RaceWay Tours Blog

Tony Stewart Wins the 2009 Coke Zero 400

Tony Stewart Wins the 2009 Coke Zero 400
Posted by GEORGE July 7, 2009 12:35:21 PM

Tony Stewart didn't feel like celebrating after his July 4th, 2009 win at the Daytona International Speedway, but there were plenty of fireworks on the track, just the same.

NASCAR fans knew the last-lap action would be exciting when Kyle Busch took the lead from Stewart after Stewart had led the majority of the race. As Busch spun out with just a few hundred yards to go, Stewart sailed across the finish line with Jimmie Johnson close behind.

Tony Stewart showed remorse in the way he had won the race, and even apologized, just in case he had caused the wreck. Of course Stewart fans are saying Kyle Busch caused his own spinout, but Busch fans are all blaming Tony for the crash.

I've seen replays a number of times, and it's apparent that both drivers were merely doing their jobs. Busch was obviously trying to block Stewart from passing him on the high side, which is exactly what he should have done.

Stewart saw an opening on the high side and was trying to pass Busch for the win. This was the right thing to do, according to the opinions of other drivers. No blame should be placed on either side, as far as I can determine. This was just one heck of an exciting finish to another NASCAR Sprint Cup race!

Check back with me on Thursday at www.TrackChatter.com, and I'll share thoughts about drugs and NASCAR racing. And It's almost time to start talking about who's in and who's out of The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. I'll get my information together, and we'll take a look at that subject next week.

See you at the track!

Joey Logano Wins in New Hampshire

Joey Logano Wins in New Hampshire
Posted by GEORGE June 30, 2009 5:31:34 PM

New Hampshire Motor Speedway was the site of Joey Logano's first win on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit, making the nineteen-year-old the youngest driver to win a race in the series.

It was great to see the orange number 20 car take the win, and the effort put forth by Joey Logano was only exceeded by the effort of his pit crew and crew chief. Logano was behind the wheel, but Greg Zipadelli was behind the win. Zipadelli is the best there is in the sport of NASCAR when it comes to key strategic moves in potentially stressful situations. Zippy is the one who made the call for Logano to stay on the track and not pit while others were making a beeline for their pit stalls. It was a good, no, a GREAT call by the experienced crew chief, and resulted in Joey Logano winning the rain-shortened race.

Was it a cheap win by the Joe Gibbs Racing team? Absolutely not! As a matter of fact, I'm amazed that other teams didn't make the same call when it was apparent to all that rain was imminent. A win is a win, no matter when the race stops, and Zipadelli and Logano were the only ones on their toes.

This win bodes well for the young and talented driver, and while he probably will not make The Chase, or even win another race this year, it sets the stage for the driver who may be the next "Mr NASCAR" before his career comes to an end. Joey is learning on the run, a tough way to break into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Then again, Logano is learning from the best in the business, on and off the track, and tough lessons usually lead to a better education in the long run. Joey Logano is the future of NASCAR, and fans caught a glimpse of the future last Sunday. Our congratulations to Joey Logano and his Joe Gibbs Racing team!

See you at the track!

Richard Petty Motorsports and Toyota

Richard Petty Motorsports and Toyota
Posted by GEORGE June 25, 2009 12:04:33 PM

Is it just a vicious rumor, or is Richard Petty Motorsports going with Toyota? The only automobile company that seems to be on solid financial ground is Toyota, and the fact is, the other manufacturers have either cut their NASCAR budgets or are probably going to. Tony Stewart stated last week that the money made available to him from General Motors will be less for next year, and Smoke isn't the only one this is happening to.

NASCAR racing, in general, continues to be on solid ground, and judging from the number of entries in each race, there is still enough money to go around. There are 46 teams entered in this weekend's race at Loudon. This has been the case all year, as there has been no problem filling the 43 slots in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.

