Junior reflects on 40, shares post-Cup career plans

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Nascar

Hendrick driver hopes next 40 years as great as first 40

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. turns 40 next week, and it’s hard to believe NASCAR’s most popular driver is moving into the latter stages of his career.

"I’ve definitely accomplished more than I thought I would when I was younger," Earnhardt Jr. said Friday at Kansas Speedway, site of Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 (ESPN, 2 p.m. ET).

"I just wanted to make it and being the son of a guy that was so successful — the more success he had it seemed like the harder it would be for me to make it. I would just be sort of a chapter in that whole thing."

The son of seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt, the younger Earnhardt has always lived in his father’s shadow, even as his own popularity in the sport grew.

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He has scored 22 career Sprint Cup victories since his debut in ’99 and finished as high as third in the points standings. He’s a two-time winner of the Daytona 500.

Still searching for that first championship, he is one of 12 drivers that remain in contention for this year’s title.

"I’m real happy with what I’ve been able to accomplish, who I have been able to work with and the friends I’ve been able to make," Earnhardt Jr. said. "That is probably the best thing — the relationships that you create.

"Being a part of this sport, there are so many great people in it, no matter what department you talk about. It’s just fun getting to know all those people that helped get this thing going and move it from race to race."

What he’s been able to accomplish on the track, he said, "definitely exceeded my expectations."

"We are still winning races and running good," said the driver who won the season-opening Daytona 500 and swept both races at Pocono this season, "so maybe we can get a few more wins and have some more fun before it’s over.

"Definitely having this birthday come up makes you reflect quite a bit back on not so much the decisions or any regrets you have, just the fun stuff you have done and is the next 40 years going to be just as good?

"Because the first 40 were pretty great."

And after his Sprint Cup career is over? It’s likely, he said, that he’ll spend time racing for his own JR Motorsports team, which currently fields full-time entries in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series for drivers Chase Elliott and Regan Smith, as well as a third car that runs a limited schedule with various drivers.

"I would like to race for that company one day," he said, “so I hope to keep it healthy until that opportunity presents itself.

"Whenever I’m done Cup racing (I’d like) to jump in a Nationwide car and do that for a couple of years in my own shop."

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Posted on October 3, 2014 by Staff Report

See where your favorite driver will pit on Sunday (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)

When the Contender Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup begins Sunday at Kansas Speedway in the Hollywood Casino 400 (Sunday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN), pole-sitter Kevin Harvick will have the first stall off of pit road heading into Turn 1 for the second consecutive week.

Brian Vickers qualified second and chose pit stall No. 18, with an opening in front of it. Aric Almirola, who qualified third, chose pit stall No. 8 with an opening in front of it.

Carl Edwards will have stall No. 43, the closest to the entrance of pit road.

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Posted on October 3, 2014 by Staff Report

Winner receives a donation of $100,000 to the children’s charity they represent made by The NASCAR Foundation

VOTE NOW: Learn more about each finalists and vote

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The national finalists for the Fourth Annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award were announced today at Kansas Speedway by The NASCAR Foundation, kicking off the voting process for fans at www.NASCAR.com/award.

The Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award honors the unwavering commitment that The NASCAR Foundation Chairwoman Betty Jane France has demonstrated through philanthropy and community service. The award is presented annually to a dedicated NASCAR fan that has made a profound impact on the lives of children in his or her local community.

This year’s impressive group of finalists includes: Tammy Anderson-Lee, representing Autism Society San Diego, where she has developed adaptive swimming programs for children with autism; Amber Larkin of Windermere, Florida, founder of the Noah’s Light Foundation, which is engaged in the fight against pediatric brain cancer; Chris McElwee of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, founder of Michael’s Way, an organization providing financial assistance to families of children with cancer; and Daniel Noltemeyer of Louisville, Kentucky, who helped establish Best Buddies Kentucky, which promotes social inclusion for people with developmental disabilities.

