Jeff Gordon – Page 2

Watching NASCAR: Talladega Looms This Weekend

October 5, 2012 by Greg Quick 2 Comments

The art of conserving fuel in NASCAR races is often more of a gamble as drivers toss the dice and often come up short of the checkered flag, but last week in Dover Brad Keselowski gave a clinic on how to very accurately gauge how far the last drops will take him, and it took him to a first place finish.

The win resulted in him taking over the points leadership from Jimmie Johnson, who fell to second in the race. Johnson was one of the drivers that were forced to slow late to conserve fuel, a move that Keselowski avoided. The finish was a fight between him and Jeff Gordon who finished second. Mark Martin was behind Gordon with Johnson fourth and Carl Edwards fifth.
http://youtu.be/2sxvWj9Ly7E

This Week: Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500
The crews are all prepped for the Talladega Superspeedway’s 2.66 mile tri-oval in the fourth race of the ten race Chase. If the drivers feel that more is riding on the races each week, a Las Vegas casino agrees. The South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa has launched Virtual Racing NASCAR. It has all of the slots players in the casino choosing a driver and rooting for them, with the possibility of winning cash prizes. Eight drivers are included in the event: Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, or Martin Truex Jr.

Broadcast: Oct. 7 at 1 pm ET ESPN

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Sprint Cup Standings
1) Brad Keselowski
2) Jimmie Johnson -5
3) Denny Hamlin -16
4) Clint Boyer -25
5) Tony Syewart -32
6) Kasey Kahne –32
7) Dale Earnhardt Jr. -39
8 ) Martin Truex Jr. -42
9) Kevin Harvick -46
10) Jeff Gordon -48
11) Greg Biffle -51
12) Matt Kenseth -72

Nationwide Series

Joey Logano must like the cooking in Dover. He swept the season series there by winning last weekend, and did so in commanding style, leading 184 of the 200 laps. One wonders what he was doing for the other 16? The other drivers that looked at the back of his car for the race included Paul Menard in second followed by Michael Annett, Elliott Sadler and Kyle Busch.

One thing that the drivers will not have to worry about as the Nationwide season gets close to wrapping up for the year is seeing Bard Keselowski in their rear view mirror, or worse, being in Keselowski’s mirror. He has decided to forego most of the last races in order to focus on the Chase. I am sure that has led to a few sighs of relief around the track.

This Week: Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Broadcast: Oct. 12 at 7 pm ET ESPN

Nationwide Series Standings
1) Elliott Sadler
2) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. -9
3) Austin Dillon -25
4) Sam Hornish Jr. -60
5) Justin Allgaier -128

Filed Under: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR, Nationwide Series, Rickey Stenhouse Jr., Sprint Cup Series, Talladega Superspeedway, Tony Stewart Tagged With: NASCAR, Nationwide, Sprint Cup, Talladega

Watching NASCAR: Will Johnson Win Again at Dover?

September 28, 2012 by Greg Quick Leave a Comment

Denny Hamlin has continued his winning ways in the post season by taking the checkered flag in New Hampshire last weekend it brings his total for the year to five. Then again he predicted it prior to the race on Twitter but I doubted that he realized that he would need an assist from his teammate Kyle Busch.

While having the fastest car in practice he started back of the pack due to a pit crew error, but that did not seem to be much of an issue as he quickly worked his way forward, taking the lead around half way through the race and holding on until the end. Teammate Bush helped clear debris from the front of the car that was impeding air flow.

The race helped Hamlin move two spaces up, but steady Jimmie Johnson, who finished second, moved into the top spot, dropping Brad Keselowski down to second in the standings, down by a single point. Jeff Gordon rebounded from last week’s poor showing and finished third while Clint Boyer and Kasey Kahne filled out the top five.

http://youtu.be/CEZCTiQa4dM

This week: AAA 400
This week the Chase heads to Dover International Speedway and its Monster Mile 1 mile oval track for the AAA 400, not good news for much of the field since Johnson lists this as one of his favorite tracks. Jeff Gordon, the bottom feeder in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, needs to not just finish strong, but start winning or he will soon be mathematically eliminated.

