Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500
Sunday November 9, 2008
Starting Time: 3:45 est.
My PayTheFan.com Picks for Phoenix
Group A: Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88
Started: 5
Group B: Mark Martin #8
Started: 10
Group B:Jamie McMurray #26
Started: 2
Group C:A.J. Allmendinger #84
Started: 13
I didn't have Kevin Harvick left on my PayTheFan.com picks but I think he will be very good today. If nothing else, his confidence from his win in the Craftsman Truck Series race and his 3rd place finish in the Nationwide Series races should help him today. Look for Bowyer to be strong along with some of the other Chase drivers like Johnson, Gordon, Edwards, and Hamlin.
Mark Martin, as always, will be strong especially after leading in the spring race here at Phoenix. If I remember correctly, he either ran out of fuel or had to pit for fuel and Jimmy Johnson won without stopping. Johnson did have a fast car that night as well.
The 26 has been running real good lately and I look for him to run good again today.
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Sunday, November 09, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Atlanta Race Picks
There are a lot of drivers that love Atlanta Motor Speedway. The cars can spread out and the drivers can find the groove that they like and that their car likes. It is a great mix of fine tuning the car and working on your line all day. Track position is always important but if your car has the ability to run a different line than the guy in front of you, you can make some passes. Basically, you race the race track all day and put yourself in position to have a good finish.
I have to believe that all of the Roush Fenway cars will be the best cars today. Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson will again be strong, as usual. During practice yesterday I also thought that Stewart looked good along with his Gibbs teammate Kyle Busch. I don't feel like there will be too many surprises at the front of the field, but if there are a few that I would keep my eye on: Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne.
My www.PayTheFan.com picks for today are as follows:
A Carl Edwards
B David Ragan
B Michael Waltrip
C AJ Almendinger
General Top 5 Picks:
1. Carl Edwards
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Greg Biffle
4. Tony Stewart
5. Kurt Busch
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I have to believe that all of the Roush Fenway cars will be the best cars today. Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson will again be strong, as usual. During practice yesterday I also thought that Stewart looked good along with his Gibbs teammate Kyle Busch. I don't feel like there will be too many surprises at the front of the field, but if there are a few that I would keep my eye on: Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne.
My www.PayTheFan.com picks for today are as follows:
A Carl Edwards
B David Ragan
B Michael Waltrip
C AJ Almendinger
General Top 5 Picks:
1. Carl Edwards
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Greg Biffle
4. Tony Stewart
5. Kurt Busch
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Sunday, October 19, 2008
Martinsville Speedway Picks
For the past several weeks I have been able to post my picks for the Sprint Cup Series races. It is tough to pick the top five every week but with Martinsville up today, only one thought enters my mind: Hendrick Motorsports. Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson will again be at the top. I think in that order. Gordon looked the best in practice and Johnson was right there with him so I think they will continue the Hendrick dominance at Martinsville Speedway.
No one is far off on the stopwatch but track position and pitting sequence will determine so much more about finishing positions than speed. It is hard to pass, even if you are a faster car. Emotions run high as fenders bang together. Drivers get mad and impatience runs rampant. With qualifying rained out yet again the best pit road selections were taken by the teams at the top. This will make it tough to gain points on Johnson.
Martinsville Speedway top 5 picks
1. Jeff Gordon
2. Jimmy Johnson
3. Jeff Burton
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr
5. David Ragan
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No one is far off on the stopwatch but track position and pitting sequence will determine so much more about finishing positions than speed. It is hard to pass, even if you are a faster car. Emotions run high as fenders bang together. Drivers get mad and impatience runs rampant. With qualifying rained out yet again the best pit road selections were taken by the teams at the top. This will make it tough to gain points on Johnson.
Martinsville Speedway top 5 picks
1. Jeff Gordon
2. Jimmy Johnson
3. Jeff Burton
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr
5. David Ragan
Visit www.DaleJarrett.com for 60% off of all merchandise. Many Driver's merchandise still available: Dale Jr, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, and of course Dale Jarrett.
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Saturday, October 11, 2008
Lowes Motor Speedway Pick
Lowes Motor Speedway is a tough track. It is narrow and very fast. They go the same speeds at a lot of other tracks but since Lowes Motor Speedway is more narrow where you catch someone to pass them makes a huge difference. It has been interesting to see some of the cars work on the top groove on the Charlotte track. Some guys make that work and some just cannot get their cars to work up there.
Hopefully we don't have a replay of last night's Nationwide race. There were a lot of running into each other last night. The drivers I think will have the best chance to win will be on most people's lists for this event. Every race takes a perfect night but Lowes is going to demand the same. Pit stops will have to be great and when you get track position you will have to either be able to maintain it in order to keep gaining a few spots all night.
I am glad we have last night behind us. It was a long night with the rain delays and the crashes.
Last week will not have much to do with how drivers finish tonight but when you add in the controversy of the finish it was an exciting Talladega ending. Regan Smith, win or lose, put himself on many more people's radar. Hopefully, the most popular 18th place finish in history will help him land a sponsor and ride for 2009.
My picks for Lowes Motor Speedway:
PayTheFan.com Picks
A. Denny Hamlin
B. Juan Pablo Montoya
B. Kasey Kahne
C. Bill Elliot
Top 5 Other Picks
1. Jimmy Johnson
2. Greg Biffle
3. Jeff Burton
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Clint Bowyer
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Hopefully we don't have a replay of last night's Nationwide race. There were a lot of running into each other last night. The drivers I think will have the best chance to win will be on most people's lists for this event. Every race takes a perfect night but Lowes is going to demand the same. Pit stops will have to be great and when you get track position you will have to either be able to maintain it in order to keep gaining a few spots all night.
I am glad we have last night behind us. It was a long night with the rain delays and the crashes.
Last week will not have much to do with how drivers finish tonight but when you add in the controversy of the finish it was an exciting Talladega ending. Regan Smith, win or lose, put himself on many more people's radar. Hopefully, the most popular 18th place finish in history will help him land a sponsor and ride for 2009.
My picks for Lowes Motor Speedway:
PayTheFan.com Picks
A. Denny Hamlin
B. Juan Pablo Montoya
B. Kasey Kahne
C. Bill Elliot
Top 5 Other Picks
1. Jimmy Johnson
2. Greg Biffle
3. Jeff Burton
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Clint Bowyer
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Sunday, October 05, 2008
Talladega Picks
Everyone that has ever been to a race at Talladega knows just how enormous the track is. Most of the drivers show up knowing they must survive until the final 15 laps, stay with the draft, and miss the "big one."
As a spotter this is one place that getting as much practice as possible always helps. I was fortunate to have an ARCA ReMax Series car and a Craftsman Truck Series truck to spot for this weekend leading up to the Sprint Cup race on Sunday. Friday's ARCA race was a short day as the #7 team was involved in the first caution of the day around lap 14. AJ was not able to return to the race after being involved in the accident. For the truck race I was spotting for Dennis Setzer. He has a lot of experience and because of that, he made the day much easier for me and his team. Setzer finished 13th in what I thought was a solid day. I am look forward to today's race with Scott Riggs. He is driving the Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet. Visit www.FreeGasFreePizza.com to learn more about Hunt Brothers Pizza.
There was an accident in Friday's Sprint Cup practice involving 4 to 6 cars. Dale Jr. had a tire failure and collected some other cars when he spun. A few of them are in back up cars and a few of the teams were able to fix their primary cars. I don't see that being a factor today. All of these teams treat their back up cars just like their primary cars.
It is always hard to pick winners or the top five for any race but Talladega Superspeedway has to be the toughest. All of the cars will be stuck together all day drafting lap after lap until the final 10 to 20 laps. I still think the drivers that make it to the front at the end of the day will be similar to any other Sprint Cup event. Every now and then you will have a surprise finisher in the top five or if the "big one" happens then the out come will be different.
The guys I picked today for my www.PayTheFan.com picks look something like this:
1. Jeff Gordon
2. Ryan Newman
3. Brian Vickers
4. Mike Skinner
Obviously there are others that have good enough cars.
A few others include:
1. Jimmy Johnson
2. Greg Biffle
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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As a spotter this is one place that getting as much practice as possible always helps. I was fortunate to have an ARCA ReMax Series car and a Craftsman Truck Series truck to spot for this weekend leading up to the Sprint Cup race on Sunday. Friday's ARCA race was a short day as the #7 team was involved in the first caution of the day around lap 14. AJ was not able to return to the race after being involved in the accident. For the truck race I was spotting for Dennis Setzer. He has a lot of experience and because of that, he made the day much easier for me and his team. Setzer finished 13th in what I thought was a solid day. I am look forward to today's race with Scott Riggs. He is driving the Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet. Visit www.FreeGasFreePizza.com to learn more about Hunt Brothers Pizza.