"These finalists personify what our award is all about," said France. "They demonstrate commitment and compassion, putting their hearts and souls into their volunteer efforts that benefit those in need. These are four very special NASCAR fans. We are honored to have them as our 2014 award finalists."

The finalist with the most votes will receive $100,000 for the children’s charity they represent and personally receive a 2015 Toyota Camry provided by Toyota, the award’s 2014 Official Car Sponsor. The three remaining finalists will earn a donation of $25,000 for their children’s charity from The NASCAR Foundation. Additionally, each finalist will also receive an at-track VIP experience during the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

The national winner will be announced on Friday, Dec. 5 during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards show at Wynn Las Vegas, which will be nationally televised live on FOX Sports 2.

"With each year, the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award has grown in terms of awareness and prestige," said NASCAR Foundation Executive Director Lorene King. "And for that, we are indebted to our sport’s fans. Their support has been vital each and every year with our online voting turnout. We ask again for their support this year."

Voting opens today at www.NASCAR.com/award and concludes at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 4. Fans can join the conversation on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/NASCARFoundation and Twitter using the hashtag #BJFHAward.

Following is additional information about the 2014 national finalists:

Tammy Anderson-Lee (San Diego, California) has volunteered her service to Autism Society San Diego for the last 13 years, developing techniques to teach autistic children how to swim. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children with autism under the age of 14. She has created the “Pool PALS” (Pool for Persons with Autism Learning to Win) program, an innovative initiative consisting of three components: an adaptive swimming lesson program; free monthly pool and pizza parties for the children involved; and the “Surf Camp for Persons with Autism.” For more on Tammy Anderson-Lee, click here.

Amber Larkin (Windermere, Florida) founded the Noah’s Light Foundation in 2010. At the time, her young son Noah was one year into a battle with pediatric brain cancer, a fight he tragically would lose in 2012. The Noah’s Light Foundation’s mission is to find a cure for pediatric brain cancer by supporting visionary doctors in pediatric oncology, funding new research, raising awareness, and enriching the lives of the brave children struggling with the disease. Larkin is championing the development of a new protocol called “NOAH Protocol” that hopefully will lead to a cure for brain cancer. For more on Amber Larkin, click here.

Chris McElwee (Fort Washington, Pennsylvania) lost his brother to leukemia, a personal tragedy that led to him founding Michael’s Way in 1996. The organization’s mission is to lessen the financial burden on families of children with cancer. Since Michael’s Way was formed, approximately $400,000 has been distributed annually to families in need. McElwee is credited with raising millions of dollars himself over the years. One hundred percent of all donations received by Michael’s Way go directly to families affect by children’s cancer. For more on Chris McElwee, click here.

Daniel Noltemeyer (Louisville, Kentucky) is a 32-year-old with Down syndrome who was the driving force behind the establishment of Best Buddies Kentucky, part of the national Best Buddies social inclusion program for people with disabilities. Noltemeyer writes and speaks extensively to foster awareness of Best Buddies Kentucky. In 2012, he wrote an editorial in the Louisville Courier Journal that addressed discrimination often experienced by people with Intellectual Development Disabilities. Noltemeyer also is a high-profile Best Buddies Ambassador for Best Buddies International. For more on Daniel Noltemeyer, click here.

To learn more about the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award and each of the national finalists, please visit: www.NASCAR.com/award.

About The NASCAR Foundation

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Inc., (NASCAR) founded The NASCAR Foundation in January 2006. The NASCAR Foundation is a 501(c) (3) non-profit entity that embodies the compassion of the NASCAR industry and its commitment to serving communities. The NASCAR Foundation is dedicated to helping children learn how to win, both inside and outside of the classroom, through a variety of educational opportunities. For more information on The NASCAR Foundation, please visit the website: www.NASCAR.com/Foundation. Follow The NASCAR Foundation on http://www.facebook.com/NASCARFoundation or on Twitter: @NASCAR_FDN.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) governs the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information, visit www.NASCAR.com and follow NASCAR at www.Facebook.com/NASCAR and Twitter: @NASCAR.

