Monday, September 12th 'What If' Question

(This question was a fan submission)
Last week in Richmond Kevin Harvick made what some view as a shocking announcement.

Starting in 2012 his Nationwide Series team, Kevin Harvick Inc, will be merged with Richard Childress Racing, his Sprint Cup Series car owner. Further, there would be no more Camping World Truck Series teams out of KHI, they're shutting down. Harvick and wife DeLana would be stepping back and focusing on other opportunities and areas.

KHI has been a fixture in the CWTS for years with wins and championships collected like state coins or memorabilia. Ron Hornaday has become the driver with the most championships in CWTS history while at KHI and drivers like Elliott Sadler, Clint Bowyer and others have all won races behind the wheel of a KHI truck. No matter who or where they are, KHI has been a company to contend with.

Lately though they've had stiff competition from another Sprint Cup Series driver who has a CWTS team of his own, Kyle Busch. Last season it was the Kyle Busch Motorsports team that took home the owner's championship in just their first year of competition while a non KHI or KBM driver took home the driver's championship.

In the win column, that was KBM with eight and KHI with seven and most notably Hornaday struggled a year after winning his fourth championship. When KBM was formed, Busch hired Rick Ren who before then had worked for years with KHI and became the winningest crew chief in CWTS history as well as a champion. Ren left his crew chief duties for a management position with KBM.

The two teams have put on a show the last two seasons, going head-to-head nearly every weekend. They've made no bones about wanting to beat each other and drivers want to be behind the wheel of either team's trucks. Now, that won't be the case next year, as KBM will be front and center without their rival and current KHI drivers like Hornaday and Nelson Piquet Jr. are searching for rides.

But ...

What if Kyle Busch hadn't started a truck team, stole Rick Ren & regularly beat KHI trucks - would KHI still be disbanding? #NASCAR

@ARosser14 I doubt KBM has anything at all to do with the Harvicks' decision. If anything he'd be reason to keep going.

@zebmonkey idk what caused KHI to disband. Or if it was abt Kevin putting more into Cup and maybe he & Delana having more private time

@wijrsmokefan I think Kevin's focus is on championship; costs going up; and...I think they may feel it is time to start a family!

@ladybug388 probably not as they'd still probably be a total front running package team & not have the sponsorship issues. Also, there'd be sponsors available in the pot as Kevin could've picked up the people who r choosing to sponsor Kyle #NASCAR

@TJIngerson Yes - Hornaday is a champ and had trouble drawing sponsors. Sponsors want Harvick, but Harvick's time is valuable to him as he wants to win Sprint cup and wants all focus to be there. Ren was just a piece of the overall puzzle, but his departure didn't have any impact in this decision, in my opinon.

@cruetten K&D aren't people to accept failure&trying to beat KB would be a reason to stay-not quit. KB can't be the reason for selling.

@Racetake Ahh, Kyle's team is struggling for sponsors too. The future will tell just how hard that will be on the team.

@jlaracefan14 I doubted that KHI would be disbanding if KBM wasn't around! Let's face it KBM is on a level of their own that has KHI doing what is best, leaving the series to prevent more humilliation from KBM!

Dustin Parks (via Facebook) Whew. Tough call honestly. My mind is saying yes, but it still would be a hard decision no matter what. Maybe it could be the fact the KYLE is beating KHI and not Kyle Busch Motorsports. We know Harvick hates losing to him, so that's my thinking.

Jeff N Amy Stabler (via Facebook) I think that that is a tough one to answer. Who knows really.?. I tend to agree with what Dustin said too. But, I also think that maybe Kevin wanted out cause he wanted the focus to be on a championship too. That question is a very tough one to answer.

Nancy Nuce (via Facebook) Thanks for using my question! My short answer is "No". I think KH is all smiles and fun as long as everything is going well, but can't handle it when the going gets tough. He's in it for the fun and Delana gets stuck with the hard work. I think she got tired of doing it all while he & "Mother Function" acted like irresponsible schoolboys.