There was an accident in Friday's Sprint Cup practice involving 4 to 6 cars. Dale Jr. had a tire failure and collected some other cars when he spun. A few of them are in back up cars and a few of the teams were able to fix their primary cars. I don't see that being a factor today. All of these teams treat their back up cars just like their primary cars.
It is always hard to pick winners or the top five for any race but Talladega Superspeedway has to be the toughest. All of the cars will be stuck together all day drafting lap after lap until the final 10 to 20 laps. I still think the drivers that make it to the front at the end of the day will be similar to any other Sprint Cup event. Every now and then you will have a surprise finisher in the top five or if the "big one" happens then the out come will be different.
The guys I picked today for my www.PayTheFan.com picks look something like this:
1. Jeff Gordon
2. Ryan Newman
3. Brian Vickers
4. Mike Skinner
Obviously there are others that have good enough cars.
A few others include:
1. Jimmy Johnson
2. Greg Biffle
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Take some laps at Talladega Superspeedway with the Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure. Visit www.RacingAdventure.com or call 888-GO-RACE-1 to book your Full Throttle Living Adventure.
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Sunday, September 28, 2008
Chase Race 3- Kansas Speedway
There is something about coming to Kansas that makes me feel at home. It probably has to do with a few things that happened in my own racing career. The Kansas Speedway opened for racing back in 2001 and I was fortunate to be a part of their first ARCA ReMax Series event. Plus, I was even more fortunate to be with a team that helped put me in victory lane that day. It was a day I will never forget.
The win was special but there were a lot of things leading up to that day that made the win more than just your average win. It was my first full season in the ARCA ReMax Series and so I was picked by the series to come out to Kansas Speedway for "media day." Basically, the track and team send a few drivers to the tracks a few weeks ahead of race week so everyone can capitalize on some media opportunities. Normally, you go to the track for a press conference, local radio stations, and local television stations to put the word out about the race coming to town.
I didn't really know what to expect when I arrived in Kansas for those couple of days. Now that I look back on it I had a great time. I met some friends that I will have for life and I was able to be a part of helping the Kansas Speedway kick off its inaugural weekend of racing. The fans here supported it then and by the looks of being in Kansas this race weekend they are still supporting the track and their favorite drivers and teams.
Chase Race 3
The Kansas Speedway is a pretty typical 1.5 mile (often referred to as a "cookie cutter") track. Although, based on the Nationwide race and the final Sprint Cup practices the track has become wider as the years have gone by. There will be cars that can make the bottom work and there will be cars that will make the middle and top lanes work. I still think the cars that can make the bottom work will finish the best.
Look for Biffle to be strong again along with your usual cast of chase drivers. The 48 is on the pole and it never hurts to start up front in the clean air. Denny Hamlin won the Nationwide event so I think this will help his efforts today.
My top picks for the Kansas race
1. Kevin Harvick
2. Carl Edwards
3. Jimmy Johnson
4. Denny Hamlin
5. David Ragan
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The win was special but there were a lot of things leading up to that day that made the win more than just your average win. It was my first full season in the ARCA ReMax Series and so I was picked by the series to come out to Kansas Speedway for "media day." Basically, the track and team send a few drivers to the tracks a few weeks ahead of race week so everyone can capitalize on some media opportunities. Normally, you go to the track for a press conference, local radio stations, and local television stations to put the word out about the race coming to town.
I didn't really know what to expect when I arrived in Kansas for those couple of days. Now that I look back on it I had a great time. I met some friends that I will have for life and I was able to be a part of helping the Kansas Speedway kick off its inaugural weekend of racing. The fans here supported it then and by the looks of being in Kansas this race weekend they are still supporting the track and their favorite drivers and teams.
Chase Race 3
The Kansas Speedway is a pretty typical 1.5 mile (often referred to as a "cookie cutter") track. Although, based on the Nationwide race and the final Sprint Cup practices the track has become wider as the years have gone by. There will be cars that can make the bottom work and there will be cars that will make the middle and top lanes work. I still think the cars that can make the bottom work will finish the best.
Look for Biffle to be strong again along with your usual cast of chase drivers. The 48 is on the pole and it never hurts to start up front in the clean air. Denny Hamlin won the Nationwide event so I think this will help his efforts today.
My top picks for the Kansas race
1. Kevin Harvick
2. Carl Edwards
3. Jimmy Johnson
4. Denny Hamlin
5. David Ragan
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Sunday, August 31, 2008
Autoclub Speedway Race Picks
After watching practice yesterday I have come up with four or five drivers that seem to be the fastest. The cars get so spread out in practice and you never know who is on old tires or new ones so it makes picking a bigger challenge. Some places you have to just remember back to the race before or make a couple races before.
We have all watched the long races from the track formerly known as California Speedway. The cars get spread out and most of the time it turns into a good old fashioned gas mileage race. The front four or five cars, that get that clean air, will probably be lapping a lot of cars. Track position is going to be huge, as it always seems to be.
So, for my picks this week I am going to stay with what I remember working here in the past.
Picks
The top five plus 3 sleepers that I was watching
1. Carl Edwards
2. Greg Biffle
3. Jimmy Johnson
4. Kasey Kahne
5. Kyle Busch
6. Elliot Sadler
7. Dave Blaney
8. Aric Almirola
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We have all watched the long races from the track formerly known as California Speedway. The cars get spread out and most of the time it turns into a good old fashioned gas mileage race. The front four or five cars, that get that clean air, will probably be lapping a lot of cars. Track position is going to be huge, as it always seems to be.
So, for my picks this week I am going to stay with what I remember working here in the past.
Picks
The top five plus 3 sleepers that I was watching
1. Carl Edwards
2. Greg Biffle
3. Jimmy Johnson
4. Kasey Kahne
5. Kyle Busch
6. Elliot Sadler
7. Dave Blaney
8. Aric Almirola
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Sunday, August 10, 2008
Watkins Glen Picks
With Qualifying rained out this week the field has been set by the NASCAR points system. They were able to complete both race practices on Saturday afternoon. Getting these practices in is probably more important than the actual qualifying speeds anyway. There may be some good picks that didn't get a great pit selection because of the rain on Friday but most of them will play the fuel mileage game anyway.
The weather is going to be a factor. Rain showers are going to be in the area most of the day. With that said, it may be a race to lap 45 instead of lap 90, if the rain sets in after the halfway point.
The top picks I am looking at are mainly guys that competed in the Nationwide race yesterday. Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr, and Jeff Burton come to mind at first but there are a handful of others that I believe will be strong. The 48 really look like they are gaining momentum every week. The 88 has been top ten material pretty much every week. Jeff Burton put together a strong run yesterday and I think he will drive a smart race.
There are a few road course "ringers" in the race but I still feel that the experience of the Sprint Cup regulars will be most important at the end. They are just more familiar with how to get on and off of pit road without mistakes.
This week I am grouping them into three groups of three and one group of three "ringer."
Watkins Glen Picks:
Group A
Jimmie Johnson
Jeff Gordon
Dale Earnhardt, Jr
Group B
Kevin Harvick
Tony Stewart
Denny Hamlin
Group C
Kurt Busch
Ryan Newman
Juan Pablo Montoya
Group D (Ringers)
Robby Gordon
Marcos Ambrose
Boris Said
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The weather is going to be a factor. Rain showers are going to be in the area most of the day. With that said, it may be a race to lap 45 instead of lap 90, if the rain sets in after the halfway point.
The top picks I am looking at are mainly guys that competed in the Nationwide race yesterday. Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr, and Jeff Burton come to mind at first but there are a handful of others that I believe will be strong. The 48 really look like they are gaining momentum every week. The 88 has been top ten material pretty much every week. Jeff Burton put together a strong run yesterday and I think he will drive a smart race.
There are a few road course "ringers" in the race but I still feel that the experience of the Sprint Cup regulars will be most important at the end. They are just more familiar with how to get on and off of pit road without mistakes.
This week I am grouping them into three groups of three and one group of three "ringer."
Watkins Glen Picks:
Group A
Jimmie Johnson
Jeff Gordon
Dale Earnhardt, Jr
Group B
Kevin Harvick
Tony Stewart
Denny Hamlin
Group C
Kurt Busch
Ryan Newman
Juan Pablo Montoya
Group D (Ringers)
Robby Gordon
Marcos Ambrose
Boris Said
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Sunday, August 03, 2008
Pocono Raceway Picks
I am going to try something new this week. Every week people call me to ask me which drivers or teams are fastest. So, I usually discuss with them who I think is fast based on what I see from the spotter's stand compared to who they think is fast based on what they see on tv or read on the internet. It makes for some interesting discussions.
