Lady in Black Lucky for Some

Greg Biffle managed to put together three key things that Saturday night: lead the most laps, finish the race, and win the race. Biffle has managed to complete the leading the most laps part of the equation on three separate occasions already this year. Not only that he has finished on the lead lap including last week at Richmond pulling down a till then season best 4th place. Saturday at the “track to tough to tame” he won, although not with out a little chase at the end by Jeff Gordon. Not only that Biffle did it without a subway sandwich handing from the front of the car.

Gordon did make it known that he was trying to nail down his first win of the season too with his second place run. He would come up only two car lengths short and very frustrated with a few of his fellow competitors.

Kenseth, after leading several times during the race would finish third. "I think he's a very solid bet to make it," said Matt, Biffle's teammate at Roush Racing. "He'd have to have a lot of things happen for him not to be a contender." Point leaded Johnson would finish 4th to extend his lead. Dale Jr., fighting flu like symptoms all weekend long would follow up his Richmond win with a fifth place finish asking his crew at one point to find a replacement driver if he needed one.

Darlington would prove tough on some including defending champion Tony Stewart. After a lap 150 spin he would not be able to make his car competitive the remainder of the night finishing 12th. Many others would earn either their first or another in a long line of stripes at the famed egg shaped oval.

Once again Darlington would prove to be one of NASCAR’s premier tracks staging a great race with a spectacular finish. Do I really need to cover this again? I’ve said before that what was the Southern 500 at Darlington, NASCAR’s oldest track, on Labor Day was as important as Daytona to begin the season, the Coca Cola 600 Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte and the Brickyard.

Here is my idea maybe someone should come along with the NASCAR Classic Series. Races would be run at deserted tracks and tracks that have been reduced on the schedule. Darlington, Rockingham, North Wilkesboro, and Trenton would be a few of these tracks where past champions made a mark, and were crowned.

Again I hate to beat a dead horse, or at least beat on his broken leg. Sorry little jab at the Kentucky Derby winner. I didn’t even know that took place by the way till he broke his leg at the Preakness. And if you don’t know that is the second part of the Triple Crown in horse racing.

There is one question that begs to be asked at this point. Since Dale Jarrett has now signed on to drive for that foreign carmaker next season, will they change the radio and TV ads when the person writes to DW with a question? You know the one where they ask who is going to drive for Toyota and he says they have Michael Waltrip, and then an engine roars while he "lists" other drivers. Untill now they really didn't have any other drivers. I wonder if you watch closelly and read his lips if he actually gives us a Toyota driver wishlist? Maybe I should submit that and get on one of those dear Darryl commercials.

A final note. This writer is going to the Coca~Cola 600 again this year. Hope this new pavement is worth it.

Virginia is for Lovers, Not Points Leaders

Dale Earnhardt Jr. however loves Richmond. After puling to the point at lap 44 he wouldn’t look back on his way to his 3rd win at the track and 17th overall in his career. It shows either a major departure from the problems of last year or a huge turn around from last year, your choice.

Harvick was the dominant car all night long taking the lead early and not letting go for much of the race. It was a mid race non pit stop that hurt his chances for winning, not that he had a bad race as he finished 3rd and moved up another spot in the points chase. He lead for a career high 272 laps, almost one third of the race.

Earnhardt did make the pit stop for four fresh tires and fuel to go the distance. Even as a few late race cautions flew Earnhardt would not give up the lead for his first win this season. "I think we are there,'' he said. "We keep taking our shots, but we're pretty competitive. Everything is working really great. I couldn't ask for any position on this team to be any better.” His perfect doughnuts engulfing the red number 8 in white smoke caped the evening. And, for the first time he blew a tire after the race and not during it.

The points leaders did not fair as well. It started with a loose plug wire on Kasey Kahne’s Charger only part way into the race. He pulled into the garage and went 5 laps down to fix the problem. Even after getting one lap back he would finish 34th. Matt Kenseth did not fair much better. He broke a brake rotor that bounced into his oil tank cause it to leak. He would bring his Ford home to a 39th place finish. This would be only one spot better than Jeff Gordon, who’s team could not figure out what happened to his engine.

Denny Hamlin would get a career best second place; Greg Biffle scored a season best 4th, after struggling much of the year. Kyle Busch would round out the top five. Point leader Jimmie Johnson would struggle after an early race caution to finish 12th.

Keeping Up

Ok, I’m what you call a slacker. The great part about that statement is that I admit to it. I’ve missed posting for three races and four weeks worth of news. Not that there has really been a lot to report on. Are we really surprised that teams that are struggling are changing up personnel?

~A Texas One Step~

Texas Speedway gets to keep the claim of never having a repeat winner. And Kasey Kahne gets to claim the right of being the only pole winner to win a race there. That was the boring part of this race. Obviously the biggest thing to hit Texas was Greg Biffle’s car into the turn 3 wall. Evidenced by the ten-minute red flag to repair the safer barrier. While this is nothing new for Kurt Busch and anyone he has ever turned into the wall, it was something new for his fiancée’. After being turned into the wall Biffle’s girlfriend Nicole Lunders went to chat with Eva Bryan, Busch’s significant other. This is nothing really new to racing, this is just the first time we’ve seen it on television. Wonder what Lunders plans to get for the future Ms Busch for her wedding present? Boxing gloves?

~Doing the Double in the Desert~

Ok really nothing too exciting about Friday’s Busch Series race. To sum it up, Harvick wins his second Busch race after strumming a tune in Nashville. Which, by the way, next to the Grandfather clock at Martinsville the Gibson Guitar is probably one of the coolest trophies you can win.

The real action came Saturday night when the cup boys took the track and put on a great show. Kyle Bush continues to follow his brother’s example and is well on his way to giving NASCAR the first set of brothers to boo. I wasn’t really around when all the Allison family was running in the series, but I don’t think they were this loathed by a consensus of fans. Kyle got into Mears and is somehow upset that Mears held his line instead of running into the wall. I wonder if those personality makeover people can help Kyle.

As a side note, as part of his community service they should have made it so that before every NASCAR broadcast they show Kurt Busch throwing the first pitch at the Diamondbacks game. This was just sad. I mean not even Rick Ankiel was that bad.

~Fast Doesn’t Always Win~

The last three restrictor plate races have defiantly not gone to the best car or cars on the track. This does tend to happen from time to time. You either need a lot of skill or a lot of luck to win these types of races. Some how the last few have fallen to the later of these two things. Dale Jarrett’s win last October was not a dominating performance, neither was Johnson’s win at Daytona and to be certain not this win at Talladega. I will give Johnson credit for not causing as many wrecks in recent plate races as he has in the past. In this race a year ago he cause two and never took responsibility for either one despite putting half the field in the garage between the two incidents. As you can tell I’m not a Johnson fan. And no I’m not apologizing for it.

I will say that it was awesome seeing that black paint scheme from days gone by on the track once again. It was a fitting tribute for all that went on that weekend for Dale Earnhardt. If you feel the need to somehow contribute to the cause of the struggling writer who’s work you are reading to buy the die cast of this car please feel free to contact him and he will let you know how you can donate to the cause.