With Recent Announcments, 2012 Image is Much Clearer

After Kurt Busch was kicked out of... errr... "mutually agreed" to leave Penske Racing after this season, there were many unemployed drivers who jumped at the chance to drive one of the Captain's Dodges. But the driver who got the ride was one who wasn't in the original mix of names.

It was announced this week that A.J. Allmendinger will succeed Busch in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger in 2012. This comes a a few weeks after it was speculated that Richard Petty Motorsports had a deal in place for Busch to take Allmendiger's place in the No. 43 Best Buy Ford. All that was needed was an announcement.

Well RPM did make an announcement. They announced Best Buy was moving to Roush-Fenway Racing to back Carl Edwards for two events and Matt Kenseth for nine races. Days later, Allmendiger, a Kart racer turned stock car driver, was named to the ride that David Ragan was supposed to take. Now Ragan's name appears linked to the famous No. 43 car which will put him in the same boat he was in at RFR; driving an unsponsored Ford.

James Finch and his Phoenix Racing operation also made an announcement Thursday. They said that a handshake deal is in place to put the volatile Busch in his No. 51 entry for the 2012 season. Finch had said that he would love to hire a driver that was the caliber of the hot-headed Nevadan, but added that he wasn't "...going to listen to (his) sh*t and pay him money." Now it appears that Santa stopped by Finch's Spartanburg, South Carolina shop early. The Phoenix Racing team runs chassis and engines from Hendrick Motorsports, but they have never managed to break out and show that they are a team to compete. Perhaps a quality driver will prove to be their missing link.

Now the lone quality ride available appears to be the No. 43. In addition, the Nos. 34 and 38 Fords of Front Row Motorsports appear to be up for grabs. Ragan, David Reutimann and Brian Vickers are all looking for rides and these three cars all get RFR equipment so none of them would be a particularly bad option. All three of these drivers are race winners and Chase contenders so they, especially Ragan and Reutimann, deserve to be in the Cup Series next season.

Where this trio ends up next year still remains to be seen, but with these recent announcements, the driver lineup picture for the 2012 Sprint Cup Series campaign has become that much clearer.

Kurt Busch Out at Penske Racing and Maybe 2012 Season

After Kurt Busch's latest profanity-laced tirade landed him in hot water, it appears that his owner, racing legend Roger Penske, has run out of patience.

News broke late Sunday night that Penske has informed Busch he will be out as driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger next season.

This latest incident occurred after transmission issues forced Busch to exit the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway early in the event. When he was approached by ESPN pit reporter Dr. Jerry Punch for an interview, Busch proceeded to lose his temper and curse out Punch and his film crew. After about ten minutes of waiting, Punch had had enough of Busch's vulgarity and walked away. Video of this incident was later posted by a fan to YouTube, where it later went viral. Click here if you haven't seen the incident yet. Viewer discretion is advised!

Prior to this incident, Busch also gave the finger to a car or a person (it was never confirmed who it was) as he drove to his garage stall. The gesture was captured on his on-board camera and broadcast live by ESPN.

Not only has his owner had enough, but apparently crew chief Steve Addington has reached the end of his rope as well. It was announced earlier in the week that Addington was leaving Penske Racing to become head wrench on 2011 champion Tony Stewart's No. 14 car.

All season long, Busch has cussed out his team on the radio, taken shots at how his cars are built and even questioned team leadership, including Penske.

During championship week, Busch announced he was seeing a sports psychologist for his anger issues. He also said that his sponsor was "agitated" over the incident, but he sounded confident that he would return to the No. 22 team next year. He never imagined his job was in jeopardy.

Apparenty ignorance is bliss because Shell/Pennzoil representatives were spotted sitting at Busch's teammate Brad Keselowski's table during the Nascar Awards Banquet on Friday night.

His firing from Penske comes approximately six years after Busch was handed a pink slip by Roush-Fenway Racing with two races left in the 2005 season. The night before the race at Phoenix International Raceway, he got into a verbal dispute with Avondale, Ariz. police after being cited for reckless driving.

But Busch's misfortune is going to be an early Christmas present for another driver. David Ragan, David Reutimann and Brian Vickers are all looking for rides for next year. Penske could also promote Sam Hornish, Jr or Parker Kligerman up from his Nationwide Series teams, but that situation seems highly unlikely. Look for Ragan or Reutimann to move to the No. 22 next year. Both are fast, take care of their equipment and would represent Shell-Pennzoil with the utmost respect and class.

Reutimann also has ties to Pennzoil, as they sponsored his car when he drove in the Nascar AutoZone Elite Division in the late '90's and early 2000's.

Busch has always had a reputation as one of Nascar's most volatile personalities. His blatant disrespect for authority, let alone other human beings, is despicable. He once addressed Penske as "dude" over the radio during a race at Martinsville. There is no room for that kind of disrespect in the sport today. With almost everything dictated by what the sponsors want, every driver needs to watch what they say and do.

Kurt Busch is the 2004 Cup Series champion and winner of twenty-four races and fifteen pole awards. There is little the Las Vegas native has not done in the Sprint Cup Series. He is a tremendous talent.

But he is also now damaged goods. The constant venom that he spews over the radio and in the garage could prove lethal for any team he joins. There are also very few sponsors that would be willing to back a driver as short-tempered as Busch. He has also burned all his bridges with Roush Fenway Racing, and thus Ford, and now with Dodge as well. With these facts in mind, and with the lack of competitive rides available to him, there are few options for running competitively in 2012 for Busch to choose from.

Few fans will offer any sympathy for the Sin City driver. They have already taken to Facebook and Twitter in droves to speculate about his possible replacement and praise Penske for teaching Busch a lesson.

Busch has apologized, or at least his PR rep has, for his actions at Homestead. He also acknowledged his anger problems and said that he is addressing them.

But apparently this proved too little too late and now his unpredictable, hot-headed personality has cost him his job. Maybe even his career.

Busch Brothers Recent Behavior Proves That They Don't Belong in the Cup Series

Kurt Busch is a 24-time race winner in the Nascar Sprint Cup Series. He is also the 2004 Cup champion. Kyle Busch is the 2009 Nationwide champ and he has visited victory lane in the Cup series 23 times.

These are stats that most any racecar driver would kill to have. There is no doubt that both Busch brothers can drive the wheels off a race car and win on any given Sunday. But their driving talent has not been the topic of conversation as of late. The focus, instead, has been on their short tempers.

There isn't a driver in the garage area with a shorter fuse that either of the Busch brothers. Their weekly temper tantrums on their team radios contain so much yelling and cussing, listening to it would make Bobby Knight and John McEnroe blush. Whether it's their pit crew, their crew chiefs, or even their owners, no one is safe from their wrath if a race doesn't go as planned.

Roger Penske and Joe Gibbs deserve a ton of credit for putting up with these two after Jack Roush and Rick Hendrick had had enough of them. But the fact that Kurt can cuss out Penske, a 15-time Indianapolis 500 winning owner, on the team radio and Kyle can do the same to his owner, Pro Football Hall of Famer Gibbs, and neither experiences any sort of repercussions for it is amazing. Penske and Gibbs should be nominated for sainthood.

But despite media hype that the brothers had changed and turned over a new leaf, the end of this year proved to fans and everyone within the sport that that could not be further from the

truth.

At Texas this past fall, Kyle intentionally turned title contender Ron Hornaday into the outside wall in the Truck Series race. This happened under caution and with the speeds both trucks were carrying, Hornaday hit at about 150 mph. This resulted in Busch being parked for the remainder of the weekend and Cup Series sponsor M&M's pulling their stickers off his car for the season's final two events. You can check out the Truck Series video here.

You can also see Kyle lose his cool in the fall Texas Cup race one year ago here. This is uncensored video from Showtime's "Inside Nascar" so there is a little bit of adult language. See if you think Kyle should be representing a brand like M&M's, which is so heavily geared towards children.

Kurt on the other hand did most of dirty work when the cameras were off. After the fall Richmond race, Busch cursed out a reporter on pit road and tore up another reporter's transcript in the media center after denying he said something written on that paper.

But the real trouble for Kurt happened in the season's final event at Homestead. After falling out of the race early with transmission issues, Busch was approached by EPSN pit reporter Dr. Jerry Punch to do an interview. After several minutes of waiting for the booth to throw it to Punch, Busch became restless and went into a profanity-laced tyraid. And kudos to Punch for walking away after being screamed at for doing his job. You can watch the video here, but Busch does use some very adult language. Viewer discretion is advised.

And caught in the middle of all of this are the sponsors. Kurt's sponsor Shell-Pennzoil and Kyle's sponsor M&M's both released statement's after their driver's respective incidents, saying they have expressed their concerns to team officials and that their driver's actions do not reflect the values of their companies. That's where they're wrong.

When a sponsor signs up to back a driver, that driver represents them. No matter how big of a jerk the driver makes of himself, they are linked with the company that sponsors them. Both Shell-Pennzoil and M&M's have been in Nascar for more than a decade and now both are put in a position of defending their brands as the drivers that represent them continue to make poor choices on and off the track.

So, do these two drivers have a place in the Sprint Cup Series? They do now, but in all seriousness, they shouldn't be allowed to set foot in a Nascar garage.

