Motorsports FanHouse

Nextel Cup Awards Banquet In Review

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 15:54:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, NASCAR Awards, NASCAR Media Watch, Nextel Cup

Just in case you missed Friday night's NASCAR Nextel Cup Awards Ceremony, or if you're looking for a refresher, here's a recap of the goings on from the Waldorf Astoria Grand Ballroom in New York City.

Jimmie Johnson is your $15 million man -- Johnson took the stage last Friday night in New York, but walked off with the most. Contributing to his $7,996,421 in 2007 race winnings was a check of $7,317,499 from the point fund for his first-place finish in the Nextel Cup standings. Together, Johnson's 2007 winnings totaled $15,313,920.

Jeff Gordon, in second, took home $10.9 million for the year.

Tony Stewart Courting Greg Zipadelli? -- Before each driver that finished in the Top-10 had their chance on stage, ESPN ran video with each having a conversation with their wife. That was the streak, at least, until Tony Stewart was introduced.

"I'm really look forward to my tenth year with everyone at Joe Gibbs racing with my crew chief Greg Zipadelli, who I guess since I'm not married, you kind of had to fill the wife role in the video for everyone tonight," said Stewart. "Sorry, babe."

Classic.

Brokaw Delivers Fitting Tribute -- NASCAR recruited long-time NBC news man Tom Brokaw to do one of the most moving parts of the evening. NASCAR lost many, many great people in 2007 including Bill France Jr., Bobby Hamilton, Benny Parsons, Billy Hagan, Ray Cooper, Shav Glick, Joe Collins, Pete Babb, Dennis James, Morris Metcalfe, Michael Klemm, and Dr. Bruce Kennedy.

None of them were more influential to the sport than Bill France Jr. Brokaw told an interesting story about France's love of Taco Bell and talked of his "sense of humility and being in touch with common taste" when it came to running NASCAR for 30+ years. Brokaw did a great job of being able to reminisce about the losses the sport has seen while at the same time keeping the mood reflective, and not overly sad.

David Spade: Not Really that Funny -- Last year, NASCAR had Jay Mohr. This year, they hired David Spade.

As the token comedic entertainment for the evening, it seemed like Spade knew he was in over his head. Or is it that Spade just isn't very good at connecting with an audience? Spade's best joke of the evening consisted of his trip around Darlington in a TV ride-along with the "one driver who wasn't good enough to race" Wally Dallenbach.

It all went downhill from there. Will Ferrell or Kevin James, anyone?

Clarkson Over-Shadowed by Conversation, Yawns -- Grammy-winner Kelly Clarkson has sold 11 million albums in her career. Apparently no one in the audience had ever bought one.

In between songs in her two-song set, you could hear the clinging of glasses and conversation and you had to feel bad for Jimmie Johnson & Co. who couldn't get up and move around due to being on-stage. NASCAR really needs to find someone that isn't B-list or that people in the audience would enjoy. Kenny Chesney, Big & Rich -- someone that has more connection and fans in the NASCAR world might be a better idea.

Overall -- The evening wasn't horrendous and I've definitely seen more boring versions of the awards show. It's a shame that drivers have to fit such a mold of the black-tie extravaganza because it doesn't hardly let any emotion show through. Doubly a shame is the fact that ESPN can't find a way to even get this program on at a reasonable hour for east coast fans on ESPN2. ESPN Classic just isn't shown in enough places for everyone to see it.

My big question though is why don't we have our Busch and Truck Series champs there, too? Aren't they important?

Nextel Cup Awards Banquet In Review originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 01 Dec 2007 15:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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And Now for This Surprise: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins 5th-Straight Most Popular Driver Award

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 06:32:00 EST

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports, Dale Earnhardt Inc., NASCAR Awards, Nextel Cup

NASCAR fans don't care about wins, poles, or championships for their favorite drivers.

Performance on the track? Well, it's kind of important, but not nearly as important as having multiple television commercials, a pretty-darned famous last name, and a down-home attitude and look.

For those reasons, Dale Earnhardt Jr. just won his fifth-straight NMPA Chex Most Popular Driver award Thursday in New York City. Junior gave his obligatory remarks on winning his 5th-straight popularity contest that came as a surprise to -- well -- no one.

"When I became a Cup driver in 1999, I never would've imagined that we'd be talking about five consecutive Most Popular Driver awards. I have a special place at JR Motorsports where I put the MPD trophies, so I'm honored to add another one to the collection," said Junior.