Wednesday, August 17th 'What If' Question

There doesn't need to be a road course involved for NASCAR drivers to have road rage. But it certainly helps the excitement notch go up a bit when one is involved.

That's been the case this season in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series with drivers either driving over their head and causing trouble for their competitors or payback coming fast and furious on the right and left handed turns. This Saturday the NNS will be making those turns for the final time in 2011 and feelings are going to get hurt if the first few road course races were any indication.

Entered in this Saturday's events are favorites like Ron Fellows for JR Motorsports, who still believes he should have been in the winner in Road America. There's Fellows teammate Danica Patrick making another NNS start before what's expected to be an announcement next week about her 2012 plans. Indy 500 pole sitter Alex Tagliani is also entered for Roger Penske but all eyes will be on the driver of the No. 22 Penske car, Jacques Villeneuve.

Not only because the track is named after his late father but because Villeneuve has ruffled some feathers in the NNS. At Road America Villeneuve again was his aggressive self and again didn't make it to the checkered flag first, he did though ruin a few of his competitions day. Notably that of Max Papis who didn't hide his anger with Villeneuve and neither did team owner Kevin Harvick.

The not so happy Harvick tweeted that he hoped Papis punched Villeneuve in the mouth, that he had no sense and that there was no respect for Villeneuve in NASCAR and it was the same reason they kicked his "dumbass" out of F1. Aftewards Villeneuve seemed unapologitic in his comments about the incident with Papis,

Unfortunately for those who were hoping for the second chapter to be written this weekend, Papis is not entered to compete in the race. Instead Scott Speed will be behind the wheel of the KHI No. 33 and unless Villeneuve upsets anymore individuals, shouldn't have to look over his shoulder on Saturday. No road rage here.

But ...

What if Max Papis was entered in the Nationwide race on Saturday, how long before he took out Jacques Villeneuve? Or would he? #NASCAR

@MattEmbury I don't think the boys have at it thing would be covered there, although JV was quite reckless at Road America.

@Talon64 Jacques would use up all his brakes and wreck before Max would get a shot at revenge.

@rcracer20 if he could catch him he would

@cruetten I would like to think that Max would've spun him as soon as he got to him.

Monday, July 18 'What If' Question

As the saying goes, sometimes less is more.

In NASCAR that also holds true when it comes to the number of cars a team puts out on track. Not just in the sense of how many NASCAR caps them at, being four, but in terms how all of them can succeed under the same banner. For years it has always appeared that the fourth car was the odd man out. In 2009 that was Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Hendrick Motorsports when teammates Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon won races and finished 1-3 in points.

At Roush-Fenway Racing it used to be David Ragan, until his turnaround this season as all four cars are finally performing to standard. In the case of Penske Racing they cut down from three to two teams after Sam Hornish Jr. not only failed to perform but lost sponsorship. Penske has won races with both his drivers this season.

For Richard Childress Racing they might want to go back to having less. Originally a team with four cars, RCR cut down to three for the 2010 season where all three of their drivers qualified for the Chase and two of the three won races. It appeared that RCR was a company that was perfect for three cars and drivers to succeed together. Then the announcement was made that in 2011 they were going to expand back to four cars.

The last time the company had fours they all struggled and speculation ran wild that one driver, Kevin Harvick, might be on his way to another team. Questions now began whether going back to four cars was the right move and so far it has proven not to be. Only one of the RCR drivers, Harvick, has won a race this season. He's always the only one currently in the top 10 in points.

While Bowyer and Menard have had their share of competitive nature, the same can't be said for Jeff Burton. This time around it seems that Burton and the No. 31 Catapillar team are the odd ones out. After 19 races Burton has zeros across the board: no wins, no poles, no top fives and no 10s and he sits 25th in points.

