Friday, November 18th 'What If' Question

In about 24 hours from now the NASCAR world will know who the 2011 Sprint Cup Series champion is.

Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart are separated by just three points heading into the season finale in Homestead-Miami. They've been throwing down since they arrived in town on Thursday, they've practiced and now qualified for the Ford 400. Edwards will start his quest for his first championship from the pole, while Stewart will have to come from the 15th position to win his third.

Edwards has an impressive NASCAR Cup resume and a Nationwide Series title to his name. Sunday though, he's going for the big trophy, one that Stewart has taken home twice. The Indiana native is in position for his third championship and should he accomplish the feat he'd go into the history books under a few different categories.

Smoke won his first championship in 2002 when NASCAR was still running under the point system that they had been in place since it's inception. It was also still called the Winston Cup Series then. In 2005 Stewart outran Jimmie Johnson for his second title under the newly invented Chase format. That title came in the Nextel Cup Series. Sunday, Stewart would win under a different Chase format and in the Sprint Cup Series.

Maybe even bigger accomplishments is that Stewart would be adding a third title to his trophy room. He would join many Hall of Famers with those three titles and be behind Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt's seven championships, Jimmie Johnson's five and Jeff Gordon's four. Oh, and Stewart would become the first owner-driver to win a championship since Alan Kulwicki did so in 1992.

There are many scenarios and headlines heading into Sunday's race. For the first time in many seasons the championship will truly not be decided until the final lap. Anything can happen.

But ...


What if Tony Stewart goes on to win the title Sunday, will it be remembered more for coming after Johnson's reign or because it's his third?

@Spacie_Stacie I really think Carl is going to win, but it will be a big deal for whomever wins it cause it is the first new one in 6 years!

@HendrickGuy Both, and because he'd be the first owner/driver to win since Kulwicki.

@Talon64 Robert More as a 3-time champion, but also as the guy that book-ended JJ's title streak more than just ending it.

@FashionL14 because he has bookended JJ. and so far the only driver to get winston and nextell/sprint cups.

@mbauerherzog It will be remembered as the Championship that broke the reign.

Stroker Ace (via Facebook) Smoke will be remembered more for the man who ousted the 5X Champ! Stroker Ace Smoke would also be remembered as the only driver to win a championship from all three cup series sponsors: Winston, Nextel and Sprint.

Jason Remillard (via Facebook) I say he's remembered for winning pre-Chase, post-Chase and as an owner-driver.

Tuesday, November 15th 'What If' Question

It seems like just yesterday the NASCAR garage was buzzing about the start of the 2011 season and the Daytona 500. Here we are though heading in the final race of the season with the championship yet to be decided.

For the first time in five years Jimmie Johnson will not be among the drivers contending for it. Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart head to Homestead-Miami separated by only three points as they fight to be the new Sprint Cup Series champion. The title would be the first for Edwards, the third for Stewart.

While Stewart is the hottest driver on the circuit, winning four of nine Chase races, it is Edwards who holds the point lead. Having only won one race in 2011 along with the non-points Sprint All-Star race, he's maintained a steady and consistent pace to stay ahead of the competition. When it seems that he's going to have a bad finish, like Talladega or Martinsville, his contenders fall by the wayside and suddenly he's in the top 10.

Should Edwards win the championship this Sunday he would join an elusive club of drivers who have done so with only one win on the season. The last to do it was Edwards teammate Matt Kenseth in 2003. He would also join those who have a Nationwide Series championship and a Sprint Cup Series title. And Edwards would also be just the fourth driver to win under the Chase system since its conception in 2004.

But ...

What if Carl Edwards wins the championship Sunday after only winning 1 race this year, would you want #NASCAR to change point system again?

@RBleakley no! First time in years I've given a damn about racing after about the sixth chase race!

@Talon64 I'd like to see them change back to no Chase. Doesn't matter what system, you'll get runaways, 1 wins and/or "game 7's".

@DarthHendrick YES!!! They need to make it so anybody who's Father won 7 championships gets a 200pt bonus! Except the Petty's #Nascar

@ampdalejr89 No I would be happy with Carl Edwards. Wins aren't everything. Consistency is just as important.

