Originally Posted on October 8, 2006 on Foxsports.com
Talladega is deemed by the media as the wild card of the Chase. Then again, every week they say that "this track" could be outcome determinative. In reality, any mistake by a team chasing the Cup will lose them positions and points in the final standings.
Restrictor plate track success is more about luck than any thing else. The drivers comment that all that is needed to drive the race is a foot to the floor and straight steering. I'm sure there is more to it than that, but avoiding trouble is the name of the game.
Nearly every Chaser had a problem: whether on pit road, on the track or going from the track to the pit road. Burton, Martin, Johnson, Gordon, Hamlin, Harvick, and Earnhardt. Kenseth, Kahne and Busch escaped with minimal problems, but none of them were able to turn that into victory.
Despite the universal "target" issued to all Chasers at the beginning of the Chase, how each team handles adversity was interesting.
Dale Jr. chalked up his crash - created by Vickers - to restrictor plate racing. He was well on his way to a top 3 finish if not win, when he was crashed out by Vickers/Johnson. Perhaps his crash of Carl Edwards at Michigan in the Busch race was still fresh in his mind.
Jimmie Johnson was not as pleasant. He blamed his teammate Vickers for the crash. I found this interesting given Johnson's crash record at Daytona & Talladega. A record of him crashing out other contenders, often early in the race. Who knew his "haters" comment at Daytona was directed as his teammate?
Mark Martin was pessimistic coming into Talladega. In fact, his goal was to survive to the first pit stop since the past few races he hadn't ever gotten the chance to pit. Even though he had a problem in the pits, he was glad to finish at Talladega.
Jeff Burton had a tire going flat, which he caught, but didn't guess the correct tire for his team to fix. This lead to additional time on pit road as the laps were winding down. Burton shrugged it off as racing. He still leads the Chase.
Jeff Gordon, who crashed, blamed bump drafting for his problems. Interesting comments since he wasn't bump drafted, but rather caught up in the crash started by someone checking up. He pointed his finger at Junior, who didn't appear to be involved in the incident. Junior was later warned by Nascar for bump drafting after another incident.
On one hand, I was impressed to see Johnson and Gordon be something other than the milk-toast personalities they typically are - always the perfect bland spokesman. On the other, I was a bit miffed that they can't direct their anger at the appropriate things. Johnson should know that accidents happen when people bump draft. He's caused more than a couple accidents himself that way. Gordon should know that crashes at Talladega are a given price of admission - and he has benefited from more than a few of them. He has won races by bumping someone out of the way more than once.
My Other Random Thoughts:
1. Smaller Fuel Cells: The smaller fuel cells made for more green flag pit stops, which lead to problems in the pits. While it was hoped on paper that the smaller fuel cell would break up the packs, all it really accomplished was putting cars that had trouble in the pits a lap down. We did not see extended periods with smaller packs working around the track.
2. Smaller Restrictor Plates: Nascar issued smaller restrictor plates on Saturday morning - after all the practice sessions had ended and just prior to qualifying. While the smaller plate may have changed how cars qualified, it appears that it did not hinder teams during the race. Had more teams experienced serious problems with overheating (as it looked that some might about 1/2 way through the race), Nascar could have ended up with egg on its face for the change.
3. Kurt Busch: Whomever has been working with him at Penske with his PR presence and attitiude in his media interviews deserves a raise. He is almost likeable. If it has to do with his marriage to Eva, then she needs a bigger shopping allowance.
4. Bumping to Win: How many more races will the eventual winner crash out the car ahead of him before Nascar implements a rule? I can think of at least 4 races this year where the second or third place car crashed out the car in front of them. Now, I'm sure that some of them were accidental. But these a professional drivers. Wouldn't a penalty on occasion cause them to think a bit more before taking some of these risks?
5. What is wrong at Ford Racing? First they lost Kurt Busch, then the reigning Champ to Dodge. This year, they lost Dale Jarrett to Toyota. Then Elliott Sadler to Dodge. Now Mark Martin to Chevy? It looks like to me they can't pay their young guns to stay with them and they are pushing their old reliable drivers out the door. Who is going to be the face of Ford racing? Chevy has Earnhardt, Gordon, Johnson and Stewart. Dodge has Kahne and Sadler. Toyota will have Vickers. Ford has Matt Kenseth? Greg Biffle? Jamie McMurray? OK, Kenseth & Biffle are talented and McMurray has potential, but they aren't setting the fan base on fire. They don't have the major followings that the Chevy drivers, Jarrett or Martin have. I know some of those fans will remain loyal to Ford, but it looks to me that they need to be looking for the next great thing. Remember, Ford had Kahne signed, and let him slip out of their fingers to Dodge.
6. Brian Vickers: The second race a non-chaser wins. Villian or Hero, it is his first Cup win. And who will forget it anytime soon? I feel that Vickers was somewhat vindicated after the flap with Gordon about giving Gordon position and the last Talladega race where Johnson snookered Vickers at the line. I wonder if in addition to his banishment from the team meetings if his parking space will now be moved to the far end of the parking lot.
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