The choices that they make prove time and time again that they belong in anger management and not in a racecar. They continue to disrespect their fellow drivers, Nascar officials, their sponsors and the fans. It's gotten to the point where fans turn to their radio channels purely for entertainment and they are endangering lives on the track.

There is a place for tempers in this sport, just like in any other, because every driver is passionate about what they do. Drivers like Bobby and Donnie Allison, Dale Earnhardt and A.J. Foyt all drove with passion. Today, guys like Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick drive with passion. The Busch's on the other hand just drive angry. They need to be taught a lesson before someone gets hurt.

The saddest part is that both Kurt and Kyle occupy fully-funded, competitive rides that they don't deserve, while guys like David Reutimann and David Ragan sit on the sideline without a job for next year. Both Ragan and Reutimann are amazing wheelmen and great people who would represent any sponsor with pride and dignity, two qualities which the Busch's don't possess. These two have raced all their lives and are looking for jobs, while the Busch brothers can get away with murder and still have fully-sponsored rides for the next few years.

Unfortunately, it looks as though both Kyle and Kurt are here for the foreseeable future. So they better grow up and they'd better do it pretty damn quickly. Every time they throw a tantrum like a 5-year-old screaming for an expensive toy in a department store, it gives the sport a black eye.

No figure in our sport was more polarizing than the aforementioned Dale Earnhardt, but even the man they called "The Intimidatior" discovered humility at some point. If he could do it, the brothers Busch should be able to as well. The Nascar Sprint Cup Series bills itself, and rightfully so, as racing's elite. These are the forty-three best racecar drivers in the world and every one of them knows how lucky they are to be a part of this series. Well, almost all of them.

Kurt and Kyle have until February to do some serious growing up before Speedweeks 2012 kicks off in Daytona. Hopefully then we will be able to focus solely on their driving ability rather than their latest temper tantrum.

Tony Stewart Wins Epic Championship Battle, Fans Witness Pure Greatness

After three weeks of smack talk, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards took their championship battle to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the season's final race. A mere three points separated the two leaders and there was only one scenario that would ensure either of them the title: Win the race.

Easy enough right? Stewart won Homestead back in 1999 and Edwards had won the past two events at the South Florida speedway.

The two contenders would go head to head all night long, swapping the lead back and forth. But it was clear the driver known simply as "Smoke" had the superior car and, in the end, he was out front when it mattered and was able to net his second Homestead win and his third Cup Series title.

All week long (well really since Martinsville) Stewart and Edwards traded barbs, trying to psych each other out. Stewart later compared it to "picking on a kid" because Edwards was "too nice to fight back." Before the green flag, Stewart said he wanted to get (crew chief) Darian Grubb and (team co-owner) Gene Haas their first championships and "call me greedy but, the Hell with it, I want three of 'em!"

There could not have been two more opposite drivers than Edwards and Stewart to go after the title. In addition to being a great driver, Edwards is a gregarious pitchman and has been accused by some as being "phony" because of his PR skills. Stewart is much simpler. What you see is what you get. He's real, he refuses to put on a fake face for the media and he only races to win.

The race went green most of the way, aside from a wreck on the backstretch and an hour long rain delay at halfway, but it was not without stress for Stewart's No. 14 team.

When Kurt Busch blew his transmission out early in the race, a piece when through Stewart's grille and somehow didn't go through the radiator. Smoke brought his Chevy to pit road and his crew quickly went about the repairs. They also were forced to put tape on his left-front fender after he made contact with the rear of David Reutimann's car on the next restart.

Stewart continue to scoff at Edwards on his radio, saying the No. 99 crew was "going to feel like sh*t after we kick their asses after this." While this may sound arrogant to some, Stewart said following the race "It's not cocky if you can back it up." And that is exactly what he did.

The No. 14 team also had two late pit stops in a row go wrong, the crew had lug nut trouble both times, which caused Stewart to lose a bunch of positions. Grubb also tried to work a controversial strategy where Smoke had to save fuel to make it on one less stop than Edwards' No. 99. Had a late race rain shower not come right after Stewart pitted, they would have most likely not won the championship.

But it wasn't the adversity or the pit strategy that made this race as spectacular as it was (although it didn't hurt). It was Tony Stewart's grit and determination that stole the show.

All totaled, Stewart passed 118 cars in the Ford 400 Sunday night. Every time he was put back in the pack, he raced his way back to the front. He knew how strong Edwards' Ford was and he knew the only way to score his third title was to win the race.

On every restart, Smoke made it two, sometimes three, wide into turn one. He wasted no time in making up every position he could. At one point, he even went four-wide down the frontstrech, passing two cars before they even got to turn one. This proves that Stewart not only had a superior car to Edwards, but that he also wanted it more than Edwards did.

Stewart did what he'd set out to do and won the race and, for the first time in Nascar history, the championship was decided by a tiebreaker. Stewart won five races while Edwards won one. So Tony Stewart is your 2011 Sprint Cup Series champion. He is the first driver to win the final race and the title since 1988 and the first owner-driver to win the title since Alan Kulwiki in 1992. He's also the only driver to win a Winston Cup, a Nextel Cup and a Sprint Cup.

This championship was made all the more special by the fact that Stewart was driving the No. 14 made famous by his childhood hero, the great A.J. Foyt.

The fans saw one helluva show Sunday night. They also saw some of, if not, the best racing of the season. The race Sunday was the kind of event that creates new fans and gets them hooked like the longtime ones. The moves Stewart made on the track, the determination in his voice on the radio, the pep in his step all through the weekend, just prove what everyone who watches Nascar, every week or casually, already knows: Tony Stewart is one of the best to ever wheel a racecar, in any series.

Yes Edwards is a great "driver," but Stewart is a great "racer." Edwards is great with the marketing and media frills that come with driving nowadays, but Smoke only drives to win races. All the media relations stuff is merely a chore. He has won races and championships in

everything he has ever driven (Nascar, IndyCar and USAC Midgets, Sprints and Silver Crowns) and this year won half of the Chase races. Not even Jimmie Johnson has done that. For the first time in five years, a racecar driver won the championship.

There are only 92 days until the 2012 Daytona 500 kicks off the next exciting season of Nascar racing. After all the close racing an surprise winners we've seen this year it's going to be tough to close the door on it. The Chase and the new point system have definitely done what they were supposed to do. How next year can top this one is beyond me, but if it's anything like what we saw in 2011, it's going to be a great ride.

M&M's Gives Busch One Last Shot, Z-Line's Another Story

After a week of speculation and rumors, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Kyle Busch will run the final two races of the 2011 season at Phoenix and Homestead. The only stipulation-M&M's will not be on the car for either race.

Instead, the 26-year-old Las Vegas native will pilot a white and green Camry backed by longtime JGR partner Interstate Batteries.

After being parked by Nascar for the Nationwide and Cup races in Texas, it was speculated that Busch's days with JGR might be numbered. The "new Kyle Busch" that the media claims we've seen this season was apparently all thanks to M&M's and their parent company Mars. And after his boneheaded truck race road rage in Texas, it appeared that all the effort they put into reforming his image was going to go to waste.

With an owner like Joe Gibbs, who is a devout Christian and was strict as could be on his players when he coached the Washington Redskins, he has been extremely lenient when it has come to Kyle and his attitude. That may just be coming back to bite him. Big time.

In a statement released by M&M-Mars after the incident, they said that Kyle's actions aren't "consistent with the values of M&M's and we're very disappointed. Like you, we hold those who represent our brand to a higher standard and we have expressed our concern directly to Joe Gibbs Racing."

Well, M&M's put out another statement Thursday night, saying that Busch's actions "don't reflect the values of Mars" but that they would return to the hood of the No. 18 Toyota next season. They apparently feel Busch has shown with his recent statement's (you can read his letter of apology here and judge for yourselves) he has shown remorse and a desire to reverse his image.

That's all well and good, but on the Nationwide side of things, it's a different story. Sponsor Z-Line Designs has personally asked JGR to replace Busch in the final race at Homestead (Joey Logano has the reigns this weekend). Who knows what this could mean for Busch's Nationwide career for next season? He announced that his Kyle Busch Motorsports team will run a fully-funded entry full-time next season. Suppose that sponsor has second thoughts after seeing his recent tantrum and ensuing sponsor issues. What would Busch do then?

Busch is definitely on final notice with M&M's. There is no way a conservative, family-oriented brand like them would hang around with Busch if things don't change after their contract ends in 2012. They may just give Gibbs an ultimatum. "It's him or us." And in this economy, with sponsors of M&M's caliber few and far between, Gibbs would undoubtedly drop Busch like a bag of dirt. Yes he's an unbelievable talent, there is no disputing that, but there is a lot more that goes into hanging onto sponsors than just winning.

Perhaps the recently fired David Reutimann, a guy who is a great spokesman, an even better racecar driver and like-minded in faith with Gibbs could take over the ride. He's a real guy who's raced his whole life, he has a great sense of humor and he's great with the fans. After five years of Kyle Busch and his on-track antics, Reutimann would be a refreshing change of pace for both Mars and JGR and he would represent both brands professionally and win some races for them too.

Supposedly, Busch's departure from Hendrick Motorsports after the 2007 season came at the request of then-sponsor Kellogg's after the same problems with bad publicity. M&M's has stood behind Busch in the past, but there is a limit to what any sponsor should be expected to endure. If M&M's does have a clause in their contract that allows them to leave due to bad press (as most sponsors do), Busch may be in serious trouble.