@bfellin i dont think they will...this points system created drama at Richmond for the wild card, created a "game 7" scenario. exactly what NASCAR wanted

@AnnTRoberts No...Its like a side pot.

@twittmitch nope. Just ban Edwards from the sport. I hate that dude.

@Harvichick29 No...but I will want to puke. #GOSMOKE

@HotDog388 I say yes, overall point system is fine but still need to put more emphasis on winning need to award 5 to 10 points for the race winner instead of 3 points

@rcracer20 op 5 and top10 is what your after,win 5 crash in 20?if #nascar wonts to change something,all races a night race #yeabuddy

@smokinace88 yes the winner should get more points

Andy Marquis (via Facebook) I've been wanting to change the point system since 2004; a 36 race Chase with 43 drivers.

Dustin Parks (via Facebook) No, because the new system is simpler to understand. 43 for 1st, 42 for 2nd, etc. Way I see it, the system gave us exactly what fans wanted all year long. Carl ran well all year long, and wins don't always translate to championships (hence 2008 when he won the most races all year and still finished 2nd in the title hunt). Consistency will ALWAYS win championships.

Kyle Rickey (via Facebook) The 47-1 system is fine. Chase needs to go. Without it makes years like 1990 and 1992 more special with fans feeling it wasn't fabricated....or sorts

Stephen Taylor (via Facebook) hell to the no-drivers have to be penalized for bad finishes-we award victories as wildcards plus extra points-edwards, as kenseth did in 03 deserves the position he is in.

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Following a 'What If' question I hardly ever throw anything else out about it. But after reading many responses and opinions following Sunday's race in Phoenix I wrote that many believe winning "should mean more" and that NASCAR intended for their new point system to show that. Compared to the run that Stewart has been on in the Chase, some have said that Edawrds has been mearly point racing and riding around, something that no one wants to see a potential champion do.

After posting that, many more responses came through...

@mbauerherzog I think winning should be rewarded more but consistency should be rewarded too. Maybe they should get rid of resetting points

@mrnascar2488 No riding around is finishing like 15th or so Carl is at least in the top 3

@denver2u I don't like that u can win a cup championship w/o winning a race in the chase.Maybe change the points just for the chase

@jlaracefan14 I say that @NASCAR should just change it to where the driver with the most wins is champion!

@SD80MAC Regardless of who wins, I think there needs to be a bigger points bonus for wins. Maybe 5 points? Not sure, but I want to see drivers racing for the win every race. Hanging in the back for a safe points day like at Talladega IS NOT RACING!

@NickBrincks No, an average finish under 5 over 9 races is impressive enough. If winners limit mistakes, they'll win. Leave it alone.

@LLH713 No, consistency pays off. Not a last minute dash to finish line. Tortoise & Hare. Plus this is a great chase finish

@JohnBarlak t's all good. He was consistent the year so there are no issues for me.

Jose L Acero (via Facebook) yes he has! #teamsmoke2011

Dustin Parks (via Facebook) Well, think about this...when Edwards was struggling at Martinsville, he wasn't just riding around to collect points...he went out, had the team get the car running better, and finished strong. The last two weeks he's been doing everything he can to get around Tony, and Tony has raced him very hard for position, but did so clean. If that's riding around, where your adversary is just as good as you, I'll take it. Still, I think even though the Chase is 10 races, you can't help but look at how well he did in the other 25 races that he ran before the Chase. I just really think the Chase determines the champion, but the entire season determines the champion-caliber drivers. They may want winning to mean more, but just like anything else, when you're not winning, you need to be running strong. CONSISTENCY wins championships

Andy Marquis (via Facebook) Best driver wins.

Stephen Taylor (via Facebook) if you count multiple 2nd and 3rd place finishes, a win in vegas, an all star victory, and a worse finish of 11th since Bristol in August riding around then so be it-if any other driver can do that be my guest. remember his 3 point lead is the bonus points from his regular season win-something tony didnt have-if he did he would be tied or leading right now. honestly I think its a silly arguement-everyone plays under the same system-whoever does it best deserves to win-theyve each taken different paths to end up where they are at-and honestly both will deserve it if they win

William Hildebrand (via Facebook) They went with this new points system because nobody knew how it worked before (of adding points etc), in other words, it was confusing as hell. THAT and they wanted a close battle for the championship, not running away with it like JJ did in 2007, 2008, & 2009.