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Posted on October 2, 2014November 30, 2017 by

Our experts address this week’s hot topics in NASCAR

1. Which of the next three races that make up the Contender Round is most likely to shake up the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup picture — Kansas, Charlotte or Talladega?

Holly Cain: I hate to state the obvious, but certainly Talladega has proven to show no favoritism or orderly conduct for the most part. These guys better get those wins at Kansas and Charlotte. The others have to hope for the best at Talladega.

Alan Cavanna: I can’t see anyone saying anything other than Talladega. There’s just so much that can go wrong so quickly. If you record two top-10s in the first two races, the Big One at Talladega can still keep you out of the next round.

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Zack Albert: It was plenty difficult enough tracking the in-progress points standings in the late going at Dover. I can’t imagine how the live standings will look at Talladega with the huge multi-car packs and the running order in flux every lap.

Cain: And then, there are those drivers who really seem to consistently put in good finishes at those restrictor-plate tracks.

Cavanna: What I wasn’t expecting were drivers being so worried about Kansas and Charlotte. Some referred to Kansas as a "wreck-fest." Brad K. said the entire round scares the "bleep" out of him.

Albert: Bleep? Was that not a nice word? Kansas does have the potential to truly set the tone, though. I look at how Almirola opened at Chicago and never quite recovered. He ultimately gave himself a chance, but in a three-race series, the slim margin for error proved to be too much to overcome.

Cain: Kansas has been hairy for sure in recent races, but I think the odds of figuring that out and controlling your own destiny are much higher there than at a place like Talladega.

Cavanna: I think the worry of Talladega is only going to increase the intensity at the first two races. Everyone wins.

2. Speaking of setting the tone, who are your best bets among the remaining 12 Chase drivers to start off the Contender Round strong at Kansas?
 
Cavanna: The first round belonged to Penske. I think the Hendrick cars come out strong at Kansas and even the playing field.

Cain: For me, it’s not just a question of who historically runs well at Kansas but of who is running strong right now. It would not surprise me to see Jeff Gordon win at Kansas, and I know a certain Hendrick teammate ready to hoist a trophy and make some noise.

Albert: I realize this comes loaded with "ifs," but I like Kevin Harvick to post a statement win. The No. 4 car ran extremely well there in the spring and finished second. If those nagging issues that seem to snarl the team stay away, Harvick should be, well … happy.

Cavanna: I threw out this stat on the NASCAR.com Preview Show: Brad K. and Joey Logano have a combined four career wins at the next three tracks. (Logano has zero.) Jimmie and Jeff have a combined 25 wins. … So far we’ve mentioned the Hendrick cars and Harvick. What about the three Joe Gibbs Racing cars that made it to this round?

Albert: I love the NASCAR.com Preview Show, starring Marty Snider. (I kid, Alan. I kid.) I know Kyle Busch has had difficulty with Kansas in the past, but have to believe he’s due to overcome that. I know that on sheer horsepower, their team is down, but Kenseth’s steady nature ought to be enough to move him on.

Cain: JGR has been fast, but they haven’t finished it out … unless you count doing "just enough." They are running well but don’t seem to be a part of the victory conversation in the way Hendrick and Penske are. The problem with that is counting on a solid points day at Talladega if there are any hiccups at Kansas or Charlotte.

Cavanna: So I think we’ve come to a consensus: Carl Edwards wins Kansas.

Cain: Exactly.

3. What can fans expect to see from Tony Stewart now that the three-time Sprint Cup champion no longer faces the threat of criminal charges? Could he return to Victory Lane before the end of the year?

Cavanna: I asked him a very similar question Monday at his press conference. He admitted it will be anything but "business as usual" even now that he’s been cleared.