It's going to be very interesting to see if Kyle does really change and to see what, if anything, will happen to his racing career in the coming season.

Stewart Wins AAA Texas 500, Cuts Deep Into Points Deficit

Tony Stewart said about midway through the regular season that his team wasn't a Chase caliber team. If they did make Nascar's playoff, they would just be taking up a space that a real title contender would need to win the Sprint Cup.

But in recent weeks, Smoke and his No. 14 team have proved that they will be Carl Edwards' worst nightmare with just races left in the season.

Stewart and his team won back to back races at Chicago and Loudon and they did it again this weekend, scoring the win at Texas after edging out Jimmie Johnson last week in Martinsville.

When the race went green, it appeared Greg Biffle would be the guy to beat, but once Stewart grabbed the lead, he never looked back.

The race was marked by several long green flag runs and only a few cautions for debris. One of the only cautions for an on track incident was when Brian Vickers continued his rampage from Martinsville and turned Geoff Bodine across Juan Montoya's nose, cutting down his tire and wrecking the front of Bodine's car.

Joey Logano also blew a motor near the end of the race, capping off a disappointing weekend for Joe Gibbs Racing. With Kyle Busch being parked, Michael McDowell was not running up to par with the No. 18 Toyota, finishing 33rd three laps down and neither Denny Hamlin or Logano running well, JGR has some definite work to do.

Jeff Burton stayed out late and tried to stretch his CAT Chevy's fuel mileage to net his first win of the year, but it wasn't meant to be as he ran out with just a few laps left.

This handed the lead back to Stewart and he was able to hold off Edwards and score his second win in a row and his fourth win of the year, and in the Chase. And because these two finished first and second Sunday, it leaves Stewart just three points behind Edwards with only two races left.

With next week being the first race at the newly reconfigured Phoenix International Raceway, nobody knows what to expect. Like Talladega and Martinville, this race is definitely going to be a wildcard. And with the points battle a close, two man race, the race and the championship are anybodies for the taking.

Kyle Busch Parked for Weekend in Texas After Truck Race Stunt

The Camping World Truck Series prides itself on having tough trucks and even tougher racing. That is the case most of the time, as the drivers take advantage of the new "Boys have at it" mentality just about every week.

But Friday night in the Texas truck race, there was an early incident that was anything but good, hard racing.

Kyle Busch raced Ron Hornaday side by side for second place. No harm, no foul. But when the two came up on a lapped truck, Hornaday was forced to move up the track to avoid contact. Busch had Hornaday pinched down so low that when he moved up, Busch's truck took the air off the back of Hornady's. This caused Hornaday to get loose and both drivers to make contact with the wall. This was merely a racing incident that happens almost every week.

The caution came out and both trucks drove away. But they didn't make it to the next corner without things getting crazy.

Busch drove straight into the back of Hornaday's No. 33 truck and when he couldn't spin him that way, decided to hook him in the right rear and turn him into the outside wall. Both trucks were rendered irreparable and Busch was parked by Nascar for the balance of the event and told to meet with them after the race and again on Saturday morning. You can watch the whole incident here and judge for yourselves.

That is when they dropped the bomb. After reviewing everything that went on Friday night and Busch's on-track history, Nascar decided to park him for the remainder of the weekend. This means that Denny Hamlin drove his Nationwide car, Michael McDowell will pilot his M&M's Camry on Sunday and he will not get one, single championship point.

Bravo Nascar!

People criticize the sanctioning body no matter what they do (myself included), but they definitely made the right call here.

This was not "Boys have at it." This was a blatant attempt to wreck a driver under caution. And despite the fact this was under yellow, both trucks were still pushing 150 mph. If there hadn't been a safer barrier, who knows what would've happened to Hornaday.

Nascar can now set a precedent going forward that if you use your car as a weapon, you will be parked. There is no excuse for turning your racecar into a 3,400 lb missile, I don't care how mad you get. At a place like Texas where speeds can top 190 mph, people can and will get hurt if they get turned into the wall like that.

There is also talk in the garage that Kyle's stay on the couch may last until the end of the season. That may be a little extreme, but Busch would definitely have earned it. Even just parking him for the weekend in Texas drove the message home that Nascar is not playing around. Kyle has been doing this for the past few years (Darlington this past spring is the first race that comes to mind) and this is the only thing that will get through to him, or any driver for that matter. Monetary fines are like pocket change for these guys and points don't mean anything to them either.

Mike Helton said it best in Nascar's press conference that this incident just showed Kyle's overreaction to a racing incident. Hornaday was in the thick of the title hunt and now he is mathematically eliminated from netting his fifth championship. All because an angry Cup driver decided his Truck Series playtime wasn't going his way and lost his temper.

Hopefully this will teach Busch a lesson, humble him a bit and he will finally act like a mature adult on the track. Bill France (Sr and Jr) would agree that he needs this sport a whole lot more than it needs him.

Martin Joins MWR, Reutimann Gets the Shaft

It was announced Tuesday that David Reutimann might not return to Michael Waltrip Racing in 2012, despite having a contract that ran through 2013. His sponsors were also signed through 2012 as well. He has won a race in each of the last two seasons, the only two victories MWR owns, and has also contended for the Chase the last two years. Not too shabby.

But apparently this was not enough for Reutimann to keep his ride because MWR confirmed in a press conference Saturday that Mark Martin will run 25 races in the No. 00 car Reutimann called his since his rookie year in 2007. Team co-owner Michael Waltrip will also return to driving, running both race at Talladega, the race at Kentucky and Daytona's July event. All 30 of these races will be backed by the team's current sponsor, Aaron's. A driver and sponsor to run the final six races in the car will be named later.

So apparently, winning races and contending for the Chase don't mean much when you're mired in one bad season.

This has not been the season MWR had hoped for after such strong runs last season. Reutimann has a best finish of second at Kentucky (which could've been a win if he had one more lap) and Martin Truex, Jr's best finish is second at Bristol. Both driver's have been close to wins, but neither has had the luck or equipment reliable enough to break back into victory lane.

Reutimann will finish the season in the No. 00, the number his family has run since they began racing and that his 70-year-old father Emil "Buzzie" Reutimann wins dirt races in today, and try to get one more win to help his cause and land a ride next year. But unfortunately, not a whole lot is open right now.

The most disgusting part of this is how Waltrip went about it. Aaron's does have a clause in their contract that stipulates Reutimann must finish in the top 25 in points to keep the ride, so when he fell to 28th recently, they began to shop around.

Waltrip said he left the decision to can David up to Aaron's CEO Ken Butler, who said at the announcement he was looking for "the next big deal." At no point did Waltrip mention sticking up for the driver who had stuck by him and his team through their disastrous first season together in 2007. He never said he fought for David to keep his ride. He only said that Butler "picked a future Hall of Famer to drive the Aaron's Dream Machine."

The deal was apparently signed on Wedneday of this week, after just three weeks of discussion. Both Aaron's and Waltrip also knew damn well there wasn't a competitive ride available in the garage for Reutimann to move to.

Waltrip didn't even have the stones to tell Reutimann in person. He called David Tuesday night to tell him the news, while he was out at the SEMA show in California promoting Toyota and MWR. Despicable is the only word that comes to mind to describe the way these events went down. And even that doesn't do it justice.

When asked about his thoughts in Texas on Friday, Reutimann said "I'm just disappointed. Overall, just disappointed, bummed out... to put it mildly. But it happened and it is what it is." He went on to say that "It's been an awful season for us for sure. We haven't run up to our expectations or our standards. But I thought we would have a chance to make up for it."

Reutimann also acknowledged the fact that their isn't much out there and "if there were to be something out there, it's going to involve you doing the same thing that just got done to me.I'm not exactly up for that either."

When asked if he needs to start looking out for No. 1, Reutimann laughed and replied "People looking out for No. 1 is what got me in this situation. So, yeah, that's a mentality. I'm no angel, but I'm just struggling a little bit with that."

But despite some bleak prospects, David is keeping his hopes up. "I still want it as bad as anybody in the garage Just because I don;t get out of the car after a bad race and yell at my crew and throw my helmet and stuff like that, just because you guys can't visibly see how bad I want it, it doesn't mean I don't. I want it worse than anybody whose ever set foot in the garage area. I still do."

He went on to say that "I can still win races and I can still get the job done. Let's not forget that last year we were able to win and actually had a shot at making it into the Chase.That's only been a year ago. I can still do that if I get in the right situation. It's just unfortunate that things worked out like they did."

The MWR driver also said that his quiet personality may work against him and not allow car owners and sponsors to see what he's "all about." "But in the end, I still want to do this awfully bad, and I still feel like I can contribute in the right situation."

While Waltrip told him that this was strictly a business move, Reutimann told the press that "It's only business if it doesn't happen to you. It's hard for me not to take it personal." So I'm sure that MWR, Aaron's and NAPA will understand that it won't be personal when angry Reutimann fans take their business elsewhere. It'll just be business.

But in the end, Reutimann must face a very cold, very harsh reality. "In the end, Michael Waltrip gave me an opportunity to go Cup racing when no one else would and I appreciate that. And Aaron's as well. But that ship has sailed and I've got to figure out something to do now."

