Bump-Draft Blog Index
Dover
September 22, 2008
1-2-3 for Roush

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1-2-3 for Jack Roush: Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards. Congratulations to Biffle for victory No. 2 of the Chase. I was so impressed with the last 50 laps or so of the race. The three of them were swapping leads and doing a little bumping and banging. It was excellent racing. Just excellent.

Here are some other thoughts (Chasers are in bold):

-- I am sure it would have been a 1-2-3-4 for Roush had Jamie McMurray not had some bad luck. He had quite an impressive car also but he was taken out by Robby Gordon who got loose and drove him up into the wall.

-- Dale Earnhardt Jr. was racing Matt Kenseth to stay on the lead lap and had a right tire blow. He finished the race 24th, two laps down.

-- Kyle Busch blew up and ended the day with a 43rd place finish. Terrible luck two weeks in a row.

-- Denny Hamlin had a tire go down and while he was in the pits they discovered an oil leak in the rear end. He eventually went to the garage area where they did extensive work. He finished 38th.

-- They didn't show or talk about Tony Stewart much during the race at all but he finished 11th.

-- Poor David Reutimann. He was looking to have wsuch a solid finish and made a bad mistake by pitting outside his pit box. NASCAR officials penalized him a lap.

-- How about that Mark Martin? Seriously. He had a great car and was really racey all day. Very impressive.

-- Are you really surprised that Sam Hornish got into the wall a few times yesterday? I'm not.

The rest of the Chasers: Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton finished, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th, respectively.

Here's what the point standings look like after yesterday's race at Dover International Speedway.

What did you think of the race?

Continue reading "1-2-3 for Roush"
Posted by Jennifer Lizotte at 10:59 AM
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September 20, 2008
Dover quotes

I went through some of the press releases that I received this week and thought I would compile a few quotes from them for you. Enjoy.

"Dover is sweet. Going into both corners, you drop off into the corner big time. It's like jumping off a ledge. The whole car lifts up and then you land. When you land, that's huge. The attitude of the car when you land, that's a big deal." - Joey Logano

"Probably the relationship that Steve (Addington) and I have. I think it just works since I get fired up and he's always the calm voice over the radio. We're proud of the fact it just works. There are some times where the reins have to be pulled back on me. I'll admit it." -- Kyle Busch,on what he's going to look to during the last nine races to challenge for the championship.

"We shake off every race that is behind us - whether we win or finish 40th. We are a dangerous organization and we enter each race thinking we can win. And that's what we hope to do at Dover." -- Jeff Gordon

"Most of the time you just go with your instinct and pick a line and hope for the best. Dover is an extremely fast track. You really need to concentrate the entire race just to make sure you don't get caught up in someone else's mistake." -- Kevin Harvick

"It seems like this year, with this new car that qualifying is more important at every track, but at Dover it's always been that way. If you look at the guys who qualify up front, they typically finish up there as well." -- Jamie McMurray

"You truly are going downhill in a short period of time. It feels like that. It feels like it gets high in the air and then when you get to the corner, it falls." -- Jeff Burton

"Me and Tony, Jr. (Eury, crew chief) have worked together for a long, long time. I think Rick (Hendrick) likes being in the middle of it because it is fun. I don't know of any driver on the race track that doesn't get hot under the collar." -- Dale Earnhardt Jr., on how he and Tony Jr. work together.

"It's a pretty cool trophy, and it was an honor to win the first one. I would like to get another one. I have a funny story about the trophy. When we got it, I put it out in the shop. Our dog, Mopar, went out to the shop with me and he started barking at it. So it's a pretty scary trophy." -- Ryan Newman

"I'm a big believer in momentum and I feel like that's why we started the Chase so strong. You have to have confidence and you've got to have confidence in your team, your crew, everything, your equipment, and right now we've got a lot of confidence that we've got great equipment, good guys." -- Greg Biffle

"There was also a pork chop meeting that took place where Rick had a pork chop in his hand one time with his son Ricky and Lance McGrew, he was so mad, he was flinging the bone around and the meat went flying off all over the inside of the truck. So, there is a pork chop meeting. When you get to a pork chop meeting, you know it is pretty bad. I think milk and cookies is a step before that." -- Jimmie Johnson,on his observations on how Rick Hendrick does things.

Posted by Jennifer Lizotte at 09:15 AM
Comments (4) | Permalink

September 19, 2008
Dover pick

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Based on the information I provided yesterday, I'm going with Jimmie Johnson for the win at Dover International Speedway. He has three wins, four top fives, and eight top 10s. Not to mention that he is simply on fire lately.

