RaceWay Tours Blog

NASCAR Goes International This Weekend

NASCAR Goes International This Weekend
Posted by GEORGE August 27, 2009 2:22:57 PM

It's another bye weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, but there is still NASCAR racing this weekend. It's the NASCAR Nationwide NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge, and it promises to be another great race!

The race is in Montreal, Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and this is a fantastic venue. The track is a 2.71-mile road course with a total of 15 turns. It sits on a man made island, and is the home of the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix. Look for road course racers to come to the front early.

Canada loves NASCAR Racing, and it's good to see that NASCAR is keeping Montreal on the Nationwide Series schedule. We have hosted many Canadians on our NASCAR tours here in the states, and they tell me that NASCAR racing in Canada is just as popular as hockey.

Remember the cars we used to drive? Cars that we could work on without computer assistance? They had the old two-barrel or four-barrel carburetors that we could tweak with a screwdriver, and we didn't have to be electronics geniuses to make them run smoothly. That's the type of fuel delivery system NASCAR racing teams utilize today, but maybe not for long. Scuttlebutt has it that NASCAR is headed toward fuel injection systems in the near future, possibly in 2011. Reasons given are sketchy, but one that popped out at me is "fuel economy." Are they kidding me? Who really cares whether a car gets four miles per gallon or 6 miles per gallon when it comes to NASCAR racing? They spill more than that at each race!

I think NASCAR should go to fuel injection, but not to save fuel. The cleaner-burning engines with fuel injection should be reason enough. The problem is, how does NASCAR police race teams to keep everyone on the same level? That's easy with carburetors, but tough to do with fuel injectors.

NASCAR Sprint Cup bye weekends really suck for me! Not only do I miss my NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing, but it gives my wife a reason to have me do things. "Can you take care of this since there's no NASCAR race?" I try to hide the fact that there's no NASCAR Sprint Cup race, but somehow the cat always gets out of the bag. She always reads my articles anyway, so I might as well get out the stain and brushes.

See you at the track!

Kyle Busch Wins The Sharpie 500

Kyle Busch Wins The Sharpie 500
Posted by GEORGE August 25, 2009 12:18:57 PM

Kyle Busch came out of his slump just in time to win the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch is still trying to make the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup, and he now has only two races left to get the job done.

The good news for Kyle Busch fans is that Busch jumped up two spots in the standings to 13th-place, and is only 34 points short of making The Chase field. But the bad news is that Busch has to beat Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Juan Pablo Montoya, or Gregg Biffle to make the Chase. In addition, Kyle has Brian Vickers nipping at his heels, just five points back. Top five finishes in the races at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Richmond International Raceway should do the trick for Busch, but that's easier said than done.

The field at the lower end of the Chase points will most likely be decided by bad luck, rather than good. Drivers who have solid finishes without accidents, pit road problems, mechanical difficulties, and penalties will be running for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship in a few weeks.

Great news for the Hendrick Motorsports team: Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon have joined Tony Stewart as drivers who are now "locked-into" The Chase. With any kind of good luck, Mark Martin could also make it, but NASCAR Racing being what it is, it's not a sure thing.

With a third-place finish at Michigan and a ninth-place finish at Bristol, Dale Earnhardt Jr has put together back-to-back top 10 finishes for the first time in a long time. So is this a sign of good things to come for Dale Jr, and is it enough to put him back in good graces at Hendrick Motorsports? I'm afraid not, Earnhardt Jr fans, and I think Rick Hendrick is looking for an opportunity to make a change.

I predict that Rick Hendrick will sign another top driver, and Teresa Earnhardt will sell a less-than-50% stake of Dale Earnhardt Inc to Dale Earnhardt Jr. In addition, since Dale Jr has lost much of his desire to drive, he will eventually run a partial schedule and dedicate himself to bringing DEI back to the top of the NASCAR world.

Whew! Is that a bold NASCAR prediction, or what? Not really when you consider what's going on with Junior, and consider the fact that Teresa Earnhardt missed her chance once, but won't miss it again. Dale Jr's driving won't help DEI, but Junior remains the most marketable driver in NASCAR racing. Check back with me, and I'll keep you posted on this one.

