Thursday, November 12, 2015

COMMENTARY: Things I've Learned In The Last Three Weeks

When it comes to blocking, Joey Logano is a graduate of the Tony Stewart School. Block him once and live to tell about it. Block him twice and all bets are off.
Had Logano simply backed off and allowed Matt Kenseth to win at Kansas Speedway, he would have earned one fewer point in the Contender Round of the Chase. He likely would have won two weeks later at Martinsville, as well, advancing directly to Homestead Miami Speedway to race for the championship. But racers don’t “let” other races win, especially on days when they clearly have the best car.
No NASCAR driver will even again announce his intention to wreck a fellow competitor. Kenseth learned that lesson the hard way.
Respect takes forever to earn, and four seconds to lose.
My driver is never wrong. Yours is seldom right.
One year from now, I hope Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage shows some consistency and presents retiring driver Tony Stewart with a lovely pair of ponies, just like he did for Jeff Gordon last week.

This Chase format makes just about anything justifiable.

If you’re going to wreck a guy, take a page from the Richard Milhous Nixon Book of Plausible Deniability and do it subtly.

Rarely has there been more talent, poised and waiting for their shot at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Erik Jones, Ty Dillon, Ryan Blaney, Daniel Suarez, Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher, Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, Brandon Jones, Spencer Gallagher, Christopher Bell, Ben Kennedy, Ryan Reed, Ross Chastain, Cameron Hayley and Daniel Hemric – not to mention a fistful of other talented youngsters – are quite literally kicking down the door in NASCAR’s two developmental national series. Not all of them will make it to the bigtime. Not every qualified young racer ever has. But the future of the sport has seldom been in better, more talented hands.
Kyle Busch has proven – at long last – that he possesses the mental toughness and focus to deal with the pressure of a championship Chase.
PREDICTION: Logano will not win the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. He will, however, rectify that situation, exactly 12 months from now.
Anybody missing Patricia Driscoll lately? Me either.

The most confusing word in all of NASCAR? “Quintessential.”
I swear, Kevin Harvick paints himself into corners, just for the hell of it.
Martin Truex, Jr.’s longstanding status as the most underrated driver in NASCAR is rapidly coming to an end. 

Nobody does the “angry stomp” better than Ms. Danica Patrick.

Whether Jeff Gordon hoists the Sprint Cup at Homestead or not, he will most certainly retire a champion.

25 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:41 PM

    I disagree with two of those. Carry on.

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    1. LOL, that's great to know. Thanks for weighing in.

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    2. I take it you're not gonna harbor a guess as to which two.

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    3. @WhatAmIMissing? Pick any two, doesn't matter which.

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  2. Awesome! hahaha I love it! =}

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  3. Anonymous2:55 PM

    What about all the stuff Swedelson has taught you over the last 3 weeks?

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    1. Let me see... there's ... um.... nothing.

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  4. I agree wholeheartedly regarding the Tony Stewart School of blocking. But Joey will need to stick around for the syllabus titled, "How to Win a War Without Really Fighting". Tony Stewart walked into the garage area with the persona that he'd rather race, but if you need to fight he'll be there too. And he wasn't afraid to voice his opinion (think back to Talladega and the need to wreck half the field before we can end the race).

    Joey Logano has a dad that would be well served to dissolve into the background of his son's career. For his son's sake. Even with the best of intentions, a 25 year old man is far enough along in life to speak his own words, fight his own battles, and learn his own lessons.

    I want to like Joey Logano. I really do.

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    1. Anonymous2:23 AM

      No you don't, IMO...you don't see him as a racer and a very good one, a master in many instances but you get side tracked into the drama that is presented regarding him as a "bad" guy and his father. You are being sucked into the media drama. I had though Tom Logano was a JAFO but I was wrong. Cannot fault a parents passion, but my dad doesn't storm my workplace, nor should Tom. Tom and his actions however are totally irrelevant, his sons skill and poise and maturity in the face of adversity, including talking to the media, is what counts. Nascar fans are frustrated with a lot of things. Logano and Kes, are the closest thing to "old school racing" that fans say they want, and they resent them for it. As they go about their business and don't get sucked into the drama.

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  5. Regarding Ms Patrick, going all the way back to her IRL days, I dubbed her Queen of the Hissy Fit.

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  6. Anonymous4:27 PM

    Kyle Bush also has raced 11 fewer races than his competitors this year. He should be better fit; physically and mentally.

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    1. I think the 11 weeks had something to do with a broken leg and foot with rehab. That's a little taxing too. 😆

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  7. Anonymous7:34 PM

    The change in Kyle is dramatic. I think the crash was a huge wakeup call, along with the responsibilities of being a Dad. It would be a terrific end to the season if he pulls off Homestead and wins the championship. I don't think he'd be in the chase if he hadn't received his reality check at Daytona. I also don't care if the naysayers crow about his dispensation granted by NASCAR. He proved this Summer he was worthy of the Chase.


    Thanks for the great job you do. Everyday and every race.

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  8. Awesome stuff Moody as always. Ready for Phoenix! Have a great broadcast.

