RaceWay Tours Blog

Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson Big Winners

Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson Big Winners
Posted by GEORGE November 24, 2009 10:32:19 AM

Denny Hamlin's car gave him all he needed, and Hamlin took home the winner's share of the purse for the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday evening. Hamlin drove like was trying to make the statement that he will be a force to contend with in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season. Had it not been for his three DNFs during the 2009 Chase, he would have been contending for the trophy this year.

I hope you were at the track, or at least watching Sunday's race, because it was history in the making. No one, not even Petty, Earnhardt, or Gordon, has ever won four championships in a row. This feat ranks right up there with the best of the best in any other sport, and fans at the track fully recognized Jimmie Johnson's accomplishment. Most all of the spectators in attendance stayed for the celebration, rose to their feet for The Champ, and gave him a magnificent round of applause. Even NASCAR fans who were not fans of Jimmie Johnson appreciated the season he had and paid him the respect he deserves.

Is Jimmie Johnson the best NASCAR driver of all time? That question will never be answered and can only be speculated about. Times have changed, and it can be argued that the toughest time to win championships is now or has passed. But here's what we do know: Jimmie is the best there is at this time! No one can touch him and his crew, as far as being the best team in NASCAR. This statement is from Johnson's peers and who would know better?

Joey Logano was a lock on the 2009 NASCAR Rookie of the Year award from the start of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, and he did not disappoint. It wasn't a great year for Logano, but it was a good first year.

Kyle Busch drove his heart out this year in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and won the championship in that series. As Busch's success rate declined in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, he took it out on the Nationwide Series competition.

Chad Knaus has won the 2009 NASCAR Crew Chief of the Year award, and how could they have given it to anyone else? Looking back at Jimmie Johnson's success this year, it's apparent that Knaus won races for Jimmie, and that's the way it's supposed to work.

Mark Martin gave us some of the biggest NASCAR thrills this season, and going into the last race, was the only driver who had any shot to take the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship away from Jimmie Johnson. I expect to see Mark Martin contending for the title again next year.

Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Chad Knaus, and Mark Martin, and thanks to all the NASCAR drivers and teams for a great season.

See you at the track!

Can Mark Martin Catch Jimmie Johnson in Homestead?

Can Mark Martin Catch Jimmie Johnson in Homestead?
Posted by GEORGE November 17, 2009 3:19:57 PM

All the talk last week was about Jimmie Johnson's title hunt for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup. The main concern among Johnson fans was whether he could bounce back after his bad finish the weekend before. It didn't take long to remove all concern from his fans' minds, as Johnson bounced back and right into the winner's circle, taking home the top prize in the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at PIR. Domination was the order of the day, and Jimmie was the class of the field.

All Jimmie Johnson needs to do is finish 25th or better in the last race of the season at Homestead-Miami this weekend, and the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup belongs to him, no matter what Mark Martin does. But, if Mark Martin wins the race and leads the most laps, and Jimmie Johnson finishes 26th or worse, Martin is the champion. So all of the Jimmie Johnson fans are feeling pretty good and figuring that it's a lock. Right? It's the same feeling we had just prior to the race at Texas Motor Speedway the previous weekend when Johnson finished 38th! The championship isn't in the bag for Jimmie yet.

Johnson says that his plan for this weekend's race is to qualify toward the top, and then just stay up there the whole race. He contends that he is less likely to get involved in a championship-ending accident if he stays in front, or at least close to the front. Sounds logical to me, but how easy is that? Not too easy for Jimmie, based on his previous finishes at this Florida track. I'm happy to hear that he has a winning plan, but I still don't feel any better.

As I see it, there is only one sure winner going into this weekend's race at Homestead-Miami, and that winner is Rick Hendrick. No matter what happens to Jimmie Johnson or Mark Martin, Hendrick Motorsports has the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship in the bag. One of those two guys is definitely going to be the champion. Jeff Gordon drops out of the running as soon as Jimmie Johnson starts the race this weekend. Congratulations, once again, to Hendrick Motorsports.

It's the last race of what has been an outstanding season of NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing. Our NASCAR tour group will be in Homestead-Miami this weekend to watch the crowning of this year's champion. But I'm also hungry for more, and in a few short months we'll be right back at the track for another super season.

See you at the track!