Sometimes, they aren't even close when at the track and it has everyone shaking their head. This past weekend in New Hampshire things were finally looking up for Burton as he ran in the top five for much of the ran. Again though the team came up empty and they finished 16th. Going forward the team will look to carry over their performance from Sunday while trying to improve on their finishes.

But ...

What if Jeff Burton continues to struggle this season, can a case be made that RCR is better suited & should go back to 3 teams? #NASCAR

@ConwellClark They should all go back to 3 teams and stop the big money monopoly and give some not so rich owners a shot

@Lady31RCR I could go on and on..but I am going to stick with Clint has not been resigned, shame bc he is better than Menard!! I do look for a CC change for the #31 team...poss with the #33 team!!

@cruetten absolutely. the 4th car has now twice hexed RCR. but w/ menards $,theyll give it some more time b4 thinking of going back to 3

Tuesday, April 5th 'What If' Question

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was three laps away from winning his first Sprint Cup Series race in nearly three years last Sunday at the Martinsville Speedway. After taking the lead from Kyle Busch with less than 20 laps to go it was all about counting down the laps for the No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet, until Kevin Harvick showed up on the scene.

Harvick took the lead and the win with three laps to go and Earnhardt Jr. held off Busch for the second spot. Afterward the talk of whether or not Earnhardt Jr. was back and could contend for the title became the headline early in the week. For Junior Nation it was a close but no cigar moment yet they were proud of how their driver had performed and are anxious for the weeks to come. No more than ever do they feel a win may be around the corner.

For some though it is not enough as attention has turned to how Earnhardt Jr. should have won on Sunday. During a discussion on NASCAR Now on Tuesday it was stated Earnhardt Jr. let Kevin Harvick pass him for the win. Comparisons of his father have always followed Little E, but by not winning on Sunday many feel as though he let his old man down. He should have wrecked Harvick or roughed him up they say.

Yet, for those who really know Earnhardt Jr. and as he stated on Sunday, he doesn't want to be the bad guy. Never one to be overly aggressive and just take someone out, Earnhardt Jr. opted to race Harvick the same way that Harvick raced him, clean. A complete failure he's been called because he is not his father and never will be. In settling for a second place finish it was as if some thought Earnhardt Jr. just let Harvick have it and moved over.

In his post race comments that was far from the truth as Earnhardt Jr. said,"I was thinking at the end that I was meant to win that damn race. Hell, I'm not sitting there leading that thing by seven car lengths thinking I'm about to lose."

But ...

What if Dale Jr. had moved and/or wrecked Harvick for the win, would you have thought any less or more of the win? #NASCAR

@mwoodruff8829: Since being there I would had not thought less if Jr had moved him I like seeing competitive racing between my two favorites!

@MCs_nascargang: I wouldn't have minded if Jr had moved Harvick for the win, not wreck him, but put his nose in there and take the win

@leesdog1966: I would have loved it, its racing like harvick said I am in it to win it, Go dale jr

@kartracer3886: id be happy anyway he won. But I'm fine with the way he raced.

@weizdawg: if jr would have wrecked him that would of been his move to win not on purpose but to win anyone else would have done it to.

@RoushGirl17: Not in the least, Harvick would have moved him, and others would have. He stuck to his way though, got to give it to him for integrity. #NASCAR

@ladybug388: Probably felt the same regardless, personally. Though it'd create excitement in seeing what Kevin would do

@4xLeft: When he had a chance to move Kevin, there were too many laps back. 29 woulda moved him back. He was 2 fast to get away from.

@TominBristol: If the 29 didn't have a wrecked rear, Jr's nudge might have been enuff!

@jester_3: Harvick was positioned so he would have come across and destroyed Jrs front, but had he done it... Just Martinsville

@cruetten: I would've been fine with it, but I'm a Jr fan.Any other driver, and I wouldn't have been fine with it. Yes, I admit my bias!

