Monday, October 10, 2011

View From The Flagstand: Johnson Wins Kansas


Jimmie Johnson had the dominant car, and team, Sunday at Kansas Speedway. His Lowes Chevy was out front on 197 of the 272 laps that were completed in the Hollywood Casino 400. JJ now sits just four points out of first place in his march towards his sixth straight title.

CHECKERED FLAG

Johnson stunk it up at the 1.5 mile, cookie cutter, Kansas track, as he led most of the green flag laps. Two tires, or four, it mattered not to the #48, no one could head him off.

GREEN FLAGS

Brad Keselowski was 3rd after winning the first race here earlier this year. RFR drivers, Matt Kenseth (4), Carl Edwards (5), and, pole winner, Greg Biffle (8) had solid finishes. RCR pilots, Kevin Harvick (6), and Clint Bowyer (7) likewise had good runs.

YELLOW FLAG

This race was one of the most boring of the year, and so far the four races in the Chase have not been too competitive. One reason is that we are not seeing enough caution flags to reset the field once it gets strung out around the track. One popular theory is that the Goodyear tires are so well made now that we don't see as many blowouts and the accompanying cautions.

I would expound on that theory and add a related factor. The idiotic "wave around" rule allows a lot of cars to not punish their tires while trying to stay on the lead lap. The slower drivers know that between the "lucky dog" and the "wave around" they can lose three or four laps during a race, never pass the leader, and, viola, cruise to a top-15, lead lap, finish.

Don't worry, he'll get a few wave arounds


RED FLAG

NASCAR told one RCR driver, Austin Dillon, to stop pushing another RCR driver, Kevin Harvick, during a late race caution. Harvick had his engine shut off, trying to save gas, while Dillon was pushing him. NASCAR's rules supposedly state that you can't push/assist another car on the last lap only. Apparently, NASCAR changed rules during the race... again.

BLACK FLAG

Jeff Gordon, thanks for playing The NASCAR Chase 2011! You didn't win immunity and have been voted off the island. Kyle Busch, please report to the council next week, and don't forget your luggage.

11 comments:

  1. you have no idea how much I was cheering for Kasey....well, more than usual anyway. Alas, I fear he may have to wait until he joins HMS for his next points race win.

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  2. Love that t-shirt :o).

    As for JJ, Katie is putting in overtime on the voodoo bear(we're stuffing it with duck jerky so that we can hex two drivers with one chomp).

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  3. Agree with you entirely Gene - its not only the tires it is even more a result of the wave around. Yes wins mean more (sorta) but only to the 10 or so drivers who can even win anymore so the rest of the field just trots around out there and cruises to top 20 finishes.

    I dunno how the racing could be so much better during the regular season - we are still getting different winners but man the action on the track is so freaking boring.

    Unless something big happens at Dega - like Carl doing one of his patented moves taking out Happy, JJ, himself and maybe a few others Big Daddy, Thorn, Junebug and Flyin Ryan are out of it.

    I am with Kurt...Anyone but JJ!

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  4. Totally agree. Goodyear fixed its aweful problems when the COT first was introduced, but now maybe they've gone too far the other way. I also think there is work that needs to be done on the configuration of the car bodies. I'm still not totally on board with the new front nose. Sure, it looks better, but does it race better?

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  5. Tez.... No doubt KK will win a race. I used him up on my yahoo team before the Chase began. I figured that only Chase drivers would be allowed to win a race in the Chase. lol

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  6. SB... Katie better get busy. A couple more races, and JJ will have it wrapped up.

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  7. Kris... The action looks completely different between the Chase and the regular season. All the Chasers (except 18) step their games up... while the non-Chasers make sure to stay out of the way... boring.

    I had Jr, Ryan, and Denny out last week. Jeffy, out this week.... and, most likely, Kyle and Smoke out after Charlotte.

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  8. JM... Yep, I think the splitter needs to go. They definitely need to work on the car bodies. Maybe check out the bodies on the IROC cars about 10 years ago? They seemed competitive.

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  9. the splitter works fine....but only on the road courses, lol

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  10. Anyone for a road course race or two in the Chase? It would sure make these guys sweat bullets and the fans would get what we all expect from NASCAR: Side by side, fender rubbing, bird flipping racing!

    I'm going with good 'ol Cousin Carl to win it all! He appears ready for glory! (despite the beagle's efforts! LOL!)

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  11. Dwindy.... Definitely need some variety among the tracks in the Chase.

    Carl? Nooooooooooooooooo!!!

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