"I don't want it to sound like a cliché, but this award really does mean a lot to me after all we have been through this year. This year has marked a significant transition in my life and career [...]"

You do kind of have to feel sorry for the folks at the NMPA because of the absolute domination that Junior holds on the contest. According to this article, of nearly 3.8 million votes cast online for each of the top 50 drivers in NASCAR, Dale Jr. managed to pull in 1.4 million of those -- nearly a third of the votes cast.

In other words? Dale Earnhardt Jr. is going to have to start building a new room onto JR Motorsports to house the trophies from the popularity contest he is bound to continue winning for a long time.

This victory, of course, comes during the year when Dale Jr. was the single-most talked about driver on the planet because of his departing of Dale Earnhardt Inc. for greener pastures at Hendrick Motorsports in 2008 -- a move that precipitated over several months.

The move, Earnhardt hopes, will take him from his zero-win 16th-place 2007 series finish to contending for wins and championships.

And Now for This Surprise: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins 5th-Straight Most Popular Driver Award originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 06:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR's New York Tour in Full Swing

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 23:02:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, NASCAR Awards, NASCAR Videos, Nextel Cup, Chase for the Sprint Cup

The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season-ending week-long award-giving gala has officially taken control of New York City.

Wednesday morning, Times Square and Broadway hosted the "NASCAR Victory Lap", which involved all Top 10 drivers driving in their cars, a police escort, plenty of barricades, from many accounts a decent fan base, and definitely a lot of PO'ed New Yorkers.

The highlight of the event (which you can kinda see on the video) was Kyle Busch bumping into Matt Kenseth's bumper during the parade.

The week culminates on Friday with the Nextel Cup Series awards banquet at the Waldorf-Astoria Grand Ballroom, where Jimmie Johnson will be toasted as the champ and countless gaffes will be made by NASCAR personalities who aren't the best with public speaking will mis-read the teleprompter.

No worries, though, as ESPN has managed to make sure it isn't that big of a deal by hosting the awards show on ESPN Classic. You've got to believe NASCAR just loves that exposure.

Dr. Jerry Punch, the ESPN play-by-play commentator will serve as Master of Ceremonies while entertainment will be provided by David Spade. NASCAR's token B-list star, Kelly Clarkson, will be on hand for musical entertainment.

Until that point, make sure to keep an eye out for NASCAR personalities all over the tube -- from Good Morning America to Rachel Ray's cooking show -- during the media blitz.

One casuality of the current writer's strike? We won't get another appearance by the Top 10 guys on David Lettermen's show, which was definitely one of my favorite parts of the week.

NASCAR's New York Tour in Full Swing originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 28 Nov 2007 23:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse NASCAR FanVote Day 1:
2007 Driver Performance

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Fans, Nextel Cup, NASCAR Silly Season

Welcome to the NASCAR FanHouse FanVote 2007. This is a chance for you, the fan, to tell the world what you think about the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series in 2007.

Today, the questions at hand are concerning driver performance on track this year during the 36 events of the Cup series schedule.

Be sure to check back each day this week for more questions and more topics. All of the results will be compiled at the end of the week and we'll reveal the results according to the vote from you, the fans!

Once you've voted, let everyone else who is getting ready to vote know what your opinion is by leaving a comment below.

Happy Voting!

Click the jump to continue voting!

Leave a comment on your vote and be sure to come back tomorrow for more chances to vote!

FanHouse NASCAR FanVote Day 1:
2007 Driver Performance originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR FanHouse Power Rankings:
Happy Thanksgiving at 190 MPH

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Juan Montoya, NASCAR Crashes, NASCAR Fights, NASCAR Power Rankings, Nextel Cup, Craftsman Truck Series

It's definitely been a while since we've rolled out the power rankings at the 'House because of the revolving door at No. 1 between Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.

Let's face it, down the stretch, that's all we could do!

Anyways, seeing as today is Thanksgiving and all, it's only right to tell the world what the NASCAR FanHouse is thankful for. Agree? Disagree? Leave us some love on what your take is on what we should be thankful for in the NASCAR world, and don't forget to pass the turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

1) Fighting Without a Fine - Kevin Harvick and Juan Pablo Montoya got into a bit of a skirmish at Watkins Glen in August that involved some pushing and shoving. Harvick said he wanted to kick Montoya's ass, and Montoya didn't think he was to blame. Regardless, NASCAR actually enjoyed the fracas, with Cup Series director John Darby being quoted later as saying he thought the whole incident was "cool as hell".

