Best Buy 400 Benefiting Student Clubs for Autism Speaks at Dover Intl Speedway

[Dutton]

Truex with the usual solid result.

"The Chase" is still in sight, but there needs to be a step-up to make it a reality. I believe both he and the team are capable of this, but whether it happens is another matter.

I cannot help but think they need to take a risk or two. It is all very well playing the game to get the consistent reasonable results (this is indeed important), but it has the problem that you can get the odd
'terrible" result with not many "very good" results.

They are going to have to "roll the dice" somewhat to get into The Chase. I hate The Chase, but so long as it exists it remains a target.

[J-C]

JPM back on form after a horrible month of May...still 134pts off the Chase, but he was 191pts off at the start of the race. And there's Sonoma, Indy and the Glen not too far off...

[VilleneuveTracy]

I agree with you Dutton, on both Truex and Montoya. Kenseth is the only one outside the top 12 right now who is performing at a Chase level and it is only a matter of time before he gets into the top 12. I think Bowyer, Kahne and Harvick are the weak links in the top 12. I would not be surprised to see if they miss the Chase, although Harvick and Bowyer are far less likely given RCR's strength (Bowyer has had some bad races performance wise recently, although he did of course win Richmond). RCR isn't up there with JGR, Roush, or even HMS but it is superior to the rest of the pack and should have at least 2 cars in the Chase. Kahne has the same problem Newman, JPM, and Kurt Busch have: Dodge sucks. JPM was actually the highest finishing Dodge today. What does it say when the best Dodge is 12th? This has happened several times this year...

It is hard to see any of the Gibbs drivers, the HMS trio, Edwards, Biffle, Burton missing the Chase. The only way that would happen is if they have a terrible run of bad luck--but that happened to Gordon in 2005 and Stewart in 2006 and it caused them to miss it... The top 4 have enough of a cushion right now to absorb several bad luck races.

J-C he does have some good tracks coming up. He was 16th at Pocono and 15th at Chicago last year too. That doesn't sound like much but for the 2007 version of JPM those were among his best finishes. Experience should push him forward at these tracks* and he has proven he is good at plate racing. If he can get a decent set up for Daytona he can finish well there. The only track remaining in the regular season where he could have trouble is Michigan.

*You might be saying so why did he finish 12th at Dover today after finishing 10th last fall? He actually ran better this time. The reason he was 10th in the fall was a bunch of the leaders crashed in the final laps and that vaulted him from 15th to 10th.

[gomick]

another great win for kyle - pity about the wreck at the start that ruined stewart, hamlin, harvick & jnr's race...

[Dutton]

Originally Posted by VilleneuveTracy

I agree with you Dutton, on both Truex and Montoya. Kenseth is the only one outside the top 12 right now who is performing at a Chase level and it is only a matter of time before he gets into the top 12. I think Bowyer, Kahne and Harvick are the weak links in the top 12. I would not be surprised to see if they miss the Chase, although Harvick and Bowyer are far less likely given RCR's strength (Bowyer has had some bad races performance wise recently, although he did of course win Richmond). RCR isn't up there with JGR, Roush, or even HMS but it is superior to the rest of the pack and should have at least 2 cars in the Chase. Kahne has the same problem Newman, JPM, and Kurt Busch have: Dodge sucks. JPM was actually the highest finishing Dodge today. What does it say when the best Dodge is 12th? This has happened several times this year...

It is hard to see any of the Gibbs drivers, the HMS trio, Edwards, Biffle, Burton missing the Chase. The only way that would happen is if they have a terrible run of bad luck--but that happened to Gordon in 2005 and Stewart in 2006 and it caused them to miss it... The top 4 have enough of a cushion right now to absorb several bad luck races.

J-C he does have some good tracks coming up. He was 16th at Pocono and 15th at Chicago last year too. That doesn't sound like much but for the 2007 version of JPM those were among his best finishes. Experience should push him forward at these tracks* and he has proven he is good at plate racing. If he can get a decent set up for Daytona he can finish well there. The only track remaining in the regular season where he could have trouble is Michigan.

*You might be saying so why did he finish 12th at Dover today after finishing 10th last fall? He actually ran better this time. The reason he was 10th in the fall was a bunch of the leaders crashed in the final laps and that vaulted him from 15th to 10th.

I just love this post.

Do what you have to: delete, censor, or whatever else.

Do what is required.

[Dutton]

I wish I could delete my above post: it is unfair.


I remain completely behind it in the sense I totallly support it, but I regret that it can be greatly misinterpreted.

[VilleneuveTracy]

What exactly was the big deal about my post? If you are going to make a personal attack at least have the cojones of putting your rationale on the table for all to see.

[Dutton]

A personal attack is the furthest thing from what was intended.

I suspect the comments you have assumed I made towards you are the ones I made towards myself.

I meant nothing but positive things with regards your post.


*****

I made the mistake of getting myself caught in a self-absorbed form of word-play.

This is what all the comments referred to (with the exception of my liking of your post - that was a simple , straightforward observation). After that, I started going into that place which is my mind: this place I tend to keep to myself, as, otherwise, things get complicated.

[StuiE]

Right.....



anyway, not a bad race, a little boring in parts.. Gee alot of guys piled in hard in the first wreck. What was up with Earnhardt, the car didn't seem very damaged, but he didn't/couldn't move it and got it towed back to the garage, where he lost 10 laps, strange.


Love him of hate him, Kyle Busch is brilliant, I'm kinda starting to like him....will that be a problem around here?

[Knowlesy]

I fear we shall all have to like him.

I think this process was put in motion at Talladega for me. One day I'll be a fan, God help me and indeed the forum....

[fieldodreams79]

you NEVER HAVE to like anyone, but the guy is good and winning races-not ALWAYS the attributes that make me like or dislike anyone.

you've got to admit, to SOME degree, that a BIG part of this is coming from the Joe Gibbs organization...they are absolutly DOMINATING NW and Cup, there is no question about that. they are putting out good cars, and have awesome driver lineups. the 18 has always been the "flagship" team at JGR. the #18 was there and winning races while Tony was still racing Indy cars...not that it means anything

but give credit where it is due; kyle is racing, well, like he always does....balls out and JGR is making FAST racecars. just a magic combination right now, and it was proven at dover, and MANY other places this year.

[StuiE]

I've never really been into the dominating drivers, like Gordon, Johnson, Stewart etc, because I find it boring when they win all the time, but Kyle, he drives it on the edge all the time, and it's always so loose, I think if there was only his car in the race he'd still make it exciting.

Of course he's pretty outspoken too, which is nice, Stewart has quietened down lately..

[VilleneuveTracy]

No problem, Dutton. I apologize for the misunderstanding. I thought your original post was negative based on your second post.

Like him or not Kyle Busch is good for ratings, especially onces Junior wins a few races or two. NASCAR has always been at its best when it had a "good guy vs. bad guy" battle.

JGR is clearly the class of the field right now with Roush a close second. A lot of it is due to Toyota imo. I would not count HMS out, though. It is only a matter of time before they catch up. They are only behind because the focused on the championship last year while the other teams concentrated on the COT for 2008.