Mark Martin - 2009 NASCAR Person of the Year

Mark Martin - 2009 NASCAR Person of the Year
Posted by GEORGE November 13, 2009 10:25:33 AM

For a number of years in a row, Dale Earnhardt Jr has won the title of "Most Popular NASCAR Driver," and rightfully so. The Earnhardt family is a NASCAR legacy in itself, and although not necessarily on the track and in the win column, Dale Jr has carried that banner as prominently as his dad and his grandfather. Don't look at his record, but look at what he has done for the sport.

Jimmie Johnson appears to have earned the title of The Champion of NASCAR Champions. It certainly looks as if he will be taking home the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship for the fourth time in a row. This is an accomplishment that has never been realized in the history of NASCAR Racing, and most likely will never be matched. Jimmie Johnson is an All-American boy who has become a NASCAR legend in his own time.

Richard Petty is The King of NASCAR Racing, and his achievements in the sport would take a fairly large article to cover. Petty is the best of the best, and it would be silly for anyone to argue the opposite. NASCAR fans will be NASCAR fans and all have the right to their own opinion, but Richard Petty earned his accolades on the track, and there will never be another Richard Petty.

NASCAR Illustrated recently named Mark Martin the 2009 NASCAR Person of the Year. Any other year I would have to argue this pick. I mean, Jimmie Johnson is about to make NASCAR history with a performance that will forever be in the NASCAR history books. But I'm not going to argue Johnson's case this time around. I totally agree with NASCAR Illustrated that Mark Martin has provided NASCAR fans with a story book year. I'd say that at one time or another during this season, every NASCAR fan has been in Mark Martin's corner.

I could take a poll, but undoubtedly it would confirm what I already know. In the hearts and minds of the majority of NASCAR fans, Mark Martin is the 2009 NASCAR Person of the Year. Congratulations to Mark Martin, and I can't wait to see what he has in store for us in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season.

See you at the track!

Busch Wins and the NASCAR Points Race Tightens at Texas

Busch Wins and the NASCAR Points Race Tightens at Texas
Posted by GEORGE November 10, 2009 4:02:04 PM

The Busch brothers both decided to play the fuel game at the end of the race on Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, but Kurt Busch played it better than Kyle, and he won the Dickies 500. Kurt picked up his second win of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, and the race was packed with excitement.

A slight bump on the third lap cost Jimmie Johnson dearly, as he hit the wall and lost over 100 points from his points lead over Mark Martin. Chad Knaus, Johnson's crew chief, had the number 48 car in the garage for over an hour trying to rebuild it and salvage a few points. Johnson did return to the track, and was able to pick up a few positions, but Mark Martin is now within reach of Johnson. The 70+ points lead is still comfortable, but it assures NASCAR fans of some exciting racing in the last two races at Phoenix International Raceway and at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

This accident was exactly what Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon needed to catch up to Jimmie Johnson, but Martin took the best advantage of the mishap with his top five finish. Gordon, on the other hand, will still need another major mishap to catch the three-time NASCAR champion. Martin and Gordon do not have the luxury of driving for a good finish. Martin needs to win at least one of these last two races, and Gordon really needs to win them both. If Johnson finishes fourth or better in the last two races, the party begins in the number 48 camp.

I picked Dale Earnhardt Jr to win the race last Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, and I felt good about it. Dale Jr was driving well, and his car was running well, but once again, lady luck was not riding with him. Earnhardt had to stop for fuel in the last few laps, and his car would not restart. When he finally did get the engine running, he was three laps down.

I think the race for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup is going to be close after our trip to Phoenix this weekend. I think Mark Martin will win the race at PIR, and Jimmie Johnson will finish somewhere around ninth. Johnson will still hold the lead headed for Homestead-Miami, but it's going to set up a duel in the last race of the season to see who the champ will be. The season is on the line, and this promises to be the best Chase for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup ever!

See you at the track!

NASCAR Scanners and Scanner Frequencies

NASCAR Scanners
Posted by GEORGE November 5, 2009 2:21:27 PM

Marilyn from Texas asks, "I'm headed to Daytona in February, and it will be my first NASCAR race. My brother-in-law says I need to buy a race scanner before I go. Do I really need one, and what will I miss if I don't buy one?"