Cain: I may be in the minority … but yes. Yes, Tony can win and it wouldn’t surprise me if he did. I know he hasn’t run well this year — even before his leave — but I can envision that happening. He’s historically good at most of the tracks we go to. Remember those five Chase wins for his last championship in 2011.

Albert: I can see it happening, too, but I think it will be a lot to overcome. His mind has clearly been on other things than managing his race teams, and he admitted as much on Monday. I know there is therapeutic benefit to finding safe haven in your work, and perhaps that’s what carries him.

Cain: I think that’s exactly the difference-maker, Zack. And he has won in every single previous season on the Cup level. I just see it coming together.

Cavanna: For Tony’s sake, I hope you’re right, Holly. But I have a hard time placing where it could happen. As you said, he wasn’t running well before Watkins Glen, as we’ve only seen slight improvement since he returned. Combine that with all the Chasers gunning for wins, and I think we have to wait until next year for Smoke to find Victory Lane.

Cain: He may struggle in six of the next seven races … but I could see that one week when he pulls off the magic.

Albert: Alan raises a great point of "if so, where?" Why not Talladega, right? Much more level playing field and Stewart has shown to be an adept restrictor-plate racer.

Cain: He could win at Talladega, Phoenix, Homestead …

Cavanna: I could see that, Zack. Tony’s skills combined with Hendrick power, and the need for teammates to be running together. Tony should find himself up front. A win would be quite a story.

Cain: Indeed, Alan.

Albert: Major story. And it could happen. The only thing we know for sure is that Carl Edwards wins at Kansas.

Cavanna: Back-flipping right into the Eliminator Round!

Cain: That’s right. Carl Edwards wins at Kansas. … or Jeff Gordon or Jimmie Johnson or Kevin Harvick …

Albert: … or Alan, if he ever gets that call from Mr. Penske.

Cavanna: I retired as a champion. I’ll stay on the sideline.

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Posted on October 2, 2014 by Staff Report

Elliott sits 26 points in front of JRM teammate Regan Smith in the standings

It was the same old story on the NASCAR Nationwide Series circuit this weekend. Another race, another top finish for Chase Elliott, as the 18-year-old rookie wunderkind took third in the Dover 200 at the Monster Mille.

The NASCAR Next alum showed a level of poise and technical skill well beyond his years, rallying from 24th to the top of the field after he was forced to pit on Lap 39 due to a cracked front bumper suffered from following too close to a wreck.

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"My team gave me an awesome car," Elliott said. "From the drop of the green, we had speed and I knew we had a car capable of winning. We just couldn’t overcome the early mistake. I was very pleased with the way my team taped up the car and got it to where it was still competitive. We battled as hard as we could. It just wasn’t enough."

Despite his disappointment about failing to capture the win, Elliott furthered his grasp on the top of the Nationwide Series standings, increasing his lead over teammate Regan Smith to 26 points with just five races left. Barring a colossal mistake in the stretch run, Elliott will become the first rookie to ever win a NASCAR national series championship.

The No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet driver has pulled away from the field by riding a string of nine straight top-10 finishes, including six top-five showings. He boasts 14 top-fives on the season.

The next stop on Elliott’s title conquest is Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN). The 1.5-mile tri-oval marks the first new track he has visited since the Aug. 30 race at Atlanta. Unknown courses have yet to faze Elliott this season. All three of his victories have come at tracks he had never raced at before (Texas, Darlington and Chicagoland).

"From what I’ve seen at Kansas Speedway, it certainly puts on a great show for the fans, so I hope we are able to provide excitement come Saturday," Elliott said. "This team is relentless and we’re proud of that. We have five races left with a goal in sight and we’re not stopping until we achieve what we set out to do."

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Posted on October 2, 2014 by Staff Report

No. 11 and No. 16 team crew chiefs discuss their testing plans

Phoenix International Raceway will be a busy place over the next month and a half.