Yesterday afternoon my boss called me in her office and said, Are you writing about this? She was pointing to her screen which read, "NASCAR Cancels Remainder Of Season Following David Foster Wallace's Death." My heart sank. With a little further research, we discovered it was the Onion's doing. Phew.

Here's the broadcast schedule for this weekend.

All for now...

Posted by Jennifer Lizotte at 09:42 AM
Comments (6) | Permalink

September 18, 2008
Driver stats and Dover preview

Here's a look at the Chasers going into the race this weekend at Dover International Speedway(stats provided by NASCAR):

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1 - Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford) 2008 Rundown: • Six wins, 12 top fives, 20 top 10s • Average finish of 9.8 • Led 15 races for 697 laps Dover International Speedway Outlook: • Driver Rating of 102.9 • One win, four top fives, five top 10s • Average finish of 8.3 • Finished second in June

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2 - Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet) 2008 Rundown: • Four wins, 10 top fives, 15 top 10s • Average finish of 12.0 • Led 21 races for 1,094 laps Dover International Speedway Outlook: • Driver Rating of 101.5 • Three wins, four top fives, eight top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 11.5 • Finished seventh in June

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3 - Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford) 2008 Rundown: • One win, nine top fives, 12 top 10s • Average finish of 13.8 • Led 13 races for 399 laps Dover International Speedway Outlook: • Driver Rating of 116.1 • One win, four top fives, seven top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 12.1 • Finished third in June

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4 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet) 2008 Rundown: • One win, nine top fives, 14 top 10s • Average finish of 12.0 • Led 19 races for 875 laps Dover International Speedway Outlook: • Driver Rating of 80.5 • One win, four top fives, seven top 10s • Average finish of 16.9 • Finished 35th in June

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5 - Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet) 2008 Rundown: • One win, five top fives, 13 top 10s • Average finish of 12.3 • Led 10 races for 74 laps Dover International Speedway Outlook: • Driver Rating of 90.8 • One win, six top fives, 12 top 10s • Average finish of 16.6 • Finished eighth in June

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6 - Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota) 2008 Rundown: One win, nine top fives, 15 top 10s • Average finish of 15.1 • Led 12 races for 700 laps Dover International Speedway Outlook: • Driver Rating of 74.6 • One top five, two top 10s • Average finish of 21.0 • Finished 43rd in June

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7 - Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota) 2008 Rundown: • Nine top fives, 14 top 10s • Average finish of 14.2 • Led 12 races for 556 laps Dover International Speedway Outlook: • Driver Rating of 63.0 • Two wins, nine top fives, 12 top 10s • Average finish of 12.2 • Finished 41st in June

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8 - Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota) 2008 Rundown: • Eight wins, 15 top fives, 17 top 10s • Average finish of 10.8 • Led 20 races for 1,636 laps Dover International Speedway Outlook: • Driver Rating of 106.9 • One win, five top fives • Average finish of 10.3 • Won June's Dover race

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9 - Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet) 2008 Rundown: • One win, four top fives, 12 top 10s • Average finish of 15.5 • Led four races for 150 laps Dover International Speedway Outlook: • Driver Rating of 88.2 • Two top 10s • Average finish of 16.2 • Finished 36th in June

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10 - Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet) 2008 Rundown: • Six top fives, 13 top 10s • Average finish of 13.5 • Led five races for 168 laps Dover International Speedway Outlook: • Driver Rating of 71.0 • Two top fives, five top 10s • Average finish of 19.3 • Finished 38th in June

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11 - Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) 2008 Rundown: • Nine top fives, 12 top 10s • Average finish of 15.0 • Led 14 races for 279 laps Dover International Speedway Outlook: • Driver Rating of 88.6 • Four wins, 14 top fives, 19 top 10s; three poles • Average finish of 12.1 • Finished fifth in June

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12 - Matt Kenseth (No. 14 DEWALT Ford) 2008 Rundown: • Six top fives, 15 top 10s • Average finish of 16.9 • Led 13 races for 204 laps Dover International Speedway Outlook: • Driver Rating of 112.3 • One win, six top fives, 11 top 10s; one pole • Average finish of 14.7 • Finished fourth in June

Does anyone understand how the driver ratings work? I don't understand it at all. My bad.

Continue reading "Driver stats and Dover preview"
Posted by Jennifer Lizotte at 10:19 AM
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June 02, 2008
Dover thoughts

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Congrats to Kyle Busch for spanking the field and winning yesterday. I do however think that Carl Edwards would have given him a run had a caution come out.


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On lap 17, the big wreck, pictured above, ruined the day for a handful of drivers that are in the top-twelve in the point standings. Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Clint Bowyer also got a little damage from it.