The mention of Toyota in conjunction with Richard Petty Motorsports gives most NASCAR fans a bit of a sinking feeling, but it shouldn't. Toyota is just another automobile manufacturer, and they certainly have not taken over the sport as some NASCAR fans feared they would. I want my team and my driver to beat the best cars that any manufacturer can put on the track, and so far they are both doing just that!

If Richard Petty were the chief decision-maker at Richard Petty Motorsports, I bet he would choose Toyota. It's not less loyal to NASCAR, or to NASCAR fans. It's more a matter of team survival, and the preservation of the great sport of NASCAR racing. I'm all for that! How about you?

See you at the track!

Kasey Kahne Wins at Infineon Raceway

Kasey Kahne Wins at Infineon Raceway
Posted by GEORGE June 23, 2009 6:35:11 PM

Kasey Kahne drove like a champion and won the Toyota-Save Mart 350 in Sonoma. It was an important win in several ways: It was Kahne's first road course win of his NASCAR Sprint Cup career, his first win of the 2009 season, the first win Richard Petty has been involved with since 1999, AND a timely win which put Kasey just 3 points out of The Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship.

Many drivers were in a position to win at one point or another during the race. But pit strategy, a solid car, and being in the right place at the right time brought the trophy home for Kasey Kahne. Kasey has shown promise all year, and it was great to see him put it all together.

I enjoyed seeing Richard Petty in the winner's circle. Realistically, Petty has very little, if anything, to do with Richard Petty Motorsports, and he will be the first to tell you that. The "Petty" name is still synonymous with NASCAR, and Richard was among the first to congratulate Kasey.

I continue to keep a close eye on Juan Pablo Montoya. Montoya is driving like he is on a mission, trying to finish well and staying out of trouble. Juan jumped up 2 spots in the standings, and is now in the 12th position. I had Montoya tabbed as the next "NASCAR Bad Boy," after Tony Stewart gave up the title, but Kyle Busch has it now.

Marcos Ambrose's third-place finish was a boost to him, as well as our NASCAR friends down under. Marcos is another driver who has learned the ropes of NASCAR Sprint Cup competition, and is slowly climbing in the standings. It may be tough for the Australian driver to make The Chase this year, being 213 points out of the 12th-place, but it's still possible. Ambrose is a class act, and he is good for NASCAR racing.

The next race may give us a view of how The Chase will start. NASCAR is headed for Loudon, New Hampshire for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301. New Hampshire is also where the first race of The Chase will take place. The driver who does well this weekend may have a leg-up on the competition when the "second season" starts.

See you at the track!

Danica Patrick to NASCAR?

Danica Patrick to NASCAR?
Posted by GEORGE June 18, 2009 12:41:53 PM

Once again, rumors are flying that IRL driver Danica Patrick may be coming to NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series. While this may be an equitable move for Patrick, and a ticket sales boost for NASCAR, in the long run it may be a poor decision on Danica's part.

No one can argue that Danica Patrick is a great IRL driver, her success on the track is proof enough, but I can make the argument that she is not cut out for the big cars in NASCAR racing, or the length of the races. Strength and conditioning are very important in NASCAR racing. Danica is in great shape and is well-conditioned, but may not built for the rigors of NASCAR.

She is showing more interest in making the move than she did last time rumors started. At least this time she is not making statements such as "They need to shorten NASCAR races." There are some teams which would offer her a contract right now, but it's the dollar signs they're looking at, rather than making her a NASCAR Sprint Cup champion.

Danica Patrick wants the money, but she is a true racer and wants wins, possibly even more than she wants the money. She needs to consider the lack of success other IRL drivers have had after moving to NASCAR. I know Tony Stewart drove in both IRL and NASCAR, and Juan Pablo Montoya is making a name for himself in NASCAR racing, but many other drivers have failed and have left NASCAR, or are continuing to flounder.

I would love to see Danica Patrick make the move to NASCAR and give a boost to my favorite sport, but not at the cost of a successful career.

See you at the track!