Hendrick Motorsports on a Quest for Absolute Dominance in 2014

(L-R) Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowes Chevrolet; Kasey Kahne, driver of the #5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet; Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard Chevrolet; Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet; and team owner Rick Hendrick during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour at Charlotte Convention Center on January 28, 2014  Photo - Getty Images

(L-R) Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowes Chevrolet; Kasey Kahne, driver of the #5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet; Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard Chevrolet; Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet; and team owner Rick Hendrick during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour at Charlotte Convention Center on January 28, 2014
Photo – Getty Images

It is no secret that Hendrick Motorsports is the finest team in the garage. Their driver lineup, crew members, cars, and personnel are all some of the best in NASCAR today. They also know how to take advantage of their rich resources as season in and season out; they are the best team on track.

Each year, Hendrick prowess is demonstrated in various ways. 2013’s dominance was another championship with Jimmie Johnson, his sixth in eight years. 2014 will not be any different as Hendrick Motorsports is prepped and already one step ahead of the competition in the battle for the Sprint Cup. Continue reading

Jason Leffler’s Chili Bowl Plan Comes to Life This Week

Jason Leffler checks out the track with his son Charlie Dean  Photo - JasonLeffler.com

Jason Leffler checks out the track with his son Charlie Dean
Photo – JasonLeffler.com

Jason Leffler’s  Memory and Legacy Live On in this Week’s Chili Bowl Races

Jason Leffler was a racer’s racer in every sense of the word.  He was what some in racing call a journeyman racer, as he raced anything and everything just to race.  The night he died, Leffler was competing in a race with a winner’s purse of only $7,000; a big departure from the paydays he experienced during his days of NASCAR racing.

 

Another big part of Leffler’s life was Charlie Dean, his son with Alison East. They divorced leaving time with Charlie Dean at a premium for Leffler. Charlie Dean was five-years-old at the time of his father’s death and they resided in North Carolina.  Continue reading

Late Race Surge Leads Keselowski to a Charlotte Victory

Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 12, 2013   Photo - John Harrelson/Getty Images

Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 12, 2013
Photo – John Harrelson/Getty Images

There is always one race in the Chase when a non-championship contender sneaks up and grabs the victory. Charlotte has become a track where this feat can easily be accomplished. Brad Keselowski was the driver to pull it off this season when he pulled into victory lane Saturday night at Charlotte. It was nowhere near a dominant performance by the defending champion. He did everything he needed, to break his winless streak that spanned over a year. Continue reading

Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Clinch Scenarios for Richmond

Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Clinch Scenarios for Richmond

TheChase4SprintCup10 Drivers Vie for Five Remaining Spots

Below are the 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup clinch scenarios for Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway, the last race before the Chase field is set. Six drivers have clinched top-ten spots in the Chase: Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth. Kasey Kahne, on the strength of two wins, has clinched at least a Wild Card spot.

Four drivers control their top-ten clinching destiny. Regardless of the finishes of any other driver…  Continue reading

Sprint Cup Chase Tracker – Atlanta

ChaseTrackerAtlanta300x400The clock is ticking down on the last Race to the Chase at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday night, September 7th – coming up this weekend. One last chance for eight drivers to grab a Wild Card spot for the 2013 ten-race Chase for a Sprint Cup championship.

After the race at Atlanta, six competitors have claimed their place in the Chase’s top-ten including, Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth. Seventh-place Dale Earnhardt Jr faces the least pressure among non-qualifiers, needing only a finish of 32nd or better in the 400-lap race at Richmond to enter the post season competition.

Joey Logano, Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch complete the provisional top-ten – 16, 14 and six points ahead of 11th place Jeff Gordon. Each with one victory, Logano and Biffle have some Chase insurance as potential Wild Cards if they should fall out of the top-ten. 

This week’s Sprint Cup Chase tracker analyzes driver Race to the Chase average-finishes – Kentucky to Atlanta – and their more recent five-race average-finishes – Pocono to Atlanta. And as in previous Chase Tracker posts, there are a few surprises in store. 

Wild Card Contenders

Richmond is all about which drivers will secure their place in the Chase by grabbing a Wild Card in the last race of the regular season. And it is certainly a tight competition this year and several drivers moving between the top-ten and chasing a Wild Card spot.  

Kasey Kahne with two wins, holds the first Wild Card ticket into the post-race season and is just ten points away from tenth-place qualification. Will he race his way into tenth-place at Richmond, leaving another open Wild Card spot for those outside the top-ten? Kahne is definitely one to keep an eye on throughout Richmond’s night of racing on Saturday. If Kahne does move into the top-ten, his two wins will give him a better Chase starting spot at Chicagoland. 

Martin Truex Jr holds the second Wild Card for the Chase and is only 15-points away from the top-ten. His third-place finish at Atlanta, after finishing 35th at Bristol certainly moves his team in the right direction heading into the last race of the regular season. Truex could also race his way into the top-ten at Richmond, leaving his Wild Card spot for another contender. Continue reading