What songs get drivers going

For the second year in a row drivers picked the music to be played when they are introduced to fans before today's race at Bristol. Sadly, if you're not at the track, you won't see it. Fox would have to pay a good bit of money in music rights fees to show this on TV. Still, you can get a feel of what gets your driver going. So, here's the list (note: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin had fan contests to pick their song and withheld what their choice was until shortly before their introduction.)

 

AJ Allmendinger .... "Last Resort'' by Papa Roach

Aric Almirola .... "Back in Black'' by AC/DC

Bobby Labonte ... "People are Crazy'' by Billy Currington

Brad Keselowski ... "Won't Back Down'' by Tom Petty

Brian Vickers ... "Whatever Happened'' by OAR

Carl Edwards ... "Black Betty'' by Spiderbait

Casey Mears ... "Wild Side'' by Motley Crue

Clint Bowyer ... "Burning Love'' by Elvis Presley

David Ragan ... "The  Devil Went Down to Georgia'' by Charlie Daniels

David Reutimann ... "The Game'' by Motor Head

Denny Hamlin .. "Theme from Rocky''

Elliott Sadler ... "2001: A Space Odyssey Theme'''

Greg Biffle ... "Welcome to the Jungle'' by Guns N' Roses

Jamie McMurray ... "Let It Rock'' by Kevin Rudoph featuring Lil Wayne

Jeff Burton ... "Welcome to the Jungle'' by Guns N' Roses

Jeff Gordon ... "Boom, Boom, Pow'' by Black Eyed Peas

Jimmie Johnson ... "Ramble On'' by Led Zepplin

Juan Pablo Montoya ... "Goin' The Distance'' by Cake

Kasey Kahne ... "Bulls on Parade'' by Rage Against the Machine

Kevin Conway ... "Big Time'' by Peter Gabriel

Kevin Harvick ... "Rollin -- Airraid Vehicle'' by LImp Bizkit

Kurt Busch ... "Dukes of Hazard Theme song'' by Waylon Jennings

Kyle Busch ... "Amazing'' by Kanye West

Marcos Ambrose ... "Thunderstruck'' by AC/DC

Maritn Truex Jr. ... "NAPA Know How Jingle''

Matt Kenseth ... "Whisky Hangover'' by Godsmack

Paul Menard ... "Paradise City'' by Guns N' Roses

Regan Smith ... "Fight for Your Right'' by Beastie Boys

Robby Gordon ... "Some Beach'' by Blake Shelton

Ryan Newman ... "Hillbilly Rockstar'' by Bridgette Tatum

Sam Hornish Jr. ... "Bad Habit'' by Offspring

Scott Speed ... "Loveshack'' by B-52s

Tony Stewart ... "Bawitdaba'' by Kid Rock

Travis Kvapil ... "Kickstart My Heart'' by Motley Crue

Joey Logano ... "Crank dat'' by Soldier Boys

David Gilliland ... "I Got a Feeling'' by Black Eyed Peas

Terry Cook ... "Don't Look Back'' by Boston

Joe Nemechek ... "Boot Scotin Boogie'' by Brooks and Dunn

Mike Bliss ... "Rise Above This'' by Seether

Michael Waltrip .. "Hillbilly Bone'' by Blake Shelton

 

 

 

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NASCAR meets with Edwards, Keselowski; Preaches moving forward

NASCAR officials met with Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards and car owners Jack Roush and Roger Penske on Saturday morning at Bristol Motor Speedway to clear the air between the drivers after their incident at Atlanta two weeks ago, which was not the first between the drivers. All of them were in the NASCAR hauler about 40 minutes.

 

Here's what each said about the meeting, which they walked out of the NASCAR hauler side-by-side.

 

NASCAR PRESIDENT MIKE HELTON

 

"I would tell you that every meeting we've ever had up there is productive in some form, or fashion, in some level. It wasn't about Atlanta. It was about Carl and Brad. We've had them before and we'll have them again. And I think it was worthwhile and productive.

 

"Today's meeting wasn't about trying to fix Brad. It was about Brad and Carl's relationship. A conversation that we've had with other drivers in the past.

 

(On boundaries of "Have at it''): "I think the boundaries are there and we're clear, well I don't want to say we're clear, but the boundaries are there and we told them in the offseason and it will continue to be defined. But Atlanta wasn't about those boundaries to us, it was about a car getting off the ground. We separated those two. We'll react to what happens on the race track between two drivers when we feel like it's necessary to react. We'll know that when we'll see it. The bigger thing about what happened at Atlanta was making sure we keep cars on the ground.''

 

BRAD KESELOWSKI

 

"We're just trying to really understand where everybody is coming from. Hopefully, (the meeting) will be productive to where we can move forward and continue to race each other hard and not have any more incidents like we did at Atlanta.

 

"Carl and I have talked before about leaving each other more room but it seems like when it comes down to it, it just never works out. It's just racing. The biggest thing to me, incidents are going to happen because we race against each other 60-70 times a year and we're both running well, so we're going to run by each other. We just have to build up a tolerance to that when things go wrong.

 

"The only way you're going to be satisfied is if we can back up two weeks and it would have never happened. Anytime besides that is just what it is. I'm satisifed with where we're at going forward. I wouldn't say I'm satisfied with the whole situation.''