John Gazarkiewicz (via Facebook) More, he needs to be more aggressive, Harvick is...

Stephen Taylor (via Facebook) no I would have applauded!

Tuesday, December 21st 'What If' Question

It's because they love to race. It's because NASCAR hasn't made a rule saying they can't.

Those are some of the arguments NASCAR fans hear when tossing out complaints about Sprint Cup Series drivers dropping down into the minor leagues and dominating. The Nationwide Series is constantly infected with Cup drivers who have much better equipment and sponsor dollars helping them get all the attention and in essence, take over the series.

Some fans are sick of it. They haven't seen a NNS full-time driver win the championship since 2004-2005 when Martin Truex Jr. won it driving for JR Motorsports. Since then it's been Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski. Not only are championships being won, but nearly every race.

In 2010 of the 35 NNS races, only one of them was won by a regular NNS driver. The rest were won by Cup drivers - although Boris Said won the road course in Montreal, he is neither a full-time NNS or Cup driver.

Rides are being taken away from young drivers who are trying to make their way into the sport. Sponsors are going to the big names instead of helping a young team get on the track. There are plenty of negatives to why Cup guys shouldn't be allowed to race in the NNS, but some say there's a positive.

Without the big names, fans wouldn't show up or watch. Whether or not that's fact or fiction has yet to be seen. The first step though might come in 2011 as NASCAR is considering changing the rules to limit Cup drivers in the NNS. They may still be allowed to run, but not earn any points toward winning the driver's championship.

Some agree, others don't believe it's fair.

But ...

What if Sprint Cup drivers didn't run full-time in Nationwide Series. Would you still watch and who would you pick for the title?

@smokinace88 yes and I would pick Colin Braun Or Aric :)

@BigBankHank18 I watch all the NNS and NCWTS races, because @KyleBusch is such a big part of them if he wasn't? NO FREAKIN WAY! #KBshow

@Emily_8388 I would probably pay more attention. Simply because it wouldn't be all about Busch and Edwards.

@88Summerstars I would still watch and I'm thinking I'll be rooting for Aric A...

@ronsracing88 Yes, I would watch more of the NWS if Sprint Cup drivers didn't run full time and Aric Almirola or Justin Allgaier

@MattEmbury Good question...maybe whoever drives the Roush-Fenway/Gibbs cars. They can block the Cup guys all they want, the problem is they won't be able to block the Cup teams too, they will still win

@nascarjaj yes, and justin allgaier should be champ

@crutten I would still watch, but I think the viewership would drop due to big names such as Busch and Harvick not racing each week. As a fan, I like the idea and would like the NNS to go back to being a true "minor league" series. I can see, however, the drawbacks from the business side: It's a bad idea because those same big names such as Busch and Harvick attract viewers, ratings, and sponsors/money. For the title winner, and in light of recent news, I pick the Herminator, Kenny Wallace!

@StrokerAce90 I'd still watch the Nascar Nationwide series race's for the same reason I started watching them in the 1st place, "to see Danica race". I feel I'd get to know the regular Nationwide drivers a bit better if the Cup Stars weren't out there hogging up the show & then I'd be better able to pick one of them as to who would win the championship, but until Nascar stops their cream of the crop Chase contenders from racing in lower class's its a no brainer as to who to pick to win the championship.

Monday, December 20th 'What If' Question

With 15 laps to go at the Phoenix International Raceway in mid November, Denny Hamlin was "sitting pretty."

He had just racked up the 10 bonus points for not only leading a lap but the most laps and was running second behind Carl Edwards. His Chase competitors, Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson were well behind him and just about out of the championship hunt thanks to Hamlin making sure they hadn't led a lap all day.

All he had to do was get to the checkered flag and he would be 60 points or more ahead of the two drivers heading into the season finale in Homestead-Miami. His first ever Sprint Cup Series championship was in his grasp, he could see it, taste it and feel it.

Then it was gone.

