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, April 2nd 'What If' Question

Everything was in place on Sunday for Hendrick Motorsports to have an historic day at Martinsville Speedway.

Kasey Kahne won the pole, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. all led laps. And when came time to decide the winner Gordon, Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. were running first, second and third with less than 10 laps to go.

Whoever won the event for HMS would have delivered team owner Rick Hendrick his 200th Sprint Cup Series win. David Reutimann, Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman had other plans and quickly postponed the celebration.

As Gordon took the lead by inches on Johnson on lap 498 of 500, David Reutimann came to a stop near turn one in his No. 10 Chevrolet. He had been slow for a few laps and had been issued the black flag by NASCAR, get off the track in other words.

Reutimann though was determined to finish the race and try to remain locked into the top 35 in points. Had he done so he would be guaranteed a starting spot in the series next race at Texas. Instead he said he had motor problems and the car shut off, stopping him to get back to pit road.

The caution bunched the field back up and when Earnhardt Jr. pitted it put Clint Boywer in third place, Brad Keselowski fourth, Ryan Newman fifth and Earnhardt Jr. sixth. When the green flag flew Newman shoved Bowyer toward turn one and Bowyer decided to take it three wide for the lead.

Johnson spun, Gordon got sideways and then spun Bowyer. Newman came out with the lead, AJ Allmendinger second and Earnhardt Jr. third. That's how they would finish when the race had their second attempt at a green-white-checkered finish.

Afterwards it was hard to find a happy driver. Either upset with the move by Bowyer, the push from Newman but most certainly because of the caution caused by Reutimann. Days later harsh words still remain for both Reutimann and the top 35 rule with both being the main topics of conversations concerning Martinsville.

HMS will once again put away the boxes full of 200 win hats and wait until Texas in two weeks to see if one of their drivers can win capture the checkered flag.

But ...

What if David Reutimann hadn't caused a caution as Gordon & Johnson raced for the lead, who scores the 200th win for HMS?

@ronsracing88 Jeff Gordon would of won.

@HD388 Gordon would of easily have won the race, he had run Johnson down & was passing him & would of driven off from him

@cruetten Jeff Gordon

@michaelwsays Jimmy would have laid the chrome bumper to the 24

@StrokerAce90 JJ

@CSoloy Niether-M'ville upchucks chunk AGAIN, goes through 24 grill, in turn clips 48 who pits, falls 2 end of lead lap

@HarpAmyStabler Jeff Gordon. My thots on Reuty are the following: He's fighting for the top 35. If you don't want something like that to affect the outcome of the race, then NASCAR needs to get rid of the top 35. But, in this economy, we need sponsors so we need to keep the top 35 rule. It's really a no-win situation here. All drivers have agendas on the track. Respect them.

Thursday, May 12th 'What If' Question

As Tony Stewart announced his departure from Joe Gibbs Racing in late 2008, the dominoes began to fall. JGR had to find his replacement in the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota and would do so in speeding up the career path of Joey Logano. For the 2009 season and beyond the JGR stable would consist of Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 FedEx Toyota, Kyle Busch in the No. 18 M&M's Toyota and now Logano.

Stewart though wasn't done. He would hire Ryan Newman away from Penske Racing to drive the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet. That left Penske searching for a replacement for the No. 12 and found one in David Stremme who would drive without a sponsor that season. Their lineup now consisted of Kurt Busch in the Miller Lite No. 2, Stremme in the No. 12 and Sam Hornish Jr. in the Mobile 1 No. 77.

Since that time a lot has happened to all organizations involved. Stewart became a championship contender in 2009, as he lead the point standings through the first 26 races before stumbling in the Chase. Newman won his first race since 2008 when he found victory lane at Phoenix in 2010. Joe Gibbs Racing has never been better with Busch and Hamlin tearing up the series as they too became championship contenders with Hamlin falling short of dethroning Johnson in the last race of the 2010 season. Logano has also become the youngest Sprint Cup Series winner with a victory in a rain shortened race at New Hampshire.

Penske Racing has gone through many changes. Kurt Busch is now the driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge while Brad Keselowski who was hired in 2010 has moved to the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge. Sam Hornish Jr. has moved to a part time Nationwide Series schedule as the No. 12 and 77 are no more.

But ...

What If Tony Stewart didn't start his team w/Newman & stayed at Joe Gibbs Racing, how different would JGR & Penske Racing be today? #NASCAR

@Talon64: Tony would leave JGR after contract over, maybe still form own team. But Newman would've already left Penske for another team

@Lady31RCR: Where would Joey be....sad face....and I didn't like Tony back then...but he is my #2 driver now!!

@Jrocket10: great "what if". I think the 20 car would be performing much better w/ smoke in it.. Meaning JGR would overall be better

@cruetten: I think Home Depot would be happier,and I never thought Newman and KuBu were that great together--would've gotten worse.

Wednesday, February 2nd 'What If' Question

When two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart announced in 2008 that he was going to be leaving Joe Gibbs Racing to start his own team many weren't surprised.

Stewart had accomplished nearly everything a driver can in the 10 years he had been with JGR and branching out on his own was the next step. He certainly wasn't going to pass up the opportunity be his own boss and with a team that was already existing (he wouldn't be starting from the ground up) and be partnered with Hendrick Motorsports.

He hired Ryan Newman away from Penske Racing to drive his No. 39 US Army Chevrolet, as Stewart took the reigns of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy. In their first year Stewart led the point standings through the first 26 races and looked to be headed toward his third championship before troubles in the Chase did him in.

At years end he had won four races and both Stewart-Haas cars had made the Chase even with Newman going winless. Last season Newman picked up his first victory since the Daytona 500 in 2008 but it took Stewart until late September to find victory lane at Atlanta. He also won California in the Chase.

Ever since the team formed however, there have been rumors of a third car being added into the group. Stewart had stated in the past that when the time comes he would have no problem expending, but was comfortable with how the team is currently structured. That hasn't stopped the talk though and as a new year looms so does that the speculation.

While the 2011 season is set with driver lineups, heading into the offseason in November will see many big name drivers become free agents. Where will they land? With three years under their belt will Stewart feel more comfortable and ready to add another driver and team into his stable?

So ...

What if Tony Stewart decides to start a third Stewart-Haas Racing team, who would you want as the driver and why? #NASCAR

@kartracer3886: John wes Townley. I like to see yellows sometimes

@smokinace88: I'd want Junior I think those 3 together would do wonders. Also think Tony could tips from Junior in the owner department in ways

@Dizneydreamer: I think SHR should get a young up and comer like @J_Allgaier or even @aric_almirola to drive for them #NASCAR

@Talon64: For 2012 and among free agents, Mark Martin and Justin Allgaier split the season. Allgaier full time in 2013. #NASCAR

@Emily_8388: Kenseth. He needs a change.

@cruetten: i would try and snag one of the RFR drivers whose contracts are coming due because each is a winner and always competitive.

@ChurchGr8Oval: Kevin Harvick. Just because it would be the RIGHT thing to do!

@Nascar47Fan: I would hope that it would be his former teammate @bobby_labonte.

@MisanAkuya: Bobby Labonte he deserves 1 last chance at a 2nd championship

@TJIngerson: Mark Martin next year..enough said

Rich Bohr (via Facebook) I would like to see Tony Stewart get either Scott Riggs or Regan Smith to drive a 3rd car for Stewart-Haas Racing. Both drivers have great talent, but things just haven't went their way the past few years. If I had to pick one of of those two drivers. I would like to see Tony pick Regan Smith just because he is better than Scott Riggs.