NASCAR drivers – the most versatile drivers in the world
I have been studying the results from the races the past few weeks, and it has been interesting to see all the different winners.
All the manufacturers — Chevy, Ford, Toyota and Dodge — have wins under their belt. There have been a lot of different races on tracks of all configurations.
You have a place like Dover International Speedway that is a 1-mile, high-banked concrete racetrack. You have Charlotte Motor Speedway at 1.5 miles. Look at how different that is from, say, Pocono Raceway. It is 2.5 miles and has only three turns and not the normal four. So it is an odd-shaped racetrack.
Last weekend, we were in Michigan. It features a 2-mile track with relatively low banking. It’s a fast track. You saw speeds of 205 mph entering the corner. Now this weekend we all head to Infineon Raceway, and it’s a winding road course.
I just don’t know of any more drivers in the world who are more versatile than a NASCAR driver is. Actually, they have to be, and that’s what has always impressed me about our guys. They can take their cars almost anywhere and be competitive.
Back in its heyday, we had the International Race of Champion Series, which was designed to pit NASCAR drivers against IndyCar drivers and occasionally F1 drivers. I always thought it would be fun to have those guys bring their own cars, but the NASCAR guys jump into the IndyCars and vice versa.
We’ve had guys in the past that have run IndyCars. Tony Stewart is an IRL champion. John Andretti has driven NASCAR, IndyCars and even in the NHRA. Back in the day, Bobby and Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough ran at Indy.
Kurt Busch wanted to try a little drag racing. For a guy who had never done that before, Kurt was pretty impressive. He made it into the field. Now, sure, he did get eliminated in the first round, but those guys over there are the best at what they do. So Kurt held his own pretty well, I must say.
I think one of the things that makes NASCAR really fun is all the different style tracks. We go from half-mile bullrings to 2.5-mile superspeedways, to road courses, to 1-mile, 1.5-mile and 2-mile tracks. We have a wide variety, and it seems every week is a different challenge.
Going back to last week, what a fun week it was for me. Last Tuesday, mine was one of the five names announced as being selected into the third class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The very next day, I was in Owensboro, Ky., filming a TV special for the SPEED channel that will air on July 9, leading into Kentucky Speedway’s first-ever NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is going to run a retro Mountain Dew car at Kentucky, which I am excited about. My brother, Michael, is going to run a DW/NASCAR Hall of Fame Tribute car also at Kentucky. I always get excited when Dale Jr. drives that retro Dew car. It would be an absolute thrill if either one of them would win the inaugural race at Kentucky.
I then headed to Michigan for the weekend and had a lot of fun. Now, Denny Hamlin sure has had a rough season. He came to Michigan having won there last year and backed it up Sunday. Strategy and a great pit stops helped put him into Victory Lane.
Everyone, by now, I am sure, has heard about the controversy about all three of the Joe Gibbs Racing teams' unapproved oil pans. NASCAR handed down its fines early this week on those. I went down to the NASCAR trailer and looked over and handled these oil pans. Now, sure, they were probably twice as heavy as regular oil pans, but all the rumors and speculation about them being dramatically heavier is simply hogwash.
They were very well constructed. You could tell a lot of time and effort had been put into the construction of them. It improved the underneath aerodynamics of the car because it was flat and smooth. The dimensions were the same as any other oil pan, but these were simply taken to another level. It actually was quite ingenious, in my book.
I liked the creativity that went into them. NASCAR doesn’t allow enough creativity anymore. You are required to submit parts to the NASCAR Research and Development Center for prior approval. The fines that where handed down to all three teams addressed that fact that these new generation oil pans were not.
If I or my team finds something that is going to give me an advantage, I really am hesitant to take it anywhere and give it to anyone. I don’t want it to leak out to other teams what I am doing. I am looking for even the slightest of advantages. These new oil pans may have given the three teams a slight advantage, but nowhere near the drastic advantage that some, including so-called experts, are saying they did.
Crew chiefs Mike Ford (No. 11 car of Hamlin), Dave Rogers (No. 18 car of Kyle Busch) and Greg Zipadelli (No. 20 car of Joey Logano) each got hit with a $50,000 fine plus placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Added to that, all three JGR car chiefs, Chris Gillin (No. 11 car), Wesley Sherrill (No. 18 car) and Jason Shapiro (No. 20 car), plus senior vice president of racing operations Jimmy Makar were placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31.
Two weeks ago, Kyle Busch’s team paid the price for a parts failure after 500 rough miles of racing at Pocono. The teams and NASCAR know what the tolerances are. However, the part failed and the teams will go back to work to make sure the part doesn’t fail again.
Speaking of parts failures, the road course at Infineon Raceway could be a prime candidate for that. On road courses, you worry about gear boxes and your brakes. Stopping and starting is the key. The driver who can do that the best Sunday will find himself in Victory Circle.
Look for Juan Pablo Montoya and Marcos Ambrose to be good. Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart are another pair of great road racers. Out of those four drivers, it would not surprise me in the least if one of those four is your winner Sunday. It would be a mistake to underestimate Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch as factors, too.
Fuel strategy might come into play. It might jump up and bite you. It could also put you in Victory Lane. That’s why road racing is so fun to watch. The strategy that plays out is exciting if it works, or heartbreaking if it doesn’t.
I look forward to being back out in Sonoma this weekend. It has the beautiful wine country but even better, it has a road course there.