See you at the track!

Mark Martin - NASCAR Champion?

Mark Martin - NASCAR Champion?
Posted by GEORGE August 20, 2009 12:30:34 PM

Ask most any NASCAR fan who they would like to see win a race if their driver doesn't win, and many times, you'll hear the name "Mark Martin." Mark's popularity stems from all he has done for NASCAR racing, including the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the NASCAR Truck Series, and the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

This weekend, Mark Martin will reach a milestone in NASCAR racing that has only been matched by two other drivers. Martin will join Richard Petty and Michael Waltrip with 1,000 NASCAR racing starts! Mark has shown great dedication to the sport he loves, which is appreciated by all NASCAR fans.

Martin’s attitude toward the sport of NASCAR racing is humble, and that's part of what makes him so popular with all fans of the sport. Mark is always quick to take the blame when things don't go his way, and he is equally quick to lay accolades on his team when he wins a race.

Each year when voting takes place for the most popular driver in NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jimmie Johnson, and Jeff Gordon get the majority of the votes. But there's a difference between "most popular" and "best liked" and admired. Ask drivers in the sport today which driver they most admire and which driver has helped them the most in their career, and once again you'll hear the name Mark Martin.

Have you ever noticed how fans of any one particular NASCAR driver tend to take on the personality of that driver? Kyle Busch fans are proud to vigorously boast about their driver, while Jeff Gordon fans sit tight and cheer loudly when he wins. Jimmie Johnson fans expect Jimmie to do well and win, and they lay in the weeds until the end of the race. Dale Earnhardt Jr fans cheer Junior's every move, and are quick to defend him. They also party hard, just like their favorite driver. Mark Martin fans celebrate his successes with class, and let Mark prove his worth to the rest of the NASCAR nation with his deeds on the track.

Humble as ever, Mark Martin said he didn't realize he was about to make his 1,000th start, and was quick to downplay the fact, saying it's not a big deal. Just for the record, Martin has 94 wins in 999 races. To date, Mark Martin has no NASCAR Sprint Cup championships, but he is a NASCAR champion in his own right, and this just might be the year he makes it official.

See you at the track!

Brian Vickers Wins the Carfax 400

Brian Vickers Wins the Carfax 400
Posted by GEORGE August 18, 2009 3:47:04 PM

It was Brian Vickers' turn to win at Michigan International Speedway this past weekend. Vickers and his crew chief, Ryan Pemberton, played their cards just right, and won the gas mileage battle to win the Carfax 400. It was a much needed win for the team, which is now in 12th-place just 12 points out of The Chase.

This win not only moved Brian Vickers closer to making The Chase, but it was his first win since Talladega in 2006. Vickers now has one win, six poles, and 11 top 10 finishes this season.

The losers in the gas mileage gamble were Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin. Johnson could afford the gamble as he is all but locked into The Chase, but it was not a smart gamble on Mark Martin's part. This is the same gamble that cost Johnson dearly the last time he raced at Michigan. Jimmie slipped to third place in the standings, but is still sitting in great position. Martin, on the other hand, could not afford to slip another spot in the standings with only three races left in the Race for The Chase. I question Alan Gustafson's call on this one with so much at stake.

Jimmie Johnson certainly had the car to beat last Sunday, but close behind was his teammate, Jeff Gordon. It wasn't a great car for Gordon, but it was good enough for a second-place finish and a shot at the win, had Vickers lost his bet on having enough fuel.

At the end, it was actually Dale Earnhardt Jr's race to win. Earnhardt had time on his side, fresh tires, and plenty of gas. What he didn't have was the car to take him all the way to the front. I also think Junior was waiting for Johnson, Vickers, and Gordon to run out of gas. Unfortunately for Dale Jr, it just didn't happen, and he settled for a third-place finish. Dale Earnhardt Junior is doing the best he can right now.