The sport of Nascar racing has become very sponsor driven since the economic downturn. A quiet, low key wheelman like Reutimann, who has raced cars his entire life, is more likely to be looking for a job than a driver who is better suited to be the next Billy Mays than a racecar driver. As unfair as that is, that is the reality that these teams face.

But this situation could have been handled so much differently. Waltrip could have given his driver a clue before there were three races left in the year and given him permission to seek other opportunities, but he and Aaron's chose to wait and yank his ride out from under him at the last minute and tell him about it over the phone. Reutimann is a class act and has been nothing but loyal to MWR deserved so much better than what he got. No one deserves that kind of treatment.

Those quotes Reutimann gave to the media Friday afternoon were of a driver who can only do one thing really well: race. He and his father have been racing dirt cars for most of his life. He still spends his spare time working on his dad's dirt cars in his shop. He is a racer, and a damn good one at that. He may be quiet, but he would be an asset to any team that signs him.

This weekend, Reutimann qualified sixth. His teammate Truex qualified 19th and his replacement qualified 30th. Texas has always been a favorite of Reutimann and he seems to still have a handle on it. He's fast, he's hungry and he has a chip on his shoulder the size of the "Lone Star State." What better way to audition and tell his old team where to stick it than to score the win Sunday afternoon?

Reut will definitely be a driver to watch these next three weeks. With nothing to lose, he'll be driving like he's never driven before.

Best of luck for next season David! There is a much better opportunity out there for you somewhere.

Reutimann Out, Martin In at MWR? Say It Ain't So Beak!

With the Christmas season fast approaching, anyone looking for some last minute gift ideas for team owner Michael Waltrip might consider a Webster's Dictionary. This might seem like a random, trivial suggestion, but Waltrip could definitely make good use of it because he seems to have forgotten the meaning of a few words.

Loyalty, respect and class are just a few terms that Mr. Waltrip needs to re-learn the definitions of.

With just three races left in the 2011 season, rumors began to swirl today that Michael Waltrip Racing has replaced David Reutimann in the No. 00 team with Mark Martin. It is also anticipated that owner Michael Waltrip will drive Reutimann's old ride in the restrictor plate races next year. Reutimann, who has been with MWR since the teams disastrous first season in 2007 and is at the SEMA show for Toyota this week, was asked if he had any response to these rumors. He had just three words: "Talk to Michael."

This isn't the first time a team hasn't honored the final year of a drivers contract and it for sure won't be the last. But with three races left in the season, to tell one of you're drivers in, what Reutimann called, a "brief conversation", that they will need to look for a new job next year, when most everyone else has firmed up their plans, is a completely classless move on MWR's part.

Sources said that MWR will move any sponsorship not devoted to Martin over to fill out the rest of the races on Clint Bowyer's No. 15 team. They also said that there was a clause in sponsor Aaron's contract with MWR which stipulated Reut must finish in the top 25 in points. Even if there was a clause like that, all drivers have an off-season every now and then. Nothing bad that has happened to Reutimann this year has been his fault. It has either been a part failure or someone else's mistake that have taken him out of the good finishes he deserves. If a team can't give a driver what he needs to win, that is in no way the driver's fault.

Reutimann scored the first victory for MWR in the 2009 Coca-Cola 600, albeit a rain shortened race. He also came within a few races of making the Chase for the Cup. He also outshined and outperformed team owner and then driver of the No. 55 NAPA car, Waltrip, every single week.

Last season, MWR signed Martin Truex, Jr. The team expected this to lift performance and propel them into the Chase. But once again, Truex was mired in mediocrity and Reutimann scored an epic win at Chicagoland Speedway, beating Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards. Reutimann has shown, through good times and bad, he deserves to be a driver in the Sprint Cup Series.

At this point, it remains to be seen if Reutimann will even finish out the season for the team that gave him his break. But if he does, he will show up, do the best he can for his team, give 110% and honor his commitment to MWR, even if they won't return the favor.

This is a classless move on MWR's part. There is no other way to say it. For them to dump the only driver to ever get their team to victory lane, in favor of a 52-year-old who has become known as Nascar's Brett Favre, retiring more times than anyone can count, and the money hungry owner/driver who hasn't decided to hang it up yet either and has won just four races in his 25 year career? It's just a slap in the face to a driver who has poured his heart and soul into this team and showed them nothing but loyalty since the beginning. It is obvious that Michael Waltrip cares more about money than the feelings of his employees.

Waltrip has gone on all season about how grateful he was that Dale Earnhardt gave him a ride in 2001 so he could finally contend for wins. Likewise, Reutimann was grateful that Michael brought him up to Cup so he could compete at Nascar's top level. Had Dale survived his fatal wreck in the Daytona 500 ten years ago, you can bet he would never have treated Michael the way he treated Reutimann.

Not only is Reutimann a great driver, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a nicer one in the garage area. Having met him twice at the track in Dover, Deleware, I can say without question, he is truly one of racing's good guys and he cares about his fans. He took the time to sign for, talk to, take pictures and shake hands with every single one of them in Dover this fall.

Hopefully, Reutimann will land on his feet and get with a team that appreciates his ability as a driver and a fan friendly personality. Richard Petty Motorsports, Penske Racing, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing and Richard Childress Racing are all competitive teams that have room to add another team following this season. But with the current economic climate, sponsorship will be a key issue for the Zephyrhills, Florida native known to family and friends simply as "Beak."

Reutimann has proved with his two wins that good things can happen to great people in this world. Hopefully he lands on his feet and gets a ride that can match his ability as a driver so he can show MWR why they should have honored the final year of his contract.

Good luck Reutimann! Wherever you land, give 'em Hell in 2012!

Stewart Score Martinsville Win, Throws Down the Gaunlet to Edwards

Just a few months ago, Tony Stewart declared on television that his team didn't deserve to be in the Chase, stating that their constant lack of performance would mean they would take up a spot a real title contender would need to win the championship. Well, after winning the race in Martinsville (Stewart's third of the year), the No. 14 team is doing a lot more than just taking up space. They've gone from pretenders to serious title contenders.

Mother Nature cancelled all on track activity until Happy Hour on Saturday morning so the field was set by owner points. This meant that Carl Edwards would start on the pole with Matt Kenseth alongside and allow the two of them to pad their points positions.

But a race marred by wrecked cars and flaming tempers would make it difficult.

It didn't take long for the action to start, as the first wreck happened when Dale Jr jumped the curb in turn one, spinning he and Kurt Busch and collecting several other cars, occurred just eight laps in.

Like Darrell Waltrip says, "cautions breed cautions" and this race was no exception. The Tums Fast Relief 500 had 18 cautions for 108 laps. And the common denominator for most of these yellow flags was Brian Vickers. It got to the point where spotters were warning their drivers when Vickers was around them.

The first major wreck with Vickers happened when he got loose and knocked Jamie McMurray into the turn three wall. McMurray hit so hard, that the batteries fell out of the rear of his car. He did, however, have enough power to get back around to Vickers and attempt payback. But all he did was bounce off the rear of the No. 83 and hit the wall with the front of his McDonald's Chevy.

Vickers' day got even more interesting when he got into a battle for eighth with Kenseth. Kenseth said he gave Vickers the bottom lane and he could not pass his No. 17 Ford without running into him. Eventually, Kenseth got tired of it and jacked the back of Vickers' No. 83 Toyota and stuffed him into the turn three wall.

But Vickers got his revenge later, doing to Kenseth what was done to him. This not only ended Vickers' day, but also created a serious road bump in Kenseth's title hunt.

But despite all the bent up cars and angry drivers, Tony Stewart kept a level head and his team eventually got his car right. He came back from nearly going a lap down early on and drove a car that would not respond to any adjustments to the front. On the final green-white-checker restart, Stewart passed Jimmie Johnson on the outside and beat the five-time champ to the line by inches. There was definitely some awesome short track racing Sunday as well.

Heading out west to Texas, Carl Edwards is still the points leader after finishing ninth at Martinsville. But Stewart said his team is hungrier and they are going to snag the title away from the Ford driver. He has only eight points to make up to do it. Kevin Harvick is third, Brad Keselowski is fourth and Kenseth dropped three spots to fifth after finishing 31st in Martinsville.

It also appears that the fat lady has finally sung and Jimmie Johnson will not get his sixth title in a row. He sits sixth in points 43 markers out of first with three races left. That's going to be a tall order, even for the No. 48 team.

Anything can happen in the points over the next three weeks and Texas is going to be wild. High speeds, side by side racing (hopefully) and a tight points battle. This is going to be a fun weekend.

Bowyer Edges Burton to Score First Victory of the Year, Childress' Centennial

Richard Childress Racing had been going for its 100th win since Kevin Harvick finished first at Richmond this past September. This weekend in Talladega, a black car with not one 3 but two, driven by Clint Bowyer scored the organization's centennial victory. In a last lap battle with team mate Jeff Burton, the Kansas native beat Burton's No. 31 by a little more than a fender.

In a race that began with speculations of team orders for the Ford and Chevy teams, a new rules package that could effect the draft and a field of drivers that needed to get back on track to forget the painful loss of IndyCar champion Dan Wheldon just a week before. The field payed tribute to Wheldon by running special decals on their cars and helmets just like the "Lionheart" decal Wheldon wore on his helmet in each race he ran.