    ~Ben

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  9. The Danica Stomp...got to love it. It's not like she can fight another driver, well, the way the drivers fight I am sure she could more than hold her own.

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  10. Hey Godfather here is a few things I've learned the last three weeks.

    The Godfather: You have untold patience toward callers on your show.

    Race fans: Whatever happened to freedom? One thing you would think we as Americans would understand by now is move government is not a good thing. Same applies to sanctioning bodies and racing.

    Race fans again: Whatever happened to run what ya brung? That applies to cars and drivers. Let these kids race the big boys. If they cant handle the pressure let them find out now instead of later. I say keep the cup guys in xfinity as the issue is really the big money teams not the drivers. Look no further than Eric Jones and Daniel Suarez for examples. Throw Ryan Blaney in the mix as well.

    Brian France ain't his daddy: With all do respect to Brian I can't see Bill bowing to the pressure of the media when making a decision. Brian seems more like a politician holding his wet finger in the air for the direction of the winds of media opinion. NASCAR grew immensely under Bill Jr's tutelage so he must have been doing something right.

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  11. "One year from now, I hope Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage shows some consistency and presents retiring driver Tony Stewart with a lovely pair of ponies, just like he did for Jeff Gordon last week."

    I hope not. The Stewart selfies with the oinker are enough, imagine if he had two ponies?

    "This Chase format makes just about anything justifiable."
    Winning has always made things justifiable. See the Skinner quote: "I'd wreck my grandma to win a race" Apply that to the chase.

    "Kyle Busch has proven – at long last – that he possesses the mental toughness and focus to deal with the pressure of a championship Chase."
    Fatherhood has been good to Kyle. May have been the broken pegs that changed his outlook as well. I imagine the support from the drivers during his down time softened him just a tad. Either way I am glad to see a more sportman like Kyle Busch. Having a little graciousness to go with a must win attitude is not a bad thing.

    "Anybody missing Patricia Driscoll lately? Me either."
    Surprised you mentioned this one. I would ask the FBI that question.

    "Whether Jeff Gordon hoists the Sprint Cup at Homestead or not, he will most certainly retire a champion."
    No question about it. I've never been a Gordon fan but there is no denying what he has done for the sport. Even more importantly he is a champion off the track with his foundation and all the people he has helped.

    "Martin Truex, Jr.’s longstanding status as the most underrated driver in NASCAR is rapidly coming to an end."
    Good. There are two big stories possible here. Gordon retires a champion, which is unheard of. The other is Truex bouncing back from some blows to life and career. Pick which you think is the better story but to me none of the other chasers winning the championship comes close to the story if either of the previously mentioned drivers wins. Hard to decide which story I like better. At this point from a story perspective I would choose Martin's.

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    1. Eddie Gossage will give Tony Stewart either a pair of pigs or a pair of monkeys. I'm praying for the monkeys.

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  12. Anonymous9:41 AM

    Good article. Concise.

    One Nit. "are quite literally kicking down the door in NASCAR’s two developmental national series". No. "kicking down the door" is being used as a figure of speech, here. Literally means actually. If true, then they are actually kicking an actual door. And the door is actually now on the ground.

    Again, liked the article.

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  13. Anonymous1:46 PM

    Good article as usual. Couple comments.

    1. Only drivers who interest me at this point: Elliott, Blaney and probably Buescher. Lost respect for Wallace for the Scott incident. A boy/man should never insult another man's wife [or any woman] using that language.

    2. Logano's father should stay out of his son's business. He was already kicked off the racetrack a few years ago. Guess he didn't learn.

    3. Kyle Busch, since he came back has had a great year. He always is charming, etc., gives interviews when things are going good. It is when things do not go good for him that he is usually a donkey's behind. Further, he has had the help from two different Hendrick drivers to continue in the chase. Why wouldn't he be happy? One by Gordon who pushed Logano to the win at the expense of his teammate Earnhardt, Jr. Keslowski did not push Earnhardt, Jr., so why the heck did Gordon push Logano? Maybe he wanted the spotlight in the chase all to himself? Between NASCAR changing the rules ... again ... the two incidents kept Earnhardt Jr from making the chase. So, personally, being a JR fan, I have very little interest in the chase results. Will root for Truex, Jr, but the race will be in PIP, not on the big tv., and football will be on the big screen if happen to be home.

    Also just read that NASCAR wants new fresh faces, diverse fans, drivers. That is all well and good, but maybe they better look at other sports as some of them have lower attendance at their events. In my own family there are several kids ranging from age 10-20, mostly boys and not one of them are interested in sports of any kind except one who is a good bowler. And another one who is good at Soccer and may want to try to play in college. All of their parents at one time were NASCAR fans and big NFL fans. The kids are all into their games and electronics and it is not to watch sports. Personally, I think it is a shame, but things change and who knows what any sport will look like in 20-25 years?

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  14. Anonymous4:15 PM

    Rarely has there been more drivers with $, poised and waiting for their shot at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

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  15. Is winning a championship a Fluke? It seems so in Nascar

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    1. If so, why haven't you won one?

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    2. Anonymous9:57 AM

      Probably cause Jeff wasn't born in to a wealthy family.

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    3. That, or the lack of talent.

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