 

CARL EDWARDS

 

"I think the biggest thing coming out of the meeting is that now, I think, Brad and I understand one another a litlte better. I think we're going to be able to just go forward and go racing and that's what this is all about. It was really cool to be able to talk with Jack and Roger and Brad all at once. We laughed. We cried. In the end, I think it's going to be good.

 

(On his personality being attacked, i.e. Harvick and others): "Let me put it this way, it's real easy to stand back and throw stones at someone and make little chirps and say things that make you feel better about yourself, but, in the end, what I said yesterday holds true. The people who know me know that I'm a very fair person. I guess if my biggest fault is standing up for myself, I'll take it. They can fault me all day for that.

 

JACK ROUSH

 

"Carl and Brad both said things that would indicate that they're willing to put it behind them and let bygones be bygones, to give one another racing room and that's what's needed. They need to give one another a little extra room for awhile.''

 

(Do Carl and Brad see eye to eye?) "No, but I think that they will give one another enough respect that we won't see another occurrence like that. I think Carl is not likely to have incidental contact with Brad and cause a wreck, and I think Brad is not likely to have incidental contact with Carl and cause a wreck in the foreseeable future.

 

ROGER PENSKE

 

"I think certainly Carl realized what had happened ... wasn't what he expected with the car flying, and to me it was just good, open communications. The guys agreed they're going race hard, fair and give themselves some room on the race track so we don't become the poster boys every weekend on what's happening. I said, hey, at the end of races, if we're racing for the lead with a lap or two to go, you're going to have to run hard. But try to stay out of each other's way during the race. It was a good conversation. They're both good guys.''

 

 

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Keselowski hoping for doughnuts at meeting with Edwards, NASCAR

Yes, Brad Keselowski was joking when he said he hoped there would be doughnuts at Saturday's meeting with Carl Edwards, car owners Jack Roush and Roger Penske and NASCAR in light of Edwards wrecking Keselowski at Atlanta two weeks ago and sending Keselowski's car airborne.

 

Robin Pemberton, NASCAR VP of competition, wouldn't say what series officials plan to say in the meeting. Here's what's likely to happen. Both drivers will get a chance to air their grievances with each other and explain why they've acted or reacted in the manner they have. At some point, NASCAR likely will give the drivers (although Edwards might have gotten it at Atlanta), the speech about the sport has been around before they got here and will be around after they leave and NASCAR has proved they can run races without them and do just fine. The point being do they really want this to escalate and force NASCAR to react?

 

Edwards didn't want to talk about the meeting before it happened, but he did lash out at Kevin Harvick for calling him a fake. Edwards is expected to talk after the meeting Saturday.

 

Keselowski did talk Friday at Bristol to the media. Here's some of what he said:

 

Q: Will Edwards be an easy target now for payback now that he's on probation?

 

KESELOWSKI: He's maybe an easier target for everybody else but me. I'm not thinking about him to be honest. I think it's a disservice to my team to be really worried about him. It will be interesting to see how everybody else reacts to it.''

 

Q: What do you expect in your meeting with NASCAR and Edwards?

 

KESELOWSKI: "I don't know. I know I'm going to bring my ears. I'm going to listen as much as I talk and there's a lot of high-profile people I'm sure that are going to be there, and I think you have to come in with the right mindset to take anything away from it.''

 

Q: Do you expect NASCAR to be focused on you and Edwards during the races this weekend?

 

KESELOWSKI: "I really don't think they'll have any focus on us to be honest. From what I've seen they're letting things flow.''

 

Q: Define what "Boys have at it'' means.

 

KESELOWSKI: "That will be my question when I get to meet with them. That's something we're all trying to understand. It sounds like it's somewhat of a work in progress.''

 

Q: Reaction of other drivers?

 

KESELOWSKI: "I haven't really talked to any drivers. The only driver I saw was Jeff Gordon, and I just bumped into him and he was pretty cool. I've always gotten along well with Jeff. He told me about some of trails and tribulations he went through and how there's no real way to make it through without going through the  hard times. I really appreciated his support.''

 

Q: More on reaction of other drivers and if they reached out to him.

 

KESELOWSKI: "The only time I really ever talk to other drivers is when I bump into them. Nobody really reaches out to me. I try talking to a few of them and they didn't really seem that interested. To be honest even ones that I don't really feel that I've done anything to make them mad. I think everybody is trying to do their own thing.''

 

Q: Disappointed drivers are talking more to press about your instead of to you?

 

KESELOWSKI: "I understand it. I've used this analogy to explain this situation through the last few incidents Ive had. Other drivers stand to benefit when they talk about me in the media from the sense it diverts attention away from their own struggles and it puts more pressure on me. It's like you're trying to tear somebody else's house down so you can build your own, which I understand it. I think if they had really legitimate gripes, they would probably come up to me and say something. I would hope. I know that I would.''

 

Q: Not going to change your driving style?

 

KESELOWSKI: "You're not going to make your competitors happy. It's not possible. Part of running well is making your competitors angry. I'm sure that there's a part where they're angry because I make contact with them. Like I said all along, I can point the finger back the other way and say just as many times where I've been right as wrong. I'm not going to sit here and whine about it. It's all even in my mind. When you first come into this sport, I don't think other drivers are OK with it being even.''