Baby steps, right?

2) FOX Sports - If you've ever set foot in the FanHouse before, you know that we aren't the biggest fans of ESPN on ABC. With that, we are extremely thankful for the entire NASCAR cast of FOX Sports including Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds, Steve Byrnes, Dick Berggren, and Matt Yocum.

Complain about DW all you want, but you know deep inside that he his infinitely better than Rusty Wallace. Thank you for being rockin' awesome with NASCAR, FOX!
3) Tony Stewart - From spouting off about NASCAR on his radio show to blaming Denny Hamlin for being in front of his bumper at Daytona, Stewart has definitely given the FanHouse plenty to talk about over the 2007 season. For that, we do indeed thank you, and silently hope that the antics persist for a long time.

I don't think there's going to be a problem with that...

4) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series - These guys get a nod, especially Mike Skinner and Ron Hornaday for constantly keeping it real in the racing world. From SPEED Channel's true racing coverage to plenty of unpredictable passes, crashes and whatever else, the Truck Series has been a shining light of all that is good in NASCAR in 2007.

There's a reason SPEED Channel's ratings are going up, and it's not because people are leaving their TV's on at home.

5) Bruton Smith, Speedway Motorsports Inc. - Smith gets a nod in the FanHouse because, well, we don't want to make the guy mad. When the Concord [NC] City Council did, he threatened to tear down and rebuild a crown jewel of NASCAR in Lowe's Motor Speedway. Wednesday evening though, word got out that he was decided to keep LMS right where it is, and of course, with a new drag strip, surrounding roads, tax incentive, and his own boulevard.

If that's not a good businessman, I don't think there are any left.

NASCAR FanHouse Power Rankings:
Happy Thanksgiving at 190 MPH originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Montoya Named Top Nextel Cup Rookie

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:52:00 EST

Filed under: Juan Montoya, Chip Ganassi Racing, Nextel Cup

Juan Pablo Montoya's open-wheel-killing first NASCAR Nextel Cup Season has earned the former Colombian Formula One star a title held by many of the sport's greats in the past.

Rookie of the Year.

Montoya's rookie campaign brought his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge his first career win at Infineon Raceway in June his first Top-5 at Atlanta in March. His final stat tally included 3 Top-5's, 6 Top-10's, and race winnings of over $4.8 million.

Most importantly, though, was the fact that Montoya was able to keep the No. 42 within the top 35 positions of the point standings, guaranteeing a spot in each race. Sure, he started the season with points accumulated from Casey Mears in 2006, but after five races, that guarantee is out the window.

Juan Pablo finished in the season standings a respectable 20th.

The season definitely didn't come without any excitement for Juan Pablo. Most noticeably, Juan sent a message to the NASCAR world that he wasn't about to back down simply because he was the new guy in town after wrecking Tony Stewart at Texas in April. That flared up again at Watkins Glen with Kevin Harvick.

Without a doubt, Montoya has also kicked the door open into NASCAR for guys like Patrick Carpentier, Sam Hornish Jr., and Jacques Villeneuve -- with many more to come.

Love him or hate him, I say, it's fun having a guy like Montoya around in the Cup series.

Montoya Named Top Nextel Cup Rookie originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR Off Season: Day Two

tallglassofmilk — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:45:00 EST

Filed under: Matt Kenseth, Nextel Cup, Chase for the Sprint Cup

State of Mind: Astonishment.

The season is really over. But the bore, snore, roar ... however you wanna look at it ... of NASCAR's 2007 season finale lives on in the Fanhouse Ford 500 Live Blog which was initially viewed by 299 readers and has been replayed 412 times. Trust me when I tell you ... it wasn't that interesting ... kind of like the race. But it was A LOT of fun and there have been a lot of requests to bring back reader-interactive live blogging in the Fanhouse next season. Count on it.

Thought for the day: Matt Kenseth is the new Greg Biffle

If a driver wins at Homestead-Miami does anyone remember? How about if they finish the season in the top 5. Is it is just me, or is Matt Kenseth the best, most-ignored driver in NASCAR? I know I'm guilty of it.

The #17 DeWalt team deserves a huge round of applause. Kenseth's 4th place finish is his sixth consecutive top 10 in his eight Nextel Cup seasons. Things could be different for Kenseth next year with a new crew chief, but at least Robby Reiser's not going far. Can Keseth continue the streak next season? I do believe he can.