In addition to hosting the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 (Nov. 9, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN), the final race of the Eliminator Round in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup where four drivers will be eliminated before the season wraps up in Homestead, the track will also host a Goodyear tire test.

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Speaking to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s "The Morning Drive," Darian Grubb, crew chief for Denny Hamlin‘s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team, disclosed that there will be a test and discussed the positives and negatives of testing during the season.

"We found out yesterday that we’re actually going to have an extra day at Phoenix turned into a 2015 tire test after we do our team test out there. So that’s going to be interesting right before we go to Talladega and the stressful week, a lot of our guys are going to have to stay out there and do a third day of testing just for Goodyear and NASCAR. So it’s exciting because it gives you a chance to get ahead on next year’s stuff, but it’s also tough to be able to concentrate on this year and start working on next year as well."

Hamlin’s team is planning on testing at Phoenix "the week after next" and will also be testing at Homestead "two weeks after that," Grubb said. Hamlin is still in the championship hunt as the Chase heads into the Contender Round at Kansas Speedway for the Hollywood Casino 400 (Sunday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Grubb was also asked about the 2015 rules package that was announced last week. Among the changes announced are a reduction in horsepower and a ban of team-facilitated testing for next season.

"I really think it’s a good direction. I wish we had gone a little farther with the downforce reduction, but it is what it is and we’re going to go out there and we’re going to race hard. From what we saw at Michigan and how racy the cars were and how the drivers were physically having to drive the car, I think the direction is for sure going to be the right thing. I think racing will become a lot closer, and the driver is going to have more of a chance to mess up and jump the cars loose and guys diving inside. Hopefully they’re going to have more talks in the future and go even further with the downforce reduction and give Goodyear some freedom to be able to give us more grip in the tires and more falloff and make pit strategy and things like that a lot more of a game to play. Any time you open up the rulebook for crew chiefs to have a little more chance to work and a little bit more freedom to make your car better than the other guy, we all thrive on that because we all want to find that advantage. The more that goes, the happier we’re going to be and hopefully the racing gets even better because of it."

For a team eliminated from the Chase, working toward 2015 is at the forefront of their mind. Matt Puccia, Greg Biffle‘s crew chief, discussed with "The Morning Drive" the tests the No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing team has lined up.

"(We’ve) got a lot of stuff to do for 2015 in the next month and a half, two months that really we’re working hard on now," Puccia said. "We’ve got a Homestead team test that we’re going to use this year. Maybe we’ll work on some stuff there. There’s a Goodyear test that we’re going to go to and work on the rules package this year. I think we’ve got Charlotte they’re talking about this year and California maybe. So really going to start strapping down here and start working on ’15 here."

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Posted on October 2, 2014 by Zack Albert

K&N Pro Series East champ, 17, eyes move up

RELATED: More coverage from Home Tracks | Learn more about Ben Rhodes

For most high school students, the turn from spring into summer can come with a sharp decline in productivity, merely clicking off the days before vacation time. Ben Rhodes, however, was just getting warmed up.

The 17-year-old product of Louisville, Kentucky, made the most of the seasonal transition with four consecutive wins in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. The string helped Rhodes secure the series championship with one race remaining, a run he capped off with a 15th-place finish last weekend at Dover International Speedway.

Rhodes’ season-ending tally of five wins and six pole positions is impressive enough; only Dylan Kwasniewski (six wins in 2013) and Joey Logano (five wins in 2007) have posted similar numbers. The streak of four victories in a row, though, only raised the degree of difficulty.

"It felt really good; I probably should have enjoyed it more while it was happening because you don’t realize what you have until its gone," said Rhodes, a member of the current NASCAR Next class of up-and-coming drivers."… Once it’s gone, you realize how sweet it really was. We’re working for it again. We’ve been trying this whole time to get some wins and create another streak, but we’ve just got to be more on top of our game with some of these races."