 

 

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# Joey Logano won his first Cup pole Friday at Bristol with a lap of 124.630 mph.

 

The top 10:

 

1. Joey Logano .... 124.630 mph

2. Kurt Busch .... 123.857

3. Dave Blaney ... 123.849

4. Jimmie Johnson ... 123.818

5. Jeff Gordon ... 123.698

6. Juan Pablo Montoya ... 123.626

7. Matt Kenseth ... 123.499

8. Carl Edwards ... 123.403

9. Marcos Ambrose ... 123.308

10. David Reutimann ... 123.269

 

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Edwards-Harvick feud intensifies; Edwards calls Harvick "a bad person''

The Brad Keselowski-Carl Edwards episode now includes Kevin Harvick, who during a radio program this week called Edwards "fake as hell.''

 

Asked about the comment, Harvick said Friday of Edwards: "You can't be the nice guy, you can't be the bad guy and you can't be the bully. So, that's just how I feel about that.''

 

Edwards responded Friday at Bristol by telling The Associated Press: "I have absolutely no respect for (Harvick) I think he's a bad person. That's my opinion. I've told him that. We've had our deal before and his actions through that ... were so devious and underhanded and cowardly that I just no respect for him. When people like that question me, it makes me feel better because if those people were lined up patting me on the back, I'd be on the wrong side of what's right and wrong. And I truly believe that. I am not trying to be a good guy or a bad guy.

 

"That's just who I am. All those people that say whatever they say, know that if I have an issue with them, I go speak to them. I don't go talk behind their back like little girls, that's what a lot of them do. I learned that wasn't cool in about fifth grade.''

 

Harvick declined to comment about what Edwards said about him.

 

This isn't the first time these two have had issues. Remember the incident in the Nationwide garage at Charlotte two years ago. Edwards approached Harvick in the garage that day. After a heated conversation, Harvick turned to walk away and, according to witnesses, Edwards grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around. Harvick then shoved Edwards in retaliation, forcing Edwards on to the hood of Harvick's Nationwide car. According to an ESPN.com report then, witnesses claimed the exchange was in reference to a handwritten note Edwards left on a seat in Harvick's airplane after the race at Talladega the previous weekend. The note, according to the story, "facetiously thanked Harvick for disparaging comments he made toward Edwards on ABC following a multicar wreck ... which was triggered when Edwards tapped teammate Greg Biffle.''

 

The Charlotte Observer reported that Edwards sarcastically wrote in that note: "I was really trying to screw up everyone's day. Love, Carl.''

 

 After the incident in the Charlotte garage two years ago, Harvick said of the confronation: "You just got to be careful who you want to pick a fight with. If you want to pick a fight with the wrong person, sometimes it turns around and bites you no matter how big and tough you think you are.''

 

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Spoiler returning to NASCAR at Martinsville; Change made to all-star race

What had long been expected will indeed happen _ the spoiler will make its return to the Cup Series at Martinsville later this month, ending the short history of the rear wing in NASCAR.

 

Robin Pemberton, NASCAR VP of competition, made the announcement Tuesday.

 

So, enjoy it folks, this weekend's race at Bristol will be the final Cup race with a rear wing on the car. It debuted at Bristol in 2007 and ends at Bristol three years later.

 

A few details: Pemberton said teams must buy the spoilers from a NASCAR-approved seller and then NASCAR will install them. The only time NASCAR will issue spoilers is at Daytona and Talladega. The spoiler will be 64.5 inches wide (at all tracks but Daytona and Talladega -- that still being worked out) and will be 4 inches tall. The angle will be mandated at 70 degrees. A reminder that NASCAR has a two-day test next week at Charotte Motor Speedway (March 23-24) for teams to test with the spoiler.

 

Here's what some drivers say about the spoiler and what kind of impact it might have.

 

"Bringing the spoiler back is right,'' Kevin Harvick said. "NASCAR racing is built with the spoiler. The cars just look right with the spoiler on there. NASCAR fans don't like wings and if you want to watch something with a wing, they watch Indy car racing. There's no reason the wing should have ever been on there in my opinion.''

 

Said Kyle Busch: "I feel like it's a change for the betterment of the sport to try to make these cars a little bit better. I'm looking foward to it. I definitely think that NASCAR wouldn't have done it if they didn't think it was for the better, so we'll see how it goes.''

 

Said Martin Truex Jr.: "My first reaction was, obviously, it looks better. Every car that I've run, except the last few years of my entire life, has had a spoiler on it, so I feel a little more comfortable with it. I'm a fan.''

 

Just because drivers like it now doesn't mean they will once the change is made. While the spoiler change at Martinsville is expected to have little or no impact on the racing, it will at bigger tracks on the schedule and could swing the balance of power in the sport. Consider what the spoiler change means:

 

"I don't think the spoiler is going to cause a huge changer other than the attitudes and heights of the splitter are going to need to be a little bit different,'' Harvick said. "The attitude of the car is going to need to be a little bit different and, obviously, when you change all that, your bump stop loads change, so you're going to need different springs, a small change to your spring and shocks and wedge and things like that. So, you're package is going to be tweaked around quite a bit from what you normally race. It's not going to be huge changes. The only unknown that everybody doesn't know is how the cars will 100 percent react in traffic. Based upon what I know from the wind tunnel and things, it seems like they're going to react much like all our other cars have always reacted with cars side by side are going to be a little loose on the bottom; cars real close to your bumper are going to make you loose.''

