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.