After Thoughts: NASCAR AAA 400

On Sunday i was in attendance for race number two of NASCAR's chase for the cup at the Dover International Speedway. The usually hectic Monster Mile was tame on Sunday, with only three Service Master Clean caution periods during the entire 400 event. Despite the lack of yellow flags there were plenty of interesting tidbits to explore.

The first point of contention is the tires. The Monster Mile's concrete surface took in plenty of rubber thanks to the softer goodyear tires. But Goodyear may want to look at using a harder compound next year. The rubber on the track created buildup on the tires that created a loose condition for many cars. That being said, it was a wonder that only 3 yellows flew during the event, a testament to the quality of drivers in NASCAR's top series.

The second surprise of the race was Ford's strong effort from its teams. AJ Allmendinger lead a personal-best 143 laps before a softening left rear tire dropped him to a 10th place finish, Carl Edwards ran in the top ten all day, and Paul Menard had a strong day before a misque late in the race dropped him out of the top ten. When the dust settled, three fords were in the top ten of the finishing order, showing the strength of Ford's new FR09 engine.

Finally comes the curious case of Jimmie Johnson. The 4 time champ won Sunday's event by 2 seconds over Jeff Burton after claiming the lead from Kyle Busch after the final restart. However, I'm taking a wait and see approach to the 48 team. After his win in Sonoma, Jimmie struggled through the next ten races leading up to the chase. Dover has also been Jimmie country over the last few years, so it'll be interesting to see how he builds on this momentum as we head to Kansas.

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PGCC: Interviewing Keith Antar Mason

Today I took a break from the usual world of four-wheel racing to discuss an upcoming project with playwright Keith Antar Mason. We discussed his upcoming project "For Black Boys that have considered homicide when the streets were to tough". We also had a lively discussion on the state of the African-American community and how people can organize with social media in the 21st Century. PGCC will perform a staged reading of his play this Friday at 7:30pm.

BREAKING: Bowyer docked 150 pts, crew chief suspended six weeks

Bad news for Clint Bowyer fans, the number 33 car has been docked 150 driver and owner points for a rules violation regarding NASCAR's certified chassis.this infraction drops Bowyer back to 12th in the points and all but ends his championship chances. More news when it is available

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Loudon review: Bowyer and Hamlin Shine. Johnson's hopes in jeopardy

Race number one of NASCAR's chase for the championship revealed a new dark horse while spelling trouble for a four time champ. Clint Bowyer won the Sylvania 300, Catapulting the RCR driver from 12th to 2nd in the chase standings. Points Leader Denny Hamlin maintained his lead in the points after the reset with a second place finish in Sunday's race. The race proved costly for other chasers, as Jeff Burton and Tony Stewaert both ran out of gas with 2 laps to go. Jeff Burton finished 15th and held onto the tenth position in points, while Tony Stewart fell the most of all chasers with his 24 the place finish, dropping him 5 points to 11th in the standings. Also, the mid season struggles for 4-time champ Jimmie Johnson continue as a lose wheel dropped him to 25th and last of the Chase for the Cup racers. The finish dropped Johnson to Seventh in points from 2nd, making the next race in Dover critical if he wants a chance at an unprecedented fifth title in a row.

Opinion: Bruton Smith WAY out of line.

Fans, as we all know NASCAR's top three series have ended their seasons together during Ford Championship weekend at the Homestead Motor Speedway since 2002. Many of the drivers and teams use the trip as a post-season vacation after the championships have been crowned in the final racing weekend of the year. But not all people,especially where their money is concerned, are not happy with the idea.

One of those is a one Bruton Smith, president of Speedway Motorsports Incorporated, which owns most of the tracks on the NASCAR circuit. Bruton Smith, in a conversation with the Associated Press, said that its improper to hold the final race of the season in Homestead, and says that NASCAR would be better suited to have the final Cup race at his Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which according to Smith, will host the Izod IndyCar's last race in Las Vegas next October, although that detail is not set in stone, as Indy Car's schedule will not be officially released until this Friday.

Smith's want for NASCAR's final race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway has been known for years, but when he went so far as to call the South Florida area "North Cuba", which I'm guessing has something to do with the high population of Latinos living in the area, crossed a line. We all know that the final race of the Season, with all the pomp and circumstance surrounding it now with the Chase for the Cup format, means big bucks for the organization that hosts the race, not to mention the Title Sponsor, Ford Motor Company. But as to go so far as to insult the people of Homestead Miami, not to mention the original owners, Ralph Sanchez and Wayne Huizenga with his statement is uncalled for.

From this fan's view, Bruton Smith's comment, however in jest it may have been, drips with a bit of prejudice, and with NASCAR struggling to shake the "good ol' boys" stigma attached to the sport, the sanctioning body can not stand by and let comments like this slide , even if its just from a track promoter. If I was the owner of NASCAR, and I heard a track owner affiliated with my league insulted a region in which we are holding a race, so that we can switch that date with a track of his own, I would seriously have to make a phone call to remind him how his words could reflect negatively on the leagues that run at his tracks.

I understand Bruton Smith has to make money, I understand that he wants to make "Sin City" a major racing hot spot, but trashing the association's decision to end their year at a certain track is not and should not be tolerated, especially when he trash-talks a region of your fan base.