When the race began, it was typical Talladega. There was no clear cut winner and there was more two by two bumping and grinding than senior prom. The Hendrick cars were paired up Jeff Gordon with Mark Martin and Dale Jr with Jimmie Johnson, RCR's foursome teamed as Kevin Harvick worked with Paul Menard and Burton teamed with Bowyer, the Roush tandems of Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle and David Ragan and Matt Kenseth and the Michael Waltrip Racing teammates David Reutimann and Martin Truex, Jr all swapped positions up front with each passing lap.

With the new changes Nascar made to the pop off valve on the radiators and the smaller grille openings, the racing did seem more like the big pack racing we have seen in the past. But the fast way around was still to have another driver tucked up under your rear bumper.

Despite the close racing and drivers shoving one another, there were no major wrecks until the very end. The two car draft bit Bobby Labonte when Michael Waltrip pushed him into turn one, causing Labonte's already loose Toyota to get sideways and hit the wall. When he came off the wall, Kurt Busch made severe contact, driving straight in the back of the Kingsford Camry. Thankfully, both drivers walked away unscathed.

The other major wreck occured when Martin cut across Joey Logano's nose, causing him to make contact with Regan Smith. This sent Smith head on into the outside wall, shortening the front of his Furnitue Row Impala by about three feet. Thankfully, Smith climbed from his car and he will race this weekend in Martinsville. Despite all the controversy after the race about team orders, let's not lose sight of the fact that every driver that started the event finished in one piece and will be in Martinsville, Virgina for this weekends race. That's the most important thing.

The finish came down to a green, white, checker and on the restart, Bowyer pushed Burton out to a lead the rest of the field couldn't overcome. When the two RCR drivers came off turn four, Bowyer ducked under Burton to try and steal the win. After the two traded some paint, Bowyer barley edged out his team mate and scored his first win of the season. This two car tandem drafting has hurt plate racing, but it has produced spectacular finishes all season long. No doubt about it. And a shout out to Mikey Waltrip for bringing his No. 15 Darrell Waltrip tribute Aaron's Dream Machine home in ninth place! Working without a partner on the last restart, he used his drafting skills and worked his way through the pack to score a solid top ten effort. Job well done Mikey!

Now the second half of the Chase for the Cup will continue this weekend at the Martinsville Speedway. This is a tricky, half-mile paperclip shaped oval and, just like in Talladega, anything can happen. Edwards and Kenseth are atop the points now, but guys like Harvick, Tony Stewart and third place Brad Keselowski could be right back in the fight after Sunday. This is going to be a classic short track race with lots of beating and banging and anything can happen.

Wheldon's Death a Sobering Reminder of the Cost of Auto Racing

We hear it said all the time that safety is a moving target. We think we have made auto racing as safe as it can be. We get complacent after seeing driver after driver walk away from wreck after wreck. So on Sunday afternoon when Dan Wheldon didn't walk away from the fiery wreck on lap 12 of the IndyCar Series finale, it took our breath away.

There are risks involved with everything in life. No matter what you do for a living, there is inherent risk involved. Some of these risks are just greater than others. Auto racing drivers stare death in the face every time they fire their engines and take to the track. They know this and they accept it because it is what they do. This is their job.

But the sport is undoubtedly safer than it was just five or ten years ago. With the introduction of the Hans Device, Safer Barriers and safer body styles and construction for the race cars themselves, auto racing is head and shoulders above where it once was from a safety standpoint.

But once again, safety is a moving target. There is no way to prevent serious injury, or even death, from ever happening again in the sport. But taking steps to prevent it form happening as frequently is the best that can be done.

We get complacent seeing drivers walk away from even the most violent of impacts. We develop an "Aw, he'll be fine" mentality. IndyCar hadn't suffered a casualty since Paul Dana was killed in 2006 and Nascar has been without a fatality since 2001 when Dale Earnhardt lost his life. We all expected everyone to walk away from the IndyCar wreck on that clear, sunny Sunday afternoon. So when Wheldon didn't, it shook the racing world to it's core.

These drivers don't race for money. They don't race for fame. They race because it is what they love to do. They know that they might not make it back, even with all of today's safety innovations, and they have come to terms with that. Their families have also come to terms with these very same facts and that can't be an easy thing.

Motorsports is indeed "safer," but it will never be truly "safe." We will never see a racing series where there is no risk of death or injury. No matter how safe the series is, as long as drivers strap into race cars every weekend, the possibility that they may not climb back out will always be there. Dan Wheldon's untimely passing is a sobering reminder of that very truth. One of the greatest IndyCar champions ever is indeed gone. All the rest of the drivers can do is think, hope and pray that they won't be the next one lost in an on-track tragedy.

May God bless Dan's wife Susie, his two little boys Sebastian and Oliver, and all of his family and friends as they go through this unimaginably difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.

Rest in peace Dan Wheldon. Every time a field of racers face this reality and come out in one piece, we will think of you and smile.

Dan Wheldon Killed in IndyCar Series Finale

The IndyCar Series season came to a close at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. This was to be a day of celebration, exciting racing and the crowning of a champion. Under the clearest, blue sky you could see on race day, Will Power and Dario Franchitti were fighting for the title, Danica Patrick was making her final start in the series before moving to Nascar full-time next season and 2005 Series champion Dan Wheldon was making just his third start of the season.

This mood quickly turned, however, as Wheldon tragically lost his life in a 15 car pileup just 11 laps into the 200 lap event. He was only 33-years-old.

The wreck began with a couple cars getting loose, but because of the close-quarters racing that was taking place, the drivers had nowhere to go. A few even locked wheels, like Wheldon and Power, which sent them airborne and into the wall. If you want to see a replay of the accident (remember, this does involve the loss of a human life) you can click here.

The race was red flagged for two hours so crews could clean the track, repair the safer barriers and fix holes in the track surface. Wheldon had been airlifted to an area hospital for further treatment, despite the fact that his wreck was pretty much unsurvivable. The drivers who were still running were summoned to the tracks media center where they were no doubt informed

about the passing of their colleague and discussed how the finish of the race should be handled.

The race was never restarted (definitely the right move by IndyCar officials) but the drivers did return to their cars to run five parade laps in honor of their fallen brother while Wheldon's No. 77 was lit up atop the scoring pylon and bagpipes played "Amazing Grace" over the track's PA system. You can see this very moving tribute here.

Dan Wheldon came to the States from England to make a name for himself in IndyCar racing and was able to do so with very little help. He made it on his own and was able to win the 2005 Indy 500 and the championship in that same year. He was a 16-time winner in the IndyCar series and won his final race in the biggest one of them all, the centennial anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 this past May.

Going into the first IndyCar race at Vegas, every driver on pit road was wary of what could possibly happen. Speeds in practice reached 225 mph in the corners! But because they are racers, they went out and did what they do, fully aware of what could happen to them. But then again, that is what racers in any series do every week. The thrill of competition and the excitement of winning are more important to them than the reality of the danger they stare in the face every week.

Seeing replays of the wreck are still surreal knowing what happened during those few seconds. As a Nascar fan, I had flashbacks to Adam Petty's fatal wreck in 2000 and Dale Earnhardt's in 2001. Watching the Indy 500 this year, seeing J.R. Hilldebrand wreck off the final turn and watching Wheldon win at the Brickyard for the second time is definitely something I will always remember.

IndyCar lost a phenomenal driver, but the saddest part of this tragedy is that Wheldon's wife Susie lost her husband and his two young sons Sebastian (two years old) and Oliver (seven months old) lost their father. That is what makes this tragedy even harder to take. Nobody should ever have to experience that.

On days like today, we are not IndyCar fans or Nascar fans. We are not fans of this driver or that driver. We are race fans. We love the thrill and competition as much as the drivers do. Racing is safer than it has ever been, but the inevitable danger will always be there and people will say that Wheldon wouldn't have perished had it not been for the $5 million bonus (which should go into a trust fund for Dan's kids) for the non-IndyCar regular that could win the event. That wasn't why he started the event Sunday. He raced in Vegas because racing was this man's passion and he knew the risks going in.

So say a prayer for Susie, Sebastian and Oliver in the coming days. May God give them peace as they go through this unimaginably difficult time. And as the Nascar truck and Cup Series' race at Talladega this weekend, remember this. We love some and hate others, but we should always appreciate what ALL of them do. We should never take that for granted.

There will be debate as to wheter or not Vegas was the right track for IndyCar and what could have been done, if anything, to slow the cars down. But there will be time for that later. Now is the time for reflecting on the life of a great champion and a great human being.

Rest in peace Dan Wheldon. You're personality, you're talent and you're infectious smile will be sorely missed.

Kenseth Beats Busch in Charlotte,While Jimmie Johnson's Title Hopes Take a Serious Hit

The Chase for the Sprint Cup championship traveled to Charlotte Motor Speedway Saturday night and the standings took a serious shakeup. Matt Kenseth scored his first Chase win, and his third victory of the season, while Jimmie Johnson hit the wall in turn two, demolishing his Lowe's Chevy.

The race began under the lights and polesitter Tony Stewart wasted no time in establishing his dominance. It became evident early on that Matt Kenseth would be a player in the race as well, because he was the only guy who could hang on Stewart's bumper.

