SHOW #135 – We discuss Burton vs. Gordon, Knaus vs. Ford, 24/48 crew swap, Kyle salutes an official, and oh yeah that thing called The Chase. Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Paul Northrop

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CREDITS:
Hosts: Kerry Murphey & Paul Northrop
Production: Kerry Murphey
Music: Radium Sound
Voice Over: Thomas Moog

Feud Brewing Atop The Box?

Mike Ford, crew chief of the No. 11 team, had some interesting things to say about No. 48 crew chief Chad Knaus’ decision to swap pit crews mid-race at Texas: “I think it was kind of a desperation move. But it’s something that Jimmie [Johnson], Chad and Rick [Hendrick] needed to do if they wanted to win a championship because they just took their team out of it. They removed their team. Their team got them to this point and they pulled them out, so this is more about trying to win a championship for the company and not the team.”

Knaus replaced the usual No. 48 crew with the No. 24 team of Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon during Sunday’s race. It was a move that got some attention, to say the least.

On Monday, Hendrick Motorsports announced the switch would extend to the final two races of the season. The 24 and 48 over-the-wall crews will trade teams at Phoenix this weekend and Homestead-Miami Speedway in two weeks

Harvick and Phoenix Go Way Back

Though Jimmie Johnson owns more Phoenix NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories than any other driver, few have a longer history with the track than Kevin Harvick.

Harvick, who has two NSCS wins and one NASCAR Nationwide wins and four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series wins at Phoenix, first raced at the one-mile track in a K&N Pro Series West race in 1998. Starting from the pole, Harvick finished second that event.

Johnson Down… For Now

Finally, here’s some good news for Jimmie Johnson: a race at Phoenix is up next.

The one-mile track might be his best. Johnson has won four of the last six races there, and has finished in the top five in each of the last eight. His Driver Rating of 123.7 is by far the best in the series.

But points leader Denny Hamlin and third-place Kevin Harvick are pretty strong there as well. Hamlin has five top fives in 10 starts at Phoenix; Harvick has two victories there in 15 starts.

Both Harvick and Johnson may have a hard time with this stat however, the Chase driver leading with 2 races to go has won the Championship every single year since the Chase began.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 9, 2010) – NASCAR has fined Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, $25,000 and placed him on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31 for his actions during last Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Kyle Busch violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing – inappropriate gesture and verbal abuse to NASCAR Officials) of the 2010 NASCAR Rule Book.

SEE THE VIDEO

STATEMENT FROM KYLE BUSCH

“I accept NASCAR’s penalty and realize what I did during Sunday’s race at Texas was inappropriate.

“Even in my relatively short time here in NASCAR, it’s pretty obvious to everyone that I wear my emotions on my sleeve. Sometimes that passion has allowed me to find that little something extra I needed to win, and other times it’s made me cross the line. Sunday at Texas was one of those days.

“I lost my cool, plain and simple. It’s not acceptable, and I know that. I apologize to NASCAR, its fans, all the partners who support Joe Gibbs Racing, and all the people who work so hard to give me a racecar that’s capable of winning races every week. All of those people deserve better from me, and I owe it to them to keep my emotions in check.”