Stewart's interview after the crash was comical. He said: "I take 100 percent responsibility. It’s my fault for being even anywhere close to Elliott (Sadler)." He also said: "If I’m within a half a lap of him, I expect that to happen. When I hit him, it caused all the guys behind us to wreck. So it’s my fault."

I disagree with Stewart though, I don't blame Elliott Sadler for the wreck. I fully blame David Gilliland for the big crash. He could have easily slowed up in time to not hit Elliot Sadler.

I took a cat nap shortly after the wreck. I didn't think the race was all that exciting. I don't like races where the leader laps the entire field. There were only six drivers on the lead lap at the completion of the race.

-- Nationwide:
Did you watch the Nationwide race? I didn't because I was still making my way back from New Hampshire Motor Speedway watching motor cycle racing. But we did get back in time to see the last 50 laps. We were back in time to see Kyle Busch wreck. I loved, loved, loved his interview after the wreck. "Duh."

I will say this: He looked a little like Danica Patrick stomping through the pits though. Whenever he wrecks, he whines like a little girl when he's interviewed. Kyle, you don't have to win EVERY race. There's gonna be racing incidents here and there. If you missed it, here it is:

-- Craftsman Truck Series:
Congrats to Scott Speed winning his first Craftsman Truck Series win. This was the third straight first-time winner in the series.

-- Camping World East:
It looked to be a promising weekend for Ricky Carmichael who started from the pole but he was involved in a 16-car pileup on lap 128. He ended up finishing 26th. Others that I am watching: Austin Dillon finished second and Steve Park finished 8th. Here are the race results from that series.

All for now. What did you think of the racing weekend?

Posted by Jennifer Lizotte at 09:30 AM
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May 30, 2008
Monster Mile Pick

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I struggled deciding who to pick for the winner this weekend at Dover International Speedway. But after some serious consideration, I have decided to go with Matt Kenseth for the win. He has had success here in the past including a win in the spring of 2006.

I know, I know...he hasn't done much this year. But here's my logic: It's beginning to be that time of year where a driver outside the top-12 really needs to put their foot into it. And I also took into consideration that he has been a driver in every Chase to the Championship. So there you have it. Let's see if I can break my losing streak this week. (0-for-13)

I'll also be watching:

-- There's a lot of hype with on Kasey Kahne's momentum. Let's see if he can come through with another victory.

-- Ryan Newman has also had great luck here with three wins.

-- Kyle Busch....need I say more?

Who are you picking to win?

Let's not forget to watch 18 year old Joey Logano this weekend. He is making his debut into the Nationwide series race tomorrow. All eyes will be on him. (well I think you all know who I will be watching)

I am actually going to have to tape the Nationwide race on my DVR. I am heading down to New Hampshire Motor Speedway to catch some motor cycle racing on the road course, a first for me. I may attempt flagging a corner but I'm not sure.

They race rain or shine so either way, I'm going. I will have camera in hand and will share some photos when I get back.

All for now...

Posted by Jennifer Lizotte at 11:45 AM
Comments (7) | Permalink

May 29, 2008
Notes & quotes

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Clint Bowyer

Um...OK, the picture has nothing to do with the blog entry today. When I opened nascarmedia, it was staring me in the face. Honest it was. It's a picture taken at testing in Pocono earlier this week. Here are the testing speeds if you're interested: Test 1, Test 2, Test 3.

I am doing the occassional clean up of my email and will share some of the quotes that I find interesting on some of the press releases.

Kevin Harvick on whether Dover is more like Bristol or Richmond:
"Dover is like a big Bristol. It is a place where you can lean on the banking a lot. You have to make your car turn and, as the race goes on, the track changes a lot as it takes rubber. You have to keep up with the race track as the rubber builds."

Kenseth on racing at Dover:
"Dover is probably my favorite track for a lot of different reasons. My first Cup race was there, plus we’ve won a couple times there in the Nationwide Series, then we got our first Cup win there last year, so we’ve had a lot of good times at Dover. The track is so fast and challenging. It’s unique because of the way you drive up out of the turns. The turns set a bit lower than the straightaways and you can feel it when you’re driving out there."

Clint Bowyer on running the COT last year at Dover:
"The car raced well. We were a top-three car last fall but got caught up in the incident with Denny (Hamlin) and Kyle Petty. Our car was fast in both races at Dover last year so, hopefully, we can back that up."

Darn you Denny… No repeats this year!

Kurt Busch on making The Chase:
"There’s plenty of time left (to make The Chase), so we’re not flipping out or getting all bent out of shape. We’ve only completed 12 races as of now, so that means we have another 14 races to go before it’s decided who makes it and who doesn’t. We’re smart enough to know that there is so much that can change between now and then."