NASCAR Off Season: Day Two originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top 8 Spectacular NASCAR Crashes of 2007

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Daytona Int'l Speedway, Lowes Motor Speedway, NASCAR Crashes, NASCAR Videos, Nextel Cup, Talladega Superspeedway, Busch Series

It's been quite a year for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, and with that comes a nice collection of crash clips splashed across the ends of the internet.

NASCAR rolled out the Car of Tomorrow for part-time use in 2007 in anticipation of full-time use in 2008 with safety as a top priority. That was indeed a good idea because even though the now-defunct body style was a mostly safe model and the tracks keep adding SAFER barriers, one thing is still the same.

The drivers are still crashing, and crashing hard.

From the last-lap pile-up during the season-opening Daytona 500 to the Chase-changing crash at Dover in the fall, here's a look back at the biggest hits from the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Season.

Enjoy.

Click on the video to watch full size.

Dover Fall Race
Kurt Busch Starts a Mess

Daytona 500 Finish
Harvick Wins, Bowyer Flips

Click for more NASCAR crashes after the jump.

Nextel Open Start Juan Pablo Gets Loose on Lap 1	Coca-Cola 600 Johnson Loses a Tire, Starts Big One
Camping World 300 Brad Keselowski Pounds the Wall in California Speedway	Aaron's 312 Kyle Busch takes a wild ride at Talladega Superspeedway
Auto Club 500 David Reutimann Scares the World	Coca-Cola 600 Part II Jeff Gordon Grabs Air at LMS

%Gallery-7156%

Top 8 Spectacular NASCAR Crashes of 2007 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 20 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Johnson Holds Serve, Wins '07 NASCAR Title

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 20:56:00 EST

Filed under: Miami, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports, Nextel Cup, Chase for the Sprint Cup

Jeff Gordon said it best last week when he said Jimmie Johnson "has flat killed everyone" in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

That didn't change Sunday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Jimmie Johnson finished seventh in the Ford 400 to wrap up his second NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship in a row by 77 points over Hendrick Motorsports teammate and co-team owner, Jeff Gordon. Johnson is the first Cup series repeat champion since Gordon did it in 1997-98.

Johnson, who was going for his 5th win in a row, led only the first lap of the race after starting from the pole and was a steady Top-10 fixture for the rest of the race. Gordon managed to earn 9 points in the final tally on Johnson by finishing fourth, but it wouldn't be enough for the four-time champion who also had a season to remember by recording his 30th Top-10 of the season, a new NASCAR record.

Oh Yeah, Matt Kenseth Won, Too

Also celebrating Sunday night at Homestead was the Roush-Fenway Racing team after Matt Kenseth won his second race of the year.

The win was especially nice for departing No. 17 crew chief Robbie Reiser. Reiser will assume the position of general manager for Roush-Fenway starting Monday morning after working with Kenseth since his entry into the ranks of NASCAR in the late 1990s.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrecked early and Tony Stewart late to end a crazy year for the Nextel Cup Series that saw plenty of transition and plenty of things pushed to the limits.

Be sure to stay with the NASCAR FanHouse for the next 92 days as we review '07, hand out some post-season awards, preview the 2008 Sprint Cup season, and countdown the days until the roar of 800-horsepower machines find the track at Daytona for the 50th running of The Great American Race.

Johnson Holds Serve, Wins '07 NASCAR Title originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 18 Nov 2007 20:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR Fanhouse Ford 400 Live Blog

tallglassofmilk — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 13:50:00 EST

Filed under: Nextel Cup, Chase for the Sprint Cup

I can't remember the last year that I was so uninspired by NASCAR's finale race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway. I know I'm not alone ... so I thought we could chat about it while we sort of half watching the race today. We can discuss all the ways in which the 2007 NASCAR season and its media coverage sucked and yet ... we've already begun counting down the days 'til we can start it all over again in February.

Want to join us? Meet back here in about an hour for pre-race!

NASCAR Fanhouse Ford 400 Live Blog originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 18 Nov 2007 13:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Jeff & Jimmie Show: Homestead-Miami

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:33:00 EST

Filed under: Miami, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports, Nextel Cup, Chase for the Sprint Cup

Heading to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend for the tenth and final race of the Chase for the Nextel Cup, things in the Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson Show changed dramatically since last week's edition. Gordon now trails Johnson by 86 points in the standings. Here's a breakdown of their stats at Homestead and the possibilities that loom within the last Chase race of the season.