Track position was at a premium in this race. The Goodyear tire that the drivers raced on never gave up a whole lot of time coupled with the fact that drivers could not pass anywhere on the racetrack placed huge emphasis on pit strategy. Stewart used two tires to his advantage for the first part of the race, before Greg Biffle grabbed the lead and checked out from the field.

Biffle clearly had the car to beat all night long and the only thing that would stop the 3M team from winning was going to be... well... the 3M team. As it happens, this turned out to be the case. The Biff's pit crew left a lug nut off his right rear tire, forcing the Ford driver to come back in to replace it, losing a lap in the process.

There were several debris cautions in this race and the ensuing pit stops allowed last place starter Kyle Busch to work his way to the front. Busch could lead, but he never got out to the same distance that Stewart and Biffle had earlier. Meanwhile, Kenseth's No. 17 and David Ragan's No. 6 were lurking behind the leaders, waiting to pounce.

As the race wound down, the sparks began to fly. Restarts were wild all night and on a late one, David Ragan drove in too deep under Jeff Gordon, sending the four-time champ spinning into Kasey Kahne. Mark Martin also suffered some trouble when his left front hub wore out, forcing the No. 5 car behind the wall.

Greg Biffle was involved in a wreck as well when Tony Stewart forced the No. 16 car into the wall coming off turn four. Once he came off the wall, Biffle tried to hit Stewart (and wreck him?) and express his displeasure. Later on, Stewart said he did nothing wrong and Biffle said the air off Stewart's car pulled his front end toward the No. 14. So who really knows what happened.

But the biggest moment of the night came when Jimmie Johnson, the five-time defending champion, got loose in turn one, spun down the track, turned back up and stuffed the front end of the Lowe's Impala into the outside wall. Fans will definitely attribute this to the Sports Illustrated cover jinx, as Johnson appeared on the magazine's cover roughly 72 hours before the race. There are still five races left in the year, but this may have been the final blow to Johnson's title hopes, now eighth in points, 35 markers out of first.

The late battle for the lead was an exciting one. Kenseth went high on Busch in turns one and two and low in three and four to get under the No. 18 car and grab the lead for the final time, sending the Fluidmaster Ford to victory lane. This also moved Kenseth up to third in the standings, just seven points behind leader Carl Edwards.

So with Charlotte behind them, the Cup Series boys head to Talladega Superspeedway for what could be the biggest wildcard of the Chase. With no clear cut favorite and the unpredictability of plate racing, who knows what the standings will look like next Sunday. Nascar has also made changes to limit the two car drafting we've seen their recently so nobody really knows what the racing will be like. It's going to be an exciting weekend down in 'Dega so make sure to tune in Sunday to see what happens.

He's Baaaaaack....... Jimmie Johnson Wins in the Heartland

It was something that hadn't happened since the spring at Talladega, but Jimmie Johnson found his way back to victory lane in Kansas this weekend. Not only did he put the rest of the field to shame, he also proved that early rumors of the No. 48 teams demise had been greatly exaggerated.

After the first three Chase races left Johnson's team outside the top five in points, everyone wrote him off, saying it would be too hard for them to climb back into contention and score their sixth consecutive title. But when the green flag dropped on the fourth Chase race, Johnson set sail and never looked back.

As is typical with Kansas Speedway, the field was very strung out and there was a lot of green flag racing. So aside from a few debris cautions and a Landon Cassil spin through the infield, there wasn't a whole lot for fans to get excited about.

The car trouble this weekend was confined to only one team. Michael Waltrip Racing saw its season-long string of bad luck continue when David Reutimann broke an axle early on. Reut had started in the rear of the field and raced his Aaron's Dream Machine up to the top 20 when he saw a potential great run disappear after a pit stop. Because Kansas has concrete pit stalls and an asphalt pit road, drivers must be careful to not put their car in gear before the left side tires hit the ground. If they don't, they run the risk of breaking an axle because of the extra grip the concrete has compared to regular asphalt.

Later in the race, Reutimann's teammate Martin Truex, Jr had the same issue after a pit stop. Truex had another good run going when his car also broke a left rear axle. But while Reutimann only lost seven laps, Truex was forced behind the wall and lost 17 by the time repairs were made to his NAPA Toyota.

But the race belonged to Jimmie Johnson. He was in his own zip code all afternoon and nobody had a thing for him. Johnson's Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon did lose an engine (and any hope of a fifth title) with three laps to go, setting up a green-white-checker finish. Kasey Kahne made it interesting, but he only got within striking distance and never close enough to pass.

Now its on to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the final Saturday night race of the season. This track has been Johnson's playground for the past, oh, decade or so. But in the Coke 600 earlier this year, the No. 48 lost an engine and ended any chance of a good run. So there is hope that another driver can find their way to victory lane come Saturday night. Yes Johnson and Carl Edwards are the favorites, but keep an eye on Kevin Harvick. He has been Mr. Consistency so far in the Chase (finishing sixth at Kansas with a car that shouldn't have finished top 20) and he could be the one Jimmie and his team need to worry about dethroning them this year.

Clint Bowyer Joins Michael Waltrip Racing in 2012 and Proves That Money Speaks Louder Than Words

If you had told me three years ago that Clint Bowyer would drive for Michael Waltrip Racing before his career ended, I would have called you insane. But today it became official. After weeks of speculation, the Kansas native inked a three-year contract this past Sunday that will put him in an MWR Toyota for the foreseeable future. Click here for some highlights from the press conference at Kansas Speedway.

Bowyer will drive the No. 15 Camry for Michael Waltrip Racing and be backed by Sprint Cup newcomer 5-Hour Energy for 24 of the 36 points races next year. They currently sponsor Steven Wallace in the Nationwide Series.

For those who haven't heard the audio before (you can find it here), Michael was wrecked by Casey Mears in the Bristol night race in 2008 when Mears' No. 5 slid in front of Waltrip's No. 55. This wreck also collected Bowyer, who said afterward on his radio that "Michael Waltrip is the worst driver in Nascar. Period." He later went on to express his amazement that Waltrip's sponsor NAPA had signed back on for the next season. The pair later had a run in at Talladega in a Nationwide race the next season (you can see that here. Fast forward to 0:45), where Michael called Clint out in his post wreck interview with ESPN.

Bowyer has also had a few run-ins with MWR driver David Reutimann in the past. The two first banged fenders in a Michigan Nationwide race in 2008 (see Reutimann's thoughts here) and found each other again racing at Richmond just five weeks ago (Part I and Part II). When it was apparent to everyone that Bowyer would drive for MWR next year, he still showed complete disregard for the guys who drive there and the guys who build their racecars by wrecking David.

But now, Reutimann and Bowyer will be teammates and they will drive for the man Bowyer badmouthed on his radio for all the world to hear. Both Bowyer and Waltrip held a press conference at Kansas Speedway, Bowyer's hometrack, and while Mikey is excited to have a third car, driver and sponsor to give his team more credibility, Bowyer seemed less than thrilled to sign on at MWR.

Bowyer described his future as bright and said he was joining Waltrip's organization at the right time because it is poised to peak very soon. Waltrip said that it was great to have a driver like Clint who will contend for the title and a new sponsor like 5-Hour Energy come on board because of MWR's great marketing department. They are now "poised" to make a Chase breakthrough next season. But neither of them seemed overly thrilled about the prospect of working together for the next three seasons. When ESPN2 went live to Kansas to cover the car being unveiled, Waltrip and Bowyer didn't make eye contact once during the whole five minute segment.

The choice of number was the capper for this whole unveiling. The No. 15 is considered to be Michael Waltrip's number by his true fans. It is the number he ran during his glory days at Dale Earnhardt, Inc and the number he drove to two Daytona 500 titles. Why he passed it on to someone like Bowyer is beyond me. MWR also owns the No. 55, which holds a lot less meaning to fans. That is the number Clint should have gotten. Not a number as special as the 15.

It is great that MWR is finally back to a three car team. After being predicted the first freshman Toyota team to fold after 2007, it will be the only one of the original three Toyota teams left come next season. And for good reason. Both Martin Truex, Jr and Reutimann are running up front and in contention for wins. They just need the luck and consistency to get to that next level.

But on the other hand, it is clear that neither party is happy about this pairing. To borrow a quote from Rush Limbaugh, "words mean things." Bowyer clearly meant what he said when he called Waltrip the worst driver in the sport because he never apologized. This wasn't just a heat-of-the-moment comment that a driver made over the radio. Michael just may have gotten over it and forgiven Bowyer for the betterment of his organization, but its clear Clint is not thrilled to be driving an MWR Camry next year. But Clint has proven himself a race winner and Chase contender. Only time will tell how this pairing will work out. Can't wait for Speedweeks 2012.

Kurt Busch Scores Monster Win at Dover

Anyone who watches Nascar on a regular basis knows that Kurt Busch can get a little hot inside the car if the race doesn't go as planned. Last week, the Penske Racing driver commented about how he had never raced as hard for last place as he did at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway and how they need to prepare to not be on stage at the banquet in Vegas at seasons end. If his car isn't right, his crew is going to hear about it before the end of the race. But going into the weekend at Dover, it appeared as if this weekend would be the one where Kurt and his Shell/Pennzoil Dodge team turned their Chase around.