Rhodes started off strong, qualifying on the front row in each of the first four races. He was on the pole position at Bristol Motor Speedway in March for one of the series’ signature events, and while missing out on his first career victory with a third-place finish left a sour taste, he realized then that his Turner Scott Motorsports team had the potential for something special.

"I’d say that was where it started. We carried that one for a long time, carried it throughout the year," Rhodes said. "The competition has really gotten tougher — they’re very good at what they do. They’re all very talented. It’s hard to race against these guys week in, week out. We all know each other pretty well, so we can kind of predict what we’re going to do on the race track, so that’s fun. It’s been an interesting challenge for me this year, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’d say we clicked around Bristol and from there, it’s gotten only better."

After Bristol, the wins came in bunches. Rhodes dominated at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina the following week for his first victory in the series, a triumph that vaulted him to a lead in the standings that he would never relinquish. After a runner-up effort at Richmond in April, the stunning streak of wins at Iowa Speedway, Bowman Gray Stadium, Five Flags Speedway and Langley Speedway gave Rhodes a commanding advantage. Rhodes held serve the rest of the way with three more top-fives, finishing with a 60-point edge in the K&N East standings over Canadian standout Cameron Hayley.

All the while, he faced the rigors of school work, forcing a delicate balancing act with the series’ 16-race schedule — a Victory Lane celebration one day, pre-calculus problems and research papers the next. Meeting goals on both fronts wasn’t easy, but Rhodes had a game face for each one.

"It’s hard, really hard. … It’s always hard just because it’s hard to switch that focus," Rhodes said. "Once you get to the race track, I go into race mode and everything else is blocked out so it’s hard to just switch your focuses like that. The school works with me very well, but it’s still very hard for me to just switch the focus. I’m ready to be out, ready to focus on my racing career."

Rhodes has already ventured into what may be his next steps, notching two top-10 finishes in his three appearances in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this season. While nothing is set in stone for 2015, Rhodes pulled no punches about where he’d like to be next year.

"I would love to be running one of the national series, either the Camping World Truck Series or the XFINITY Series, but either way, I think the XFINITY Series will be much better and easier for me to transition into with the cars," Rhodes said. "The trucks from what I understand so far, they’re a little bit different for the aero package and it’s harder to get used to for me. I’ve gotten used to the radial tires now, so that was a really big step. But no plans right now. We’re still working on some sponsorship opportunities and talking to teams. We’ll see what we get lined up and hopefully here in the next couple months we’ll have something."

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Posted on October 2, 2014 by Zack Albert

JGR driver aims to overcome personal hurdle in Contender Round opener

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Talladega Superspeedway‘s unpredictable nature has earned plenty of spotlight among the next three venues in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup postseason. For Kyle Busch, however, a different track counts as his personal house of horrors.

As much trepidation as Kansas Speedway might conjure up for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Busch was calm and collected in talking about the Contender Round opener Wednesday, two days before opening practice at the 1.5-mile facility in preparation for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 (2 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Crashes in the last two Chase races in the Sunflower State have unraveled Busch’s title hopes the last two years. This season, he’s not setting out to be Mr. October, but hopes to survive with more modest goals.

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"It’s an opportune time for us," Busch said. "It’s definitely a track that you don’t necessarily look forward to going to, but you know it’s coming so you just kind of get ready for it best you can, do the best work you can and put yourself in the best position possible to have a decent day. Essentially, that’s all we need. I don’t necessarily think we’re out there to set the world on fire to win the race in Kansas. I think for us, a solid top-10 is what we need to get out of there with."

Top-10s have been difficult to come by at what statistically ranks as Busch’s worst track, with an average finish of 22.7 and just two top-10 finishes in 14 starts in his Sprint Cup Series career. Since the track reconfigured its banking with new pavement in the summer of 2012, Busch’s fortunes have taken an even further nose-dive with three crashes in the last four events; only his 15th-place effort there in May over that four-race span was wreck-free.

