RaceWay Tours Blog

Tony Stewart's Replacement?

Tony Stewart's Replacement?
Posted by GEORGE May 16, 2008 9:49:53 AM

We can’t pick a replacement for Tony Stewart until he actually agrees to leave Joe Gibbs Racing, but Smoke seems to be showing more interest in leaving every day. Stewart is intrigued by the Haas-CNC Racing offer, and he seems to be enjoying the idea of owning his own NASCAR race team. Because Tony Stewart seems to be on the auction block, other offers have been rolling in too.

To Chevrolet, Gibbs Racing was never going to be more than a second or third place NASCAR team. Gibbs decided being a first place team with Toyota was a much better deal. Little did Gibbs know, Kyle Busch would take the Joe Gibbs Racing team to the top no matter what brand of car he drives.

Right now, Kyle Busch is Joe Gibbs Racing’s number one driver, with Denny Hamlin quietly moving up to number two. So maybe Tony Stewart feels the heat, and maybe it’s time for him to seek other employment. Maybe Stewart just wants out from behind the wheel of a Toyota. Or maybe he wants to be the owner of something. Whatever Tony's reason, Joe Gibbs better give serious consideration to his replacement.

So who is available next year, has had success in the past, is a bit upset with his present situation and may have Joe Gibbs’ attention?

My answer is Greg Biffle. Biffle has the type of personality that would be a better fit with Hamlin and Busch. Hamlin wants to get the job done with little fanfare, and Busch needs to be the mouth piece and the leader of the pack. Busch is a sure fire clash with Tony Stewart, but Greg Biffle would just let it flow. Biffle is a proven winner, but needs a better ride. Joe Gibbs Racing can provide what Greg Biffle needs, and Biffle is just what Joe Gibbs is looking for.

NASCAR fans who will be with our NASCAR tour group in Charlotte: If you’re planning to arrive in Charlotte on Friday next week, head downtown to Speed Street. The bands, driver appearances, food and beverages are all worth the trip!

See you at the track!

2008 Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington Recap

2008 Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington Recap
Posted by GEORGE May 14, 2008 10:50:52 AM

Some may argue with me, but Kyle Busch is the best driver in NASCAR Racing right now. Busch took a car that was not to his liking, came to the front after a penalty, and he blew the field away while everyone else was still trying to make their cars run better. Busch won the Dodge Challenger 500 with ease as other drivers pulled over to let him by. Busch took control of the “Track Too Tough To Tame” and tamed it!

It's difficult to say that Kyle Busch isn’t the best of the best when you look at his record in the first 11 races so far this season. He has finished in the top 10 eight times and won three races. He’s the points leader in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, holds 2nd place in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and is in 6th place in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series even though he has only raced trucks four times.

Kyle Busch is the driver everyone loves to hate. He’s egotistical, a show-boater, and he tells it like it is. He drives with no fear, guts galore, and he does whatever it takes to get to the front. Does this remind you of Dale Earnhardt?

Here come the Hendrick boys! Jeff Gordon improved his place in the points standings and is now in the 10th spot while Jimmie Johnson improved one spot to 6th place. Dale Earnhardt Jr held on tight to the 3rd position and is now only 134 points out of 1st place.

It’s been a Roush Fenway, Hendrick, Childress, Gibbs NASCAR season so far with the first 12 spots in the standings occupied by one of these major teams. Money wins races, and it's very apparent this season.

It’s almost party time in Charlotte, North Carolina with Speed Week fast approaching. The Sprint All-Star race kicks off the fun this weekend and is followed by festivities in Charlotte that lead up to some great racing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in the Coca Cola 600. Our NASCAR tour group looks forward to the Coca Cola 600 on May 25th!

See you at the track!

Clint Bowyer is Having a Great Year!

Clint Bowyer is Having a Great Year!
Posted by GEORGE May 8, 2008 1:12:27 PM

With last Saturday’s win at Richmond International Raceway, Clint Bowyer jumped three places in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings and now sits in 4th place, just 123 points from the lead. In 10 races this year, Bowyer has one win, three top fives, and seven top ten finishes! His total winnings to date are $1,529,820 with more to come.

We’re close to having one-third of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season under our belt, and Clint Bowyer is one of the drivers to beat. Richard Childress is supplying the cash and Gil Martin, Bowyer's crew chief, is supplying the expertise needed to make Bowyer a winner. Barring much bad luck, Bowyer is already in The Chase and certainly could make Jack Daniels a very happy sponsor at the NASCAR banquet in December.

The top 12 drivers in NASCAR Sprint Cup points are not a surprise, but a couple of drivers who are NOT in the top twelve are: Jeff Gordon sitting in the 13th spot is a minor surprise, but Gordon is only six points out of 12th place.

The biggest surprise to me is how poorly Kurt Busch is running this year. Busch is currently mired in the 24th position, 222 points from 12th place and 555 points from 1st. Busch has cracked the top ten only once this year, and his chances of making The Chase are dwindling.