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Even a representative of NASCAR had come across the question and the opinion of Edwards riding around. The following is the conversation between NASCAR's Josh Hamilton and myself on the topic (thanks for the time Josh!):

@joshahamilton absolutley not!!!!!! the dude has finished in the top 10 in 8 of 9 races, including 6 top 5s!!!! how is that riding around??

@KellyCrandall to @joshahamilton I'm just throwing out there what some have said to me

@joshahamilton to @KellyCrandall obviously strongly strongly disagree

@KellyCrandall to @joshahamilton I disagree to a point LOL. But was looking to spark a discussion, which it has :-)

@joshahamilton to @KellyCrandall again, sorry, but no discussion. to claim that a guy w/6 top 5s (3 runner ups) in 9 races is 'riding' around, then well....

@KellyCrandall to @joshahamilton Well, there are still those who don't feel winning means or is worth enough

@joshahamilton to @KellyCrandall now that is a discussion, i will give you that. but completely different than saying carl is riding. guy is digging.

Monday, November 14th 'What If' Question

This Sunday in Homestead-Miami it will be the end of a five-year era.

Jimmie Johnson will not be crown Sprint Cup champion, instead it will be Carl Edwards or Tony Stewart taking home the big trophy. Johnson and team will be looking to preserve a top five point finish instead. Five-time goes out without putting up much of a fight for a sixth straight championship, left in the dust of Edwards and Stewart who have blazed through the Chase and into the finale.

For the past five years Johnson has been at the top of the mountain as everyone else just shook their heads and watched. Some welcomed his accomplishments more than others. Sure, he may have been respected for making history but it didn't make it any easier or fun to watch him do it year after year.

Some will be celebrating not only an Edwards or Stewart championship, but the fact that Johnson won't be winning another. It is a day that some thought wasn't going to come any time soon. After three, then four and especially five, Johnson was expected to just keep going and going. It's why when he wasn't all that spectacular in 2011 and didn't open a can of whoop ass on the competition when the Chase started it was surprising yet welcomed.

It doesn't however, mean Johnson and his No. 48 Lowe's team won't win another championship. They'll come back in 2012 looking to get back to where they belong and add another page to the record books. There are only two other drivers ahead of Johnson in the history books with more championships, Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. It is certainly possible that he could go on to tie and surpass them in that category. He'll have to wait until next year though (something that hasn't been said about him since 2005) before he gets a chance to do so.

But ...

What if @JimmieJohnson comes back in 2012 and wins his sixth championship, will it be more accepted than his five in a row were? #NASCAR

@HarpAmyStabler I think that it depends on if he's dominant or not. If he goes a few years in btwn, then maybe it's okay to break records.?.

@golic_2004 Well the world will not end, as Johnson would need to win 7 straight championships.

@racebird if he and his team wins why wouldn't they be? Takes a team to win!

@ladybug388 I think it will be as a lot of people r now looking at how significant his 5 in a row was

@StrokerAce90 Yes, it would be more accepted. @JimmieJohnson joined twitter, showed #NASCAR fans he weren't vanilla and won over more fans.

@JoJo_6040 Break from JJ winning is nice. For yrs I've said when he doesn't win it, I'd root for him again & I will. Congrts to 5 time!!

Wednesday, November 9th 'What If' Question

Retire - to leave one's job and cease to work, typically upon reaching the normal age for leaving employment.

When Mark Martin announced that 2005 would be his final Sprint Cup Series season and he would be entering retirement, many in the garage joined in on the farewell tour. Offerring gifts and congratulations on a wonderful career. But six year laters Martin has not yet sat down in the rocking chair that was given to him by those in Sonoma, instead he's still racing and has changed his mind many times about leaving the track behind.

It started innocently enough when Jack Roush asked Martin to come back in 2006 because he couldn't find a suitable replacement for Mark in the No. 6. One more year before Martin left the big leagues and went to race trucks. Except in 2007 he decided to head to the newly merged Dale Earnhardt Inc and Gin Racing team, driving the No. 01 Army Chevrolet on a partial schedule, sharing the car with Regan Smith. In 2008 he remained with the team and shared the ride with Aric Almirola.