Homestead Stats: Neither Gordon nor Johnson have a win at Homestead, a track that has seen a myriad of layout changes since it first came on the Nextel Cup tour. Johnson has the best career finish with a 2nd-place in 2004. Gordon's best finish also came in 2004 with a 3rd-place.

A year ago, Gordon finished 24th while Johnson finished ninth to wrap up his first title. A 40th-place finish in 2005 left Johnson with an average finish at HMS of 14.5 while Gordon has average 11.4.

Chase Stats: Phoenix stuck a fork in Jeff Gordon's title hopes after Johnson won his fourth-straight to Gordon's 10th-place finish. The 86-point deficit will be nearly impossible to overcome unless Johnson has serious trouble in the race. If Johnson finishes 18th or better, he automatically looks up the title, even if Gordon leads every lap and wins the race.

In doomsday scenarios for Johnson, if he finishes 40th or worse, Gordon could take the title with a 10th place finish or better. A 43rd-place finish for Johnson would mean Gordon would have to finish 14th or better.

I wouldn't put too much stock in those possibilities this year knowing that he has only failed to finish a race four times. Johnson should have his second NASCAR Nextel Cup title in hand come Sunday evening.

The Jeff & Jimmie Show: Homestead-Miami originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kenseth Will Have New Crew Chief in 2008

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Matt Kenseth, Roush Fenway Racing, Crew Chiefs, NASCAR Rumors, Nextel Cup, NASCAR Silly Season, Chase for the Sprint Cup

CONFIRMED: Roush-Fenway Racing officially announced Thursday morning that Robbie Reiser would assume role of General Manager at Roush-Fenway after the conclusion of Sunday's Ford 400.

Read the full release here.

ORIGINAL: Matt Kenseth might not be hearing Robbie Reiser's voice in his ear anymore after Sunday's Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, according to ESPN.com's David Newton:

Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that Robbie Reiser, who has been Matt Kenseth's crew chief since they entered NASCAR's premier series in 2000 and long before that in the Busch Series, will become the general manager at Roush Fenway Racing.

He will replace Max Jones, who will move into the GM role at Robert Yates Racing. RYR and Roush recently formed an alliance that basically will allow them to work as a seven-car operation without violating NASCAR's four-car cap.

If indeed it happens, this will be the first time in Kenseth's NASCAR career that Reiser wasn't calling the shots for him. Together, Kenseth and Reiser have landed one Cup championship in 2003 and 15 race wins since Kenseth ran his first full season in 2000.

Reiser thought about leaving the top of the pit box in 2006 to take the job he has apparently now landed, but that role instead went to Jones. Reiser has coveted that spot since losing his father a few years ago.

"You look at things that you do in the long term," he said Reiser. "Family becomes more important. ... My dad spent a lot of time with my kids. When he isn't around anymore somebody has to fill that void."

Currently, Kenseth sits 6th in the Chase for the Nextel Cup with one win, 12 Top-5s, and 21 Top-10s in 2007. Kenseth is one of two drivers that have made every Chase for the Nextel Cup since its inception in 2004.

If this indeed does pan out, it'll be interesting to see who Roush-Fenway racing taps to fill that position on top of the No. 17 pit box -- especially because the driver isn't used to anyone else except Reiser in his ear during a race.

Kenseth Will Have New Crew Chief in 2008 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ESPN's NASCAR Crowd Noise Not Normal

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:42:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Fans, NASCAR Media Watch, NASCAR Rumors, NASCAR Videos, Nextel Cup, Chase for the Sprint Cup, ESPN

We've heard plenty about "Coltgate" lately and the accusations that the Indianapolis Colts had pumped in crowd noise during the New England Patriots game two weeks ago.

CBS took the rap for the incident, but ESPN's NASCAR coverage apparently took note of the idea.

Judging from the TV I watched it on (ABC-HD with surround sound), it sounded to me like ESPN on ABC was definitely pumping in some crowd noise during each restart of last Sunday's Checker Auto Parts 500. Take a listen for yourself on the video below, as there are several instances that you can hear the not-too-natural noises.

Take note at 1:30, 5:48, 8:24, and 9:30 on the video, then continue reading for more.

I understand completely that the YouTube video isn't exactly the highest quality, but on the other hand, I've been to my fair share of races. People just don't cheer like that during restarts. Here's what they do cheer for:
-the end of the Star-Spangled Banner
- "Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!"
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. taking the lead
- Jeff Gordon hitting the wall

That's how it has been for a long time, and the racing action at Phoenix wouldn't have done much to change that.

So why, then, did Phoenix race fans seem to cheer so wildly for many of the restarts? And why didn't they cheer on the restart at 4:08?