Who is outside the top twelve that will be in The Chase, and who is in the top twelve that will drop out? Jeff Gordon will make The Chase for sure, and Martin Truex Jr has a solid shot. I think Kasey Kahne will not be able to hold on, and Greg Biffle will eventually slip out of the top 12. Kahne and Biffle are not showing up with solid runs and the consistency needed to be in The Chase. Of course, I could say the same thing about the Hendrick Motorsports boys, but I don’t know anyone who would bet Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon won’t be there at the end.

Our NASCAR tour group is off to Darlington, South Carolina for a visit to “The Lady In Black.” Darlington Raceway is one of the tracks that made NASCAR famous, and she’s got a brand new surface that will make for some record speeds and “Darlington Stripes” before the end of The NASCAR Sprint Cup Carolina Dodge Dealers 500!

See you at the track!

2008 Dan Lowry 400 at Richmond Recap

2008 Dan Lowry 400 at Richmond Recap
Posted by GEORGE May 6, 2008 3:19:33 PM

It was a race for second place most of the night at Richmond International Raceway. Denny Hamlin had almost everything he needed to win from the pole. The only thing Hamlin was lacking was a tire that would take him to the checkered flag.

Then it became a matter of whether Dale Earnhardt Jr or Kyle Busch would take home the trophy. I don’t believe the Earnhardt/Busch wreck with four laps to go was either driver’s fault, though Busch will definitely get the blame. After the race, Earnhardt Jr stated that fault or no fault, Kyle Busch would probably need a body guard to leave the track.

The incident allowed Clint Bowyer to slip by Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kyle Busch and take the lead. Bowyer held on during the green, white, checkered finish to win the second NASCAR Sprint Cup race of his career. Busch did manage to hang on to 2nd place, but Dale Earnhardt Jr finished in 15th place in a car that should have finished 1st or 2nd.

Other than Jeff Gordon starting in the 43rd position and finishing 9th, the Hendrick Motorsports team had a bad night at RIR. Dale Earnhardt Jr has a good excuse: He is new to the program and his luck ran out when he tried to race Kyle Busch. Hendrick Motorsports is just not having a banner year. Yet!

Bobby Labonte is not ready to announce his plans for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, but it certainly sounds as if he’ll leave Petty Enterprises.

Martin Truex Jr is going to negotiate with Dale Earnhardt Inc first, then compare the offer with other NASCAR team offers. Truex is not locked in at DEI, by any means. DEI should be careful with this deal or they could be saddled with all part-time drivers next year.

Carl Edwards signed a multi-year contract with Roush Fenway Racing this past week, and indications are that Greg Biffle will soon follow suit.

Now that Danica Patrick has become the first female driver to win an Indy Racing League (IRL) race, let’s get her to NASCAR to see if she can duplicate the feat. I bet she can! What do you other NASCAR fans think?

See you at the track!

2008 Aaron's 499 Recap from Talladega

2008 Aaron's 499 Recap from Talladega
Posted by GEORGE April 29, 2008 11:28:14 AM

Kyle Busch blew the field away in the Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway. Busch recovered from a pit stop problem which caused him to go a lap down early in the race. Busch also benefited from a last lap crash which brought out the yellow flag and froze the field. Because of the last lap caution, we’ll never know if Juan Pablo Montoya would have passed Busch for the win.

With the win at Talladega, Kyle picked up his fifth win of the 2008 season: Three NASCAR Nationwide Series wins and two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins. Joe Gibbs was smiling from ear to ear after the race and I’m sure Kyle's performance took away some of the sting Gibbs must be feeling from the talk of Tony Stewart's departure.

Haas CNC Racing is offering Tony Stewart a great deal, but will he actually take it? The only reason Stewart might pass up the Haas deal is for a better one. When the door opened last week with the Haas offer, other teams put deals on Stewart's table too and it has turned into a bidding war.

I believe keeping Tony at Joe Gibbs Racing will take a contract which offers Stewart a piece of the business; something I doubt Joe Gibbs is willing to do. Keep in mind the bidding is for a driver approaching the end of his career. As a co-owner, Tony could do much more for an organization like Haas CNC Racing than he could for an established organization like JGR. The bottom line: Stewart is leaving for more money, fewer Toyotas and a retirement contract.

Bad luck caused another bad finish for Tony Stewart at Talladega, and he dropped another two spots in the standings. Now Tony is experiencing the same conflicts with contract negotiations that caused Dale Earnhardt Jr’s racing demise last season. But no worries, Stewart fans, Smoke will not experience the same results on the track as Dale Junior. In a few short races, Tony will enter into “Tony Stewart NASCAR Season” and will start winning races, solidifying his position in The Chase for the Sprint Cup. I’m not just trying to make my NASCAR friend on the East coast feel better. That’s what’s about to happen!

Pay close attention to this weekend’s race at Richmond International Raceway. “Top guns” in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series who are currently out of the top twelve points positions are getting nervous. There are going to be some changes this week, resulting in exciting racing at Richmond. It’s time for drivers such as Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, and Kurt Busch to make a move. Realistically there is only one driver in the top twelve who probably won’t be there after the 26th race. That will make it pretty tough to move into The Chase if you aren’t already there!

See you at the track!