nascarjack's Blog
Posted Monday, February 14, 2011 01:22 PM
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is NASCAR's meal ticket, much the same as Sidney Crosby is to the NHL. Without them in the game people change the channel.
So it was Saturday night in the Budweiser Shootout which gave us more exciting racing that we have seen in a long time. Junior was back and forth at or near the top, partnering with whomever wanted to dance. The Daytona grandstand was like a popcorn popper with people jumping up and down in uncontrolled delight as cars hit 206 mph. Having Dale Jr. in the mix was the melted butter.
Then Carl Edwards decided to try and fit his race car into a space the size of a Cracker Jack box. Naturally he got nicked on the right side causing him to veer left into Jr's right rear fender and the result was a wreck that took out Edwards, Earnhardt and about a half dozen others.
Why would Edwards try such a bonehead move? The race had only just started again after the 50 lap mandatory break and there was a ton of racing left. You would think an experienced racer like that would show just a little more patience at that stage of the race. That maneuver is something you would only try with 200 yards to go to the finish line and a chance to win.
I don't have the answer but it is plain that Earnhardt has the worst luck of any driver in NASCAR. His car seems to be a magnet for guys who make mistakes and it isn't only him who pays the price but it's also the fans who lose out.
Now that Earnhardt has won the pole for the 50...
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Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 09:41 AM
There are no stats I know of describing who drives well in fog but that’s what the weather is like in Loudon as I write this. My brain is also foggy as I try to pick which matchups on Sportsbook.com could be as ripe as the cherries I bought at the market yesterday. I think picking a winner is easier today- Jimmy Johnson is at 4-1 and Tony Stewart is at 5-1 and flipping a coin will probably give you the winner between those two. Then again Jeff Gordon (8-1) has three wins at this track to go with his twelve top-5 finishes. Now the fog has become pea soup. Let’s see what we can do with the matchups I have selected based on my pure mediocrity of going 2-2 the last three weeks.
Clint Bowyer (-145) vs Kasey Kahne (+115)
KK is hot. He won in wine country last week and I like that he has four top-10s here compared to Clint’s one although Clint doesn’t have as many starts on this flat oval. I’m picking Kahne to finish up on Bowyer.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (-135) vs Jamie McMurray (+105)
Plagued by mechanical breakdowns, poor setups, a change in crew chief and just plain old bad luck Junior’s year has been a disaster. You would never know this car was with the Hendrick stable. McMurray is just one notch ahead of Junior in ... [More]
Posted Sunday, June 21, 2009 11:33 AM
There may be lots of talk at Sonoma this weekend using descriptive words such as bold, fruity, oaky, and a hint of burnt rubber mixed with apples. That would be upper class winos opening a bottle of this and that from the best the vines have to offer in this area of California better known for its wine than stock car racing. The hint of burnt rubber may be a bit of a stretch but one never knows when you pull that awful synthetic cork out of a bottle containing a new batch.
The talk will turn to road racing later today for the 21st edition of the race from Infineon Raceway. Cows munching on hay will raise their heads in wonder at the thunderous sounds of 3800-lb. beasts roaring by.
Maybe some of them will know that this Jeff Gordon’s domain. Not only did he grow up nearby he has won this race five times. That’s why I won’t bet against him in my matchup picks as listed on Sportsbook.com.
Tony Stewart -145 vs Jeff Gordon +115
Tony is an expert at road racing as shown by his two wins at Infineon. He also leads in points. These facts would normally be a no-brainer in choosing to beat just about anybody but in this case he’s up against the best. Bad back or not, Jeffie will finish ahead of Tony.
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Posted Sunday, June 14, 2009 10:56 AM
Kyle ‘Wild Man’ Busch continues to cause outrage among the NASCAR Nation. Not only did he smash the specially created beautiful Gibson guitar which goes to the winner he managed to take another verbal whack at Dale Earnhardt Jr. who wasn’t even in the Nationwide race. Actually he trashed Earnhardt’s fans, which is the same thing. It all goes back to Busch being dumped from Hendrick in order to make space for Dale Jr. Since then Krazy Kyle has won 11 Sprint Cup races while Jr. has only one win. That win came here at MIS last year. So far Junior has ignored Kyle’s shots at him because he’s been too busy trying to get a car that will not have the mechanical issues which have plagued almost all of his races. If Junior wins today he will probably make a subtle remark aimed at NASCAR’s Darth Vader. It would be great to see it happen for two reasons; first because he needs a change in his luck and second the talented but brash brat needs his ass whipped. Verbally, of course.
