Wednesday, October 22nd 'What If' Question

The 2014 Sprint Cup Series season was hyped around how much more winning was going to mean.

With NASCAR having announced a new Chase format along with new eligibility to make the Chase, it was all about winning. Wins would get you into the Chase and wins would advance you in the Chase. The thought process was that gone were the days of “good points day” from drivers in their post race interviews and how they raced on the track.

The Eliminator Round begins this weekend in Martinsville with eight remaining drivers in contention for the championship. Six of those drivers have won races while Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth have moved through the Chase on their performance and points.

Newman has been winless since Indianapolis in the summer of 2013 but has compiled 14 top-10 finishes this season and has an average finish of 13.3. Kenseth meanwhile has been winless since New Hampshire of last fall, yet continues to scratch and claw with his Joe Gibbs Racing team.

Kenseth’s average finish in 32 races is 13.6 while he’s earned 19 top-10 finishes. He’s the 2003 Sprint Cup Series champion and whom many blame for the inception of the Chase.

Should one of the eight drivers win a race during the Eliminator Round it automatically moves them to Homestead-Miami. The final four will then go for the Sprint Cup Series championship in a winner take all event.

But …

What if we crown a winless Sprint Cup champion, how would that affect the perception that this season & NASCAR is now about winning?

@the DrakeKC another excuse for haters of the current system to express their displeasure at it. Though, think it would be a fluke, and hope NASCAR wouldn’t make any changes in response to it. Doubt they would

@CBWFAN if they win by the rules they are the champ. It has been done before and will happen again at some point.

@Tuck_Nation81 It would prove that regardless of pints format consistency still wins every time

@nascar7badger10 Odds don’t favor crowning winless Sprint Cup Champion since winners of next 3 races advance to final 4.

@poptart_31 we r going to make it happen!!!! P3 and haven’t won a race yet. #notbecausewehaventtried!!!!

@48GOAT Would not affect my perception; I read they used Dale Jr.’s 2013 stats to find he’d have won under this system.

@20goleft I guess we will see when Matt carries that trophy home!

@mattntonyfan No different than a Wild Card team winning Super Bowl.

@JoJo_6040 In this win and your in situation, hopefully fans will appreciate what it took for that driver to get there.

@RaceGirlAmanda They’d be the champion, it shows that being consistent does too play a favor much to France’s displeasure

Monday, October 20th 'What If' Question

Brad Keselowski did what he needed to do on Sunday afternoon in Talladega, win to stay in.

Keselowski’s victory in the GEICO 500 advanced him into the next round of the Chase, which he would not have done without the checkered flag. While Keselowski drove a masterful race and had the will to win, he also had two other teammates doing all they could to help. Late on Sunday Joey Logano threw furious blocks while running second and youngster Ryan Blaney also stayed glued to the No. 2 bumper when coming through the field.

It didn’t surprise many that teamwork was in play. After all, Logano was already locked into the next round, and Blaney was there for experience. Roger Penske had no hesitation in admitting during the winner’s press conference that coming into the weekend there were team orders.

According to Penske, all the drivers were sat down and instructed that they were there to ensure that Keselowski won the race. Logano played his part with his big blocks at the end, though it relegated him to an 11th place finish.

“I think he obeyed orders pretty well,” Penske said.

Keselowski and Logano, who have both been considered the class of the field this season, move on in the Chase. Keselowski now leads the series with six wins on the season, Logano the second-best with five.

But …

What if you were Joey Logano behind Brad Keselowski on Sunday, do you push / block or try to win and kick a strong car / teammate out of the Chase?

@TheAngryBirdie Brad and Joey seem to have a good friendship, so no

@lilmom88 ha, he had his orders.

@jpuryear91 I’d try and keep all the strong cars out. Not sure why you’d want a strong competitor even if it is a teammate.

@handsanfeet That’s a tough one. I guess help if I don’t have a chance to win myself. Bottom line though, win!

@Joturn33 No question go for the win at Talladega, or anywhere for that matter. Who knows if you’ll ever have that opportunity again?

@CBWFAN silly question, of course not. Winning is one thing, pay check is another

@mschub0928 I think we got our answer already. Looked like gave Brad a push then tried blocking when one of the lines got a run on him

Wednesday, October 15th 'What If' Question

Back when tandem drafting was a thing, the Hendrick Motorsports foursome put on a show at Talladega Superspeedway.

It was May 2011, and the only way to draft was by picking a partner and sticking your nose on their back bumper. Jeff Gordon was the best car at the Aaron’s 499 with then teammate Mark Martin his tandem buddy. Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were the other pair.

They came from 11^th and 12^th with two laps to go to see Johnson pushed to victory in a four-wide photo finish. Earnhardt Jr. ended up fourth. Johnson’s margin of victory was 0.002, the closest in NASCAR history.

The Lowe’s driver made no bones about it that it wasn’t possible without Earnhardt Jr., as the two never left each other throughout the day. Even feeling as though he needed to give Earnhardt Jr. the checkered flag before heading to Victory Lane. Taking it a step further, however, Johnson and Chad Knaus acknowledged they now owed their teammate one the next time around.