For the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons Martin drove for Hendrick Motorsports and he came one spot short of capturing the championship that has eluded him in his career in 2009 when he finished second in points to teammate Jimmie Johnson. Perhaps the loss has helped fuel Martin to keep going and keep trying because he still isn't leaving.

In 2012 it has been announced that Martin will be driving for Michael Waltrip Racing, replacing David Reutimann, another driver that seems to have fallen to the Mark Martin retirement rouse.

Regan Smith left DEI and is now with Furniture Row Motorsports, a less than well funded team, but one that Smith and company has made into contenders. They won this year's Southern 500 at Darlington. As for Almirola, he was never able to find another Cup ride and has landed at JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series.

Casey Mears, who Martin replaced at Hendrick after he won his first career race at Charlotte, is now with the ever struggling Germain Racing team. And time will tell what happens to David Reutimann now that he is out of the only home that he's ever known, a home that he brought their first two and currently only Cup wins.

But ...


What if Mark Martin had retired in 2005, would Casey Mears still have lost his ride at HMS & David Reutimann still lost his at MWR? #NASCAR

@ladybug388 I think Reuti wouldve because of what he's done for MWR & success compared to others at that team. Casey Mears, I believe wouldve still lost his ride because the success wasn't there for him.

@HotDog388 Mears would of still lost his ride his performance wasn't up to par for HMS, Reuitmann still would of kept his job nxt season

Dustin Parks (via Facebook) That's a complicated question. Its hard to judge. Going into 2005, we all thought Mark was retiring. He came back because unfortunately Roush didn't have things ready for his heir-apparent. So, I can't say yes or no to either Mears at HMS, or Reutimann at MWR. Too many factors to consider.

Tim Kaufman (via Facebook) Yes and both deserved to do so, also. Mark won 5 races and nearly the Cup title his 1st yr @ Hendrick Motorsports then they stripped down Mark's team 4 Jr., but that's another story. Mark's still got it... Casey never had it (still doesn't) and Reutimann is just too "quiet" to be marketable. nice guy. I got to see him win @chicagoland last year, but just not as marketable as Mark.

Tuesday, November 8th 'What If' Question

Trevor Bayne finally won his first career Nationwide Series race on Saturday afternoon in Texas as he beat out the dominant car in teammate and Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards.

Bayne however, wasn't the big story. That came a few hours earlier when NASCAR President Mike Helton announced that Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch was being parked for the weekend following his actions in Friday night's Camping World Truck Series race. Busch would not participate in Saturday or Sunday's events. The news became the only topic of the weekend.

Denny Hamlin drove Busch's car to a second place finish on Saturday and Michael McDowell drove the No. 18 to a 33rd place finish on Sunday night. Bayne's win though, was popular enough and a long time in the coming. Driving for Jack Roush in the NNS series, Bayne quickly caught notice as a rising star and after he won the Daytona 500 for the Wood Brothers, that star got much brighter.

Yet, on Saturday's he started to struggle while his Roush teammates outshone him. Midyear Bayne was sidelined with an illness but after he returned he was better than ever and he inched ever closer to that first win. By beating the best in the business on Saturday Bayne again impressed many and his victory was welcomed with open arms.

But ...

What if Kyle Busch wasn't parked in Texas, would he & Carl Edwards have battled for Nationwide win or does Trevor Bayne still win? #NASCAR

@HotDog388 I say Kyle probably wins the Nationwide race, Carl finishes in top 5, Bayne top 10

@rcracer20 dont think kyle would have finished the race,hornaday would be in the race,he could have bought a ride ,easy you think

Stroker Ace (via Facebook) I'd say Kyle Busch would not be a factor at all because someone would have either put him into the wall or punted him into the infield and Trevor Bayne would still go on to beat Carl Edwards for the win.

Beth Robinson Bunch (via Facebook) Ditto.

Wednesday, November 2nd 'What If' Question

The paperclip track in Martinsville, Virginia is known for it's hard racing, great finishes and classic rivalries. Last weekend though, it became known as a junkyard that was run by Brian Vickers.