"I don’t know what it is," Busch said. "I thought I was just starting to figure it out there on the old asphalt and getting pretty good at being able to run the top and run around there and be OK. Once they repaved it, I haven’t been able to find my rear with both hands, so definitely got to figure that out.

"This spring, I thought we ran OK. We were running, I think I got as high as sixth or eighth or something like that before I got myself busted for speeding on pit road. We go back there this time, and again, I think we’re very capable of being able to run top-10 and just try to get out of there with that and just build on that consistency for this round."

Busch finished fourth in the series standings in 2013 — his best season-long result thus far in his 10-year career. In previous years, Busch admitted over the offseason, he would fold when faced with a dose of adversity, but last season, a new approach that emphasized resilience carried him.

This season, the new-look rules format for the Chase — with points hitting the reset button after each three-race round — could help Busch compartmentalize any rough patches. To maximize that benefit, he’ll still need to get through Kansas, but at least he heads there with a clean slate after the Challenger Round.

"I don’t think it’s bad; I just think it’s the situation we’re in," Busch said. "It’s not quite what it was before. The Chase format in years past, you essentially eliminated a guy each week. I mean, it’s no different than it is now. Now, every three races, you reset at zero. Right now, Brad Keselowski‘s won five races and I’m at the exact same points as he is and I’ve got one win. It doesn’t matter how many you win, but you’ve got to win them at the right time."

Timing may mean everything for the dozen drivers trying to make the top-eight cut for the Eliminator Round. The dread associated with the Contender Round’s elimination race at fickle Talladega has placed a premium on performance for the round’s first two events — Kansas and Charlotte.

Controlling his own destiny at a restrictor-plate track is a demanding task that Busch would rather avoid. He says that scenario, however, could make even the steadiest driver a daring risk-taker out of necessity.

"I think desperation is going to change everything," Busch said. "What you’ve got to do is going to be anything you can do. If you’re going to go four-wide or five-wide at Talladega in order to get yourself in a spot that’s going to be able to make you transfer through and take yourself a chance of crashing, you’re going to do it. You’ve got to. It’s all about trying to make it through to the final round."

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Posted on October 2, 2014 by Zack Albert

Rookie is seventh in points, despite not qualifying for season-opening race

For Chris Buescher, 2014 counts as a season of on-track growth in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The progress has been even more of an eyebrow-raiser considering that the growth was nearly stunted before the season started.

Early blips aside, Buescher has rounded into competitive form during his rookie season in Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 60 Ford Mustang. He’ll hope to build steam from last weekend’s mistake-free fourth-place finish at Dover into Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2) at Kansas Speedway.

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The current run of momentum remains in sharp contrast to Buescher’s delayed start to the season at Daytona International Speedway in February. Buescher was among nine drivers missing out on Coors Light Pole Qualifying in the series’ first try at the new multi-round group qualifying format, a three-round session cut short by rain.

Missing the race and starting the season the following weekend at Phoenix left the team facing a large deficit in the series standings. As the campaign has plodded along, the 21-year-old Texan has made the most of the early setback, steadily advancing to seventh place using the team’s go-for-broke approach with little stake in the championship fight.

All the while, sitting out Daytona has remained in the back of Buescher’s mind.

"Yeah, we always think about that," he said Saturday after the Dover 200. "Not getting to make our first Daytona start due to the new format, rain, weather, what have you — we were extremely fast, but we took it for what it is and we’ve been going forward understanding that we missed a race and we’re still seventh in points. I look at it as a big plus for our whole team. I’m really proud of these guys for sticking with it and going out here.

"We’ve taken a lot of chances this year. We’ve been in position to do it now. We have nothing to lose in the points, so it’s almost been a blessing for us to be able to experiment a little bit and take some chances that you usually wouldn’t do."