Here are my matchups picks from Sportsbook.com:
Jimmy Johnson +105 vs Carl Edwards -135
Jimmy was hotter than Lady Gaga in practice. Carl was very fast too. Roush Fenway cars have dominated at Michigan recently but I am going against the grain with this one. Jimmie is so consistent week after week that I am not going to bet against him. Take the 48 car.<... [More]
Posted Sunday, June 07, 2009 10:12 AM
Red heart-shaped bathtubs are not the reason for 43 NASCAR drivers to gather in the Poconos this afternoon. They’re here to tackle the 2.5-mile triangle known as Pocono Raceway.
If you want to pick a winner go for someone among the top four starters because 37 of 62 races here have been won from those spots. Thirteen pole sitters have won followed by nine from outside the pole, eight from third and seven from the fourth.
Points leader Tony Stewart was placed at the pole after qualifying was rained out but don’t pick Smoke- he crashed in practice and will start at the back of the field where nobody has ever won at Pocono. In fact the worst starting spot to produce a winner was 29th won by Carl Edwards.
There are some tricky matchups listed on Sportsbook.com but I’m going to be conservative today considering I was only 1-3 in the Coca Cola 600.
Odds courtesy of Sportsbook.com.
Jeff Gordon (-120) vs Tony Stewart (-110)
The only way Tony can beat Jeffie is if Gordon’s car gets knocked out and Stewart doesn’t. It’s such a cherry pick I feel guilty. But I have no shame so I say pick Jeff.
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Posted Sunday, May 24, 2009 03:12 PM
There are no intermediate tracks that have the atmosphere or history than Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The most coveted races are at Daytona, Talladega, Bristol, Richmond and a couple of others. Anything at LMS qualifies including tugboat races. You know, where guys see who can chug the most beer the fastest. There will be a lot of that happening tonight.
Here are my picks from the matchups posted on Sportsbook.com:
Jimmie Johnson (-190) vs Tony Stewart (+150)
Jimmie has 5 wins, eight top 10s and a 8.9 FA at LMS which makes you think he’s an automatic choice over Tony. But tony won the All-Star race last week and has been very fast all week. We are picking the owner-driver to beat JJ in this one.
Did you hear the joke about Brian Vickers (-150) beating Jeff Burton (+120) tonight? Burton has 3 wins to go along with eight top 10s and a FA of 11.8. Vickers has, well nada. The joke’s on Vickers. Pick Burton.
These jokes don’t stop. Like the one about Kasey Kahne (-160) beating Jeff Burton (+130). I know KK has two wins in his last five ... [More]
Posted Saturday, May 16, 2009 03:28 PM
I love this event. Don’t try to understand what all the segments are, just go with it. They’ll tell you what’s going on. Just be ready for the last segment which is a 10-lap sprint where I see Jimmy Johnson nosing out ‘Wild Man’ Kyle Busch.
In the matchups I am taking two in the All Star Race and two in the Showdown. I see Brian Vickers edging the rookie Joey Logano to win a spot in the All Star Race.
Odds provided by Sportsbook.com.
Kyle Busch (+120 vs Jimmie Johnson (-150
This is Jimmie’s race track. He has five wins, eight top 5s and a FA of 8.9. Kyle will be hungry because he has yet to win a race on this asphalt but Jimmie won’t be generous tonight.
Pick the # 48.
Matt Kenseth (-160) vs Jeff Burton (+130)
Yawn. This is too easy. Burton, like Jimmie, loves to play here. He has three wins, 8 top 5s, 15 top 10s and a FA of 11.8. You can’t say Matt hates the track; he has one win, 5 tops, 8 top 10s and a FA of 16.6. I just don’t see Matt finishing as high as Burton.
Brian Vickers (+125) vs David Reutimann (-155)
Vickers’ ... [More]
Posted Saturday, May 09, 2009 02:30 PM
Just to hear the name Darlington gives you a warm and comfortable feeling- for the spectators that is. It’s like coming home after being away for a month and finally getting to sleep in your own bed.
The drivers might feel differently. This track has a way of jumping up and grabbing you, especially as you come out of turn four and find the wall has sucked you in like a Hoover on steroids. That creates black scrape marks on the wall and has caused the track to be known as “The Lady in Black”.
If you want to win this race it’s a good idea to qualify in the top five. Nineteen of 105 winners have come from the pole-sitter who is Matt Kenseth for tonight’s race. Sixty-five winners have come from the top five starters. Jeff Gordon sits outside the front row. Jeffie has seven wins at this track and I’m going to cause no shock waves whatsoever by picking him to rack up number eight.