 

Said Truex: "It definitely opens another can of worms. It's going to be completley different. The cars are going to want different things. They're going to feel different to us, so, yes, it's going to take different things. I think you're going to have a few guys that jump in there and figure it out before the rest of the guys and kind of get out ahead of them just like some guys did when we had the COT. It's a matter of learning as much as we can as fast as we can.''

 

Said Busch: "With the rear wing we've just kind of fought getting these cars to turn. It seems like we overproduced downforce on the rear of the car and haven't had enough on the front of the car in order to make the cars turn through the corners to carry the speed that we need. We're also hoping the change produces better side-by-side racing just being able to run side by side and not have the car on the inner side of you or the outer side of you make you loose or make you tight when they get tigher to you. It's all about air and it's relative to how everybody else moves it around your car.''

 

Here's a list of the drivers who won the most times among the 92 races run (pending Bristol) with the rear wing.

 

1. Jimmie Johnson .... 21

2. Kyle Busch ........13

3. Carl Edwards ...11

4. Tony Stewart ..... 6

Denny Hamlin .......6

6. Mark Martin .......5

7. Jeff Gordon ..... 4

Kasey Kahne ...... 4

Kurt Busch .......... 4

10. Clint Bowyer . 2

Greg Biffle ........... 2

Jeff Burton .......... 2

Matt Kenseth ..... 2

Jamie McMurray . 2

15. Martin Truex Jr. . 1

Juan Pablo Montoya . 1

Dale Earnhardt Jr. . 1

Ryan Newman .... 1

Joey Logano ...... 1

David Reutimann . 1

Brian Vickers ...... 1

Brad Keselowski . 1

 

 

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Also on Tuesday, Sprint announced details for its all-star race on May 22 (the day before the Hall of Fame induction ceremony) at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

 

The change is that between the third and fourth (the final) segment, all teams must make a mandatory pit stop. That's new. Also, teams will start the final 10-lap dash with $1 million going to the race winner based on how they exit the pits. The point is to make pit work mean more.

 

Here's the breakdown for the All-Star race

 

Segment 1 (50 laps) -- Mandatory green-flag pit stop. Cars must pit after completing lap 25. Caution flag thrown at end of segment and teams may pit (but don't have to do so).

Segment 2 (20 laps) -- Caution flag thrown at end of segment and again teams may pit if they want to do so.

Segment 3 (20 laps) -- 10-minute break after the completion of this segment. Cars will return to the track and line up single file behind the pace car in order that they finished Segment 3. On second lap behind pace car all cars must make a four-tire pit stop. How they exit the pits is in what order they'll restart the final segment.

Segment 4 (10 laps) -- Only green flag laps count in this segment. Winner receives $1 million.

 

Earlier that night will be the Sprint Showdown, which is a 40-lap race, broken into segments of 20-laps each. Top two finishers advance to all-star race _ along with the fan vote winner. Fan vote opens March 24, about four weeks earlier in than in past years.

 

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ODDS AND ENDS

 

# Narain Karthikeyan of India is set to make his NASCAR debut on March 27 in the Camping World Truck race at Martinsville. He ran in Formula One in 2005 and then was a test driver in that series afterward.

 

# Martin Truex Jr.'s brother, Ryan, will run six Nationwide race this season. Ryan Truex turns 18 on Thursday, making him old enough to compete in NASCAR's top series. Truex is set to make his debut July 17 at Gateway Speedway for Michael Waltrip Racing. He's also scheduled to compete in Nationwide races later in the summer at Michigan, Richmond, Kansas, Charlotte and Homestead.

 

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UPDATED: Cars top 200 mph at Talladega; Gordon's wife to have son

 

Drivers traveled more than 200 mph during a one-day test at Talladega Superspeedway on Tuesday. The test was mainly to determine the correct spoiler and restrictor plate size for when the series returns next month.

 

During the test, the top official speed was listed at more than 202 mph by Denny Hamlin (test speeds listed below). Although, Dale Earnhardt Jr. says he hit 213 mph during the test.

 

NASCAR did not announce after Tuesday's test the spoiler and restrictor-plate size for the Talladega race. Also, NASCAR has a spoiler test March 23-24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The spoiler is expected to make its race debut at Martinsville a few days after the Charlotte test. The spoiler is not expected to impact how the car handles at Martinsville (as opposed to the rear wing). Martinsville provides a good starting point so teams can get use to the technical inspection process with the rear spoiler and that it comes two races before the first real test of the spoiler at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway next month.

 

Here's what Robin Pemberton, NASCAR VP of Competition, and John Darby, Cup Series Director, said about the test.

 

PEMBERTON: "I thin k we had a good test. We started off with a reasonable package that was pretty safe on restrictor-plate size and spoiler downforce and got the guys comfortable with the cars. For the most it was a good day. The feedback was the cars were stable but the closure rate was a little too much at some points and that's what we spent most of the afternoon working on, slow that closure rate down.''