The highlight of Buescher’s progression came in August, when he emerged at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for his first career victory. Since then, the finishes have been solid but not spectacular — up until last weekend’s super-steady top-five result at the Monster Mile.

Though making monumental steps further up in the standings is virtually out of reach — Buescher ranks 78 points behind sixth-place Trevor Bayne, his Roush Fenway teammate — the team still has chances to make strides over the final five races of the season.

"I mean, that’s our goal," said Scott Graves, Buescher’s crew chief. "The end of the season, we’re definitely talking that we want to be top-five and in contention every week. Just really want to show people that we’re here and we’re for real and finish off strong, for sure."

That quest begins this weekend at Kansas, where Buescher finished 16th last year in just his ninth career Nationwide Series start. His results this season on 1.5-mile tracks have been a hodgepodge, but his portfolio of four top-10 finishes in eight races on intermediate-sized tracks this year provides hope.

"It’s been a struggle at first, but we’ve made a lot of gains," said Buescher, who took seventh place in the series most recent race at a 1.5-mile track, two weeks ago at Kentucky. "Our last couple of mile-and-a-halfs have been really good, so I think we can build on that, go out there and contend and get these top-fives."

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Posted on October 2, 2014 by Nascar

Bruce: Whether dominant or just good enough, everything is equal again

Brad Keselowski‘s average finishing position in the first three races of this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is an impressive 3.3.

Team Penske teammate Joey Logano was just a shade better at 3.0.

It’s been the most impressive pairing since the Road Warriors climbed into the wrestling ring.

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Kasey Kahne, meanwhile, idled into the start of this week’s Contender Round with a hefty 18.7 average.

Others were better than the Hendrick Motorsports driver, some by a lot, some by not so much.

Competitively, the gulf from the top to the bottom of the 12-car Chase field looks about as wide as the Mississippi. It’s product of numbers perhaps — as the field dwindles, so too should the gap between the best and the rest.

Yet when the 12 remaining Chase teams roll their cars off the back of their haulers Friday at Kansas Speedway, each will have 3,000 points. The good, the bad and those we’re still not so sure about.

Advancement in the Chase is the Monopoly equivalent of passing "Go" and collecting $200. Some got a "Get Out of Jail Free" card to boot.

All square. Even Steven. Or maybe it’s Stephen.

So now we’re down to a dozen teams and three more races, after which four more drivers will discover they peaked too soon, peaked too late or failed to peak at all.

It’s the ultimate game of peak-a-boo-boo.

The sport that isn’t like other sports is more like other sports today than ever. Baseball teams are just beginning postseason play, and those that advance don’t get to bring along the runs scored in previous contests. Every game begins 0-0.

Meanwhile, back in the Chase, points have always separated the field. Sometimes by a lot, sometimes by a little, but it was always there.

And to some extent, that’s still the case.

One or more positions in every round of this year’s Chase have been, or will be, determined by points earned. Three of the original 16 drivers that advanced into the postseason qualified based on points earned through the first 26 races.

Winners from those championship-eligible teams will continue to advance as the Chase progresses, with the remainder of the field determined at each break by points standings.

Even the lineup for the all-important Championship Round will fall back on points to determine at least one of the final four positions.

The difference this time around is that regardless of how you manage to advance, eventually the competition is allowed to catch up. Points haven’t been tossed aside, but they now come with expiration dates attached.

Until the season’s final race, you don’t have to beat everyone, just enough of them to carry you safely into the next round.

There’s an old joke that goes something like this:

Two hikers are making their way off the mountain when a bear suddenly jumps out of the bushes. Both hikers begin running, but one eventually stops to put on a pair of running shoes.

"Are you crazy?" his companion asks. "You can’t outrun a bear!"

"I don’t have to outrun the bear," the first hiker says. "I only have to outrun you."

And that’s pretty much the situation facing drivers in this year’s Chase.

Win and you’re guaranteed to advance.

For everyone else, it’s a matter of making sure you’re better than the rest.

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