone Cup win when the caution flew with 21 laps to go. As the cars came off pit road, Kyle Busch screeched out in front and from there, it was all she wrote. He went on to lead the final 20 laps and take the win.

*In a Nutshell* – Dominance for Kyle Busch. Heartbreak for Truex. Waiting for Fontana’s action that never came.

*Dramatic Moment* – During pre-race inspection, both cars fielded by Penske Racing were told that the tech inspectors did not like their rear end housings. The No. 2 and 22 cars had to change their rear ends in order to pass technical inspection. After the No. 22 swapped their rear end, it took them three tries to get through a laser inspection. By the time they got to the grid, the command to start engines had been given and Joey Logano had to start at the back.

Tracking the Trucks: Kroger 250

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*In a Nutshell:* Johnny Sauter took the lead on the final restart of the race to take home his second win of 2013, his second at Martinsville, and his eighth overall. ThorSport teammate Matt Crafton squeezed by a fading Jeb Burton to finish second. Timothy Peters and Darrell Wallace, Jr. Rounded out the top 5.

*Who Should Have Won: Jeb Burton.* Burton was the class of the field in the Arrowhead Chevrolet from the moment the trucks unloaded in Martinsville, running at the top of the charts in practice, qualifying on the pole, and leading the most laps en route to a third-place finish. It was, perhaps, Burton’s inexperience as much as a loose, fading truck that kept him from Victory Lane; Sauter and Crafton, both series veterans, simply made Burton use his truck up at the end. Still, Burton proved that he’s going to be a factor in this series in 2013.

NASCAR Mailbox: Tempers, Anyone?

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I really felt bad for Denny Hamlin after his injury at Fontana. I mean, the pain had to be agonizing and it will keep him out of the car for a while. How horrible is that!

And then … Kevin Ware. Goodness, that was horrendous. My breath hitched and my stomach lurched when I finally willed myself to watch the replay, wanting to know myself what had everyone buzzing about some sort of injury. Gone was Hamlin’s still brutal injury from Fontana, and in its place was an image I’ll likely never be able to erase of a college athlete I had never heard of. Godspeed, Kevin Ware.

And you too, Denny.

Mirror Driving: Unpredictability And Unusual Circumstances

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k horse that we may be overlooking?*

Amy: I think of the top 10, I like Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s chances. He’s always been strong at Martinsville, and he’s on a roll.
Summer: I think I’m going to go with Keselowski. He’s not known as much of a “short track” guy, but after winning the championship, there’s not much he still can’t do.
Phil: I’m going with Keselowski for the driver most likely in the front bunch. Don’t count out Earnhardt Jr., though.

Did You Notice? … Five Teams Looking To Save Their Season Five Races In

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*Did You Notice?…* For every team in contention for this year’s Chase, there’s another dangerously close to early elimination? You’d think, five races in, that wouldn’t be the case, considering debates surrounding whether Denny Hamlin can miss that period of time and still charge back into the playoffs.

But, by and large, as has been widely reported in recent years, strong starts in the point standings, even this early, typically hold up come September. Here’s a quick look at how many drivers eligible for the Chase, five races in went on to earn a bid once the regular season was complete…

Going By The Numbers: NASCAR’s Sub Story – Do They Win When Filling In?

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The back injury Denny Hamlin sustained at Auto Club Speedway after a last-lap, last-corner tangle with Joey Logano is not necessarily anything new to NASCAR, but an injury that flips a driver’s season upside down with multiple races missed? That’s a bit rarer these days.

Think about it; aside from Hamlin’s accident a week ago and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s concussion, one that caused him to sit out two races in 2012, how many debilitating injuries, to the point of having to miss a race or more in the seat, can you remember in the Sprint Cup Series over the past, say, five years?

Couch Potato Tuesday: Rating The Top 3 Active NASCAR TV Analysts

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Hello, race fans. Hope you enjoyed Easter Weekend. For me, it was relatively boring. Ended up spending much of my Easter watching Indianapolis 500s from the 1990s on YouTube.

Well, this week in Couch Potato Tuesday, you won’t be bored here; we’re going to broach new ground. Most of the hundreds of critiques that I’ve written for Frontstretch involve me watching race telecasts and breaking them down, piece by piece. Even though I am not wholly negative in my critiques of broadcasts, I have definitely earned a reputation from some as a “Negative Nancy.”