 

DARBY: "The three things we work with at restrictor-plate race tracks that ultimately control everything that surrounds the performance fo the car is the aerodynamic signature, the restrictor-plate size and the rear-end gear and there's a real delicate balance between the three of those that helps us contain the speeds to what we're looking for as well as keeping the drivers happy. Robin eluded to the closure rate being very fast in the first drafting session this afternoon. The by-product of that is if you fall away from the draft it's like having a huge parachute on your car and you watch the pack drive off into the sunset and that's not good for competition. A lot of the spoiler trimming that we did this afternoon was to give the teams back the ability to stay with their competitors, have the confidence that they could not only stay with the draft but have enough closure speed and horsepower to successfully pass each other, and I think we've got a very good starting point to go home with and maybe fine tune on a little.''

 

DARBY (ON THE CHANGES THEY MADE DURING THE TEST): "We began the day with a spoiler that was 4.5 inches tall by 64.5 inches wide with "puppy dog ears'' or whatever you want to call them, extra flaps on the outer end ... with an inch and 1/32 restrictor plate. We were able to afford that large plate because of the amount of the drag a spoiler that large creates. After lunch, we started a drafting session with the same combintaion and had some suck-up speeds that were a littlle faster than what we cared for. In conjunctin with that we had a lot of conversations with the drivers and that's where it became apparent that the car had too much drag. It was good to closing up on the guy in front of you while you were in the middle of the pack, but if, for example, somebody got shuffled to the outside, then that spoiler became a big parachute and sucked them backwards just as fast as they were going forward. That typically doesn't make for a good race.''

 

DARBY (ON HOW FAST IS UNCOMFORTABLE FOR SERIES OFFICIALS AND WILL THOSE "PUPPY DOG'' EAR EXTENTIONS ON SPOILER STILL BE RUN ON OTHER TRACKS): "I think we fight a whole different animal at the other tracks. Fortunatley, they're all a lot simpler. At the open tracks with the spoiler on, all you need to do is replace the downforce that the wing had and keep the balance pretty much the same. I would probably predict we'll come back (to Talladega) with a straight-top spoiler (as they used at the end of the day). The speed issue you eluded to, shoot, they're race cars it's hard to say they're going too fast. That being said, we're real comfortable in the mid-190 range as far as racing speeds.''

 

PEMBERTON (ON WHAT DRIVERS SAID): "We got some good feedback. Not everybody wanted to settle on the same setup at the end of the day, but the fact of the matter is we'll go back and look at it and do what is best for everyone concerned, the race track, the fans and the drivers. I'm sure we'll come back here with probably one of the better setups that we've had in some time at Talladega.''

 

They said that the width of the spoiler was 62.5 inches after removing the "puppy dog ears'' on the side. The height remains 4.5 inches. The angle of spoiler is 70 degrees. Series officials did not alter that during the test.

 

Here are the speeds from the afternoon test session at Talladega. Understand that NASCAR changed the restrictor-plate size and spoiler size during the session. Top speeds were in the draft but don't expect these speeds when the series returns in April. NASCAR likes to keep the cars in the mid 190s at the highest in the draft.

 

1. Denny Hamlin ..... 202.170 mph

2. Joey Logano .... 201.863

3. Brian Vickers .... 200.163

4. David Reutimann ....199.879

5. David Gilliand ..... 199.858 (Gilliland listed as driving the No. 18 for Kyle Busch)

6. Jimmie Johnson .... 199.800

7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. .... 199.791

8. Martin Truex Jr. .... 199.754

9. Regan Smith .... 199.658

10. Paul Menard .... 199.629

11. Ryan Newman .... 199.263

12. Tony Stewart .... 199.056

13. Sam Hornish Jr. .... 199.019

14. Jeff Gordon .... 198.409

15. Kevin Harvick .... 198.359

16. David Ragan .... 198.347

17. Mark Martin .... 198.183

18. Kurt Busch ..... 197.958

19. Matt Kenseth .... 197.917

20. Scott Speed .... 197.602

21. Jeff Burton .... 196.129

22. Brad Keselowski .... 194.947

23. Aric Almirola ... 187.879

24. Kevin Conway ... 187.794

25. Dave Blaney .... 185.129

 

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IT'S A BOY FOR JEFF GORDON

 

Gordon announced Tuesday that his wife is carrying a boy. The couple previously announced that they would have a second child but Gordon said they found out its sex last week.

 

"There's no doubt we were rooting for a boy,'' Gordon said. "I think for us, the ultimate would be to have a boy and a girl. We want two and we want both. The most important thing is for a healthy boy. We were going to be totally content and fine and stop at two no matter what, even if it was a girl.''

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for following agreed-upon rules of civility. Comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its Web sites. Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the "Report Violation" link below the comment.

Looking ahead

Keeping it short and simple so you folks can focus on their NCAA brackets and who is going to win

 

# NASCAR has a one-day spoiler test at Talladega on Tuesday. With the spoiler, NASCAR will look at different restrictor-plate sizes to try to give the same type of racing fans saw in the Daytona 500.

 

# After a weekend off, the Nationwide and Cup series is back in action at Bristol. Cup entry list features 45 cars with the one main change David Stremme for Boris Said in the No. 26 car. Likely done since team is outside the top 35 in car owner points and Boris has never run a Cup race there. Also, Michael Waltrip is listed on the entry list as being in the No. 55 car instead of Michael McDowell. Nationwide entry list features 50 cars and does include Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski.

 

# This is the last race where the top 35 in car owner points from last season is used in Cup. After Bristol, those in the top 35 in car owner points this season will have a starting spot at Martinsville the following week.