The two practice sessions scheduled for Saturday were cancelled due to rain. The only practice that Cup ran was on Friday. Most teams on Fridays concentrate on Qualify. At the same time, the teams in the top 35, usually make a few race runs before switching the car over to their qualifying setups.
This week Jeremy Brickhouse and I are picking our top 4 picks plus 1 sleeper pick. Below is what we have come up with for the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500. The race coverage begins on ESPN at 1:00PM est.
Starting Line Up: Top 5
1. Jimmy Johnson
2. Mark Martin
3. David Gilliland
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Matt Kenseth
Pocono Race Winner in June:
1. Kasey Kahne
This Weeks Picks:
Brickhouse Top 4 plus one B pick
1. Jimmy Johnson
2. Mark Martin
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Brian Vickers
Jarrett Top 4 plus one B pick
1. Kasey Kahne
2. Jeff Burton
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Carl Edwards
5. AJ Almendinger
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The two practice sessions scheduled for Saturday were cancelled due to rain. The only practice that Cup ran was on Friday. Most teams on Fridays concentrate on Qualify. At the same time, the teams in the top 35, usually make a few race runs before switching the car over to their qualifying setups.
This week Jeremy Brickhouse and I are picking our top 4 picks plus 1 sleeper pick. Below is what we have come up with for the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500. The race coverage begins on ESPN at 1:00PM est.
Starting Line Up: Top 5
1. Jimmy Johnson
2. Mark Martin
3. David Gilliland
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Matt Kenseth
Pocono Race Winner in June:
1. Kasey Kahne
This Weeks Picks:
Brickhouse Top 4 plus one B pick
1. Jimmy Johnson
2. Mark Martin
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Brian Vickers
Jarrett Top 4 plus one B pick
1. Kasey Kahne
2. Jeff Burton
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Carl Edwards
5. AJ Almendinger
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Sunday, June 08, 2008
Driver’s on my Radar
These are a few drivers that I have been watching this season. I catch them at different times and different tracks. And obviously don’t get to see their every lap but I have been keeping an eye on these drivers. There are many other young and up and coming drivers out there but these have caught my attention lately.
Joey Logano
For the past two weeks we have heard a lot about Joey Logano. For the most part I think he has done a real good job. Last week at Dover I was able to watch him live. One thing I always look for when a new driver comes in is his/her on track awareness. He seems to know where he is on the race track and seems to already know how to make sure he doesn’t put himself in a bad situation (although at Nashville he could have been a little more patient). It will be interesting to see if he learns from his mistakes. One of the things I respect about Jeff Gordon is he always learns from his mistakes.
Logano has shown a lot of maturity in his first two races. He finished in the top 10 in his first start and led plenty of laps in his second start. He has the talent as a driver, he has great equipment, and he has great people around him. The post race and post accident interviews will get better.
Chad McCumbee
Chad McCumbee finished 6th in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. This race was a nice recovery after failing to qualify for the Sprint Cup race at Dover last week. Hopefully, he will have more opportunities in the Sprint Cup Series in the future.
Josh Wise
Josh had a good run going at Nashville Superspeedway but his night was ended short when contact from Mike Wallace took him out of contention. If owners and sponsors will just stick with him you will see a lot of him in the future.
Bryan Clauson
An early pit road mistake was costly for Bryan Clauson and his team. He has been getting faster every week so if he learns from those mistakes he will be fine. This is another situation that will be fine if his sponsors and team stick with him.
He finished 22nd at Nashville Superspeedway
Kelly Bires
Kelly Bires is fast. He got my attention again last night while I was watching the Nashville race. The thing I am noticing about Bires is he is learning to finish. When I first saw him race, he was fast but seemed to not be able to finish. If he continues to get top ten finishes you could see him at the Sprint Cup level in the next few seasons.
Landon Cassill
Landon makes some mistakes but he has good equipment. If he will learn when to race and when to give a little he will get better quicker. He needs to learn that keeping the fenders on the car is more important than protecting 9th or 10th place on lap 20.
He did a good job at Nashville and was able to finish in the top ten (9th)
Marc Mitchell
Marc Mitchell has had a solid season in the #15 truck. From what I have seen he has had some bad breaks. Although he finished 12th at Texas I remember seeing him get stuck behind the 99 truck on a restart. He recovered nicely and that move showed that he has enough maturity to settle back in and race back toward the front.
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Joey Logano
For the past two weeks we have heard a lot about Joey Logano. For the most part I think he has done a real good job. Last week at Dover I was able to watch him live. One thing I always look for when a new driver comes in is his/her on track awareness. He seems to know where he is on the race track and seems to already know how to make sure he doesn’t put himself in a bad situation (although at Nashville he could have been a little more patient). It will be interesting to see if he learns from his mistakes. One of the things I respect about Jeff Gordon is he always learns from his mistakes.
Logano has shown a lot of maturity in his first two races. He finished in the top 10 in his first start and led plenty of laps in his second start. He has the talent as a driver, he has great equipment, and he has great people around him. The post race and post accident interviews will get better.
Chad McCumbee
Chad McCumbee finished 6th in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. This race was a nice recovery after failing to qualify for the Sprint Cup race at Dover last week. Hopefully, he will have more opportunities in the Sprint Cup Series in the future.
Josh Wise
Josh had a good run going at Nashville Superspeedway but his night was ended short when contact from Mike Wallace took him out of contention. If owners and sponsors will just stick with him you will see a lot of him in the future.
Bryan Clauson
An early pit road mistake was costly for Bryan Clauson and his team. He has been getting faster every week so if he learns from those mistakes he will be fine. This is another situation that will be fine if his sponsors and team stick with him.
He finished 22nd at Nashville Superspeedway
Kelly Bires
Kelly Bires is fast. He got my attention again last night while I was watching the Nashville race. The thing I am noticing about Bires is he is learning to finish. When I first saw him race, he was fast but seemed to not be able to finish. If he continues to get top ten finishes you could see him at the Sprint Cup level in the next few seasons.
Landon Cassill
Landon makes some mistakes but he has good equipment. If he will learn when to race and when to give a little he will get better quicker. He needs to learn that keeping the fenders on the car is more important than protecting 9th or 10th place on lap 20.
He did a good job at Nashville and was able to finish in the top ten (9th)
Marc Mitchell
Marc Mitchell has had a solid season in the #15 truck. From what I have seen he has had some bad breaks. Although he finished 12th at Texas I remember seeing him get stuck behind the 99 truck on a restart. He recovered nicely and that move showed that he has enough maturity to settle back in and race back toward the front.
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Thursday, May 29, 2008
Thoughts on Young Drivers
Joey Logano
Joey Logano turned 18 so the Joe Gibbs Racing development driver will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut this weekend at Dover.
Dover is a tough race track but I have a feeling Logano will do a good job. He has some experience there in the Camping World East Series. He is driving a great car for a great organization. Plus, based on what I saw at Rockingham, he has plenty of skill to go along with his equipment.
Chad McCumbee
I still believe someone is missing out on an opportunity with driver Chad McCumbee.
He is on the brink of breaking out in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Of course there is no straightforward process you must go through to make it to Cup but I feel like Chad is talented and marketable.
He is still young and has plenty of racing experience now.
Josh Wise
Josh really opened my eyes last week at Lowes Motor Speedway. His finish does not tell the story for how well he ran in the Nationwide race.
As far as I know he has not raced in one of the top three series for a while (before the Lowes race) and he was able to put the Supercuts car up front. While racing up there he collected the wall and unfortunately was not able to finish in the top 10.
Hopefully we will see more of Josh Wise as the season moves into the long summer stretch.
Bryan Clausen
I have noticed that each week that goes by Bryan seems to learn from the mistakes he has made.
He is working with one of the best and most intense crew chiefs out there. Brad Parrott will teach him something every week.
To Drive a real racecar call 888-GO-RACE-1 or log onto www.RacingAdventure.com to book your next adventure. Father's Day will be here before you know it so be dad's favorite and buy his gift certificate today!
Joey Logano turned 18 so the Joe Gibbs Racing development driver will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut this weekend at Dover.
Dover is a tough race track but I have a feeling Logano will do a good job. He has some experience there in the Camping World East Series. He is driving a great car for a great organization. Plus, based on what I saw at Rockingham, he has plenty of skill to go along with his equipment.
Chad McCumbee
I still believe someone is missing out on an opportunity with driver Chad McCumbee.
He is on the brink of breaking out in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Of course there is no straightforward process you must go through to make it to Cup but I feel like Chad is talented and marketable.
He is still young and has plenty of racing experience now.
Josh Wise
Josh really opened my eyes last week at Lowes Motor Speedway. His finish does not tell the story for how well he ran in the Nationwide race.
As far as I know he has not raced in one of the top three series for a while (before the Lowes race) and he was able to put the Supercuts car up front. While racing up there he collected the wall and unfortunately was not able to finish in the top 10.