Broadcast: Sept 30 1 pm ET ESPN

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Sprint Cup Standings
1) Jimmie Johnson
2) Brad Keselowski -1
3) Denny Hamlin -7
4) Tony Stewart -10
5) Kasey Kahne -15
6) Clint Boyer -15
7) Dale Earnhardt Jr. -26
8 ) Kevin Harvick -31
9) Greg Biffle -33
10) Martin Truex Jr. -34
11) Matt Kenseth -35
12) Jeff Gordon -45

Nationwide Series

There must be something about Kentucky that Austin Dillon really likes as he has won for the second time this season at the Kentucky Speedway, and while the win was not as dominating as his earlier one, few are.

Still he lead the last 50 laps as his competition was felled my mishaps and miscues helped keep him in the front. First a pit road accident between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Eric McClure slowed him down. This allowed Elliott Sadler to shot to the front, where he led 93 laps before also falling down as he was passed and fell to fifth. The top five was filled out by Sam Hornish Jr. in second, Brendan Gaughan, Drew Herring and Sadler.

This week: OneMain Financial 200

Broadcast: Sept. 29 3 pm ET ESPN

Nationwide Standings
1) Elliott Sadler
2) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. -4
3) Austin Dillion _19
4) Sam Hornish Jr. -46
5) Justin Allgaier -103

Filed Under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dover International Speedway, ESPN, Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, NASCAR, Nationwide Series, Rickey Stenhouse Jr., Sam Hornish Jr., Sprint Cup Series, Tony Stewart Tagged With: ESPN, NASCAR, Nationwide, Sprint Cup

Watching NASCAR: The Chase Begins at Chicagoland

September 14, 2012 by Greg Quick 2 Comments

Richmond delivered on the promise of a wild race with racers dropping as much as 5 positions in the standings or rising as much as seven spots as a wild end to the regular season and now onto the race to the crown.

The culmination of the 26 races that comprise the qualifying round for the Chase seems like it went by in a flash, and no doubt that the drivers on the cusp that did not make the final cut as well as the ones that squeaked in will look back at the little things that either cost them or benefited them.

The final race prior to the Chase featured Jeff Gordon in a poorly handling car, falling a lap down and yet managing to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship by finishing second, edging out Kyle Busch for the last wild card sport. Busch finished 16th.

Clint Boyer, in a rain plagued race, and the field trailed Denny Hamlin for much of the race as he seemed to have the dominate ride vying with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead. Late in the race there was some jockeying for the lead but Boyer bulled his way to the front and as they say, never looked back for the win. The top five was filled out with Mark Martin in third followed by Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth.

Other interesting news is that NASCAR is considering providing a bonus for the regular season point’s leader. The reasoning can be seen quite clearly in the standings chart below where Greg Biffle finished first in points and yet is ranked fifth in the Chase.

This Week: Geico 400
Now the Chase begins with the Geico 400 at the 1.5 mile, tri-oval Chicagoland Speedway. As the Chase begins I am always interested in watching the drivers that are not involved because it often seems that they have as big an impact, intentionally or not, in the standings as everybody tries for the championship. Will somebody seek revenge on a earlier mixup harm a drivers chances in the next few races? I guess we will see.

