Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota, throws his hans device at Kevin Harvick (not pictured), driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, after an on-track incident at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 23, 2014. (Photo Credit: Patrick Smith/Getty Images North America)
I couldn’t resist the title. After the Denny/Harvick incident I actually tweeted that. But I am getting ahead of myself. Bristol is one of my favorite tracks to watch on television; it and Martinsville. I guess I am a just a short track racing girl at heart. Jeff Burton was again piloting the #14 Bass Pro Chevy for our driver Tony Stewart. He qualified the #14 25 for the race- I wasn’t able to catch ANY of practice or qualifying so I couldn’t gauge how the car was running and had no idea what to expect from our team 14.
I was pleased to see that once the green flag flew Jeff Burton was able to move up through the field, slowly and steadily picking off positions one at a time fairly methodically and patiently- a feat that is not easy at a track that known to ignite the tempers of even the most mild mannered of drivers. Crew Chief Chad Johnston made an interesting call during a caution at lap 198 and that put the 14 car up in the top four of the race! That right there was a BEAUTIFUL thing to see.
Jeff Burton, driver of the #14 Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1 Chevrolet, sits in his car during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 22, 2014 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo Credit: Rainier Ehrhardt/Getty Images North America)
Unfortunately the #14 Chevy fell prey to nose damage from the beating, banging, checking up and rear ending that is prevalent at the short high banked track. Because of the hole the handling on the car went away and Jeff began to fall backwards and quickly went a lap down. The team was able to fix the nose damage during a pit stop and Jeff Burton started to rally a bit again and brought the car back to a 15th place finish. As my regular readers know I tend to say, at least they finished better than where they started.
Jeff Burton, driver of the #14 Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1 Chevrolet, leads Brian Vickers, driver of the #55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 23, 2014 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo Credit: Sean Gardner/Getty Images North America)
The race winner was Joey Logano- who joins the ranks of the three-time winners this season. The 14 car remains 23rd in owner points currently.
Notes About Bristol:
1. As I mentioned I missed practices and qualifying (it’s crazy busy and work and this next week will be even crazier and busier so yey for the long weekend) so it was news to me about Slugger Labbe leaving his crew chief notebook on the back of Paul Menard’s car. It stayed on the car long enough to make it up onto the track and then went flying off- pages all over the track- and Matt Kenseth’s car grill. I have to admit it made me chuckle. That is something I would do!
2. One of the reasons I love Bristol is that it seems to breed aggressiveness in the drivers. I don’t know if it is because of the track’s tight quarters or the fact that it’s pretty much GO time for making the Chase Grid or what but I adore the rubbing and bumping that goes along with the racing. I mention this because at the Rolex Reunion during of the historic classes? Drivers were actually getting black flagged for driving too aggressively (including the first, third and fourth car in that particular class). I thought that was the point of racing- pushing yourself and your car to it’s limit.
3. Okay so Denny throwing his HANS device? Absolutely LOVED that! I mean what a perfect way to channel your anger at being taken out of the race when you were a top five car up to that point. And what is throwing your HANS going to do except maybe cost you a new one? It’s not going to hurt the driver on track so I am for it. You throw your HANS or your heel guards or your helmet even. And while I don’t think Harvick did it on purpose I also don’t think that there is anything wrong with Denny showing his displeasure with what went down like that.
4. ESPN! Can we talk a minute? Your race coverage kind of stinks (with the exception of Andy Petree, Dale Jarrett and Marty Smith). Case in point: The whole Kyle Busch debacle towards the end of the race. If I had not had been paying attention to twitter at the time I would have never even known that 1. Kyle Busch had left the track. 2. That Kyle Busch had parked his car on pit road and LEFT IT THERE much to the chagrin of Dave Rogers- whom I believe told screamed at Kyle (his driver) to drive the car to the hauler and then take his “whiny little ass” to the bus. And 3. That the crew had to push the car all the way to the hauler from turn 2. Anyone who watched the national broadcast only? Missed ALL THAT.
5. And while we are on the subject of the above incident. Hey Kyle- that was kind of disrespectful to your crew both at the track and at home. I realize you were frustrated but pretty much giving up on the car and just leaving it really wasn’t the answer. What kind of example does that leave the crew? It made me think of words spoken by Greg Zipadelli to a frustrated Tony Stewart in I believe it was 2008: We win as a team and lose as a team. TEAM. It’s really not a wise idea to alienate the TEAM that sets up your cars is it? Just a thought.
6. Not NASCAR related: I accidentally caught the entirety of the RedBull Global Rally Cross race in Daytona on TV (told you if I am home and just surfing and I find something to do with racing on TV I tend to be watching it). I had never really seen those cars run before. OH MY GOODNESS WHAT HAVE I BEEN MISSING?! That was FUN! The race was 8 laps if I remember correctly. 8 laps sounds like a joke right? These cars are NOT A JOKE! It was totally crazy! Talk about taking their cars and just beating the hell out of them. There was a guy who ran at least the last three laps ON THE RIM OF HIS WHEEL after the tire had exploded on the little straightaway and left debris all over the track. Oh and speaking of debris? NO CAUTIONS! At all. They just run like hell for 8 laps- if it was on the track it stayed on the track (like the debris from above tire going down. These cars are transitioning from paved surfaces to dirt surfaces, going around very tight corners, over hills there was even a little shortcut that each car could choose to take- but only once during the race (they called it the Joker). It was amazingly entertaining and these guys push their cars until they give up. And now that I think about it I guess it KIND of is NASCAR related because Scott Speed is in that series now (along with Ken Block, Tanner Foust, Nelson Piquet Jr and other familiar names).
Gratuitous Tony Stewart Picture:
We still miss you Tony. #iStandWithSmoke
Tony Stewart at a sponsor event in Las Vegas March 2014 (Photo Credit: Tony Stewart Facebook Page)
Next week we are night racing on a Sunday in HOTLANTA!