Hopefully we will see more of Josh Wise as the season moves into the long summer stretch.
Bryan Clausen
I have noticed that each week that goes by Bryan seems to learn from the mistakes he has made.
He is working with one of the best and most intense crew chiefs out there. Brad Parrott will teach him something every week.
To Drive a real racecar call 888-GO-RACE-1 or log onto www.RacingAdventure.com to book your next adventure. Father's Day will be here before you know it so be dad's favorite and buy his gift certificate today!
Monday, April 07, 2008
McDowell Hits Sprint Cup Hard and Fast
With many of us out here to share our opinions we have all made comments similar to the following about drivers we think may be pushing the limits.
"He has never had a big crash." "He has not hit anything hard enough yet."
All of us, fans, competitors, owners, and sponsors can never say this about Micheal McDowell.
This saying is often used when more experienced drivers see these young drivers come in and do things on the track that may be considered crazy or wild. Kyle Busch often gets this reaction because he drives a little rough at times. He has hit pretty hard a few times. I am not sure Kyle could be as effective any other way. This is the style that allows him to tell the crew what his car is doing. If he backs it down a notch or two he may not be as effective.
Micheal McDowell is new to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series but this past weekend at Texas he jumped on the radar of many people inside and outside the NASCAR community. Heck I even saw him on the TV show, Inside Edition, doing an interview about his horrible crash. In case that comment did not make sense, Inside Edition usually does not do too many interviews with race car drivers.
If you have not seen the crash you need to look it up on the internet and watch it. All of the search engines have it plus I have posted it on www.JasonJarrett.com.
He was performing his qualifying lap when the car got loose going into turn one. When he tried to correct it the car shot right and smashed into the outside wall head on. This sent the car into a series of flips until finally coming to rest at the bottom of the track at the beginning of the back stretch. He has said that he never lost consciousness and remembers every flip until the car came to a stop. Michael walked away with some bruising and raced in the 500 mile event on Sunday afternoon.
From a safety point of view McDowell and his amazing crash has tested and passed all of the safety devices in one wreck. He tested the HANS device, the SAFER barriers, the full containment seat (LaJoie), and yes, the COT.
So, all of you that I listen to calling in on Sirius NASCAR radio can forget about the old style cars ever coming back. I am not saying that this one crash will make that decision but I am saying that for all of the complaining that NASCAR has had to endure they deserve a lot of credit for putting a safe race car on the track. They did their testing and they knew they had to make it safer to be able to bring us this great sport for many years to come. Even if it meant they were going to have to listen to some backlash at first.
The team, the car, the safety devices, and NASCAR did a great job to allow Michael McDowell to continue his quest to make it to the top. He can now move on and one of the best things is he will never have anyone say that he has not hit anything hard yet.
"He has never had a big crash." "He has not hit anything hard enough yet."
All of us, fans, competitors, owners, and sponsors can never say this about Micheal McDowell.
This saying is often used when more experienced drivers see these young drivers come in and do things on the track that may be considered crazy or wild. Kyle Busch often gets this reaction because he drives a little rough at times. He has hit pretty hard a few times. I am not sure Kyle could be as effective any other way. This is the style that allows him to tell the crew what his car is doing. If he backs it down a notch or two he may not be as effective.
Micheal McDowell is new to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series but this past weekend at Texas he jumped on the radar of many people inside and outside the NASCAR community. Heck I even saw him on the TV show, Inside Edition, doing an interview about his horrible crash. In case that comment did not make sense, Inside Edition usually does not do too many interviews with race car drivers.
If you have not seen the crash you need to look it up on the internet and watch it. All of the search engines have it plus I have posted it on www.JasonJarrett.com.
He was performing his qualifying lap when the car got loose going into turn one. When he tried to correct it the car shot right and smashed into the outside wall head on. This sent the car into a series of flips until finally coming to rest at the bottom of the track at the beginning of the back stretch. He has said that he never lost consciousness and remembers every flip until the car came to a stop. Michael walked away with some bruising and raced in the 500 mile event on Sunday afternoon.
From a safety point of view McDowell and his amazing crash has tested and passed all of the safety devices in one wreck. He tested the HANS device, the SAFER barriers, the full containment seat (LaJoie), and yes, the COT.
So, all of you that I listen to calling in on Sirius NASCAR radio can forget about the old style cars ever coming back. I am not saying that this one crash will make that decision but I am saying that for all of the complaining that NASCAR has had to endure they deserve a lot of credit for putting a safe race car on the track. They did their testing and they knew they had to make it safer to be able to bring us this great sport for many years to come. Even if it meant they were going to have to listen to some backlash at first.
The team, the car, the safety devices, and NASCAR did a great job to allow Michael McDowell to continue his quest to make it to the top. He can now move on and one of the best things is he will never have anyone say that he has not hit anything hard yet.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
AJ Allmindinger Needs More Time
I am just now on my way home from the Las Vegas race and a two day test session in Phoenix. Most if not all of the teams took advantage of the opportunity to test. While I was there I heard that AJ Almendinger was being replaced this week by Mike Skinner.
The only information I have on AJ’s release is the same as what you have seen on the internet or on television. I think it is way too early and AJ is way too young for the team to make this decision right now. He (AJ) made a life changing decision to make the switch from open wheel cars to stock cars. There were times last year that he showed so much potential.
I know the team and media is going to put the big pr spin on this so I wanted to share my opinion that I am not in agreement with this move. Drivers get chewed up and spit out in this sport every week but AJ deserves more time. There will be a spin put on it that he will be placed in other series to gain him seat time and experience but I am not buying it. Although running in the Nationwide or Craftsman Series will be good he still needs to be in that Sprint Cup car. The new cars are different from the other series so I think they should do all of it if they are serious about giving him a fair shot at making it. A page out of the Gibbs playbook should be used here. I believe Gibbs is the best at giving people a fair shot if there is such a thing.
AJ is going to have to answer a lot of questions this week. He will handle it like a pro and do what he has to do. He has had a good attitude in all of the interviews I have seen. Even his interview after missing Daytona was a good one. He showed his emotions and you could see and hear the hurt he was feeling. Missing Daytona made the pressure double (if that is possible). The last time I checked, the Duels were a team effort. AJ didn't miss the race, the team did. California was out of his control being based on last year’s results. I am not sure what happened at Vegas but I know he was driving as hard as he could go.
Sure he should share some of responsibility but not to the point of being pushed to the side. It seems like everyone is only looking at their job and not considering that it is a team effort. Look I know it is huge business but the timing of this move is bad for this organization. They will have to learn a new driver in the middle of trying to break into the top 35.
Mike Skinner is a good driver and probably deserves to be in a Cup ride full time. He has tons of experience and will teach AJ some things about racing at the top level. We all know from the past that Skinner is a great qualifier. He will qualify and probably run good in the Red Bull #84 entry but I still believe this will hurt the team in the long run.
I hope AJ can make it through everything he is getting ready to experience. On a smaller scale I know what it feels like to be teamed up on like this. There is no one that will come to your rescue. I know other owners are paying close attention and if he keeps improving maybe he can get one of those rare but occasional second chances.
Drive a race car today!
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Update: 3/10/08
I am a little late posting this story since the Atlanta race is over and Mike Skinner has qualified for and run the race but I still wanted my thoughts and comments on AJ to be posted.
Jason A. Jarrett
The only information I have on AJ’s release is the same as what you have seen on the internet or on television. I think it is way too early and AJ is way too young for the team to make this decision right now. He (AJ) made a life changing decision to make the switch from open wheel cars to stock cars. There were times last year that he showed so much potential.
I know the team and media is going to put the big pr spin on this so I wanted to share my opinion that I am not in agreement with this move. Drivers get chewed up and spit out in this sport every week but AJ deserves more time. There will be a spin put on it that he will be placed in other series to gain him seat time and experience but I am not buying it. Although running in the Nationwide or Craftsman Series will be good he still needs to be in that Sprint Cup car. The new cars are different from the other series so I think they should do all of it if they are serious about giving him a fair shot at making it. A page out of the Gibbs playbook should be used here. I believe Gibbs is the best at giving people a fair shot if there is such a thing.
AJ is going to have to answer a lot of questions this week. He will handle it like a pro and do what he has to do. He has had a good attitude in all of the interviews I have seen. Even his interview after missing Daytona was a good one. He showed his emotions and you could see and hear the hurt he was feeling. Missing Daytona made the pressure double (if that is possible). The last time I checked, the Duels were a team effort. AJ didn't miss the race, the team did. California was out of his control being based on last year’s results. I am not sure what happened at Vegas but I know he was driving as hard as he could go.