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Views of my school

As the school day drones on I take in a lot of information from my surroundings. From my walk to class to the computer lab where I am now I see a multitude of people hanging around inside of the hall way of Bladen hall, either waiting to meet with an adviser, or heading to class, maybe even waiting to speak with Financial Aid. But as I walk out the door the scene is vastly different. The usually crowded plaza is empty, the majority of students either in class or on their way home. A few people can be seen hanging out under the shady area connecting Marlboro Hall and Lanham Hall, where I am now. Most of the students around are between 18-21 since most of the older students are most likely at work. I sit back and think to myself that time seems to fly by. One day we're children, next minute we're all grown up. It's kind of wild how the world works that way.

Baltimore to host IndyCars, Endurance Racing in 2011

Fans, the Washington D.C. area will be playing host to the fastest sporting events on Earth next September 5th and 6th as the American Le Mans Series and the Izod IndyCar Series add stops in Charm City to there 2011 Calenders. The American LeMans Series made their announcement at a press conference at the Inner Harbor on Thursday of last week, and the Indy Car Series will make their plans known on Friday when their 2011 Season is released to the public. The race will take place on a 12-turn circuit around the inner Harbor which has gone through a major renovation project.

This race marks the first time that since 2002 that a Major Motorsports league has run in the Washington D.C area. That race, the Cadillac Grand Prix of D.C. at RFK Stadium, was well attended by the Metro-area faithful more used to football games than auto races. Sadly, the race was cancelled after 2002 due to noise complaints, but with the Baltimore race taking place in the city, we can all breathe a sigh of relief that City sound laws won't be broken this time around.


[information from the American Lemans Series website and Izod Indycar Series was used in this report]

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Castroneves wins Indy's 200th; Power's points lead crumbles at Kentucky

As the dust settles after the 200th Izod IndyCar Series race at Kentucky Speedway, Helio Castroneves was riding high. The Penske Racer driver and his team turned mid-race misfortune into a positive as his Verizon sponsored Dalara outlasted the field to win the Kentucky Indy 300. Castroneves was forced to pit before a mid race restart after the team feared the right rear wheel nut was loose after pit stops. The team topped-off the fuel tank before sending him back out, a call which would allow Helio to stay out as the leaders began to pit and handed him the lead in the race's final laps.

Panther racing teammates Dan Wheldon and Ed Carpenter finished second and third after leading a combined 104 of 200 laps around the 1.5 mile oval, an impressive stat since the ovals have fallen to the dominance of Penske and Ganassi racing this year. The team appeared energized as they fed off of Dan Wheldon's 2nd place finish last Saturday Night at the Chicagoland Speedway as they look to make a statement in the last two races of the season.

Not everyone left the track happy after Indy Car's 200th. Points leader Will Power saw his points lead crumble from 23 points to 7 over Dario Franchitti with just two races remaining in the championship. Power dropped from third to eight in the running order as his late race splash for fuel took longer than expected, placing the Penske Racing driver three positions behind defending-champion Dario Franchitti as he goes for his third championship of his career that looked all but out of reach when the day began. The battle for the 2010 Izod IndyCar Series Championship heads to Motegi Japan next where Dario hopes to snatch the points lead away on September 18th at 10:30pm EST in the Indy Japan 300.

[information from IndyCar.com was used in this report]

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The Extra-Mile Motorsports blog is GREEN!

That's right ladies and gentlemen, "The Extra Mile" has returned, albeit in a different form. My name is Darryl Kinsey Jr, and I'll be bringing you my opinions and commentary on all the major news from the Oval, the Road Course, the Drag Strip, and more from the green flag flies to long after the Checked Flag flies. With out a further to do, let's get right to it:

NASCAR Sprint Cup: "Drive for Five" in Jeopardy for the 48

Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus have been the dominant force in NASCAR's top division over the last four years. From 2006 to 2009, NASCAR's version of the playoffs, the Chase for the Cup, has been dominated by the Hendrick 48. After holding off teammates Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin to win Championship number 4 of a record-breaking streak of back-to-back-to-back-to-back titles, the analysts all seemed to predict the same thing: Jimmie Johnson will win 5 in a row at the end of the 2010 Season.

When this Season Started, the analysts all seemed to be correct in their prediction. Even After a dismal start to the Season at Daytona, the 48 team went on a tear, winning 3 of the next four races, and registering only one finish outside of the top ten in the Season's first eight races: A twelfth place effort at  the Kobalt Tools 500 in Atlanta. But since that impressive start, it's been feast or famine for the 48 bunch. Over the last fourteen races of the season, starting with the Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington,  Jimmie Johnson has an average finish of 18.9, despite having  two wins, three top fives, and two top ten finishes, and now sits on the edge of the danger zone for making the 10-race chase at the ninth spot, 448 pts behind points leader Kevin Harvick.  

The mid season slump is not surprising. In each of Jimmy Johnson's championship wins, he's faced down adversity and strong competitors as the season came down to its final ten races.  The problem with the current slump we’re witnessing  is that in the Jimmie Johnson championship recipe; the team encounters a mid race slump, a few crashes here and there, maybe a finish outside of the top 15. But as we got closer and closer to the chase, the 48 became stronger and stronger, culminating in a dominant streak of finishes during the chase and another notch in the championship belt for the 48 bunch. This year, however, the streak of bad luck has gotten worse as the season progressed, and unless the team can turn it around in the last two races, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship crown could be up for grabs.