 

# Saturday night at Bristol, the track will feature a 12-car, 35-lap legends race that is scheduled to include: David Pearson, Harry Gant, Larry Pearson, Rick Wilson, Cale Yarborough, Charlie Glotzbach, Dave Marcis, Tommy Houston, L.D. Ottinger, Jack Ingram, Phil Parsons and Jimmy Hensley.

 

# Interesting story here on if fans were injured as a result of on track retaliation if they could sue.

 

 

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Things to think about heading into a NASCAR-free weekend

No racing this weekend as NASCAR gives way to the conference basketball tournaments and Selection Sunday. Still, much to think about (beyond Edwards-Keselowski). Here's a few things:

 

# Is the racing better this year? I've heard it from a number of people. Do you agree? It certainly was something to see Harvick and Johnson go side-by-side for the lead for a few laps in the middle of the California race, something you didn't always see there. Atlanta race was intereting with teams struggling with the tires before the wild final 20 laps. Two races have gone into double-overtime -- needing two attempts at a Green-White-Checkered finishi (Atlanta and Daytona). So, are you seeing what you like?

 

Consider these numbers:

 

Lead changes in the first four races in 2010: 127 (average of 31.75 per race)

Lead changes in the first four races in 2009: 57 (average of 14.25 per race -- remember last year's Daytona 500 shortened by 48 laps by rain)

Lead changes in the first four races in 2008: 120 (average of 30.0 per race)

Lead changes in the first four races in 2007: 100 (average of 25.0 per race) -- Those races run with old car before COT arrived

 

# Here's a look at the number of cars involved in crashes

 

2010 total through four races: 39

2009 total through four races: 31

2008 total through four races: 27

2007 total through four races: 36

 

# Lead changes in the last 20 laps of a race (through four races)

 

2010: 6 lead changes

2009: 4 lead changes

2008: 6 lead changes

2007: 5 lead changes

 

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DIRE POINTS SITUATION?

 

A number of past Chase drivers are outside the top 20 after 4 races, so could that mean a major shuffle in who makes the Chase this year?

 

A look at how far back some former Chase drivers are:

 

20. Carl Edwards ..... 47 points out of 12th

21. Juan Pablo Montoya ....64 points out of 12th

22. Denny Hamlin .... 73 points out of 12th

24. Martin Truex Jr. ....96 points out of 12th

29. Ryan Newman ....145 points out of 12th

 

Now at this time last year, three drivers outside the top 20 went on to make the Chase:

 

Juan Pablo Montoya was 21st after four races last year and was 67 points out of 12th. He had an average finish of 12.5 the remaining 22 races before the Chase to make it.

 

Ryan Newman was 32nd after four races last year and was 151 points out of 12th. He had an average finish of 11.5 the remaining 22 races before the Chase to make it.

 

Mark Martin was 34th after four races last year and was 189 points out of 12th. He averaged an average finish of 12.6 the remaining 22 races before the Chase to make it.

 

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RANDOM THOUGHTS:

 

# While Denny Hamlin has yet to put together finishes that would justify all the preseason attention as a title contender (and he was my pick to win the championship this year), keep an eye on him the next couple of weeks. He typically gets hot at Bristol and Martinsville to jump up in the standings. He's the only driver to have won at Martinsville not named Jimmie Johnson in the last seven races. Johnson has five wins during that time and Hamlin two, including last fall. Hamlin has an average finish of 2.8 in his last seven races at Martinsville. Hamlin has an average finish of 4.0 in his last four Bristol races. If he does close to what he's done there the past couple of years, he'll gain some points. If he doesn't, then his climb becomes more difficult.

 

# Perspective: Last year at this time, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 24th in the points. This year he's 13th. So,  yes there's improvement. Although it's, undoubtedly, not coming as fast as many of his fans want and that's understandable. Can this team make the Chase is the question? It's too early to tell. And, depending on who you believe, the spoiler could alter things quite a bit. His team is showing progress but still holding to my preseason predicition (and I've been wrong before) that he won't make the Chase. Need to see more out of this team. This team needs to be consistently strong and string a few top-10s in a row.

 

# Watch Matt Kenseth. We'll start to see how effective the crew chief change really was as Todd Parrott has time to start preparing the cars instead of working on cars that were prepared under the direction of Drew Blickensderfer. Does this team maintain its No. 2 spot in the Chase or slip?

 

# The top 9 in points are all either Chevrolets or Fords. Top Dodge is Kurt Busch in 10th and top Toyota is Scott Speed in 12th.

 

# Bonus points do matter. Jeff Gordon, 11th in the standings, has 20 bonus points (tied for series-high) and Scott Speed, in 12th, has 15 bonus points. Without those bonus points for leading laps, they wouldn't be in the top 12.

 

# Kyle Busch and Mark Martin combined to lead 688 of the 1,003 laps run at Bristol last year. That's 68.5 percent of the time either of those two were in the lead. Kyle Busch won both races there last year.

 

OK, that will do for now. Enjoy the weekend and let me know your take on the racing so for or what random thoughts you have about the season at this point.