Sure he should share some of responsibility but not to the point of being pushed to the side. It seems like everyone is only looking at their job and not considering that it is a team effort. Look I know it is huge business but the timing of this move is bad for this organization. They will have to learn a new driver in the middle of trying to break into the top 35.
Mike Skinner is a good driver and probably deserves to be in a Cup ride full time. He has tons of experience and will teach AJ some things about racing at the top level. We all know from the past that Skinner is a great qualifier. He will qualify and probably run good in the Red Bull #84 entry but I still believe this will hurt the team in the long run.
I hope AJ can make it through everything he is getting ready to experience. On a smaller scale I know what it feels like to be teamed up on like this. There is no one that will come to your rescue. I know other owners are paying close attention and if he keeps improving maybe he can get one of those rare but occasional second chances.
Drive a race car today!
Visit www.RacingAdventure.com or call 888-GO-RACE-1 for more information.
Update: 3/10/08
I am a little late posting this story since the Atlanta race is over and Mike Skinner has qualified for and run the race but I still wanted my thoughts and comments on AJ to be posted.
Jason A. Jarrett
Monday, February 18, 2008
Penske Deserves Daytona Victory
I don't know Roger Penske, but like you, I see his name everywhere. Whether it is truck leasing, car dealerships, or motorsports Penske is a highly successful businessman. When I see the name Penske, I think of perfection and precision. As far as his race teams that I come into contact with they are always well dressed, polite, and successful. He handles winning with class and when his teams lose they just go back to work and try to win the next event. He and his teams and drivers have tried to win the Daytona 500 for a long time and Ryan Newman was able to carry on that Penske success by putting Penske Racing in victory lane at the 50th running of "The Great American Race."
Ryan Newman has had success in the past and will continue to be a winner at the NASCAR Sprint Cup level for a long time. We all say it, but he could not do it without the right people behind him. With that said, Roy McCauley and his team deserve a lot of credit for putting Newman in victory lane at Daytona. Roy has managed to put together that winning team while he and his wife fight her battle with cancer. It is admirable that people like Roy can continue competing at such a high level while dealing with a tough situation.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup garage is made up of the most competitive teams and individuals in all of motorsports but I have a feeling that this is one of those "popular" victories. Most people throughout the garage, from team owners, drivers, team members, and media members will be happy for Penske, Newman and their teams.
I don't know Ryan Newman personally but I did enjoy seeing that he won the Daytona 500. He and his wife are huge supporters of the Catawba County Humane Society. They helped build a beautiful "no kill" animal shelter close to my office and home in Hickory, NC. Also, I see Ryan's dad Greg on the spotter's stand every week. We have a conversation every now and then but I think his situation is similar to when I used to be the spotter for my dad. He and I just discussed the other day just how much fathers and sons think alike so the spotting thing seems to workout. I am glad they were able to make it to victory lane while working together. That may not be their first win working together but I know it is their biggest win so far.
Lastly, I want to give Kurt Busch credit for the teamwork he showed to push Newman across the line to win the Daytona 500. Busch often gets blasted in the media ( by causing some of the problems himself) but this time he has shown a different side. I know he did not want to finish second but he realized that his push was going to not only help his teammate but also would help his team in securing a top 35 spot in the points for the 2008 Sprint Cup Series. To cap off a successful Speedweeks for Penske Racing Sam Hornish Jr. also had a nice showing in his first Daytona 500 with a 15th place finish.
There will be more great races to come and I feel certain Penske and his success will continue for a long time to come. Congratulations to all of Penske Racing's employees and team members.
Join the Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure at Talladega Superspeedway and experience what it is like to drive a real race car. The next event at Talladega Superspeedway is February 23 and 24. Call 888-Go-RACE-1 or log on to http://www.racingadventure.com/ for prices and other details.
Ryan Newman has had success in the past and will continue to be a winner at the NASCAR Sprint Cup level for a long time. We all say it, but he could not do it without the right people behind him. With that said, Roy McCauley and his team deserve a lot of credit for putting Newman in victory lane at Daytona. Roy has managed to put together that winning team while he and his wife fight her battle with cancer. It is admirable that people like Roy can continue competing at such a high level while dealing with a tough situation.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup garage is made up of the most competitive teams and individuals in all of motorsports but I have a feeling that this is one of those "popular" victories. Most people throughout the garage, from team owners, drivers, team members, and media members will be happy for Penske, Newman and their teams.
I don't know Ryan Newman personally but I did enjoy seeing that he won the Daytona 500. He and his wife are huge supporters of the Catawba County Humane Society. They helped build a beautiful "no kill" animal shelter close to my office and home in Hickory, NC. Also, I see Ryan's dad Greg on the spotter's stand every week. We have a conversation every now and then but I think his situation is similar to when I used to be the spotter for my dad. He and I just discussed the other day just how much fathers and sons think alike so the spotting thing seems to workout. I am glad they were able to make it to victory lane while working together. That may not be their first win working together but I know it is their biggest win so far.
Lastly, I want to give Kurt Busch credit for the teamwork he showed to push Newman across the line to win the Daytona 500. Busch often gets blasted in the media ( by causing some of the problems himself) but this time he has shown a different side. I know he did not want to finish second but he realized that his push was going to not only help his teammate but also would help his team in securing a top 35 spot in the points for the 2008 Sprint Cup Series. To cap off a successful Speedweeks for Penske Racing Sam Hornish Jr. also had a nice showing in his first Daytona 500 with a 15th place finish.
There will be more great races to come and I feel certain Penske and his success will continue for a long time to come. Congratulations to all of Penske Racing's employees and team members.
Join the Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure at Talladega Superspeedway and experience what it is like to drive a real race car. The next event at Talladega Superspeedway is February 23 and 24. Call 888-Go-RACE-1 or log on to http://www.racingadventure.com/ for prices and other details.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
My Dale Jr. Opinion
I am paying close attention to Junior these days. Many of you out there in the world are doing the same. We all have our own opinions about him and how things are going to go for him now that he drives for a team that doesn't bear his last name. It was stunning news to some, but others, like myself were not surprise to hear that Dale Jr. would no longer drive for Dale Earnhardt Inc.
I have always kept up with Dale Jr. and his career. Way back in the 90's we both ran NASCAR late models but hardly ever raced at the same tracks. He stayed pretty much at Myrtle Beach Speedway. I raced mainly at Hickory Speedway and Tri-County Speedway with his brother and sister. Back then I wanted to keep up with what he was up to because we all had ambitions of ending up at the top level of NASCAR. Now I keep up with Junior because I like the way he drives and I like the way he handles all of the pressure that comes his way. He has a good attitude and people around him seem to have a lot of respect for him. For many years I have wanted Dale Jr. and the guys that I raced with to "make it." Well, needless to say, he has made it!
I saw a story a few weeks ago that said something like, "Can Junior make it at the varsity level." That might not be the exact quote but it is close. And I did not read the complete article because the title basically hit a bad nerve with me. He has NASCAR Busch Series Championships and NASCAR Nextel Cup wins at several types of tracks. He has handled the massive crowds and the neverending media requests with open and honest answers. I like to hear his opinions and perspectives on things. Plus, he brings a breath of fresh air to what can sometimes be an all too politically correct platform. He does this without offending sponsors or competitors.
There have been many opinions about his move to Hendrick Motorsports. I have heard the usual, "If he can't get it done at Hendrick, he can't get it done." He will get it done. Mr. Hendrick has proven that he creates winners. He hires winners and makes them champions. Dale Junior will achieve the same when all of the tools are used to there potential. I have even heard Dale Jr. himself say that one difference now is that he can be "fired." You don't believe that do you? He is a winner and a huge marketable personality.
In my opinion, from a family side of the issue, I believe Dale Jr. will be more relaxed than ever. There will always be pressure on the guys at the top, but that pressure does not come close to the pressure "family business" relationships can create. I don't mean that he will have ill will toward his old company nor will they toward him. It will release pressure from both sides. In my own experiences I drove for a family owned team in 1999 and 2000 before moving to ML Motorsports in 2001. To this day, going to drive for ML Motorsports was a great experience for me personally. I had some things to prove to myself and I had relationships that I wanted to form without too much family influence or opinion. I still relied on my family for a lot things but without the pressures of actually working for my own family. Those few years of not working for them actually opened up a lot of lines of communication that we did not have before. I came full circle as I was the spotter for my dad for the past two years and now work at his office full time once again. We have a stronger relationship than ever. Family is always family! My situation was on a much smaller scale but I think that is why I respect so many things about Dale Earnhardt Jr.
This is what I think: Dale Jr. did what he had to for his own personal reasons. He doesn't have to tell any of us what those reasons are. The best thing about him is he knows how bad he wants to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup and he has now put himself in a better position to do just that. These guys take huge risks to try to be the best and no matter what his last name he wants it as bad if not worse than any other driver out there.