It never game to fruition at Talladega or Daytona, though many never forgot. And Johnson took heat in a subsequent July Daytona race for where he and Earnhardt Jr. ended up.

This weekend the series returns to Talladega with both Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. needing a victory to keep their 2014 Chase hopes alive. Tandem drafting no longer applies as restrictor plate racing has gone back to the traditional pack of screaming machines.

It leaves drivers more in control of making their own moves in the pack and not having to worry about the person tagging along.

But …

What if Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. work together again at Talladega, with both needing a win, would and should Johnson return that favor and push Earnhardt Jr.?

@JR88Elves All bets are off if they are in that position on Sunday..

@modifiedcrazy No chance! #88

@kartracer3886 I wish he would lol. But he would go for the win if he could get it. And he wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t go for it

@playingjust14 I think someone should help @TonyStewart for the win!

@JoJo_6040 Nope. All favors are out the window for this chase

@AlecWiseman If one is pushing the other, 2nd has a good chance of moving on to the next round, and the CC will let them know

@LeftTrnLutheran I’d like to see a @DaleJr and @KyleLarsonRacin tandem, one’s looking for a win, and the other a championship

@ladyndewgreen88 Never happen…..JJ will never be second just ask Junior how many times he pushed JJ

@denver2u ..absolutely…JJ has enough championships for now…Time to share and help DaleJr to the next round…if need be!!

Monday, May 11th 'What If' Question

The monkey is off Jeff Gordon’s back.

After weeks of leading the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings only to have it mean nothing, Gordon finally got his much wanted and needed win Saturday night in Kansas. In doing so the 42-year-old made it known that he feels 25 again and his Drive to End Hunger team are more than ready to chase a championship.

Gordon’s last championship came in 2001, under the Winston Cup banner. Since NASCAR has changed the format and title sponsor, the four-time champion has tried repeatedly to earn a Sprint Cup championship. Here again in 2014, Gordon has a solid foundation underneath him in order to make that happen.

And then there’s what it would mean. Just a few years ago many were ready to send him packing into retirement, mostly because Gordon had begun to acknowledge the toll racing was taking on his body. Specifically his back and how much pain he was in during competition and after climbing out. Except Gordon has gone through a transformation the last few years and with how competitive his Hendrick team has been, suddenly it doesn’t appear he’s going anywhere anytime soon.

“I just feel so competitive out there, and that makes me feel young again. I just see how hard these guys are working. It’s making me work harder,” Gordon said on Saturday. “I’ve been really working harder on my fitness, which I think is helping me mentally and physically be more prepared out there. When the cars are that good, my back just doesn’t seem to hurt as much.

“The whole retirement thing I think is thrown out there too much, and I’m probably somewhat to blame, but there’s no secret, I’m going to be 43 this year, but, man, if 43 is like this, I can’t wait for 50. This is all right. I’m having a good time. That’s why I feel young, because I’m just having a great time.”

But …

What if Jeff Gordon goes on to win his fifth title, should he / would you like to see him retire by going out on top?

@John_Sikora my guess is that he will do 1 more year and then give up the seat to Chase Elliott…

@Lance_sells I would like to see that but I can’t see him doing that.

@TomLglEdtr nah, never a huge fan but have developed lots of respect for Jeff over the years. He should race as long as he wants.

@justin24hr as a fan since I was a kid, I’d say that would be a perfect, knowing his retirement is sooner rather than later anyway.

@CraigMintz09 would love to see that! Spend time with his daughter and show her the ropes!

@GERI1324FAN Ummm…pardon the intrusion but who the hell says we have to limit Jeff Gordon to just one more?

@ecfr1978 he’s a company man, he’ll race one more year and then turn his seat over to Chase Elliott no matter what happens, #respect

@jrm1219 he’s earned the right to races as long as he wants & as long as he is competitive could see him race 3 more yr 

@Chase_Wilhelm No better way to go out than on top.

Tuesday, May 6th 'What If' Question

Brad Keselowski is a Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series champion who makes more good moves than bad.

His peers will admit that, like Jeff Gordon did, and some of them did Sunday in Talladega. But only because they were left trying wonder about the move that Keselowski made to race with the leaders while six laps down in the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.

It was fine for nearly the entire event. Keselowski believing he just needed a few cautions and he could take his car that was certainly fast enough, back in to contention. And then with 51 laps to go he spun in front of the field and took out 12 cars behind him. The subsequent reaction was anything but friendly, with Matt Kenseth (whom Keselowski had a problem with racing a week ago in Richmond) saying that if roles were reversed, Keselowski would be lecturing others.

The accident since sparked a debate about whether Keselowski should have been running where he was. The No. 2 Miller Lite Ford was indeed one of the fastest cars in the field, however he found himself multiple laps down after he spun from earlier contact with Danica Patrick. While restrictor plate racing is known for its large and numerous wrecks, Keselowski was playing the hoping game of having just enough that he could get back on the lead lap.