Picking the right matchup winners will be a tougher task I’m afraid but here we go with matchups as posted on Sportsbook.com:
Denny Hamlin (+115) vs Matt Kenseth (-145)
We shouldn’t be too greedy should we Matt? Yes... [More]
Posted Saturday, May 02, 2009 09:18 AM
That sound you heard last Sunday was a collective sigh of relief after the Talladega race finished and nobody was seriously injured. Carl Edwards could have been arrested for flying without a pilot’s license.
Going from a 2.5-mile to a .75-mile track is a huge change in a period of six days. Any crashes at Richmond will result in dented metal instead of two-ton flying missiles.
Here are my picks form the matchups listed on Sportsbook.com:
David Ragan (+110) vs Kasey Kahne (-140)
My wife picks her Kentucky Derby horse by how “pretty” he looks. I am doing the same here. I really like tonight’s paint scheme on the UPS #6 car. Pick the pretty car driven by Ragan.
Jeff Gordon (+110) vs Denny Hamlin (-140)
Denny has a finish average of 8.8 at Richmond. Jeffie has two wins and a dozen top 5s. There has been a lot of talk about Jeff’s bad back this week. Maybe it won’t bother him tonight but I’m taking Denny to finish higher.
Kurt Busch (+130) vs Tony Stewart (-160)
Kur... [More]
Posted Sunday, April 26, 2009 08:59 AM
Forty-three drivers will be glad when this one is in the books. Driving at 200 mph on a 2.5-mile track usually makes for some very scary moments. Bump-drafting will be the order of the day and we will see if Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. spend some time together this afternoon.
Matchups are from Sportsbook.com:
Carl Edwards (+105) v Denny Hamlin (-135)
Edwards is having a great year and sits in eighth spot in the standings. Hamlin is having an even better year three spots ahead of Carl. Neither driver has found this track to be of their liking. I see Edwards as being hungry while Denny will just try and finish. Pick Edwards.
Jeff Gordon (-135) v Dale Earnhardt Jr. (+105)
Jeffie is having a great time sitting atop the standings while Junior is mired in 19th and falling. Gordon’s car will start at the back because it didn’t pass the height test. Today is Earnhardt’s litmus test race as we reach one-quarter of the schedule. He has to finish high to turn his year around. I say he will beat his teammate. Pick Junior.
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Posted Thursday, April 02, 2009 07:33 PM
There are 30 teams in the NHL and 10 or more teams are fighting for the last playoff spot in the two divisions. The scariest part of the whole thing is that if one of those teams sneaks into the top 16 they could actually win the Stanley Cup! Example- St. Louis. Where were you guys all year? What woke you up- the threat of nukes in Iran? Suddenly St Louis is playing like they all found Jesus on the the bus ride to the arena. A team like this could knock off the top team in the first round and from that point on they actually think they can play hockey. Scary stuff.
It's time to end having a regular season. Just start the playoffs in October and have them end in May. June is summer, folks. You don't play hockey in the summer, you go to the beach. If there isn't a beach nearby you just sit under an old oak tree and watch your sexy cousin drink some fruit-based cooler laced with vodka and lust after her until she vomits because she doesn't like fruit-based coolers.
St. Louis wins the Stanley Cup? You can bet Obama will step in and prevent it. He does it with everything else.
Posted Sunday, March 29, 2009 09:52 AM
Martinsville is a perfectly shaped giant paper clip.
If you could attach a big rubber band on it and insert a car and fire it which driver would you want in it?
Posted Sunday, March 29, 2009 09:49 AM
I was pretty sickened a couple of weeks ago when I went 0-4. I have never had a losing season with my matchups and so my confidence was shattered. But being a trooper I bounced back last week going 4-4 and evening out my season record at 10-10.
Back out my funk here are my picks from matchups on Sportsbook.com:
Jimmie Johnson +130 vs Jeff Gordon -160
Jeffie needs to buy shares in this giant paper clip. He has seven wins, 20 top 5s, 26 top 10s and a finish average (FA) of 6.9. That’s wicked. Jimmie is no slouch here either with three wins, 5 top 5s, 10 top 10s and a FA of 6.5. That’s nuts. It looks like a one-two finish for these guys with Gordon on top.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. -120 vs Carl Edwards -110
Carl starts in 5th, Earnhardt in 19th. It seems all of NASCAR Nation wants Hendrick to split Junior from his crew chief and cousin Tony Eury Jr. but Dale swears it’s not his cousin’s fault for his slow start. He’s right. Edwards has an advantage starting so far ahead but I think Junior is going to take the heat off himself and his cousin by finishing in ... [More]
Posted Sunday, March 22, 2009 12:34 PM
The .533-mile track at Bristol is known as the Bullring with good reason. Once the race starts you are penned in with no place to go but straight up. That’s hard to do in a 3800 lb. bull.