Visit www.RacingAdventure.com to get your lastest fix of what we like to call "Full Throttle Living." Many new dates added for the 2008 schedule. Check out the prices and packages that best fit you and your budget. You can also call 888-GO-RACE-1 to speak with a Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure representative to book your next RacingAdventure.com.
I have always kept up with Dale Jr. and his career. Way back in the 90's we both ran NASCAR late models but hardly ever raced at the same tracks. He stayed pretty much at Myrtle Beach Speedway. I raced mainly at Hickory Speedway and Tri-County Speedway with his brother and sister. Back then I wanted to keep up with what he was up to because we all had ambitions of ending up at the top level of NASCAR. Now I keep up with Junior because I like the way he drives and I like the way he handles all of the pressure that comes his way. He has a good attitude and people around him seem to have a lot of respect for him. For many years I have wanted Dale Jr. and the guys that I raced with to "make it." Well, needless to say, he has made it!
I saw a story a few weeks ago that said something like, "Can Junior make it at the varsity level." That might not be the exact quote but it is close. And I did not read the complete article because the title basically hit a bad nerve with me. He has NASCAR Busch Series Championships and NASCAR Nextel Cup wins at several types of tracks. He has handled the massive crowds and the neverending media requests with open and honest answers. I like to hear his opinions and perspectives on things. Plus, he brings a breath of fresh air to what can sometimes be an all too politically correct platform. He does this without offending sponsors or competitors.
There have been many opinions about his move to Hendrick Motorsports. I have heard the usual, "If he can't get it done at Hendrick, he can't get it done." He will get it done. Mr. Hendrick has proven that he creates winners. He hires winners and makes them champions. Dale Junior will achieve the same when all of the tools are used to there potential. I have even heard Dale Jr. himself say that one difference now is that he can be "fired." You don't believe that do you? He is a winner and a huge marketable personality.
In my opinion, from a family side of the issue, I believe Dale Jr. will be more relaxed than ever. There will always be pressure on the guys at the top, but that pressure does not come close to the pressure "family business" relationships can create. I don't mean that he will have ill will toward his old company nor will they toward him. It will release pressure from both sides. In my own experiences I drove for a family owned team in 1999 and 2000 before moving to ML Motorsports in 2001. To this day, going to drive for ML Motorsports was a great experience for me personally. I had some things to prove to myself and I had relationships that I wanted to form without too much family influence or opinion. I still relied on my family for a lot things but without the pressures of actually working for my own family. Those few years of not working for them actually opened up a lot of lines of communication that we did not have before. I came full circle as I was the spotter for my dad for the past two years and now work at his office full time once again. We have a stronger relationship than ever. Family is always family! My situation was on a much smaller scale but I think that is why I respect so many things about Dale Earnhardt Jr.
This is what I think: Dale Jr. did what he had to for his own personal reasons. He doesn't have to tell any of us what those reasons are. The best thing about him is he knows how bad he wants to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup and he has now put himself in a better position to do just that. These guys take huge risks to try to be the best and no matter what his last name he wants it as bad if not worse than any other driver out there.
Visit www.RacingAdventure.com to get your lastest fix of what we like to call "Full Throttle Living." Many new dates added for the 2008 schedule. Check out the prices and packages that best fit you and your budget. You can also call 888-GO-RACE-1 to speak with a Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure representative to book your next RacingAdventure.com.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Big Announcement
I don't even know if people are interested or not but I try to keep the blog updated. Sometimes I let other things get in the way. I normally use it as a bit of stress relief but I have had a lot going on lately so I have let it slip for the past few weeks. These weeks are going by so fast that I can't keep up. It pretty much says that my time management skills are not very good.
A lot of things have happened since I last checked in with you. There has been a huge announcement that you have already heard about. I know many of you emailed me asking me questions that I didn't even know the answers to at the time of your emails.
The big happened during the week of the Lowes Motor Speedway events. DJ announced his retirement plans. This was October 12, 2007 and Ned Jarrett's birthday. I know, it seems so weird that dad's career as a driver is coming to an end. He is the kind of person that knows himself and I think he is really at peace with his decision. In my opinion, I really haven't seen it publicized too much. The only things I read about it were when the media was speculating on what DJ's plans were going to be. There should have been a press conference for him to announce his plans alone and then let the team, sponsors, and owners lay out their plans to the media. I know he is my dad but I would have to say this about any of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers that would be making an announcement of this magnitude. Of course I look at it with a bit of bias but he deserved to get more out of his announcement than he received. For all I know the announcement went just the way he wanted it to. Maybe he wanted the team, sponsor, and owner to have their announcements at the same time. The more I think about it that sounds just like him by being a complete team player.
He will run the Bud Shootout, the 50th running of the Daytona 500, plus the next four points races of 2008. His final event will be the non-points event at the Lowes Motor Speedway, the All Star Race. This plan will help to get the #44 UPS Toyota Camry as close to the top 35 in points as possible. He will have his valuable past champion provisionals for the first five events just in case they are not able to make the field by qualifying on time. With the progress they have been showing I don't think they will have to use those provisionals. Their finishes might not show it but the 44 team has made steady improvement. Don't base it off of what you see in the final standings. This team is a great group of people and it has been really interesting to see the progress they have made since Daytona. There new driver will enjoy working with such a professional team of people.
I want to say that it has been huge honor to work with my dad for the past two seasons. When we went to Dover last year for my first race with him neither one of us knew what to expect. I had never been a spotter at the Cup level and I had never spotted for him at any level. You never really know who is going to workout as a spotter until you give them a try. He was gracious enough to give me a try and I think it has really worked out well. Now that we are two years into it I think we both have grown to trust one another as if we had worked together for many years. When I look back I will never forget that I had the opportunity to be a part of his final full time season as a NASCAR champion. It won't matter how many races we won working together or anything like that it will only matter that we were able to work together for a few years. Many of you probably know that working with family can be terrible or great. Well, I can say my time was great!
I am not sure what the future holds for me as a spotter but I feel like I have proven that I can spot at that level. Hopefully, in the next few weeks I can fill you in on my future plans for being at the track and on the roof.
As always thanks for reading. I will try to be a little more consistent as stories come to my mind.
Don't forget that the holidays are just around the corner. A Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure package can make your holiday worries go away. Sign your favorite person up today at http://www.racingadventure.com/ or call 888-GO-RACE-1 for schedule and pricing.
A lot of things have happened since I last checked in with you. There has been a huge announcement that you have already heard about. I know many of you emailed me asking me questions that I didn't even know the answers to at the time of your emails.
The big happened during the week of the Lowes Motor Speedway events. DJ announced his retirement plans. This was October 12, 2007 and Ned Jarrett's birthday. I know, it seems so weird that dad's career as a driver is coming to an end. He is the kind of person that knows himself and I think he is really at peace with his decision. In my opinion, I really haven't seen it publicized too much. The only things I read about it were when the media was speculating on what DJ's plans were going to be. There should have been a press conference for him to announce his plans alone and then let the team, sponsors, and owners lay out their plans to the media. I know he is my dad but I would have to say this about any of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers that would be making an announcement of this magnitude. Of course I look at it with a bit of bias but he deserved to get more out of his announcement than he received. For all I know the announcement went just the way he wanted it to. Maybe he wanted the team, sponsor, and owner to have their announcements at the same time. The more I think about it that sounds just like him by being a complete team player.
He will run the Bud Shootout, the 50th running of the Daytona 500, plus the next four points races of 2008. His final event will be the non-points event at the Lowes Motor Speedway, the All Star Race. This plan will help to get the #44 UPS Toyota Camry as close to the top 35 in points as possible. He will have his valuable past champion provisionals for the first five events just in case they are not able to make the field by qualifying on time. With the progress they have been showing I don't think they will have to use those provisionals. Their finishes might not show it but the 44 team has made steady improvement. Don't base it off of what you see in the final standings. This team is a great group of people and it has been really interesting to see the progress they have made since Daytona. There new driver will enjoy working with such a professional team of people.
I want to say that it has been huge honor to work with my dad for the past two seasons. When we went to Dover last year for my first race with him neither one of us knew what to expect. I had never been a spotter at the Cup level and I had never spotted for him at any level. You never really know who is going to workout as a spotter until you give them a try. He was gracious enough to give me a try and I think it has really worked out well. Now that we are two years into it I think we both have grown to trust one another as if we had worked together for many years. When I look back I will never forget that I had the opportunity to be a part of his final full time season as a NASCAR champion. It won't matter how many races we won working together or anything like that it will only matter that we were able to work together for a few years. Many of you probably know that working with family can be terrible or great. Well, I can say my time was great!