And it was certainly possible. Jamie McMurray, who was also numerous laps down, did get about five laps back and finished 29^th after running dead laps for much of the event. Unfortunately for Keselowski, he didn’t have as quiet a day with the first big wreck, which many admitted they knew was coming, occurring because of a driver who was multiple laps down and was racing with the leaders.

But …

What if Brad Keselowski had only been a lap or two down when he spun in front of the field, does furious reaction towards him still hold?

@MooreNASCAR Don’t agree with it, but I say it’s definitely still highlighted by lots when expressing their opinion.

@88isDaleJr One lap I can see. But Not 6! It was shear stupidy!!

@jrm1219 If your one lap down you still only need to race any other cars one lap down & wait for a yellow 

@jackrlewis if he was battling for the free pass fine, otherwise he didn’t belong there

Tuesday, February 18th 'What If' Question

It’s been 13 years since NASCAR’s darkest day.

When Dale Earnhardt died in February of 2001 in the last corner of the last lap in the Daytona 500, it resonated throughout an entire sport and its fan base. Earnhardt has been considered one the sports greatest drivers and his sudden death briefly crippled not only NASCAR, but also his fans and the organization he left behind, Richard Childress Racing.

In 676 starts Earnhardt won 76 times and captured seven championships. He dominated at Daytona and Talladega, rattled cages at Bristol and drove broken at Watkins Glen. He was the Intimidator; there was one Dale Earnhardt.

He and Richard Petty are the only men who have seven championships, both sit atop the NASCAR mountain that most drivers aim to join. They’re the men that fans place above all. In 2001 Earnhardt and RCR were locked and loaded to chase another championship, coming off a 2000 season in which he finished second in points.

Feeling better than ever, with everything in his personal life in order, Earnhardt looked prime to return to glory. Then, he was gone.

Sunday the #3 will return. Austin Dillon and Richard Childress ready to continue a legacy that was built by the man in black. Earnhardt will continue to be remembered, maybe more so now than ever. Not only when seeing the 3 on the track, but as Jimmie Johnson attempts to race into history alongside him.

But …

What if Dale Earnhardt Sr. had raced past the 2001 season, would he have ever captured that eighth championship?

@TheblondeTweets Yes!

@jackrlewis I always said that he would’ve won it in 2001. They seemed so prepared

@nascar_creation absolutely, after a few off years his 2000 campaign was sweet. He woulsve retired with TEN…..

@poptart_31 we would never be running a COT car because he would of never drove it

@MarshallGabell Possibly. However, he was out of his prime.

@JBJB68 odds were waning yet entirely possible.

@ARosser14 His intent was to retire in ’02 so it would have depended on if he could have run with Gordon in ’01 probably. So maybe.

@66MWRfan15 Yes I do believe so. I was not a fan, but he was just that good!

@kaylamotte Had more momentum going in 2001 than in a long time, was very hopeful

@MontysAmendment Without a doubt but his death changed the sport for better in terms of safety. Would have lost more drivers as well.

Saturday, February 8th 'What If' Question

The short and successful pairing of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and crew chief Steve Letarte comes to end following the 2014 season.

Letarte has taken a position with NBC to become a broadcaster in 2015 as the network begins their NASCAR takeover. He’ll serve as an analyst alongside Jeff Burton and Rick Allen when the second half of the season coverage begins. Yet in doing so that means he has to relinquish his position as crew chief and the only home he’s ever had in Hendrick Motorsports.

Letarte and Earnhardt Jr. have been paired together since 2011 and have made the Chase every season since. Finishing a best fifth in points this past year. In their three seasons together thus far, the two have scored one win and four poles.

Even more important however, was the chemistry the two had built. Something that appeared difficult for Earnhardt Jr. and the numerous crew chiefs who came before. After the announcement was made, the most popular driver talked about how much Letarte has done for him both personally and professionally, changing his personality and confidence.

The two now enter their fourth and final season together. With both firmly stating that nothing would change this year as they continue to prepare the same to win races and challenge for the championship.

The new crew chief for Earnhardt Jr. won’t be announced until late in the season or even after the 2014 season has come to an end. Earnhardt Jr., while he said he doesn’t want any part in deciding who gets the job, might not have a choice as team owner Rick Hendrick said that he among others will have input in the next man to take the hot seat on the 88 pit box.

But …

What if Hendrick Motorsports allowed fan input on who Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s new crew chief should be, who’s your first pick and why?

@BeeOhBeeRT_R Pete Rondeau. Because I like to laugh.

@jerracing10 It should be his race engineer. They should promote him up to crew chief.

@skeene1202 don’t matter-he is the most overrated driver ever. If his last name was diff he would be sitin at home watchin tv.

@RRP88 either Alan Gustafson or wishful thinking Chad Knaus! They have experience working with Jr and know how to handle the pressure

@JamersonD Darian Grubb. Already knows the Hendrick system how Knaus operates. Proven race and championship winning crew chief.