Martinsville 2012 Spring Race Photo – Getty Images
The Sprint Cup Series heads to the “paperclip” this weekend for their sixth race of the season. In past years, the Martinsville Speedway has produced great racing and shocking moments. Last year’s Spring Race is likely the most memorable race from the past few years. The drama occurred on the final restart when Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer spun out while heading into turn 1. Ryan Newman snuck by the accident and took the win. Short track racing always produces action and Martinsville never disappoints. Continue reading →
Just six weeks ago, the start of a new season was just days away. We had a bunch of questions about the upcoming season, and after five races, we have partial answers to some of those questions. Some answers were not what we thought, but the season so far has created interest, to say the least. Our predictions were off in a good way since the racing has been better than some originally thought. Continue reading →
Impressed with Keselowski‘s championship run throughout the Chase last year?
The champ is still focused as he starts this season giving his competition notice of his intention to contend for another Sprint Cup trophy with perhaps, an even more impressive run this season. Four races into the season, the reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion has assumed the points lead, over Dale Earnhardt Jr. by nine points entering Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway.
Should the competition fear the Keselowski?
It appears so, as he continues to set the bar within the Sprint Cup Series ranks. While the 29-year-old Keselowski hasn’t won – yet, he’s done the next best thing. Recognizing the potential of putting yourself in position to win, Keselowski has certainly positioned himself well, in the first four races of the season.
Keselowski is the only driver to finish among the top-five in the season’s four opening races. A third-place finish in last Sunday’s Food City 500 follows a third-place in Las Vegas and fourths at Phoenix and in the Daytona 500.
He’s also the only leader of all four races.
Keselowski’s start is the best in the series since Jimmie Johnson’s performance in 2005. A fifth consecutive top-five would be the first time that feat was accomplished since NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace’s 1998 start, which also came in a No. 2 Miller Ford. Fellow Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough holds the all-time season start mark of nine in 1974.
“Obviously, we’re off to my best start ever. That’s really cool. I’m happy for my team and all that stuff,” said Keselowski, who stood 14th in last year’s standings after four races. “We can’t keep our feet still. We know that Kyle [Busch] and Jimmie [Johnson] are going to continue to make their cars better. We have to keep digging and push on our stuff, too. I think we got a pretty good feel on the 2 team.”
Daytona 500 winner Johnson had been the points leader until Sunday, when an accident resulted in a finish of 22nd. Kyle Busch has top-five finishes in the past two races.
While it seems Auto Club Speedway remains a question mark for Keselowski, with a career best finish – in just four races – of 18th in last year’s weather-shortened event, many fans will recall, Keselowski has a way of erasing poor finishes. In 2012, he matched or exceeded his earlier performance at 16 different tracks, while winning five times. Three of Keselowski’s victories – Chicagoland, Dover and Kentucky – came at tracks where he had never won.
The Sprint Cup Series season continues this weekend and fans are anticipating another impressive run as Keselowski’s competition continue to challenge the series’ defending champion.
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, watches from atop the team hauler during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 16, 2013 Photo – Kevin C Cox/Getty Images
Last season, there were signs that perhaps, Denny Hamlin was getting his priorities straight and that he was laying a solid foundation to challenge for the Sprint Cup championship in the 2013 season.
Considering a number of distractions so early in the season, and while Hamlin is now sixth in points and 41 points away from the leader, one can’t help but wonder, what the future holds for the rest of the season for him and his team. Continue reading →