Broadcast: Sept 16, 1 pm ET ESPN

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Sprint Cup Standings
1) Denny Hamlin
2) Jimmie Johnson -3
3) Tony Stewart -3
4) Brad Keselowski -3
5) Greg Biffle -6
6) Clint Bowyer -6
7) Dale Earnhardt Jr. -9
8 ) Matt Kenseth -9
9) Kevin Harvick -12
10) Martin Truex Jr. -12
11) Kasey Kahne -12
12) Jeff Gordon -12

Nationwide Series

Kevin Harvick has gotten the monkey off his back by breaking a 30 race losing streak by winning at Richmond, a track that he obviously likes as it is his sixth career win there. With a powerful car and some smooth driving he was a dominate car on the track for the bulk of the race only occasionally being challenged.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. tried to take a few shots but failed and then engaged in his own battle for second, edging out Kurt Busch for that position, with Busch taking third. The last two positions were taken by Denny Hamlin and Michael Annett.

This Week: Dollar General 300 powered by Coca-Cola

Broadcast: Sept. 15, 3 pm ET ESPN

Nationwide Standing
1) Elliott Sadler
2) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. -1
3) Austin Dillon -30
4) Sam Hornish Jr. -50
5) Justin Allgaier -95

Filed Under: Athlete to Follow, Chicagoland Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr., ESPN, Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, NASCAR, Nationwide Series, Sam Hornish Jr., Sprint Cup Series, Tony Stewart Tagged With: ESPN, NASCAR, Sprint Cup

Watching NASCAR: One Spot Left in Chase with One Race To Go

September 7, 2012 by Greg Quick Leave a Comment

Denny Hamlin crossed the finish line first for the second week in a row, this time in a two lap dash against Jeff Gordon. The win, Hamlin’s forth of the season, also benefited teammate Kyle Busch by preventing Gordon from winning and possibly clinchi

ng one of the last wild card spots in the Chase. After the race Gordon said that he regrets not bumping on the last lap.

The race had a lot of similarities to the Nationwide one the previous day. A late caution harmed the chances of the front runner, Martin Truex Jr. led with seven laps to go but could not hang on as not only Hamlin and Gordon passed him but also Brad Keselowski. Truex finished fourth while Kevin Harvick in fifth.

This Week: Federated Auto Parts 400

The teams are headed to the Richmond International Raceway and its 0.75 mile oval for the Federated Auto Parts 400. With this the last week to qualify for the Chase, and a good number of drivers bunched up behind the top ten, the importance of the next race cannot be underestimated, at least for those on the cusp of qualifying.

With one of the two wild card spots already taken by Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne is the next in line for the second spot followed by Busch, Gordon, Marcos Ambrose and Ryan Newman. Should make for a great finish this weekend.

Miscellaneous
It looks like after Matt Kenseth has replaced Joey Logano At Joe Gibbs but Logano did not have long to wait for a new team as he has hooked up with Penske Racing.

Broadcast: Sept. 8 at 7 pm ET on ESPN

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Sprint Cup Series Standings
1) Greg Biffle
2) Dale Earnhardt Jr. -8
3) Matt Kenseth -21
4) Jimmie Johnson -31
5) Martin Truex Jr. -41
6) Brad Keselowski -48
7) Denny Hamlin -57
8 ) Clint Boyer -68
9) Kevin Harvick -72
10) Tony Stewart -110

Nationwide Series
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. may not have knocked Elliott Sadler out of the top spot in the Nationwide standings but with his fourth win of the season he has certainly made a statement about his desire to win and his ability.
http://youtu.be/iNdXel74vHU

Benefiting from a late push from Brad Keselowski he managed to pass Kevin Harvick with less than a lap to go. Up to that point it certainly looked as if the race was Harvick’s to win. The issue of the bump, and what caused the caution just before it was a matter of some contention in the post race comments as Harvick blamed Keselowski for throwing a water bottle out on the track and causing the caution.

Stenhouse and Keselowski finished first and second with Harvick an agnry third and Elliott and Justin Allgaier filling out the top 5.

