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Search Results for: Mark Martin

NASCAR’s Hidden Gem… For How Much Longer?

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There’s a mystery driver these days putting up big time numbers – just without the big time accolades to go with it. He has six victories in the last three years, more than Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, or Kurt Busch on the Cup Series level. During that span, his 53 top-10 finishes collected are greater than all but three drivers: Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, and Kevin Harvick. It’s a collection of stats made more impressive by the fact that A) he’s switched teams the last two years and B) he’s never been the number one driver in any organization he’s been a part of.

When are we going to give Clint Bowyer the credit he’s due?

Champion, Interrupted: Kurt Busch’s Phoenix Racing Tenure

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Kurt Busch’s 29-race tenure with Phoenix Racing ended with a bang, though it’s probably not the kind of noise Busch and owner James Finch hoped to make.

After leading six laps and riding around at the front of the pack in the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Busch slowed on the track — in front of nearly the entire field, no less — claiming he was out of fuel. One spin and contact with the inside wall later, his No. 51 Chevrolet was rendered pretty much useless, though that didn’t stop him from driving away from safety crews, a piece of their equipment still sitting atop his car and later falling to the racing surface.

The move earned the Las Vegas native an early exit via a NASCAR parking, even though his car wasn’t going to perform too well in the draft anyway with a crumpled rear end.

Looking Forward on a Bye Weekend: The 2013 Nationwide Series

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For all intents and purposes, the 2012 season has been a pleasant surprise for the Nationwide Series. A razor-thin title fight, series regulars capable of winning races and doing it, its been at least on paper the best season the Nationwide ranks have enjoyed since 2003. But all good things come to an end, and this cast of characters is no different. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has been promoted to Cup, and will be doing his best Matt Kenseth impression in 2013. Sam Hornish Jr. remains without a contract, even in the Penske Racing camp that has stuck behind him so loyally. And through the rest of the top 10 in points, uncertainty is abound; Justin Allgaier, Cole Whitt, Mike Bliss and Brian Scott all aren’t guaranteed to return to their respective cockpits next season.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Dover II

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Frontstretch Power Rankings
While Talladega is still ahead, it seems that the championship players have clearly been set. Not only are we seeing a repeat of 2010, with a Denny Hamlin vs. Jimmie Johnson championship fight, but the third dog in play, Brad Keselowski, is proving to be more than just a darkhorse candidate. He’s ahead of both drivers in the standings and has won two out of the last three races. Call me crazy, but I think we have a fight on our hands!

Mirror Driving: NASCAR’s Unpredictability Week

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*A third of the way through this year’s championship battle, which drivers are looking like they’ll still be there going into Homestead… and whose bid is toast already?*

Phil: Well, Matt Kenseth for sure. That dude can’t buy a break. I’ve never heard a sound like the one produced when his track bar broke.
Amy: I know, Phil, that was crazy. I could almost hear the conversation at the shop: “Hey, what do you want to do with these weird track bars? Toss ’em?” “Nah, we’ll just use them on Matt’s car, why waste them?”

Did You Notice? … FOX Finds The NASCAR Diamond And The “Hidden” Chaser

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*Did You Notice?…* The difference between FOX, TNT, and ESPN when negotiating their NASCAR TV deals? FOX, according to multiple reports, is almost finished on an extension that will keep them broadcasting most of the Sprint Cup season’s first half for years to come. As a part of that, sources are claiming the cost of doing business will go up after 2014 — a likely, albeit surprising rights fee increase that’s eyebrow-raising when you consider the recent drop in NASCAR popularity, both on and off the racetrack. Just this week, Dover registered a 2.2 Nielsen rating, with just 3.581 million viewers that keeps the Chase on track for its lowest audience since the format’s 2004 debut.

The Chase Favorite After Dover…Is Still Jimmie Johnson

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The way things are being written, one would think Brad Keselowski was Miles the Monster himself after this weekend at Dover, a giant who smashed all before him in a decisive victory that left nothing in its wake. For those living under a rock on Sunday (and Monday), here’s a quick reminder; Brad Keselowski’s No. 2 was not the best car this race day. Brad did indeed blow by Jimmie Johnson for the lead…when the No. 48 was running at 80% throttle and the dominant JGR Toyotas of Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin fell victim to TRD’s awful fuel mileage. And yes, Brad did score his second win of the Chase, and in doing so built a mammoth five-point lead over Jimmie Johnson. Give that man the trophy.