The best example of the loud, unnatural cheering happens at 9:30, but on the broadcast, it's obviously happening for much of the other restarts.

All of this tells me one thing, ESPN on ABC was dubbing in a cheer effect during restarts of the race in an attempt to make everyone at home feel like everyone at the race track was simply bubbling with excitement.

I don't really understand that, and I don't really know if that's a big deal. But there's something about the whole thing that is quite fishy.

Mainly, it just makes me laugh harder at this year's ESPN on ABC's NASCAR coverage has turned into such an incredible bellyflop.

FOX and Daytona ... just one race away.

ESPN's NASCAR Crowd Noise Not Normal originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Johnson Makes It Four-In-a-Row at Phoenix, Ruins Chase Excitement

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:18:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports, Nextel Cup, NASCAR Tracks, Chase for the Sprint Cup

The folks that run Homestead-Miami Speedway cannot be Jimmie Johnson fans.

Even though they do have a sell-out for next Sunday's Nextel Cup season-ending Ford 500, Jimmie Johnson has ruined any type of excitement that was building in the fight to win the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Johnson won Sunday afternoon's Checker Auto Parts 500k at Phoenix International Raceway for not only the fourth-straight race, but also to take a commanding 86-point lead into the final race at Homestead.

Talk about a lead balloon.

A lead balloon, that is, if you wanted to see a finish to the season like we got in the first edition of the Chase, when Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon and Johnson all had legitimate title chances.

But if you are a Johnson fan, life is good.

After Johnson's late-race domination at Phoenix -- a race in which he led the final 24 laps -- Johnson leads Gordon's No. 24 team by 86 points. The basic math on that is that Gordon must win and lead the most laps at Homestead and Johnson has to finish 18 or worse.

In other words, it's not going to happen.

Gordon stated in the post-race interview that Johnson & Co. have "flat-out killed everyone" in the past few weeks. After all, it's not very often that a driver can lose 154 points in the point standings by consistently finishing in the top-10. To top that off, Johnson becomes the first driver since Gordon in 1998 to win four-straight races.

But in 2007, Jimmie Johnson has been good enough to do that. And because of that, he has stuck a fork in Brian France's Chase.

Johnson Makes It Four-In-a-Row at Phoenix, Ruins Chase Excitement originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raceday Warmup: Checker Auto Parts 500k

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 12:07:00 EST

Filed under: Phoenix, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr., Nextel Cup, Kyle Busch, Chase for the Sprint Cup

The Essentials
Coverage: ESPN on ABC @ 3:00pm/ET
Green Flag: 3:45pm/ET
Distance: 312 laps/312 miles/500 kilometers
Other: Follow it on ESPN360 if available
Venue: Phoenix Int'l Raceway, sold out

Keep These in Mind...
1) Chasing Dreams - The second-to-last round of the Jeff and Jimmie Show: 2007 gets underway with the green flag. It's simple, Jeff Gordon has to overcome a 30-point margin in the next two races to win his fifth Nextel Cup title. Johnson has to beat him to claim his second.

Johnson averages a finish of one spot higher than Gordon at Phoenix, but Gordon was the last to win at the track in April.

2) Three-peat? Kyle Busch could become the first driver in NASCAR history to win in all three divisions on the same weekend. Busch took the victory in Friday night's Craftsman Truck Series race and followed that up with a Busch Series win Saturday night at PIR.

He starts 38th Sunday at Phoenix in the Nextel Cup race.

3) A Flavor of Indy in the Desert - For just the third time in history (thanks, Jayski!), three former winners of the Indianapolis 500 are in Sunday's race. Sam Hornish Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya, and Jacques Villeneuve all made the field.

Add in former open wheel drivers Patrick Carpentier, Casey Mears, Robby Gordon, and Tony Stewart and you see very quickly how quickly NASCAR has become the all-around proving ground for drivers.

4) Truex Strong in Practice - Martin Truex Jr. starts second at Phoenix but had the car to beat in Happy Hour practice yesterday. He ran the fastest lap of the session, followed by Kasey Kahne, Casey Mears, David Stremme and Jeff Gordon.

Chase point leader Jimmie Johnson was seventh on the time sheet.

Raceday Warmup: Checker Auto Parts 500k originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 11 Nov 2007 12:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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France: We Will Keep Chase, You Will Like It

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 19:54:00 EST

Filed under: Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, NASCAR Gossip, Nextel Cup, Car of Tomorrow, Chase for the Sprint Cup

NASCAR Chairman Brian France really loves the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

And because of that, don't expect any major amends to the format, or a complete reversal back to the standard point system -- regardless if many fans and at least one top driver questions how it affects the sport's future integrity.

