2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

[Dalcowboyfan92]

He's owned the Sprint Cup era if you look at his success compared to the Nextel/Winston Cup years it was around

Well, he was only around the last 2 years of the Winston Cup, but he was decently successful. In 2002 became the first ever rookie to lead the Winston Cup points standings (the same race at Kansas in which then-points leader Sterling Marlin had his season-ending crash).

[rvrdgsfn]

Results from Michigan:

1. Johnson

2. Harvick

3. Keselowski

4. Menard

5. Khane

6. Gordon

7. Earnhardt Jr.

8. Larson

9. Logano

10. Bowyer

Hendrick has a 5 race winning streak & it looks like Jimmie is primed up for #7.... Side note though, I'm seriously impressed with Larson. This kid has a great future in Sprint Cup. Onto Sonoma for the first Road Course of the season.

[See Red]

Yes, Larson's going to be very good. I didn't get to watch today, but on the radio on my ride home they were talking about Harvick being mad but never really got into the reason. Anybody know what he might have been mad about or was it just that they were on the wrong end of a strategy game?

[RyanMcD29]

Probably that, but the 4 car also had "random tire problem number umpteenth" on the season that forced their hand in terms of strategy. Granted, that ended up helping Harvick to a better finish by having fresher tires than when he would've pitted without it, but I would guess that might be the reason.

[Unocal]

Well, next up is the always unpredictable Sears Point (screw Infineon, I still call it Sears Point).

I have absolutely no idea what's gonna happen there. I could see Ambrose/Gordon winning there again, one of the Busches. Larson/Dillon getting that first win. Hell, I could see Danica winning.

[See Red]

Gordon was awesome there last year. If not for the bad luck of entering the pits a second or so after the rain caused a yellow he'd have won it. Then again, Kurt Busch was awesome too and with the pit road speeding penalty he got while serving a pit road speeding penalty, he would have won. I do like Gordon's chances, though.

[Dalcowboyfan92]

Well, next up is the always unpredictable Sears Point (screw Infineon, I still call it Sears Point).

I have absolutely no idea what's gonna happen there. I could see Ambrose/Gordon winning there again, one of the Busches. Larson/Dillon getting that first win. Hell, I could see Danica winning.

This and Watkins Glen I think are the best places for Allmendinger to win. He won twice on road courses last year (although both on the Nationwide circuit), but raced fairly well last year on Watkins Glen.

[dfwabel]

Yesterday, MIS looked odd without the Turn 3 grandstand.

[rvrdgsfn]

Via Jayski....

Rumors persist that Carl Edwards' sponsor at Joe Gibbs Racing will be none other than the M&Ms/Mars brand. While even the Edwards to JGR piece of the puzzle has yet to be confirmed, the most recent speculation has the current Roush Fenway Racing driver with America's most popular confection as his livery for 2015. Over the last few weeks, representatives from Gibbs have been actively recruiting throughout the garage for a fourth team but both Edwards and Gibbs remain mum on the driver's status. Where would that leave Kyle Busch? Sources say Monster, a long-time supporter of Busch, would step up to the primary sponsorship level.

UPDATE: hearing that the deal between Edwards and Joe Gibbs Racing is done, no word when it will be announced.

Then there's Biffle...

UPDATE2: been told that Biffle has signed to stay on at Roush Fenway Racing, no word when it will be announced. As the Charlotte Observer mentioned, 3M will remain with Biffle and RFR as the sponsor.

By the way, has anyone been watching Race hub's interview with Mike Helton? I thought it brought up some interesting stuff such as the 2015 schedule possibly getting changed, reducing horsepower, limiting drivers to specific series & so on?

[Dalcowboyfan92]

Jamie McMurray and AJ Allmendinger are on the front row at Sonoma. McMurray laid down a new track record in his qualifying attempt.

[Needschat]

Jamie's new nickname is "McRoadRaceRinger"

[rvrdgsfn]

Results from Sonoma:

1. Edwards

2. Gordon

3. Earnhardt Jr.

4. McMurray

5. Menard

6. Khane

7. Johnson

8. Ambrose

9. Biffle

10. Bowyer

First road win for Cousin Carl & he's locked in the chase as well. It should be interesting with the rumblings coming out that he's going to Gibbs but we won't know until September if anything happens according to JGR. Next up is Kentucky.

[Unocal]

ROAD COURSE BACKFLIP!

A rare win for Roush Racing (And I think it's the first on a road coruse by a driver not named Mark Martin), stops the Hendrick streak at five.

And to think, Edwards just barely made it into the top 12 of the Friday qualifying.

[Dalcowboyfan92]

-RANT INCOMING-

Geh, I'm steamed and disappointed at Jr for wrecking AJ. He had a good chance to win and to get squeezed out of the way by that hack just pissed me off. And for Junior to finish 3rd pisses me off even more because he obviously proven he can't race anyone cleanly for wrecking both Kenseth and AJ in the span of like 5 laps.

AJ had a car to beat, he was clawing his way back to the top, but nope. Fate found another way to screw his day up. Will fate ever shine his face on AJ and allow him to go to Victory Lane? I really hope so.