I am not sure what the future holds for me as a spotter but I feel like I have proven that I can spot at that level. Hopefully, in the next few weeks I can fill you in on my future plans for being at the track and on the roof.
As always thanks for reading. I will try to be a little more consistent as stories come to my mind.
Don't forget that the holidays are just around the corner. A Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure package can make your holiday worries go away. Sign your favorite person up today at http://www.racingadventure.com/ or call 888-GO-RACE-1 for schedule and pricing.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
The Job of Spotting
A few weeks ago I saw a short TV segment about spotters. I guess I have a different view on what a spotter's responsibilities are or should be. From this TV segment I gathered that the Nextel Cup drivers have different thoughts on what they expect from their spotters.
I might have a different opinion because I spot for my dad on Sunday's but I try to treat every driver I spot for the same. Of course there are adjustments that are made according to each driver's suggestions and comments. Sometimes you have to adjust based on the performance of the car as well. Every driver is a little different than the next but the results should be the same at the end of the day.
There are many different styles of drivers so that means there are many different styles of spotters. Some drivers like to hear more talking, others want hardly any talking. Some may take a different lingo than what I use and some may not. There are a select few drivers that could race 500 miles by just using their mirrors and communications with the crew chief but those guys are thinning out as they come in with less experience in the heavier cars. It is harder to see out of the cars now because of the full containment seats.
I have a little bit of driving experience so I think I know most of the wording that the drivers like and dislike. Unfortunately, I didn't do any spotting before I started racing. It is now my belief that all drivers should at least go to the roof and take a look at what their spotter can see. And, if a driver is just getting started he/she should think about doing some spotting. At the very least young drivers need to grab a radio and head for the spotter's stand. This will allow them to see and hear exactly what is going on. There are so many things you can see from the roof. You can get a look at where cars are gaining or losing time. You can learn how the madness on pit road works and you can get a better understanding of putting yourself in good or bad situations on the track.
I am a little baffled at why the crew chiefs do not come to the roof to call the races. Maybe there is a rule in place saying the crew chief has to call the race from the pit box. In my opinion, they could call a better race from the roof. I would compare this to an offensive coordinator in football. Most, if not all, offensive coordinators are in a suite where they can see everything that is happening on the field. They can still call down to the other coaches and players if they need to and their view of the game helps them call the next set of plays. Crew chiefs should consider making a move to the roof in the future.
The spotters should be up there to do just that, spot. I feel that my job is to keep the driver safe, to keep the driver informed, comfortable, and safe. We assist in getting drivers on and off pit road but the crew chief usually handles getting the driver into their stall and out of the stall safely.
Sometimes there are situations where spotters get mad at each other. I am sure there are times when the driver and crew question the spotter. This comes from all of us being competitors. We all like to win! But, at the end of the day, I feel like I would put my in more danger if I started trying to force the issue. So, I will tell the driver what I see and let him make the final decision on what to do with the steering wheel and gas pedal.
Spotters are an important part of putting a good race together but sometimes we lose site of the fact that we are ultimately just a safety tool.
One thing that I have learned since I started spotting is that if I ever drive a race car again I will not yell at my spotter anymore.
Did you know the Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure (Stock Symbol; DJRT) is the only publicly trade racing school out there? Find out more at www.RacingAdventure.com.
Into fantasy sports? Join www.paythefan.com today and be the next big winner.
For questions and comments email me at jason@jasonjarrett.com
I might have a different opinion because I spot for my dad on Sunday's but I try to treat every driver I spot for the same. Of course there are adjustments that are made according to each driver's suggestions and comments. Sometimes you have to adjust based on the performance of the car as well. Every driver is a little different than the next but the results should be the same at the end of the day.
There are many different styles of drivers so that means there are many different styles of spotters. Some drivers like to hear more talking, others want hardly any talking. Some may take a different lingo than what I use and some may not. There are a select few drivers that could race 500 miles by just using their mirrors and communications with the crew chief but those guys are thinning out as they come in with less experience in the heavier cars. It is harder to see out of the cars now because of the full containment seats.
I have a little bit of driving experience so I think I know most of the wording that the drivers like and dislike. Unfortunately, I didn't do any spotting before I started racing. It is now my belief that all drivers should at least go to the roof and take a look at what their spotter can see. And, if a driver is just getting started he/she should think about doing some spotting. At the very least young drivers need to grab a radio and head for the spotter's stand. This will allow them to see and hear exactly what is going on. There are so many things you can see from the roof. You can get a look at where cars are gaining or losing time. You can learn how the madness on pit road works and you can get a better understanding of putting yourself in good or bad situations on the track.
I am a little baffled at why the crew chiefs do not come to the roof to call the races. Maybe there is a rule in place saying the crew chief has to call the race from the pit box. In my opinion, they could call a better race from the roof. I would compare this to an offensive coordinator in football. Most, if not all, offensive coordinators are in a suite where they can see everything that is happening on the field. They can still call down to the other coaches and players if they need to and their view of the game helps them call the next set of plays. Crew chiefs should consider making a move to the roof in the future.
The spotters should be up there to do just that, spot. I feel that my job is to keep the driver safe, to keep the driver informed, comfortable, and safe. We assist in getting drivers on and off pit road but the crew chief usually handles getting the driver into their stall and out of the stall safely.
Sometimes there are situations where spotters get mad at each other. I am sure there are times when the driver and crew question the spotter. This comes from all of us being competitors. We all like to win! But, at the end of the day, I feel like I would put my in more danger if I started trying to force the issue. So, I will tell the driver what I see and let him make the final decision on what to do with the steering wheel and gas pedal.
Spotters are an important part of putting a good race together but sometimes we lose site of the fact that we are ultimately just a safety tool.
One thing that I have learned since I started spotting is that if I ever drive a race car again I will not yell at my spotter anymore.
Did you know the Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure (Stock Symbol; DJRT) is the only publicly trade racing school out there? Find out more at www.RacingAdventure.com.
Into fantasy sports? Join www.paythefan.com today and be the next big winner.
For questions and comments email me at jason@jasonjarrett.com
Monday, August 27, 2007
Bristol Changes Impressive
I am here to let you know just how I felt about the new surface at Bristol Motor Speedway. The view that I had from the roof Thursday through Saturday was impressive right from the start of Busch Series practice on Thursday. Not only were there very few practice crashes there were cars searching out more and more grooves as each hour of practice past by. As you can tell I was excited about what was to come for the rest of the weekend.
Friday was a long day. We started off with two more hours of Busch Series practice at 9A.M. and end the night with the Busch Series race that night around 10P.M. The Cup Series practiced and qualified on Friday too.
With DJ running both the Busch Series race and the Cup Series race he had a busy weekend. It was a special weekend with UPS celebrating their one hundredth anniversary. DJ was able to qualify for both events. Winning the events would have made the weekend better but with the way the year has gone making both events had to relieve some pressure.
For the Busch race I stuck with spotting for my regular Busch Series driver Kyle Krisiloff. It was an eventful night and I have to admit that I found myself looking to see how dad was running every now and then. I was able to concentrate and keep Kyle out of trouble most of the night. He did a real good job in this event. They might not have been the fastest car out there but he drove one of the smartest races that I have seen him drive. The Walgreens/Lilly Ford finished 26th on the lead lap. A lot of you might be wondering why I didn't spot for dad in this race. It was really a simple answer: I made a commitment to the 14 car at the beginning of the year and I wanted to stick to my commitment. This was a one time event for dad this year.
The Busch Series race looked exciting to me. Not only was the finish exciting but the racing was tight all night and the drivers didn't have to knock each other out of the way to make passes. My main observation about the track on Friday night was that the drivers didn't have to rely on a perfect handling car. They could find a groove that their car worked well in and hammer down. If their car worked good on the bottom they ran there if not they found a groove in the middle or up top. Another thing that I observed was that since this was not a one groove track the drivers that were having an off night could move out of the way a little easier than what they could in the past at Bristol. There were a few wrecks but most of those were because someone had a part failure or simply made a mistake. It was good racing!
On Saturday the Cup Series rolled off at BMS. I was nervous as H! As the laps clicked off I calmed down and just did my job. The Friday night race made me a little nervous because there were guys putting cars in places that normally don't work at BMS. Also, I think I always get a little more nervous at the first of a race when I am spotting for dad.
The UPS Toyota had a long night but there were plenty of drivers and teams that had to fight hard all night. I don't think people believe me when I tell them that it is harder to run 30th than it is to run 5th. The guys racing you further back in the field are just as mad about running 30th as you are so they will not give you an inch. When you make it to the top five there is a little more give and take.