France cited the increased point amounts for winning a race as a major reason why the Chase is working so well.

Example 1-A? Jimmie Johnson last week at Texas Motor Speedway.

"I actually called Jimmie Johnson on the phone and told him that [afterward]," France said. "By going after that win, he risked a lot -- because he knew how close it was and he knew that those bonus points were maybe going to be necessary to win it all. I think in the old days, a couple years ago, somebody might have settled for second."

Sure, you can't argue with the fact that adding 10 points to the winner's prize for a race was a good move. In fact, that number should be 20 to 30 points higher.

But are winning championships in the 10-race Chase playoff comparable to the "old" point system? Jeff Gordon doesn't see it that way.

"The points are whatever NASCAR decides when it comes to racing for a championship. The one issue that I've got is that there is no way you can write history or compare history if they are constantly changing it," said Gordon.

You could say Gordon is bitter knowing that he would be celebrating his sixth championship right now had the point system not been changed. But he isn't, as he acknowledges that racing under the system is laid out at the beginning of the year and everyone knows the goal.

"I don't think anything is unfair because you know going into it what it is," Gordon said. "You knew that they were going to get bonus points for winning races in the regular season, and those guys earned those points. We know what we've got to do."

So what's right? What's wrong? It's hard to say.

But I've got to agree wth Gordon that the Chase does change the overall makeup of a Cup champion, and that they aren't comparable. But is the lack of comparison woth giving twelve drivers a shot at a title with ten races left?

What say you?

France: We Will Keep Chase, You Will Like It originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 10 Nov 2007 19:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saturday Huge for Gordon's Chase Success

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 14:04:00 EST

Filed under: Phoenix, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports, Nextel Cup, Car of Tomorrow, Chase for the Sprint Cup

Last week at Texas Motor Speedway, we heard plenty about how Jeff Gordon didn't have a good-handling car in the Saturday practice sessions leading up to the Dickie's 500.

And if Jeff Gordon wants any chance at re-capturing that Nextel Cup point lead and his fifth series championship, the No. 24 team is indeed going to have to make amends on how well they get the car dialed in.

"We're doing a great job on Friday qualifying and we need to do that again here today and next week in Homestead. But Saturday getting prepared for the race, we got to do a little bit better job," said Gordon Friday before qualifying at Phoenix.

Starting positions haven't been a problem for Gordon in the past few weeks. Gordon started second at Texas last week and at Atlanta two weeks back, he rolled off eighth. He starts third Sunday at Phoenix.

In each race, Gordon has finished seventh after battling a race car that often wanted to find contact with the SAFER barrier instead of with victory lane. Unfortunately for Gordon fans, the strong effort to salvage a decent finish has been significantly trumped by two-straight wins by teammate and Chase contender Jimmie Johnson.

It's definitely not lost on Gordon that the Saturday program needs to improve immediately at Phoenix and next week at Homestead if the No. 24 team wants any shot at Jimmie Johnson.

"We've got to step it up. There's no hiding that and I hope we can pull that off right here in Phoenix," said Gordon.

Saturday Huge for Gordon's Chase Success originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 10 Nov 2007 14:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Phoenix Chase-ing: The Jeff and Jimmie Show

Geoffrey Miller — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:35:00 EST

Filed under: Phoenix, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports, Nextel Cup, Car of Tomorrow, Chase for the Sprint Cup

(This will be the first part of a two-part series airing here on the Fanhouse. It will break down the final two races of the season for the two drivers, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, who still have a manageable shot of winning the 2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup. Watch for the next one just before Homestead next week.)

Heading to Phoenix International Raceway this weekend for the 9th of 10 events in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, Jimmie Johnson leads teammate Jeff Gordon by 30 points. Here's a breakdown of their past success at Phoenix and what type of possibilities exist with the point standings.

PIR Stats: Jeff Gordon comes to PIR knowing that he was the last winner in April at the track, and that he is the only driver to win there in the next-generation NASCAR race car. Johnson, though, holds the average finish margin by one full position - 7.2 to Gordon's 8.2.

Gordon has 17 career Cup starts at PIR to Johnson's 8. In that time, Gordon has racked up 8 top-5s and 14 top-10s to Johnson's 3 top-5s and 6 top-10s.

