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June 18, 2012: Commentary

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

As Dale Earnhardt Jr. streaked toward his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory in four years, the foremost star of another sport was walking a path of abject failure.

When Earnhardt took the checkered flag in Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Tiger Woods was putting the finishing touches on a prolonged collapse in the U.S. Open Golf Championship at San Francisco’s Olympic Club.

Continue reading “Column: For Junior Nation, Earnhardt’s Win IS A National Holiday”

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by Dwight Drum at Racetake.com
Matt Kenseth’s consistent finishes boosted his team to the top spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings this week with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in second, just 10 points behind.
The long Sprint Cup season continues with race 15 this Sunday with the Quicken Loans 400 on the 2.0-mile tri-oval track at Michigan International Speedway.
Fans not in the Brooklyn, Michigan stands on June 17 can view the action at 12 p.m. ET on TNT.
Newly repaved surfaces like Daytona, Pocono and now Michigan have produced smooth fast laps. The wide track with 18 degree banking at Michigan International Speedway gives new meaning to wicked fast as NSCS cars breached the 200 mph mark in testing this week.

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By: Toby Christie – Follow on Twitter @Tobalical

The point of racing has always been to prove that you are faster than the competition, but in NASCAR – at least since the inception of the restrictor plate in 1988 – the 200 mph lap average has really been where the sanctioning body has stepped in to slow the cars down in the name of safety.

Buddy Baker was the first driver in NASCAR to ever record a 200mph lap time in testing. Baker put down a lap of 200.447 mph at Talladega Superspeedway in March of 1970. However a driver didn’t officially break the 200mph barrier in an official qualifying session until Benny Parsons accomplished the feat in 1982. From 1982 to 1987 speeds slowly crept faster and faster until Bill Elliott took the pole for the 1987 Talladega 500 with a speed of over 212 mph.

Continue reading “Column: I Wanna Go Fast: Drivers Topping 201Mph In Thursday Test Session At Michigan”

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By: Toby Christie – Follow on Twitter @Tobalical

The moment we all figured was on the verge of happening came through on Monday. After recent issues on the track – and off the track – Kurt Busch has pushed the envelope just far enough to warrant a suspension from NASCAR.

NASCAR released a statement this week:

NASCAR has suspended driver Kurt Busch until June 13 of this year and extended his NASCAR probation until Dec. 31 for his actions following the NASCAR Nationwide Series race June 2 at Dover International Speedway.

Continue reading “Column: Kurt Busch Suspended Following Latest Lapse Of Judgement”

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FYI WIRZ: NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. advances while Kyle Busch drops

by Dwight Drum at Racetake.com

After every point event, Sprint Cup drivers and teams move up as others slide. That’s normal in motorsports—but it’s worthy of a race-to-race focus.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth have been relentlessly consistent this season. Kasey Kahne and Aric Almirola have overcome early poor results with Kayne’s recent win and Almirola’s pole. Kyle Busch has been getting top finishes recently but engine failure stopped that during the last race in Dover.

Mechanical woes have plagued Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards often. They struggle. Juan Montoya and Jamie McMurray haven’t shared the success that their Ganassi Racing mates in IndyCar racing have and dropped once again.

Continue reading “FYI WIRZ: NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. Advances While Kyle Busch Drops”