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Veteran says Keselowski needs to "think about what is going on''; Also, twist in Mayfield case

I was at Richard Childress Racing this morning with some other reporters today. Naturally, the talk turned to the Edwards-Keselowski incident at Atlanta and how NASCAR responded. Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer didn't want to talk about the issue at length but did discuss it briefly. Jeff Burton spent more time on the issue and talked about what Keselowski needs to do.

 

JEFF BURTON

 

(IS THIS JUST A CASE OF SELF-POLICING FOR KESELOWSKI. THIS ISN'T HIS FIRST INCIDENT)

 

"Brad has got to learn that he doesn't need to prove to the world that he's a tough guy. He's made the decision that he's not going to cut anybody any slack. He's made the decision that he's going to race aggressively all the time. Those are the decisions he's made, and he's going to have to live with the consequences of that. There' nothing wrong with giving a little bit, and there's nothing wrong with taking a little bit. But if you're going to only take, then you're going to come out of the short end of the stick more times than not.

 

"I like Brad. I think Brad is a good person. I think he's a good race car driver. I think he's learning the hard way, and I don't think he's doing a good job of stepping back, learning from his situation and learning how to do it better vs. having his feet dug into the sand, saying this is how I'm always going to do it. He will look back four or five years from now and realize that he could have made things a lot easier on himself and still, by the way, have success. No one is suggesting that anyone doesn't have the same right to go win a race. No one is suggesting that people shouldn't race each other hard, that people shouldn't do whatever they have to do within a certain parameter to win a race or to finish well.

 

"He consistently has been willing to cross that threshold in order to get a better finish. Well, there comes a point where you have to be willing to lift because there is a bigger picture. I'm not suggesting you don't race hard. I'm not suggesting that. When you're front bumper is constantly making contact with other people, that gets old. I've said this before, people watch. I watch every race. Drivers watch these races and when the same driver constantly gets involved with a lot of people, then you're already convinced that he's willing to do that to you. I think Brad needs to step back and look at the big picture a little bit and really think about what is going on, which by the way, Sunday's incident, the first incident was as much Carl Edwards' fault as it was Brad Keselowski's fault. I was right there with them. Carl did nothing wrong. He was trying to get in the spot. Brad did nothing wrong. He was trying to protect his spot, but they were both wrong because of what happened. Carl didn't have to squeeze himself in there, Brad could have done a little better job of fitting it. Both of them could have prevented that first incident and because of their relationship, they didn't.

 

"If I would have been where Carl Edwards was and Mark Martin would have been where Brad Keselowski was, that incident would have never happened. And that's the kind of respect they need to show each other.''

 

(AS A VETERAN IS IT YOUR ROLE TO TALK TO KESELOWSKI ABOUT THIS?)

 

"I've spoken to Brad. I've told Brad how I feel, not about this situation, but how you should race people in general. Brad came to talk to me about it. It's not my place to tell somebody what to do. It is my place, when it affects me, to tell them what they should have done. I fully take advantage of that. It's their right too. When I do something that affects somebody, it's their right to come approach me and let me know what they think I should have done.

 

"I honestly don't go into Bristol thinking anything is different. Everything is the same.''

 

(ON THE PENALTY)

 

"I wouldn't have been surprised if NASCAR had made the penalty harsher, but I'm not surprised they didn't at the same time. I do believe it's consistent with what they've normally done. At the same time, I think it should be noted that those kind of things don't need to happen at mile-and-a-half, 2-mile racetracks. It's really not cool if it happens anywhere. The drivers need to handle it off the race track. That's my opinion. I will tell you that one of the reasons why people don't spin out each other every week because you know they have the ability to spin you out the next week and that deterrence is not a bad thing.

 

"Sunday was scary. If you look at that car, that could have been a lot worse than it was. In no way did Carl Edwards mean that to happen. I know Carl. I know that he didn't mean that to happen. I'm sure when Carl looked in the mirror and saw what was going on, I'm sure he wanted to throw up. I'm sure he felt awful. Those guys need to sort that out. It impacted the race in a lot of ways. If you start backtracking it, something affected the next thing and the next thing you know we ended up getting a caution, we ended up getting another caution, we ended up getting another caution. That started the ball rolling and people need to be aware of those things.''

 

(THIS HAS GIVEN NASCAR LOT OF PUBLICITY CAN'T BE ALL THAT BAD CAN IT?)

 

"No. I don't think any exposure is good. I don't agree with that. Our sport needs exposure for the right thing. The thing is, we talk about having better racing and we talk about having more aggressive racing. That's not racing. That's not the definition of racing. That's what anger and trying to stand your ground, that's not racing. Our sport wants to have better, more aggressive, more fun racing, more exciting to watch in that isn't we want to have better wrecking. That was never talked about this winter.''

 

(YOU WORRIED ABOUT GETTING CAUGHT UP IN SOMEBODY'S PAYBACK AT BRISTOL OR MARTINSVILLE?)

 

"I don't think anything has changed. I think that, for me, the only thing that comes out of all of that is that you have to remember there's a consequence to your action and that's what comes out of it for me. I don't think anything changes. It's pretty clear to me that if I run into the corner and I knock somebody out of the way, that it's a real good chance that I need to get the hell out of the way the next corner or they're coming back at me. That's OK. I'm OK with that. I think that the drivers need to be smart.. What happened Sunday wasn't smart.''

