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During the NASCAR weekend at the Phoenix International Raceway we watched one of the best racing teams in the country take a giant stride towards a historic fourth consecutive Sprint Cup championship. We watched a Nationwide Series rivalry flare up again and we watched an old school driver truck on to a fourth title. With all that in mind let’s begin this week with:
HOORAH for Jimmie “Max Points” Johnson and his Lowes 48 team for an outstanding performance during the Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500. It was Johnson’s seventh win of the season and his 47th career win. More importantly, he now has a 108 point lead, over rival and team mate Mark Martin, with the final event of the season coming up on Sunday. All Johnson has to do is finish 25th in Florida to claim that fourth title.
A HOORAH also goes out to Kevin Purcell the jack man for Jimmie Johnson. Despite a heavily taped left ankle from a recent injury this man was a tough guy and got the job done.
HOORAH to Jeff Burton, and his Richard Childress Racing team, for a very strong run at Phoenix that netted them a second place finish. It’s no secret that it’s been an extremely dismal year for all four of the Childress teams and their only recourse was to set their sights on damage control procedures that will hopefully make them stronger for the 2010 season. Recent improvements in the Burton team performance, especially last Sunday, is a step in the right direction.
Once again we’re forced to ask WAZZUP with Dale Earnhardt Jr’s team and the bad luck that just continues to haunt their efforts? The latest round of the unexpected began Sunday morning when six members of the the pit crew were treated and released by the track’s medical center following an automobile accident that occurred en route to the track. The team’s van was reportedly T boned by another car.
These guys are entitled to a HOORAH for performing their pit road duties despite some reported soreness. When Earnhardt brought the car down pit road, for an early race green flag stop, these wounded warriors pulled off an impressive 14.2 second stop.
Then the 88 team’s day became another WAZZUP when Earnhardt spun out, coming off of turn four on lap 171, and triggered a multi car accident. Adding insult to injury was a lengthy amount of time the car spent behind the wall while searching for a hard to find oil leak. The hard luck afternoon saw Earnhardt finish 35th and 56 laps down.
WAZZUP with Sam Hornish Jr’s unusual approach to his pit stall during Sunday’s Sprint Cup race? During the first round of green flag pit stops, Hornish came towards his stall too hot and spun the car. The nose of his Dodge wound up against the wall. He had to back the car up so the team could change the left side tires.
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HOORAH to Carl Edwards for a very impressive performance that allowed him to win Saturday’s Nationwide Series race the Able Body Labor 200. It was his fifth series win of the season.
But WAZZUP with that abbreviated victory flip. Edwards, due to a foot injury, still can’t do his famous back flip off the left side window of the car. Instead he treated the fans to an extremely slow roll over on the front stretch. It was a nice try but no where near the back flip.
Unfortunately it’s necessary to issue a double WAZZUP to driver Steve Wallace and his team for the pit stop from hell than turned out to be very embarrassing. Wallace brought his Chevrolet to pit road for a green flag stop to take on fuel and four tires. But the right front tire changer had a problem with a lug nut. Next the caution flag came out in the middle of the stop and getting back on the track became urgent. The crew chief called an audible and changed the stop to right side tires only.