To put all that hard work and effort into trying to win this race, only for everything to sour so close to end, it leaves me with an empty feeling. Of what might've been. Watkins Glen is in a few months, maybe he can win there.

The day started with so much promise. Started in 2nd, managed to lead the most laps, was climbing back into the Top 5. Nope, Jr had to be an idiot and squeeze him into the wall. Junior, this isn't the backstretch at Daytona/Talladega, YOU'RE ON A ROAD COURSE. There was NO NEED to force the issue in a small area of the track when there are numerous OTHER PLACES TO PASS.

Junior certainly had to make enemies from Kenseth and most certainly AJ. Hopefully, he'll get what's coming to him.

I needed to blow off some steam, Junior's antics and unclean racing really made me mad.

-END RANT-

[LAWeaver]

One of the longest-running team/sponsor partnerships will end after this season, as The Home Depot will part ways with JGR.

The Home Depot has been on the 20 since Tony began his career in 1999.

The only other sponsor/team partnerships that I can think of that's lasted near that or longer is Gordon with DuPont-Axalta (22 years) and the 18 team with Interstate Batteries (23?).

Question is, where do they go now?

[wonderbread]

One of the longest-running team/sponsor partnerships will end after this season, as The Home Depot will part ways with JGR.

The Home Depot has been on the 20 since Tony began his career in 1999.

The only other sponsor/team partnerships that I can think of that's lasted near that or longer is Gordon with DuPont-Axalta (22 years) and the 18 team with Interstate Batteries (23?).

Question is, where do they go now?

Back to Stewart? That would be awesome, that orange car he had was so plain but was so identifiable at the same time.

[LAWeaver]

One of the longest-running team/sponsor partnerships will end after this season, as The Home Depot will part ways with JGR.

The Home Depot has been on the 20 since Tony began his career in 1999.

The only other sponsor/team partnerships that I can think of that's lasted near that or longer is Gordon with DuPont-Axalta (22 years) and the 18 team with Interstate Batteries (23?).

Question is, where do they go now?

Back to Stewart? That would be awesome, that orange car he had was so plain but was so identifiable at the same time.

Forget that. I just came back to update with this news from Jayski

http://www.jayski.com/news/teams/story/_/page/20-Gibbs-NASCAR-Team-News

Home Depot officials say they will be leaving the sport.

Looks like Lowes wins!

[dfwabel]

One of the longest-running team/sponsor partnerships will end after this season, as The Home Depot will part ways with JGR.

The Home Depot has been on the 20 since Tony began his career in 1999.

The only other sponsor/team partnerships that I can think of that's lasted near that or longer is Gordon with DuPont-Axalta (22 years) and the 18 team with Interstate Batteries (23?).

Question is, where do they go now?

Back to Stewart? That would be awesome, that orange car he had was so plain but was so identifiable at the same time.

Forget that. I just came back to update with this news from Jayski

http://www.jayski.com/news/teams/story/_/page/20-Gibbs-NASCAR-Team-News

Home Depot officials say they will be leaving the sport.

Looks like Lowes wins!

HA!

Neither wins. More $$$ for less eyeballs watching is not winning. NASCAR attendance peaked years ago; ratings are declining, the lowest in years and are declining every race. The Home Depot got out wisely and as the largest advertiser in radio (another dying medium), they will just put more into the mid-term election spots this fall.

[Unocal]

To put in perspective the dismal rating for this year's first Michigan race- the pre-race show for that same race in 2003 got a rating of 3.2!

The 2003 June Michigan race got a 5.4 number!

[oddball]

-RANT INCOMING-

Geh, I'm steamed and disappointed at Jr for wrecking AJ. He had a good chance to win and to get squeezed out of the way by that hack just pissed me off. And for Junior to finish 3rd pisses me off even more because he obviously proven he can't race anyone cleanly for wrecking both Kenseth and AJ in the span of like 5 laps.

AJ had a car to beat, he was clawing his way back to the top, but nope. Fate found another way to screw his day up. Will fate ever shine his face on AJ and allow him to go to Victory Lane? I really hope so.

To put all that hard work and effort into trying to win this race, only for everything to sour so close to end, it leaves me with an empty feeling. Of what might've been. Watkins Glen is in a few months, maybe he can win there.

The day started with so much promise. Started in 2nd, managed to lead the most laps, was climbing back into the Top 5. Nope, Jr had to be an idiot and squeeze him into the wall. Junior, this isn't the backstretch at Daytona/Talladega, YOU'RE ON A ROAD COURSE. There was NO NEED to force the issue in a small area of the track when there are numerous OTHER PLACES TO PASS.

Junior certainly had to make enemies from Kenseth and most certainly AJ. Hopefully, he'll get what's coming to him.

I needed to blow off some steam, Junior's antics and unclean racing really made me mad.

-END RANT-

Let me quote Harry Gant, "They had two choice, to wreck or not. They chose to wreck." In all seriousness, it's the end of a road course, if you're whining about being wrecked, well you put yourself in the position to be wrecked. Ask Kevin Harvick about that. Sorry, but anything goes at the end of a road course race and no one is safe. Losers whine, while the winners drink champagne.