There is far greater contact than in almost any other Sprint Cup track but bent fenders is the norm rather than spectacular crashes. Forty-three 800 hp. cars in such a small space make for a white-knuckle afternoon of viewing.
After going ‘0-fer’ for the first time ever at Atlanta I am anxious to reverse that record this week. Odds and matchups are found at Sportsbook.com:
Jimmie Johnson (-115) vs Kasey Kahne (-115)
Jimmie thinks he’s a strong short-track racer and eight of his 40 wins have been on the half-milers. His F.A. at Bristol is 17.4. Kasey is still trying to get the hang of it with only one of his nine wins coming on a short track. Jimmie should outlast Kahne.
Elliott Sadler (-125) vs Reed Sorenson (-105)
Sorenson is still in the early days of his career and doesn’t do well on short tracks. His FA is 30.5. Sadler doesn’t have a s... [More]
Posted Sunday, March 08, 2009 12:34 PM
The driver standings have some surprises but it’s early yet. Just three races of the twenty-six that determine the top twelve who qualify for the Championship are in the books. It will be interesting to see if David Reutimann (fifth), Bobby Labonte (tenth) and Michael Waltrip (twelfth) will be among the golden dozen after the Richmond race on September 12.
We would be surprised if Jeff Gordon (first), Kyle Busch (sixth) or Carl Edwards (ninth) were not among the leaders. But the biggest surprise is that the champion for the past three years, Jimmie Johnson, sits in 19th position. Maybe what’s slowing him down is the Tony Stewart growth he is sporting this year. Get the razor out JJ.
Someone else who should be close to the top twelve is Mark Martin but he dropped seven spaces last week and sits in 34th position. The fifty-year old driver for Hendrick Fenway won the pole for today’s race and is looking to start his climb back to respectability.
Another driver who will definitely move up as the season progresses is fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. who moved up six spots to 29th at Las Vegas. Although he is widely revered he has his detractors. Perhaps they could more aptly be described as haters. Every time he says anything it draws more attention than a drop of blood on CSI. His comment this week about the Car of Tomorrow being tough to work with drew fresh charges that he can’t drive. ... [More]
Posted Saturday, February 28, 2009 09:34 AM
If you like wagering on NASCAR there is no better time or place to do so than Sunday’s Shelby 427 in Las Vegas. The biggest question that will be answered by the end of festivities Sunday night is whether Matt Kenseth can be the first person to ever win the first three races of the season, having already won the Daytona 500 on February 15 and then last week’s Auto 500 in Fontana, California. Ordinarily it would be a pretty safe bet to vote in someone else’s favor but this happens to be one of Kenseth’s best tracks to run on. In the 11 times Vegas has hosted the event Kenseth has won twice, has four top 5’s, five top 10’s and a finishing average (FA) of 9.0.
Other multiple winners at the 1.5 mile track are Jimmie Johnson who won three straight years in ’05, ’06 and ’07 and Jeff Burton who won in ’99 and ’00.
Others who promise to be vying for the win are last year’s winner, Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon. Edwards win was marred by a fine and points deducted for illegal equipment.
Here is a look at some of the matchups listed on sportsbook.com:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (-120) vs Tony Stewart (-110)
Jr. is off to a horrendous start. His over-publicized crash in the Daytona 500 and a parts malfunction at California leave him in 35th spot precariously close to falling out of an automatic... [More]
Posted Friday, February 20, 2009 09:38 AM
All the ruckus after the Daytona 500 was not about the rain-shortened win by Matt Kenseth but the ’incident’ where Dale Earnhardt Jr. spun out Brian Vickers causing a 10-car wreck dashing the hopes of Kyle Busch and several others who were a lap ahead and racing for the win.
The venom directed by the Earnhardt haters is at a higher level than if it were someone else but it’s because Junior has become the face of NASCAR and the fan favorite. He speaks his mind about how NASCAR runs things but he is fair about it. He had a frustrating race at Daytona with two pit stop issues so when Vickers cut him off putting his left side almost onto the infield Earnhardt spun him out. It was a reminder of his daddy who would spin cars out while grinning from ear to ear. We are likely to see more of that type of racing from Junior and the wanna-be’s better give him a wider berth.
The Sprint Cup takes it to the West Coast this week landing in Fontana, California, not far from Hollywood and close to Jimmie Johnson’s home. This should be a duel between Johnson who won his third consecutive Sprint Cup Championship last season, edging out Carl Edwards who had the most wins with nine. They were the class of the field during the Chase (the last 10 races) in 2008.
The Daytona 500 won last week by Matt Kenseth is not an indicator of where anyone will end up in the run for the Sprint Cup. It is an even... [More]