The official count had Vickers involved in five of the 18 cautions at Martinsville, but to viewers it seemed like a whole lot more. The No. 83 Red Bull machine always seemed to be where the action was, either starting it or being on the receiving end of it. It doesn't make it surprising then that Vickers played a role in determining the outcome of the Tums Fast Relief 500.

With less than 10 laps to go Vickers retaliated against Chase contender Matt Kenseth, bringing out the caution. Jimmie Johnson, a friend of Vickers, had been leading the race over Tony Stewart by over a second and was looking for his third win of the season and to close the gap in the championship. Instead, he would lineup side-by-side with Stewart and on the restart with two laps go, Stewart smoked him and went on to win.

Johnson finished second and only moved up one spot in points, gaining just seven points on the leader. Johnson was none too happy with his friend, saying that it was frustrating to see the same cars end up in all the cautions at the end. While it wasn't the only reason that he lost, Johnson did not want to see the final caution that Vickers caused.

Stewart on the other hand was the big winner, literally and figuratively. He moved to second in points after his third win of the Chase and sits just eight behind leader Carl Edwards with three races to go. In victory lane it caused Stewart to send a message to Edwards on national television, saying, "he better be worried, that's all I've got to say. He's not going to have an easy three weeks." The response got a rise out of everyone who heard it, except Edwards who said that Stewart was just wound up from the win and his biggest challengers are the ones behind Stewart.

A few days later, Vickers said four of the five accidents weren't his fault. He also said that he doesn't regret what he did to Matt Kenseth and that Kenseth was the one who took himself out of the championship. Kenseth, says Vickers, won't win the championship anyway. More importantly, Vickers believes that his performance of driving a beat up racecar will attract potential team owners as he searches for a ride in 2012.

But ...

What if Brian Vickers hadn't gone after Kenseth, causing last caution does A) Tony Stewart still win & B) still trash talk Edwards? #NASCAR

RT @cruetten Stewart would still have probably won--he was pretty fast at the end//Vickers will always talk trash, no matter what happens.

@14Patti14 He wouldn't have won but still would trash talk.

@HotDog388 Don't think Stewart wins without that last caution think Johnson was too far ahead, think Stewart still talks trash Edwards

Tuesday, November 1st 'What If' Question

It's never smart to count out the master of the Camping World Truck Series, Ron Hornaday.

The four-time champion entered the 2011 season looking to join Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson as a five-time title winner. But things got off to a rocky start and Hornaday and his No. 33 team have been fighting to get out of a hole ever since. Before the month of September he was sitting outside the top five in points, ninth, and was 68 points behind leader Johnny Sauter.

Even though he had a victory, which came after leader Sauter was black flagged on a green-white-checkered finish, it seemed that it might be time to remove Hornaday from championship talk. A fuel mileage win in Atlanta helped him climb to fifth in points and 48 markers out of the lead, momentum starting to swing. Except next two races Hornaday finished 10th and fifth and had only gained one point in the standings.

Then team owner Kevin Harvick made the decision to put Hornaday in the No. 2 truck in order to help that team win the owner's championship. Hornaday would still get the driver points during his stint in the 2 truck. Suddenly, Hornaday was unbeatable. He won back-to-back races in the 2 at Kentucky and Las Vegas. In Talladega he finished second to teammate Mike Wallace (who was driving the 33 in Hornaday's absence) before he took back over the No. 33 at Martinsville where he finished second.

Hornaday now sits third in points only 15 behind Austin Dillon. The season only has two races remaining, Texas and Homestead, and Hornaday has gone from longshot to one of the favorites. Don't look now, but that veteran might just school the young guns in front of him.

But ...

What if Ron Hornaday hadn't been put in the No. 2 KHI truck at the start of September, would he still have fought back into title contention? (He has two wins and second place finish in the No. 2 and went from 68 to 15 points behind in the standings...) #NASCAR

@Talon64 The way he was running with the #33 crew, never. CC Bruce Cook brought his season and title hopes back to life

@chuckallen2 It's Hornaday, so he definitely could've done it with his 33. This worked out well,whatever the reason.