 

(CONCERN OF SEEKING KESELOWSKI'S CAR GO UPSIDE DOWN)

 

"That was a majority of it. We got to fix that problem. It's been blamed on the wing. Maybe the wing is the problem, I don't know. I'm not very versed in that science. We do need to figure that out. Having the cars get upside down is not a good deal.''

 

 

 

CLINT BOWYER

 

(WHAT DO YOU TELL YOUNGER DRIVERS ON HOW TO RACE BASED ON THE ACTIONS OF EDWARDS AND KESELOWSKI)

 

"Since I was 16 years old, that situation has happened. I've been racing cars since 16 and that situation has happened, but I've never seen anybody get hurt, maybe a fight afterwards. But I've never seen anybody get hurt. I've never seen a situation where  it could have hurt somebody. I saw a sitaution that could have hurt somebody and there's a point where it's too far. It's too far. Period. There's a line drawn. There wasn't anybody that saw that, you, me. Everybody knew that was too far. Every action has consequences, some consequences you know beforehand, before you have that action. Unfortunately, you don't know the consequences of your actions sometimes. It was very scary and could have killed someobdy and very stupid.''

 

 

KEVIN HARVICK

 

(ON THE PENALTY)

 

"It's a different era from when I got in trouble. I wish I would have gotten in trouble now because it would have been a lot cheaper. That's what it is. As long as the consistency is there, I think everybody is good with it.

 

"I just got in trouble in the wrong era. The world is totally different then it is now.''

 

 

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In case you missed it, one of the two crewmembers NASCAR suspended indefinitely Tuesday for violating the substance abuse policy was the ex-brother-in-law of Jeremy Mayfield.

 

William David Keith claimed in a deposition for NASCAR last fall about seeing Mayfield allegedly take methamphetamine.

 

Now this.

 

NASCAR spokesperson Ramsey Poston said in a statement about Keith's suspension: "It says that anyone can be tested at anytime. A failure, regardless of who you are, results in immediate suspension.''

 

Keith had been a spotter for David Gilliland. He was a contract employee for Front Row Motorsports and did  not work at the shop, according to a team spokesman.

 

As for the Mayfield situation, Keith claimed in his deposition on Aug. 19, 2009, that he observed Mayfield taking methamphetamine and that he saw the usage increase over a period of time. "I remember it was a regular thing,'' Keith said in the deposition.Keith said he recalled the usage being a "daily, weekly deal.''

 

Asked when this happened, Keith could not recall the exact time period but suggeted it was between 1993-95. He also said he only witnessed Mayfield's alleged meth use only once. Asked how he knew it was more than that, Keith said in the deposition: "I think it was a given.''

 

Keith also later says he recalls seeing Mayfield's alleged meth use in 1998 through 2000 but adds: "I don't know a specific time. I don't know a specific place. It seems like it was around that time.''

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Edwards gets 3-race probation; Good call or has NASCAR jumped the shark?

NASCAR announced Tuesday that it would place Carl Edwards on probation for the next three Cup races (no mention of Nationwide races) and that they'll meet with Edwards and Brad Keselowski sometime before the Bristol Cup race to help those two work through their issues.

 

That's it. No suspension. No fine. No point penalty.

 

NASCAR's unofficial motto of "Have at it, boys'' is alive and well. So, is that good for the sport?

 

Clearly, we would not be having this discussion had Brad Keselowski's car not went airborne after Edwards wrecked him for an earlier incident in Sunday's race at Atlanta. But Edwards did. It happened. You can't ignore that. While NASCAR President Mike Helton was correct in saying Tuesday that Keselowski's car going airborne is a major concern, his statement about why Edwards received the three-race probation will leave many others thinking that retaliation isn't. (To read what Helton said, go here for the transcript of the call with media)

 

And thus the question, has NASCAR lost credibility (i.e. jumped the shark) or has NASCAR reaffirmed its credibility by not flip-flopping on its "Have at it, boys'' approach it announced in January?

 

Among the concerns is that this incident happened at Atlanta, which is producing among the fastest laps run at competition. Now, every track is dangerous but it's one thing to pay back someone at Bristol or Martinsville (the next two races) and another thing to pay them back at Atlanta, a much faster circuit. Typically, you saw your blatant paybacks at the shorter tracks because drivers knew the danger at the bigger tracks.

 

Now, the trend is that the bigger tracks aren't off limits anymore. Look at Denny Hamlin wrecking Keslowski in the Nationwide race at Homestead last year and Juan Pablo Montoya doing the same thing to Tony Stewart the next day in the Cup race. Now this. What next? What happens when this occurs again at a big track?

 

Also a concern is look at the buzz this incident received. Even "Inside Edition'' asked a question on the teleconference with Helton. This is my 12th season covering NASCAR and I don't ever recall "Inside Edition'' ever being on a NASCAR-related media call. The point is, the buzz that Edwards and Keselowski will be back on the track at Bristol is immense. Is it better off for the sport to keep the drivers out there, that way sell a few more tickets on the idea they might just get together again (even though Helton says officials with meet with them soon)? The answer, to some, would seem to be yes.

 

So, where is the line and when is it crossing the line in NASCAR's eyes?

 

"I think we see it when we see it,'' Helton said.

 

 The question is...  is everybody looking at the same thing?

ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here and for following agreed-upon rules of civility. Comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its Web sites. Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the "Report Violation" link below the comment.