This Week: Virginia 529 College Savings 250

Broadcast: Sept. 7 at 7 pm ET ESPN

Nationwide Series Standings
1) Elliott Sadler
2) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. -12
3) Sam Hornish Jr. -32
4) Austin Dillon -37
5) Justin Allgaier -94

Filed Under: Athlete to Follow, Dale Earnhardt Jr., ESPN, Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR, Nationwide Series, Richmond International Raceway, Sprint Cup Series, Tony Stewart Tagged With: ESPN, NASCAR

Watching NASCAR: The Curves at Watkins Glen Beckon

August 10, 2012 by Greg Quick Leave a Comment

Watkins Glen

Last week at the Pocono Raceway’s Pennsylvania 400 was shrouded in tragedy as tragedy struck fans as a thunderstorm came through and a lighting strike caused the death of one fan and injured nine more. The storm also led to a shortened race, but of course that is of lesser importance. The storm and its aftermath has NASCAR examining its severe weather policy.

The race was won by Jeff Gordon, who crossed the finish line first for the first time this year. Is this the latest he has won a race since he joined NASCAR? I may have to look later to see. Anyway he benefited from the bad luck of others at the track.

The race was shortened to 98 laps due to the storm. But equally as important was the actions of his teammate Jimmie Johnson, who helped him in an unexpected manner by causing a pileup that included Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin and several other cars. This opened the hole that enabled Gordon to grab the lead.

The win provided a big boost for Gordon’s chances to participate in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, although it is still too early to say if he will make it. The rest of the top five was filled in by Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski and Tony Stewart.

This week: Fingers Lake 355 at the Glen
It is back to the road courses this week, something that probably cheers Jeff Gordon as he has been traditionally strong at this type of race and still needs help getting into the chase. Held at Watkins Glen International the 2.45 mile course features seven turns over its route.

In other news it looks like a week after gaining approval for next year’s models, one of the major car companies, Dodge, has opted out of the NASCAR season in 2013. In some ways it is not a surprise, although I feel that it is a pity, since its one customer, Penske Racing, had said it was moving to Ford next season.

All the Twitter feeds you will need.

Broadcast
12 pm ET ESPN

Sprint Cup Top 10
1) Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2) Matt Kenseth -5
3) Greg Biffle -6
4) Jimmie Johnson -8
5) Martin Truex Jr. -50
6) Tony Stewart -53
7) Brad Keselowski -54
8 ) Denny Hamlin -61
9) Kevin Harvick -63
10) Clint Boyer -65

Nationwide

Elliot Sadler is back on top, in more ways than one. He captured the victory flag at the US Cellular 250 last week and that win pushed him back into a stronger lead points position in the Nationwide Series. He appeared to have a dominating car from the little I saw of the race and he led for 60 laps but had to regain the lead numerous times to get the win.

Over the course of the race he was strongly challenged by Justin Allgaier, who finished in second, Allgaier’s best finish of the season, and a result that helped him stay a strong contender in the Nationwide Series. The top five was filled out with Sam Hornish Jr. in 3rd followed by Michael Annett and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Zippo 200 at the Glen

This Week: Zippo 200 at the Glen
This week the Nationwide drivers will also be tackling the road course at Watkins Glen in the Zippo 200 at the Glen. When Sprint challenged the road course in Sonoma earlier in the season Nationwide went elsewhere but this time fans of the sport can go to one site to watch both races.

Broadcast
Aug 11, 2pm ET ABC

Nationwide Cup Standings
1) Elliott Sadler
2) Austin Dillon -18
3) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. -21
4) Sam Hornish Jr. -34
5) Justin Allgaier -78

Filed Under: ABC, Athlete to Follow, Dale Earnhardt Jr., ESPN, Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, NASCAR, Nationwide Series, Sam Hornish Jr., Sprint Cup Series, Tony Stewart, Watkins Glen International Tagged With: NASCAR

Watching NASCAR: Talladega Looms This Weekend

Watching NASCAR: Will Johnson Win Again at Dover?

Watching NASCAR: The Chase Begins at Chicagoland

Watching NASCAR: One Spot Left in Chase with One Race To Go

Watching NASCAR: The Curves at Watkins Glen Beckon

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