Daytona is a great place to experience your first NASCAR race! I tend to agree with your brother-in-law, Marilyn. The three things I never go to a race without are my ticket, my camera, and my race scanner. However, I wouldn't go out and buy a scanner for your first race; I would rent one at the race track. You can see how you like it, and then decide whether to buy one for your next NASCAR races.

With a scanner, I enjoy listening to drivers talk to their crew chiefs, plot strategy during the race, and sometimes I also listen to the radio broadcast of the race.

RaceAway Hospitality, our NASCAR tour company, makes scanners available for our guests to rent. If you want more details, e-mail me at george@TrackChatter.com. Thanks for the questions Marilyn!

We also have scanner frequencies available for the major NASCAR series:

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Scanner Frequencies

NASCAR Nationwide Series Scanner Frequencies

NASCAR Truck Series Scanner Frequencies

I'm also getting a lot of questions about what Jimmie Johnson needs to do to win the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. The only chance Jimmie Johnson has of losing the championship is if Mark Martin wins all of the last three races and Johnson scores less than 402 total points in those races. Simply put, if Johnson finishes in tenth-place or better in all three races, or if his points total for those three races adds up to 402 points or more, he's the 2009 champion.

I keep hearing a few NASCAR fans say that NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing is not as exciting as it used to be. I have to disagree with that notion, and the NASCAR fans I've been around this year would disagree as well. Case in point: Looking back at the first 33 races of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, on average, there have been 10 leaders in each race. That's some pretty exciting racing as I see it.

I also see that some fans want to change The Chase, or do away with it altogether. I don't care for those ideas either, but if a change needed to be made, why not do this: Eliminate the championship altogether, divert the year-end prize money to each individual race, and pay for the first thirty-five places only. If we're really interested in watching these drivers race for a living rather than race for the points, this would sure as heck do it!

Our NASCAR tour group is headed for Texas Motor Speedway this weekend, and a great weekend of NASCAR Racing it will be. We're looking for sunny weather at the 1.5-mile tri-oval track. Riding the high line will be the order of the day. You all know who's the very best at riding the high line. Dale Earnhardt Jr!

See you at the track!

Jamie McMurray Wins at Talladega

Jamie McMurray Wins at Talladega
Posted by GEORGE November 3, 2009 4:31:22 PM

An 85-race losing streak came to an end last Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway as Jamie McMurray won the third race of his career. All the excitement of Talladega racing was saved until the end when McMurray conserved fuel and raced across the finish line under a yellow flag. This was a great win for McMurray, and hopefully will secure him a driver's seat for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Currently Jamie is without a ride for next year.

A smart decision by Chad Knaus in the Amp Energy 500 may have driven the last nail in the coffin for the rest of the field, as far as the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship is concerned. Knaus brought Jimmie Johnson in during the next-to-last caution and gave him a shot of fuel, which allowed him to finish the race. Jeff Gordon and a few others in the race were not so fortunate. As others wrecked, or ran out of gas, Johnson came from back in the field to finish in the top ten. Jimmie is now a solid 184 points ahead of Mark Martin, and is 192 points ahead of Jeff Gordon.

It appears that Hendrick Motorsports will pull off a 1st, 2nd, 3rd sweep this year with 4th-place driver, Juan Pablo Montoya, 239 points behind the leader.

Any hopes Tony Stewart had of winning the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship were dashed with the race at Talladega, and Stewart slipped one place to 5th, 279 points behind Jimmie Johnson. Johnson would need to have DNFs in two of the last three races for Martin or Gordon to have a prayer of taking the championship away from him.

Does Jimmie Johnson's apparent lock on this year's championship mean the next three races are meaningless? And does it take away from the excitement of NASCAR racing for the remainder of the season? Only if you don't like NASCAR Racing! Three exciting races at three exciting tracks are in store for us, as the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winds down. Championship or not, when your favorite driver wins a race, it's celebration time.

Our NASCAR tour group will be at all three venues, and I'm betting that we're going to see three different winners. I'm even predicting that these races will each be won by non-Chase qualifiers. By the way, if you Dale Earnhardt Jr fans are thirsty for a win by your favorite NASCAR driver, better not miss the race this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. This will be Earnhardt Jr's best chance to win in a long time. It's Junior's type of track, and Rick Hendrick is throwing all he's got into trying to get Dale Earnhardt Jr a win this season.

See you at track!