Our NASCAR tour group is headed to one of the greatest spectacles in NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing this weekend: Bristol Motor Speedway under the lights. Bristol is one of the most thrilling race tracks I have ever attended. There will be 160,000 NASCAR fans seated around a half mile track watching good old fashion "bump and run" NASCAR racing at its best. If you haven't been to Bristol, you have got to go!

See you at the track!

Four Races Left Before The 2009 Chase

Four Races Left Before The 2009 Chase
Posted by GEORGE August 13, 2009 1:45:12 PM

Twenty-two of 36 races in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season are in the books, and we have only the races at Michigan International Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Richmond International Raceway left before The Chase.

I've always liked the idea that Richmond International Raceway is the deciding factor for the drivers on the bubble. It's a short track with long straight aways, just the right amount of banking, and is offers typical "bump and run" racing that most NASCAR fans enjoy the most. Plus, it's a super facility.

Tony Stewart will lock his place in The Chase this weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Is Smoke the biggest surprise of the 2009 NASCAR season? Most would say yes, but in my mind the biggest surprise is Carl Edwards with zero wins. Edwards tore up the tracks in The Chase in 2008, and all indications were for him to be the man to beat this year. No doubt, "Cousin Carl" will be in The Chase this year, but no wins makes for an uphill battle to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.

Ford Motor Company will debut a new engine sometime during The Chase this year. A new cooling system will create more down force on the front end which should make cars using the new engine more competitive. New designs for other manufacturers are in the pipeline for the 2010 NASCAR season.

Almost two million fans tuned into the rain-delayed NASCAR race on Monday from Watkins Glen, and there was still a crowd at the race track for the race. Bristol Motor Speedway has announced that the Sharpie 500 on August 22nd is the 55th-consecutive sellout for the famous short track. That string of sellouts started back in 1982, and Bristol Motor Speedway remains the toughest ticket to get on the NASCAR circuit. Check with us at RaceAwayHospitality.com if you are looking for Bristol tickets, but you better hurry!

This time of year, I start watching the money winners in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. Tony Stewart is on top with a total of just over five million dollars in winnings. You have to look past the 41st-place in the standings before you run out of the million dollar winners, and you have to look past the 61st-place driver before you run out of six-figure winners. Amazing, to say the least. It's easy to understand why drivers leave the IRL circuit to drive in NASCAR.

My pick of Juan Pablo Montoya looked pretty good at Watkins Glen until Montoya decided to race for points, instead of the win, which was a smart move on Juan's part. Montoya moved up one place in the standings, and appears to be a solid bet to make The Chase.

Up next is the Carfax 400 at Michigan International Raceway. I think this will be Jeff Gordon's race to win, and he's well overdue.

See you at the track!

Tony Stewart Wins At Watkins Glen

Tony Stewart Wins At Watkins Glen
Posted by GEORGE August 11, 2009 11:39:55 AM

Tony Stewart extended his lead and added 10 more points to his Chase points total by winning the Heluva Good Sour Cream Dips at Watkins Glen International Speedway. Stewart's car was bad early on, but a super job of dialing it in by his pit crew made it the best car on the road course when it counted at the end.

Being a team owner has humbled Tony, but after the race he said with a huge grin, "This is MY track right here!" Stewart has dominated Watkins Glen for the last six years. He has owned the road course with no less than second-place finishes and a handful of wins to show for his efforts. Smoke was very quick to give praise to his pit crew, and especially his crew chief, Darian Grubb.

Most would say Tony Stewart and his team are accomplishing the unlikely in his freshman year as a team owner, and even faithful Smoke fans have to admit that the team has exceeded their expectations. But when you think about it, how could anyone really doubt what they've done? The move put Tony back in his preferred Chevy with Hendrick Motorsports engines and a very capable crew chief. And it's Tony Stewart for crying out loud! I said he wouldn't make The Chase in my 2009 NASCAR Predictions, and those words of mine are almost gone as I eat a few every NASCAR race day.