Chase Stats: After gaining the 30 point Chase lead last week at Texas, things are looking brighter for Johnson. However, that could change very quickly, as well. If Gordon wins and leads the most laps, he will tie Johnson if the No. 48 finishes 3rd without a led lap or fourth with one. A 43rd-place finish for Johnson at that point would give Gordon a 131-point lead heading to Homestead.

Likewise, if Johnson found victory lane and led the most laps, he could clinch the championship if Gordon finishes 34th or worse by simply starting at Homestead.

Naturally, Johnson can control his own destiny by winning the last two events, but Gordon can as well. If he wins at PIR and Homestead leads the most laps in both events, Gordon would take the title. If he doesn't lead the most laps and Johnson finishes 2nd in each event and leads a lap, the season would end in a tie, with the title going Johnson based on wins.

It shall be interesting, wouldn't you say?

Phoenix Chase-ing: The Jeff and Jimmie Show originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeff Burton Agrees: ESPN on ABC is "Absurd"

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 23:43:00 EST

Filed under: Jeff Burton, NASCAR Gossip, NASCAR Media Watch, Nextel Cup, Richard Childress Racing, Chase for the Sprint Cup

I feel bad for Marty Reid, I really do.

Dude got shoved into a segment on ESPN2's NASCAR Now showing ESPN's impressive NASCAR coverage. Or, well, I hope he got shoved into it.

Before I rip the whole segment apart, let me allow Jeff Burton, ESPN's token driver voice for their coverage to do so as he did in the video:

"Well the first word that comes to mind is absurd. The first goal of racing is to be there at the end. This system would award people and reward people for doing things that actually would hamper the way they would finish the race," said Burton.

"So it makes no sense -- you used the worst example in the world at Talladega to expose a problem, when in fact, we don't have this problem at most race tracks. So you have to run toward the front, you have to run hard in order to be competitive at almost every race track with the exception of Talladega. So, in a word, I think it's absurd."

Amen, Jeff.

For me, this whole segment (with a nice after-touch of Judge Judy) shows why ESPN and NASCAR fans haven't exactly gotten along this season.

ESPN has forced Rusty Wallace, Erik Kuselias, Draft Tracker, Brent "insurmountable" Musberger and the Full Throttle scanner bologna down our throats all year long. This bird-brained point system idea is just another reason why ESPN isn't doing NASCAR right. ESPN says that we can't think for ourselves, and then does it for us.

What exactly is it about the current point system that is so wrong? Is there a race beside Talladega that has seen drivers race at the back the whole time?

No. No. And no.

I'm glad Jeff Burton felt that it was his place to step up and say what he wanted. I really wish we could have heard what David Poole of the Charlotte Observer had to say, because I can imagine it would have been similar.

NFLCAR? No way!

And really, let's be honest, who of us have watched the start of the race, and then watched more of the race, and then watched the whole race?

Apparently, the whole ESPN network might be surprised.

Jeff Burton Agrees: ESPN on ABC is "Absurd" originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 23:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlanta to Lose Race Date Instead of NHMS?

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:08:00 EST

Filed under: NASCAR Gossip, Nextel Cup, NASCAR Tracks

You've really got wonder if now-former New Hampshire ~~International~~ Motor Speedway owner Bob Bahre really believes the words that are coming out of his mouth:

"He didn't make any promises, I want to make that clear," Bahre said. "But I don't think he's going to move any dates out of here.

Bahre's speedway was sold last week to Bruton Smith's Speedway Motorsports, Inc. SMI owns the tracks of Atlanta, Bristol, Infineon, Las Vegas, Lowe's, and Texas.

There was rampant speculation last week -- including here at the Fanhouse -- that Smith would immediately move one or both of New Hampshire's Nextel Cup race dates to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Smith denied that such a plan was in place during the announcement, but he didn't necessarily say anything that denied the move could happen, either.

Now we've heard Smith deny that, but he also gave another plausible idea:

Ship a date away from Atlanta Motor Speedway.

If you think about the idea, it makes sense on the level of selling tickets. Atlanta had noticeably open seats two weeks ago while NHMS has sold out for years. Obviously, Atlanta is a bigger market, but California has proved how much that doesn't matter when it comes to selling tickets.

So one date at Atlanta for two at NHMS and Las Vegas? I don't know what I think about that. The history in Atlanta -- albeit an old configuration -- might be a little too much.

What say you?

Atlanta to Lose Race Date Instead of NHMS? originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 06 Nov 2007 22:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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