With 12 laps to go Hamlin was called down pit road by crew chief Mike Ford. Not wanting to gamble on fuel mileage and risk losing the championship lead, the 11 team pitted and went from potentially finishing second to finishing 12th ... well behind Harvick and Johnson.

The point lead going to Homestead was down to 15 points.

At Homestead Johnson went out and cruised, he started sixth and ran in the top five all day long to capture his fifth straight title. Hamlin's day was a complete nightmare. He started 37th, spun out and damaged his splitter and was never able to keep ahead of Johnson for a long run. He wound up finishing 14th and lost the championship by 39 points.

But ...

What if Denny Hamlin finished second at Phoenix instead of 12th and losing those points. Would he still have lost the championship?

@jerracing7 No. I think he would of won the championship

@WilliamCheerboy No, Clint Bowyer would of won it all.

@ronsracing88 I think Jimmie & Chad still would of found away to win.

@NASCARJeannie NO... he would have saved face and won the Championship. lol

@cruetten JJ and Knaus are the masters of the chase. They would've still won anyway; Denny Hamlin just made it a little easier for them

@ARosser14 His chances would've been better, he likely wouldn't have gotten into a situation where he got spun.

@StrokerAce90 Of course Denny would've still lost the championship. #Nascar's own Magic Johnson would've just pulled out more golden horseshoe power, which in turn would've resulted in Denny doin some "more" big smack talkin, then wrecking due to his own bad created karma.

Monday December 13th 'What If' Question

The Daytona 500 is both the season-opening race and one of the biggest races of the NASCAR season. A driver's name lives on in the history book for infamy, there face becomes engraved on the Harley J. Earl trophy for life and their winning car sits in Daytona USA for an entire year.

No matter what happens for the rest of the season or even their career, the driver who wins the Daytona 500 can't have it taken away from them. They can say they won the Daytona 500. It's that big of a race and that big of a weekend and it's not good when something goes wrong as the entire world is watching.

The 2010 Daytona 500 decided to shake everything up.

Things started off without a hitch but then things started to get a little bumpy inbetween turns one and two. On lap 122 of 200 as Clint Bowyer led, NASCAR brought the red flag out and had the drivers come and park on pit road because a pothole had formed on the track. Crews quickly got to work to repair the hole so the race could finish its listed distance even though it was already an official race.

After an hour and 45 minutes of repairs the race restarted.

But on lap 159 the red flag came out again, this time with Kevin Harvick leading, because the pothole had formed again. NASCAR officials again went to work, determined to finish the race. An hour later the race was restarted again and would go to it's conclusion but not without two green-white-checkered finishes that saw Jamie McMurray take the lead on the last lap and Dale Earnhardt Jr. charge to second.

McMurray won his first Daytona 500 in his reunion with Chip Ganassi while Earnhardt Jr. finished an exciting second.

But ...

What if Daytona 500 was run straight through (no red flags/pot holes). Would it still have had dramatic ending/Jamie McMurray win?

@TJIngerson Daytona 500 should end under lights, and no pothole means it wouldn't have had that great ending

@NASCARJeannie yes I believe it would have had the same outcome just maybe not as dramatic.

@mwoodruff8829 No because Kevin Harvick had the most dominating car that day and he would had won it ether way pothole or not.

@cruetten yes. Both Daytona and Talladega have had mostly dramatic finishes lately, regardless of race circumstances.

@garrettu88 doubt it very much

@MattEmbury Dramatic ending yeah, maybe a different winner...probably Harvick.

Thursday, November 18th 'What If' Question

This is it.

One race. One trophy. Three drivers. The Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship that began 10 weeks ago in New Hampshire has reached south Florida where 267 laps around the Homestead-Miami Speedway will determine NASCAR's next champion. Denny Hamlin has a 15-point lead over Jimmie Johnson and a 46-point lead over Kevin Harvick.