Martin Truex, Jr scored his first pole of the season at the Monster Mile and managed to lead the first three laps of the AAA 400 before handling issues forced the NAPA driver to surrender the lead to second place starter, Busch. It looked as if his No. 22 Charger was the car to beat, but this would prove to be a tale of three races.

Carl Edwards started off the second "race" and grabbed the lead from Busch on lap 52, never looking back. At one point, Edwards had lapped up to 18th place. Unfortunately, an early pit road speeding penalty forced Edwards to surrender first place and a position on the lead lap, which allowed Jimmie Johnson kick off the third "race." Driver 48 grabbed the top spot and checked out.

Many teams took two tires on a lot of their stops to gain track position. Matt Kenseth won the Dover race in the Spring by taking two tires late and it was clear that every team on pit road was going to try and duplicate that feat. Among the teams that took two tires was Busch's No. 22 team. He later dug into crew chief Steve Addington on the radio, saying the team needed to do something different with their front end geometry because they continue to be the best car for 100 laps every week they're never around at the end.

This race also saw several other Chasers struggle. Dale Junior had the right front sway bar break on his No. 88 National Guard Chevy. They would replace the part and battle back to run in and around the top ten, but a loose wheel would be their undoing late in the race and relegate them to a 24th place finish. Tony Stewart also saw the luck he'd had (winning the past two races) disappear as he struggled with his No. 14 Chevy all day long and finished 25th.

There were not a lot of cautions, other than the ones for spins by Mike Bliss and Greg Biffle, which made for a lot of long runs. But the race would still prove exciting, because on the next to last restart, Busch started on the outside of the leader Johnson. This meant Kurt was able to pinch Johnson's car down in turn one and get a huge run from the center off, grabbing the lead. After his power move, Kurt held off late charges from Johnson and Edwards (who made an impressive recovery from his penalty) and scored his second win of the season and his first in the 2011 Chase.

So as the Sprint Cup Series moves west to the Kansas Speedway this weekend, Dover proved one thing to race fans: This is anyones Chase to win. Tony Stewart came from nowhere to score the first two Chase wins and now Kurt Busch comes from behind to win at the Monster Mile. The only driver who has shown any consistency is the man atop the standings. Kevin Harvick has not been in contention for wins in the Chase, but his team has finished second, 12th and tenth in the first three Chase events. Every driver knows that wins never hurt towards a title run, but this year, consistency and minimizing mistakes as a team may just be the key to scoring the championship. Jimmie Johnson may be the favorite, but Kevin Harvick is definitely the guy to beat right now.

Stewart Goes Back to Back With Loudon Victory

After winning at least one race in the last 12 seasons, it looked as if this was going to be unlucky number 13 for Tony Stewart. But the driver known simply as Smoke has proved that his team was down, but they are anything but out. Stewart's No. 14 car reached victory lane for the second time in as many weeks Sunday in New Hampshire and showed that his Stewart-Haas Racing team will be a strong title contender, despite their slow start.

Stewart's teammate, Ryan Newman, led the field to green and jumped out to a strong lead. But the Red Bull teammates Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers showed early speed as well, running in the top three. Jimmie Johnson, Dale Junior and Martin Truex, Jr were also in the mix. But the car that started fifth was the one that everyone had their eye on.

Before the race, Kurt Busch's No. 22 Dodge failed pre-race inspection because the rear end housing was too off-center and was held by Nascar until the team made the adjustments and met the governing body's approval. The Shell-Pennzoil machine was pushed out to pit road following the singing of the national anthem and despite still starting fifth, Busch was on the backslide from the drop of the green. And after running out of fuel last week in Chicago, this is not the way this team wanted to continue their championship run. Because it may be have just turned into more of a sprint than a run for them now.

The fans in attendance saw a lot of green flag racing and not a lot of passing (unless you like watching a battle for 25th), which is typical of the "Magic Mile." The flat surface makes track position a premium during the race because drivers can only run along the bottom groove to make their cars work the best.

Aside from a few debris cautions, there wasn't a whole lot of excitment during the race. That is, until fuel mileage came into play for the second week in a row. Clint Bowyer was the leader and Smoke was close behind in second place, the reverse of how they ran in this race one year ago when Stewart ran out of gas on the final lap and Bowyer slid past for the victory. It looked as if Bowyer was going to get his first win of the season and his third at the New Hampshire oval. Until his car stumbled off turn four and and ran out of gas coming to take the white flag. This allowed Stewart to take the lead and put his Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevy in victory lane for the second week in a row and complete a Stewart-Haas Racing sweep of New Hampsihe this season (Newman won at the track in July).

As a result of his win, this allowed Smoke to grab the points lead and knock Kevon Harvick down to second after he finished 12th. The suprise of the day though may have been Brad Keselowski finishing second and jumping up to third (that's right. Third!) in the points standings. Like the 3-0 Buffalo Bills, the "Blue Deuce" appears to be the real deal. Kyle Busch rose to sixth, Junior fell to eighth and Johnson is tenth. And after two bad weekends in a row, it appears as if Denny Hamlin will not be delivering the championship for FedEx this year. He remains 12th in the standings.

Next week, the series goes from a flat mile track to the "Monster Mile" in Dover, Delaware. With a towering 24 degrees of banking in the corners, this track has proved to be an equalizer in the last few years. It will be interesting to see if the standings will continue to shuffle this weekend and if Smoke, Junior and Keselowski can keep up their recent momentum. Who will the Monster grab on Sunday afternoon? Only time will tell.

Tony Stewart Scores Third Windy City Victory

Tony Stewart has scored his first win of his season at the Chicagoland Speedway twice, once in 2004 and again in 2007. And on Monday, the Columbus, Indiana native scored his first win of the 2011 season at the Windy City racetrack. Suddenly the No. 14 team has gone from Chase pretender to title contender.

Mother Nature won the race on Sunday when rain postponed the Geico 400 to Monday morning, but when the first race in the 2011 Chase kicked off, it was anybodys to win. There were not very many cautions, but there were two strange instances early on. Defending Chicagoland winner David Reutimann felt the back of his car was bouncing around a lot after he pitted for a flat right rear tire. It was later discovered to be just what the Michael Waltrip Racing driver had feared: the rear shock of his Tums Toyota had broken a mount and come off the truck arm.

"Even with our issues we were fast, but just couldn't get in position to compete with the leaders" Reutimann said after the race. "It's very disappointing. We will regroup this week and work on our car for New Hampshire and get better next week." Reutimann was also spun out on pit road by Landon Cassil and, adding insult to injury, ran out of gas in the final laps. All these troubles relegated an otherwise competitive car and driver to a 32nd place finish.

The other mystery issue came when Greg Biffle, while racing for the lead, experienced a flat front tire. The Roush-Fenway driver suspected that the radiator pan was hitting something and that he had a shock problem because the front of his Filtrete/3M Ford was up in the air instead of down against the track. Biffle went from battling for the win to finishing 26th.

Up front, it looked as if it would come down to Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth or Kurt Busch. These three led early and often, but when that four letter f-word (not that f-word) was heard on all the team radios, the landscape of the race changed.

Fuel. Every driver was told to save every drop they could to make it to the finish. As the pay window began to open, Stewart also emerged as a contender. Martin Truex, Jr stayed out on the last round of pit stops in hopes of a caution, but the NAPA Toyota wheelman was forced to surrender his lead to pit for fuel. Meanwhile, Tony "Smoke" Stewart was clutching the engine in the corners to keep his rpms down and save precious gas.

But on the final lap, multiple cars ran out of fuel, including Chasers Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth (who was denied a top ten finish because he was pushed to the finish on the final lap). This allowed Kevin Harvick to finish second and Dale Earnhardt, Jr, who was running sixth at the time, to score a third place finish. But it was Smoke who grabbed the victory and erased any doubt about his team's title chances.

The points were also shaken up this weekend as well. Kevin Harvick is now your points leader, followed by Stewart, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch and Earnhardt, Jr goes from tenth to fifth. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch went from leading the points to eighth, Johnson to ninth and Kenseth to tenth. Gordon and Denny Hamlin round out the top twelve.

This week the Cup Series heads to New England and the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. "The Magic Mile" has kicked off the Chase since its inception in 2004, but this year it will be the second stop in the Nascar playoffs. With the points shaken up and Smoke on the rise (pun intended), this championship is anybody's to win. So watch out Jimmie!

Reports: Bowyer to Michael Waltrip Racing

It appears that Clint Bowyer, the biggest free agent on the market these days, will announce this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway that he has signed a multi-year deal to drive a Toyota Camry for Michal Waltrip Racing beginning in 2012. Bowyer had been in failing contract talks with his current team, Richard Childress Racing, for weeks now and it appears that Bowyer will indeed leave the organization that gave him his break in the Sprint Cup Series five years ago.

It was also reported that Bowyer would come with sponsorship from 5-Hour Energy. This means that the energy shot giant would leave their current place on the hood of Steve Wallace's No. 66 car in the Nationwide Series.

Bowyer was reported to be in talks with at least four other organizations in addition to RCR. Waltrip's organization, Roush-Fenway Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports and Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing were among the teams Bowyer talked to. It was reported that the final details are being ironed out and both Bowyer and MWR will make it official in the next 240-48 hours.