I saw a lot of great racing on Saturday night but after the event I stayed at one of the local campgrounds. We all sat around discussing the racing as we saw it. I guess you call it playing Monday morning quarterback or in this case Sunday morning crew chief. I met a lot of really nice people but it seemed we had a different few of how I thought the race went and how they thought the race went. They all were ticket holders so I couldn't argue too much with them. There were several people that I talked with that said they liked the race but they felt is was somewhat boring. I disagree. I saw some good racing going on every lap of that race. I think many of them wanted to see wrecks. Although none of the people I talked to openly admitted that I believe that is why they thought parts of it were boring.
My breakdown of things are different. You see, in Nextel Cup racing you have 43 of the most talented race car drivers driving as hard as they can every week. That is why they compete at the highest level of stock car racing. They are the best! They have the best mechanics, engineers, and crews putting their cars together so you see fewer and fewer part failures every week. The last thing is the people who designed the new layout at BMS did a great job. They made the track a better racetrack without it being a one grooved "bump and run" kind of track. The one thing that might make the Cup race better is might work for Cup racing a many tracks: make the races shorter. I believe that the Cup races become boring to fans because they are too long. The Busch race was shorter and perceived as more exciting. I saw all of the same things happening on Saturday that I did on Friday but the Saturday night race might of lost some peoples attention. So, just give that some thought as we move into the Chase.
The Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure visits Talladega Superspeedway this weekend. If anyone out there wants to experience "Full Throttle Living" make your reservations to drive a race car today at www.RacingAdventure.com. You can also call 888-GO-RACE-1 for more information.
Thanks for reading and I will see you next time!
Jason A. Jarrett
Friday was a long day. We started off with two more hours of Busch Series practice at 9A.M. and end the night with the Busch Series race that night around 10P.M. The Cup Series practiced and qualified on Friday too.
With DJ running both the Busch Series race and the Cup Series race he had a busy weekend. It was a special weekend with UPS celebrating their one hundredth anniversary. DJ was able to qualify for both events. Winning the events would have made the weekend better but with the way the year has gone making both events had to relieve some pressure.
For the Busch race I stuck with spotting for my regular Busch Series driver Kyle Krisiloff. It was an eventful night and I have to admit that I found myself looking to see how dad was running every now and then. I was able to concentrate and keep Kyle out of trouble most of the night. He did a real good job in this event. They might not have been the fastest car out there but he drove one of the smartest races that I have seen him drive. The Walgreens/Lilly Ford finished 26th on the lead lap. A lot of you might be wondering why I didn't spot for dad in this race. It was really a simple answer: I made a commitment to the 14 car at the beginning of the year and I wanted to stick to my commitment. This was a one time event for dad this year.
The Busch Series race looked exciting to me. Not only was the finish exciting but the racing was tight all night and the drivers didn't have to knock each other out of the way to make passes. My main observation about the track on Friday night was that the drivers didn't have to rely on a perfect handling car. They could find a groove that their car worked well in and hammer down. If their car worked good on the bottom they ran there if not they found a groove in the middle or up top. Another thing that I observed was that since this was not a one groove track the drivers that were having an off night could move out of the way a little easier than what they could in the past at Bristol. There were a few wrecks but most of those were because someone had a part failure or simply made a mistake. It was good racing!
On Saturday the Cup Series rolled off at BMS. I was nervous as H! As the laps clicked off I calmed down and just did my job. The Friday night race made me a little nervous because there were guys putting cars in places that normally don't work at BMS. Also, I think I always get a little more nervous at the first of a race when I am spotting for dad.
The UPS Toyota had a long night but there were plenty of drivers and teams that had to fight hard all night. I don't think people believe me when I tell them that it is harder to run 30th than it is to run 5th. The guys racing you further back in the field are just as mad about running 30th as you are so they will not give you an inch. When you make it to the top five there is a little more give and take.
I saw a lot of great racing on Saturday night but after the event I stayed at one of the local campgrounds. We all sat around discussing the racing as we saw it. I guess you call it playing Monday morning quarterback or in this case Sunday morning crew chief. I met a lot of really nice people but it seemed we had a different few of how I thought the race went and how they thought the race went. They all were ticket holders so I couldn't argue too much with them. There were several people that I talked with that said they liked the race but they felt is was somewhat boring. I disagree. I saw some good racing going on every lap of that race. I think many of them wanted to see wrecks. Although none of the people I talked to openly admitted that I believe that is why they thought parts of it were boring.
My breakdown of things are different. You see, in Nextel Cup racing you have 43 of the most talented race car drivers driving as hard as they can every week. That is why they compete at the highest level of stock car racing. They are the best! They have the best mechanics, engineers, and crews putting their cars together so you see fewer and fewer part failures every week. The last thing is the people who designed the new layout at BMS did a great job. They made the track a better racetrack without it being a one grooved "bump and run" kind of track. The one thing that might make the Cup race better is might work for Cup racing a many tracks: make the races shorter. I believe that the Cup races become boring to fans because they are too long. The Busch race was shorter and perceived as more exciting. I saw all of the same things happening on Saturday that I did on Friday but the Saturday night race might of lost some peoples attention. So, just give that some thought as we move into the Chase.
The Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure visits Talladega Superspeedway this weekend. If anyone out there wants to experience "Full Throttle Living" make your reservations to drive a race car today at www.RacingAdventure.com. You can also call 888-GO-RACE-1 for more information.
Thanks for reading and I will see you next time!
Jason A. Jarrett
Monday, August 06, 2007
Good Run Slips Away at Pocono
We are still sitting on the runway waiting to take off and my mind keeps reflecting back to the race today.
I don't know but I am sure the television broadcast didn't show the progress the 44 made on the track today. It was exciting from my seat.
When the green flag dropped DJ started moving forward and never looked back. He drove from 40th to 19th before going behind the wall to replace the fuel pump.
Let me think about it for a minute...
I remember watching him pass a lot of good cars as he made his moves into the top twenty. Normally I wouldn't just come out bragging but I think a little bragging is needed after this one. At some point in the race he passed every other Toyota in the field. He made a couple of three wide moves that he hadn't been able to do in a while. The car was racing good and the driver had confidence. Funny how someone can just suddenly learn how to drive again.
The crew did a great job on pit road and by what I could hear the adjustments were small. That usually means the driver and crew are pretty comfortable in what they have for a race car.
DJ doesn't need me to defend him. His record speaks for itself. One thing that I am tired of is people asking me questions about him that they would never say to his face. Don't question any driver's competitiveness based on how much he gets so called "fired up." I can tell you from my own experiences of driving a race car that just because you raise your voice on the radio doesn't mean you are more competitive than the next guy. Most of the time the guy that is being loud is losing his focus. Some may not but most of the drivers know yelling on the radio doesn't gain you anything on the track.
After today's performance I would just watch what DJ can do with a car that feels like he wants it to feel. Now that I have that out of the way, let's go racing.
I think writing this has helped me cool down a little. A couple of times today I was having to calm myself down. To me, it was classic DJ. He just kept quietly moving forward and picking cars off. His car seemed to get faster the longer he ran and the others were slowing down and back pedaling right to him.
Hopefully things will continue to get better as the circuit moves to Watkins Glen next Sunday.
When you get a chance check out www.RacingAdventure.com.
I don't know but I am sure the television broadcast didn't show the progress the 44 made on the track today. It was exciting from my seat.
When the green flag dropped DJ started moving forward and never looked back. He drove from 40th to 19th before going behind the wall to replace the fuel pump.
Let me think about it for a minute...
I remember watching him pass a lot of good cars as he made his moves into the top twenty. Normally I wouldn't just come out bragging but I think a little bragging is needed after this one. At some point in the race he passed every other Toyota in the field. He made a couple of three wide moves that he hadn't been able to do in a while. The car was racing good and the driver had confidence. Funny how someone can just suddenly learn how to drive again.
The crew did a great job on pit road and by what I could hear the adjustments were small. That usually means the driver and crew are pretty comfortable in what they have for a race car.
DJ doesn't need me to defend him. His record speaks for itself. One thing that I am tired of is people asking me questions about him that they would never say to his face. Don't question any driver's competitiveness based on how much he gets so called "fired up." I can tell you from my own experiences of driving a race car that just because you raise your voice on the radio doesn't mean you are more competitive than the next guy. Most of the time the guy that is being loud is losing his focus. Some may not but most of the drivers know yelling on the radio doesn't gain you anything on the track.
After today's performance I would just watch what DJ can do with a car that feels like he wants it to feel. Now that I have that out of the way, let's go racing.
I think writing this has helped me cool down a little. A couple of times today I was having to calm myself down. To me, it was classic DJ. He just kept quietly moving forward and picking cars off. His car seemed to get faster the longer he ran and the others were slowing down and back pedaling right to him.
Hopefully things will continue to get better as the circuit moves to Watkins Glen next Sunday.
When you get a chance check out www.RacingAdventure.com.
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