Phoenix Observations
Thoughts, observations and some questions following the running of the Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix International Raceway:
It never fails to happen. Give me a driver who is auditioning for a new gig and I'll give you a driver who will deliver amazing performances both on track and off.
Who am I talking about here? A clue: His initials are KH.
It's sad to see how poorly Elliott Sadler and the entire M&M's team is performing this season. I hate to start pointing fingers, but Sadler's season looks a whole lot like Kasey Kahne's from last year – poor starting positions, difficulties getting a comfortable car during the race, and a driver whom most of us were used to seeing smiling in the garage no longer doing so.
The common thread between those two examples? Crew chief Tommy Baldwin.
Some have accused me of being tough on the Fox Sports television crew. In most cases, I believe criticism of the crew is well-deserved. I came to Yahoo! Sports with a background in television.
Likely due to the fact that the race was being run on Saturday night, producers felt justified in missing several restarts – again. In fact, on two separate occasions early in the race, television viewers missed five to seven laps of on-track action and instead got five additional commercials – all of which were aired after the green flag flew on a restart.
I do love Fox's new super-slow motion camera. Problem is, they don't use it enough.
Michael Waltrip actually had a good race going (for a change) for the first hundred laps until the melee at Turn 4 took him out. I wonder if he looks at this season as being similar to a kid on the night before Christmas? You know what's coming around the corner (a Toyota Camry), but you can't play with it yet.
Waltrip now sits just outside the magic top 35 in owner points (his car is 36th) and he'll have to qualify on speed next weekend at Talladega. For those of you who may have forgotten, his restrictor plate cars at Daytona were junk.
Poor Mikey.
After slugging it out all night with the mid-pack drivers, Jeff Gordon was able to pull a rabbit out of his hat (actually, just a top-10 finish). Phoenix is one of four tracks where the four-time Cup champion hasn't won in a Cup car. He might not ever win one in the desert.
Saturday night marked the second engine-related DNF for Robby Gordon this season. Wasn't that problem supposed to go away now that he's switched to DEI engines?
It's just my two cents, but wouldn't it make better sense for the new Red Bull Toyota team to hire Dale Jarrett instead of Kevin Harvick? That way the new team is assured of starting spots due to the past champion's provisional, and Jarrett could take on the role with Toyota that Bill Elliott played with Dodge in developing the new car.
Harvick keeps saying it's not about the money, it's about winning. He's not going to win at Red Bull Toyota. Even money says he stays with Childress. If not, look for him to go to Yates and bring his Busch and truck programs over to Ford, which so desperately could use another strong organization like KHI in its fold.
One more thing – if all Harvick cares about is winning, he probably should try to find a gig at Roush.
OK, after watching Tony Stewart and Greg Zipadelli work their magic again on Saturday night, are you still not convinced that Stewart will repeat as Cup champion in 2006?
Another solid performance from Kahne and the entire 9 car team in finishing sixth. It's becoming more and more apparent that Kenny Francis knows exactly what to give Kahne to make the youngster from Washington feel so very comfortable in his Dodge Charger.
Their big test comes next weekend at Talladega.
Count me as one of those who lost in their fantasy league after picking Greg Biffle to win. Another gallon of fuel in his Fusion and I think Biffle would have held off Harvick and won the race – or at least it would have been an epic battle watching the two "take no prisoners" drivers race to the checkers.
In case you missed it, Tony Raines raced to his first top-20 finish of the season. The former ASA veteran cut his teeth on tracks the size of Phoenix International Raceway while racing in the Midwest.
Attention Jamie McMurray fans: a new week, a different crew chief, the same result: mediocrity.
On the other hand, it looks as though new crew chief Wally Brown has clicked with Carl Edwards, as Saturday marked Edwards' first top-five since Bristol.
Don't you get genuinely excited every time you seen the 43 Dodge, with Bobby Labonte behind the wheel, running (and finishing) in the top 10? That team has a win coming this season, just you wait and see. And it will be the biggest NASCAR story of the year, too.
I know you missed this one. Travis Kvapil's best finish this season in the Tide Chevrolet came Saturday when he crossed the line 21st. Cal Wells, please form a partnership with someone and give your program the help it so desperately needs.
Sterling Marlin's 12th-place run marked his best finish of the season as well.
Postscript
For just the second time since Daytona, Jimmie Johnson does not sit atop the standings. Not to worry. This team has a very good restrictor plate program, and you can expect it to be back on top of its game at Talladega.
Of course, so will the 20 car and the 17 car and the 24 car and the 8 car …
Finish your honey-do list early next weekend, guys. Next Sunday's race at Talladega (with the new softer bumpers) will be awesome. Don't miss it.