It is a little bit weird that Bowyer would sign on to drive for the man he once referred to as the "worst driver in Nascar." They might as well have gone and signed Robby Gordon (who called Michael Waltrip a piece of sh*t on live television in 2005) to drive their third car. But Bowyer has proven to be competitive and with MWR on the rise, adding his talent to Martin Truex, Jr's and David Reutimann's could make this team a serious contender for the Chase for the Cup next season.

Nascar Remebers 9/11 Ten Years Later

September 11th, 2001 was a day that changed our country forever. Seeing the images of black smoke rising from the Twin Towers against the clearest of blue skies and the same towers collapsing into a cloud of dust and debris will be forever ingrained in the memories of Americans who lived through it. Even ten years later, watching old news coverage, watching the reading of the names of the victims from Ground Zero (now one of, if not, the most beautiful and fitting memorials to those killed on that dark day), it feels as if the attacks just happened yesterday. It is just as fresh and just as heart wrenching.

Few sports are more patriotic than Nascar. Every week, the race starts out with a prayer, the national anthem and a military flyover. Nascar fans and drivers are very appreciative for the men and women who defend their freedom to come out and enjoy a race on a Sunday afternoon. So when the opportunity came to honor those lost in the 9/11 attacks, Nascar and the race teams jumped at the chance.

Just like every American, many drivers remember where they were that day when the news broke. David Reutimann and Kurt Busch were testing. Denny Hamlin was working underneath a racecar. Nascar was also watching and decided to follow the lead of other major sports and not race in New Hampshire the following weekend (despite the fact that many of the drivers did). when they returned to the track in Dover, the teams were greeted to a sea of red white and blue in the stands. Every fan and every crewman on pit road had a flag, almost every driver had a special paint scheme and everyone there was proud as proud could be to be an American. And it was very fitting that Dale Junior went on to win and parade a big American flag around the track.

This weekend was no different. Several drivers had special paint schemes, including Kyle Busch who's car was void of sponsorship logos and was decked out like Old Glory. Many had also teamed up with the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation which helps families of firefighters and builds homes for quadriplegic veterans when they return home from combat. They helped to raise money and awareness for the charity and also pay tribute to the first responders and good Samaritans who gave their lives doing what they did for a living: saving lives.

The prerace ceremonies were also a great tribute to those lost ten years ago. Former NYPD officer Danny Rodriguez performed a stirring rendition of "God Bless America" and the US Army 29th Infantry Division Band out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia performed one of the best renditions of the national anthem ever. (On a side note, Nascar needs a military band to do the anthem every week. They're the only ones that perform it right and with the level of respect that it deserves). If that didn't make you proud to be an American, then you need to find somewhere else to live or check your pulse or something.

Americans are forever indebted to our firefighters, police officers, EMS personnel and military servicemen and women. Without these men and women doing what they do and putting themselves in harms way so we can stay safe, who knows where we would be. They are the true heroes in this world. Not Batman, not Derek Jeter, not Dale Junior or Jeff Gordon. The first responders that risk their lives to save ours are the ones who deserve our thanks and respect. We will never forget what they do for us and we will never forget those lost on 9/11. God bless them and their families and God bless the United States of America.

Kevin Harvick Wins Busy Weekend in Richmond

It was a very eventful weekend for Kevin Harvick in Richmond. He made news even before the cars hit the track for practice when he announced that his very sucessful Kevin Harvick Inc. team would no longer field Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series entries next season. His trucks and shop will be sold and his two Nationwide teams will be run out of Richard Childress Racing's shop in Welcome, North Carolina. He was involved in some controversy in the Nationwide race Friday night when he had run-ins with both Jason Lefler and Trevor Bayne. And Saturday night he capped his weekend with a victory in the Wonderful Pistachios 400.

The race began with a tribute to those lost ten years ago in the 9/11 attacks. Danny Rodriguez, former NYPD officer, performed a stirring rendition of "God Bless America" and the US Army 29th Infantry Division Band out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, performed one of the best versions of the "Star Spangled Banner" I've ever heard. This was a very fitting, very poignant moment of reflection and celebration of our freedoms.

The race began when Frank Siller, founder of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, waved the green flag and pole winner David Reutimann led the field into turn one. Not long after, the action to start. On lap nine, Clint Bowyer divebombed under Reutimann as they entered turn three. This sent Bowyer's car into the wall, but the wreck was just beginning. A few cars didn't see Bowyer against the wall and eleven other cars were collected in the incident. This included Chase hopefuls Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

More controversy ensued when Marcos Ambrose and Brian Vickers got together entering turn three, sending Vickers up the track and into his lame duck teammate Kasey Kahne. Vickers, none too pleased with what had happened, turned his car in front of Ambrose's and made contact with him to express his displeasure. Later in the night, Bowyer got to Reutimann and spun him back for what had happened earlier (because Bowyer making a bonehead move is somehow Reutimann's fault). This sent the back of the No. 00 car into the wall and relegated a very competitive Aaron's Dream Machine to a 26th place finish.

But the biggest story of the night was Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch picking up where they left off at Pocono a few weeks back. The fight began with the two bumping and banging down the "Long Pond Straightaway" at the "Tricky Triangle" and resumed when Busch locked up his tires and slid up the track, sending Johnson's No. 48 into the wall. Later on in the race, Johnson dumped Busch in the same spot and sent him spinning. However, Kurt moved on unscathed and Jimmie hit the wall again. You'd think a five time champ would have better aim. Kurt then blasted Johnson on the radio, saying "What a chump!! I got your number!!"

But when the smoke cleared, it was Harvick who took the checkers, after a fast pit stop got him the lead back and he held off a late charge from Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards. The Chase field was also finalized and, much to the delight of Junior Nation, Dale Earnhardt, Jr will make his first playoff appearance since 2008. Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin also secured Chase berths. Now there is nothing left to do but race for the title. The first race of the ten race Chase for the Championship will take place, for the first time, at the Chicagoland Speedway. It will be interesting to see if this shakes up the standings and to see who will pull into victory lane. Will it be a Chaser or will David Reutimann win back to back events in the Windy City? In this season of first time winners and "boys have at it", anything can happen.

Jeff Gordon Scores Historic Win in Atlanta

Jeff Gordon began his Cup Series career in 1992, making his first start at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the season's final race. Perhaps symbolizing a changing of the guard, this was also Richard Petty's final race before he retired. Neither driver had a great day, with Gordon wrecking his DuPont Chevy and Petty's STP Pontiac wrecking in a ball of fire. But this past weekend in Atlanta, Jeff Gordon achieved another milestone. He beat his teammate Jimmie Johnson to the stripe and scored his 85th career victory, which puts him in sole possession of third place on the all-time wins list.

The Advocare 500 was supposed to be held Sunday night, but because of Hurricane Lee, rain and unsafe travel conditions forced Nascar to postpone the race until Tuesday morning. With a green race track and a daytime start, it would be very interesting to see who would come up on top.

There were many comers and goers, but the one car that stayed up front through just about every run was Jeff Gordon's No. 24. Matt Kenseth dominated early on and it looked to be his race, but Martin Truex, Jr, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski all looked to challenge him. With the combination of a green track, jet dryers heating the surface up during the two rain delays and the light mist that fell through almost the whole race, it was difficult for teams to set their cars up right. The track never did the same thing twice.

As the race progressed, Kyle suddenly lost the handle on his car, sending him back in the field. On the other hand, Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus adjusted the No. 48 car enough to where they could race to the front and challenge Gordon and Kenseth.

Restarts were very chaotic as well. It seemed like whoever started second would spin their tires and stack up the field behind them. One restart saw Kevin Harvick get hit from behind, spin almost dead sideways and still manage to make a spectacular save.

There were a couple of wrecks as well. The one with the biggest implications happened when Juan Montoya and Clint Bowyer made contact off turn four that knocked Bowyer's car into the outside wall and out of Chase contention (realistically). The other happened when Mark Martin hooked Regan Smith off turn two and spun Smith's No. 78 down the track and into the inside wall. While Martin never said he wrecked Smith on purpose, he did say that "...people aren't going to get away with running into me." David Ragan also blew an engine, ending his bid for a Chase berth as well (again, realistically).

The racing was fantastic all day long. The side by side, two and three wide racing proved to be well worth the wait for fans that expected a race two days prior. The final battle was between teammates Johnson and Gordon. Both were on worn tires and sliding all over the track. Gordon ran high and that forced Johnson to try and pass the No. 24 car on the low side, making his car much looser. Johnson would get close, but his car's lack of grip would allow Gordon to grab his 85th career win, snapping his tie with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip and giving his sole possession of third on the all-time wins list. I'm not a Jeff Gordon fan, but even I can appreciate an accomplishment like this. Congratulations to Jeff and his Hendrick Motorsports team. Great, great job!!

But it is now time to put Atlanta in the rear view and head to Richmond where the final Chase field will be set. Several teams will also run patriotic paint schemes to pay tribute to the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks. It will be a night of remembrance and excitement. Drivers like AJ Allmendiger and Martin Truex, Jr will be fighting hard for a win to lock themselves into a wildcard spot while racers like David Reutimann are racing to win and prove that they belong in the Chase next season. With this "win and you're in" mentality going on this weekend, there will be no shortage of excitement on the track Saturday night at Richmond. They don't call it "The Action Track" for nothing.