This is a new Tony Stewart we're seeing and it's a pleasant change. The arrogance is still there, but tempered and well under control. His paybacks on the track used to end up as accidents, and now he just wins to prove his point. In a few short months of racing with his new team, Stewart has become even more respected in the world of NASCAR. He has proven himself as a team leader, and he now deserves the accolades he has earned. As I mentioned in an earlier article, we are now in the season of wins for Tony Stewart, and more are on the way.

See you at the track!

The NASCAR Hall of Fame

The NASCAR Hall of Fame
Posted by GEORGE August 6, 2009 11:45:06 AM

For many years, NASCAR fans have been lobbying for a NASCAR Hall of Fame. Now, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is rapidly becoming a reality, and it will open next year in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Smack dab in the middle of where NASCAR was born and raised, Charlotte is a perfect place for the monument to those who have made NASCAR Racing what it is today. It will be a place that no NASCAR fan should miss, and it will be a popular spot during the two NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Charlotte each season.

Have you voted yet? NASCAR fans are going to have a major say in who will be the first inductees into The NASCAR Hall of Fame, so don't miss your chance to be a part of the selection process. Just go to NASCAR.com to cast your vote for the five people you think should be in the inaugural group. It was a tough pick for me as all of the candidates were certainly more than worthy, but I could vote for only five of them.

The Chase picture could change dramatically this weekend at Watkins Glen when 43 drivers line up on the famous road course for the running of the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen. I can't wait to see that race name on a tee shirt!

Built in 1948, the 2.45-mile, 11-turn road course tends to separate the pack somewhat. Ex-Indy Racing League drivers tend to do well at Watkins Glen, and the best NASCAR drivers have a major fight on their hands to finish well. I'm picking Juan Pablo Montoya to come through with his first win of the season, and to improve on his eighth-place spot in The Chase. Montoya knows how to use both feet to feather the brake in the turns while keeping good contact with the accelerator. This is a skill which IRL drivers learn early in their careers, while NASCAR drivers only deal with it twice a year.

Kyle Busch, Brian Vickers, Clint Bowyer, and David Reutimann still have a good shot at making The Chase, but I predict that this weekend will knock at least one, and possibly two of them, from the running. The Glen is a tough lesson to learn, and someone is going to learn the hard way.

See you at the track!

Denny Hamlin Wins at Pocono

Denny Hamlin Wins at Pocono
Posted by GEORGE August 4, 2009 11:30:48 AM

Emotions ran high in the winners circle after Denny Hamlin broke his 50-race losing streak and won the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. During the last yellow flag, Hamlin could be heard on the scanner telling his pit crew that he was going to win the race. His car darted to the front when the green flag waved, and it was almost like the number 11 car had a gear that the other competitors didn't. Hamlin's car, coupled with a gutsy piece of driving, blew the field away, and Hamlin was still pulling away as he crossed the finish line.

It was a race of "come backs" as Tony Stewart came from his last-place starting position to finish 10th, and Jimmie Johnson came from three laps down at the halfway point of the race to finish a respectable 13th. Both of these drivers had car trouble early in the race, but finished like the NASCAR champions they are. Stewart lengthened his points lead a bit, and Johnson held onto second place in the standings by a slim two-point margin over Jeff Gordon.

Mark Martin dropped one spot, but it appears that he will make The Chase. Martin is now 160 points ahead of thirteenth-place in the standings, and is showing the consistency needed to make The Chase.

Kyle Busch gained a spot, up to 13th, but he is 101 points behind in his quest to make The Chase. It's far from over for the younger Busch brother, but he's entrenched in a run of bad luck, mostly brought on by his attitude to win it all, or nothing.

Lance McGrew, Dale Earnhardt Jr's crew chief, is convinced that Dale Jr has not had the equipment he needs to compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. McGrew says Junior has been running with old cars, and they finally have a new car in place. If all of this is true, then Dale Earnhardt Jr fans may have been right all along and Hendrick Motorsports has been directing all the good stuff toward Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson. Earnhardt Jr has seen a glimmer of hope since putting the new car on the track, but still nothing to write home about. I continue to believe that Dale Jr is simply not a good fit in the Hendrick stable, and I think his time is up! That's just my opinion. What do you think?

See you at the track!