HHHmmm Kurt, you are 21st in the point standings. I wouldn’t wait too much longer to make your big move.

Tony Stewart on the upcoming race at Eldora Speedway on June 4:
"It’s a lot of fun. The biggest part of the gratification for me is just seeing the guys that come up there and how much fun they have driving these dirt late models on a night where we get to race with guys we’re typically racing with every week. But we get to do something a little different, and that takes the edge off I think."

Here the NASCAR Newscast: Dover Preview:


All for now. I'll be back tomorrow with my pick for the race.

Posted by Jennifer Lizotte at 11:05 AM
Comments (3) | Permalink

September 24, 2007
Demolition Dover

This wasn't the race for a lot of the guys in the Chase and apparently that includes Carl Edwards. He failed post-race inspection. Penalties will be doled out a little later this week. His car was found to be too low in the right rear. He will retain the victory but will likely be docked some points. He could be docked as much as 25 points.

On a different note, Edwards gave his trophy received from yesterday's victory to a young boy in New York who has cerebral palsy. Just another reason to love cousin Carl.

Others in the Chase weren't so lucky:
Kevin Harvick - finished 20th, he couldn't keep tires on his car
Kurt Busch - With about 20 laps to go, he went up hit the outside wall hard. That wreck collected a dozen or so other cars. Busch finished 28th.
Matt Kenseth - After leading the most laps, he blew up. First engine in 2007 to die, just bad luck. He finished 35th.
Denny Hamlin - Finished 38th, involved in a wreckwith Kyle Petty that he himself caused.

A few other observations:
Tony Stewart - Finished 9th. All I have to say is that he never should have finished there. His car was like a brick all day.
Clint Bowyer - Despite starting last, he finished 12th. He had a hell of a car yesterday. Unbelievable. He would have finished better had he not been the victim of the wreck with Denny Hamlin and Kyle Petty.
Jeff Burton - was probably the luckiest man in the Chase yesterday. He was like a cat with nine lives. It seemed all day long he would just go down a lap or come real close to being passed by the leader and a caution flag would wave due to debris on the track or a wreck.

And finally...

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How about Juan Pablo Montoya?! He finished 10th and didn't wreck anyone or himself as was predicted by some of you.

Posted by Jennifer Lizotte at 09:31 AM
Comments (5) | Permalink

September 21, 2007
Dover pick

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We're off to the one-mile track of Dover International Speedway this weekend. Six of the Chase drivers finished in the top-ten here in June for the Autism Speaks 400. Martin Truex Jr. won and dominated most of the race.

Clint Bowyer finished in the 8th position. Could he possible get back-to-back victories? I think he can pull it off. I certainly think after last weekend's victory at New Hampshire International Speedway, he must have a MAJOR confidence boost, so my pick this weekend is going to be Bowyer.

Here's the schedule of this weekend's events at the Dodge Dealers 400 in Dover.

On a different topic, I am having a real hard time getting used to fact that Kasey Kahne is going to be the Bud man of racing. Budweiser is going to have to work really hard to get him to fit that image in my mind of what a Bud guy should look like. Maybe, just maybe, if he grew a little 5 o'clock shadow on his face (if he can) it would help.

Posted by Jennifer Lizotte at 09:45 AM
Comments (18) | Permalink

Jennifer is the newsroom
administrative assistant and executive
assistant to the editor for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. She is married, lives in Pownal with her husband and son, and has been following NASCAR for many years.

About this blog:
I am hopeful that this will be a place where people can air their two cents' worth about a race, catch up on the gossip and share their opinions on the rules and regulations of NASCAR. I have always felt that there has been a need for such a place in Maine and that this blog helps to fill the void.



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Most Recent Comments
1-2-3 for Roush (3)
TINA wrote: I, Too, thought it was a very good race...it doesn't seem like we've had a ...

Dover quotes (4)
Sal wrote: You meant to put Kansas right, Jacko?...

Dover pick (6)
racefan wrote: That is probably why Rick has stepped in. He has told Jr that he doesn't "c...

Driver stats and Dover preview (3)
racefan wrote: I have said in the past, MsBoogity, how much I dislike the Chase. The top t...

Dover thoughts (12)
MsBoogity wrote: Yeah, 18....

Monster Mile Pick (7)
son of racefan wrote: I had a gut feeling that last weekend would have a strange ending. I get t...

Notes & quotes (3)
racefan wrote: Let's go people. ...

Demolition Dover (5)
Sal wrote: Noticed you did not address Gordon or Jimmie Johnson, guess they must have ...

Dover pick (18)
Jacko wrote: Jr aint going to be much until he gets AMPed up in his new Hendrick ride an...