Will Hamlin complete a magical year that saw him go through knee surgery but win eight races and deliver his first championship? Will Johnson make a comeback and do what has never been done before and win five straight championships? Or will Harvick pull off an unbelievable charge and win his first championship for Richard Childress Racing?

The fans have been anxiously waiting for a week. They've heard all the press conferences filled with smack-talking. They've watched qualifying and practices and started their predictions of who they believe is going to be celebrating at the end of the day. Now they have to sit, watch and wait.

But ...

What If #NASCAR put the championship in your hands, crowning the champ from results on Sunday and a fan vote. Who would you vote for & why?

@mwoodruff8829 I would vote for Harvick all the way He was a great successor to Dale Sr. He has that Intimidating style he had!

@cruetten my vote is for Harvick. I don't care how long he has been in that car, it will forever be Earnhardt Sr's car. #NASCAR

@Talon64 Tough between Hamlin and Harvick, but I'd go with Hamlin. I'm a JGR guy and I'd like to see Toyota get first Cup. #NASCAR

@TJIngerson Harvick..Rooted for him since Day 1 in Cup..Earnhardt fans will burn the stands down if he wins, storybook ending

@StrokerAce90I vote JJ. He endured so much unnecessary grief & crap from the 11 team & their fans over a #Nascar allowed pit crew swap.

@victoria_29 easy I'd vote for the person that actually won the championship @KevinHarvick

@NancyatStudioN I'd vote for Harvick He was pts leader b4 chase & would be leading if no chase. Plus, I like him the best.

@racecrazy denny-because im tired of vanilla ice cream and I hate Harvick

@ladybug8848 Johnson as he has shown he can drive up front and hasn't backed down from his previous years

@MisanAkuya Kevin Harvick be big for Richard Childress racing 1st title outside of Earnhardt yet in the car he used to drive

Monday, November 1st 'What If' Question

The last few restrictor plate races have come down to a last lap pass: Matt Kenseth taking the lead of the 2009 Daytona 500 before the rain came 45 seconds later. Kevin Harvick on Jamie McMurray at Talladega in the spring of 2010. Harvick on teammate Clint Bowyer at Daytona in July.

This past Sunday at Talladega it looked like that could be the case again as teammates Bowyer and Harvick were side by side heading to the white flag. Juan Pablo Montoya was pushing Bowyer and David Reutimann was pushing Harvick. When they hit turn one however, 'The Big One' hit the track when Tony Stewart and a few others started spinning and AJ Allmendinger went flipping.

Since the white flag had been displayed, the race was official and the only question remained was who would be declared the winner. Boywer started celebrating as Harvick looked on and waited for the official word. About 5-10 minutes after the race was over, NASCAR finally announced that it was Clint Boywer and his No. 33 that was ahead of Harvick when the caution came out.

Boywer won his second race of the 2010 season and second in the Chase. He did so with interim crew chief Scott Miller who was atop the box for the suspended Shane Wilson. After their winning car failed inspection in New Hampshire, Wilson was given a mandatory four week vacation by NASCAR. The win was the fourth of Bowyer's career.

But ...

What if 'The Big One' didn't happen & leaders finished the race under green. Who wins: Bowyer, Montoya or Harvick, Reutimann?

@shanbedd Montoya!!

@mbauerherzog I think it would have been Harvick.

@nwnscrfan Bowyer probably. Harvick's car wasn't quite as fast after the damage as it was before & Bowyer had the inside (faster).

@RedChevy14 The 42. 00 woulda left the 29 too early, 33 woulda been a sitting duck.

@Talon64 JPM and Reutimann make their move to try and win on front stretch, all 4 wreck and Joey Logano wins!

@cruetten harvick for sure

@chuckallen2 Michael Waltrip.

@StrokerAce90 This one fired up Lugs Harvey. He says Harvick because he's a Plate Racer & a Wheelman. Haps 2.75 avg finish in 2010 says so.