A belated Happy Easter to everyone. Only seven races into the season and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has it’s second weekend away from the race track. Lots of big news happened during this time, so let’s first look back at what happened on the track.
The fifth and sixth races of the season were the first short track races of the season, starting out on the high banks of Bristol, Tennessee. One of the hardest tickets any year to find for NASCAR fans, the 160,000 fans that packed the grandstands were not disappointed when 500 laps around the bull ring brought home a victory for Kyle Busch. Having seen his brother Kurt win two weeks prior at Atlanta, it was time for the younger brother to take the victory.
One thing that I’m beginning to notice more and more, especially since late last season, was that more fans are starting to cheer on Kyle. He does have this reckless attitude and has a temper at times, which caused fans to give him a strong negative welcome at the track. Now, I hear a lot more people cheering for him because, let’s face it, the kid can drive. Sometimes that style of driving is what it takes to get to victory lane, and it works for him. I’ve got to give Kyle Busch his due, he has proven that he is one of the premier drivers in this league.
The following week, it was on to Virginia to take on the 0.526-mile track in Martinsville. This was a special weekend for car owner Rick Hendrick. This season is his 25th in NASCAR, and on this particular weekend it was particularly special because it was at this race track that Hendrick got his first win as a car owner. Now, 25 years later, it all came full circle. After beating and banging around the track for 500 miles, it was Hendrick driver Jimmie Johnson taking the victory. A very popular win among all the fans in attendance along with all the crews.
Finally, the series made a trip back down south, deep into the heart of Texas. This track has proven to be one of the tougher ones on the circuit, known for early crashes and tough transitions from corner to corner. On this sunny afternoon, it was Hendrick getting two straight wins as his current flagship driver, Jeff Gordon, took the checkered flag. The win snapped a 47-race winless streak, the longest in Gordon’s career, and his 17-race winless streak at Texas. It was also nice to see the fans’ reaction after the race. Every person in the grandstand was cheering and saluting Gordon because they knew what the win meant to him.
Off the race track, a big change has happened at Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing. The no. 8 car, driven by Eric Almirola, is shutting down indefinitely. Lack of sponsorship was the reason behind the decision. Most of the season the car was sponsored on short-term deals, most recently promoting the popular Guitar Hero video game series new “Metallica” edition. However, since the end of last season, the team has struggled to find long-term sponsorship.
The no. 8 lost backing from the United States Army at the end of 2008 when they moved to Stewart-Haas Racing and driver Ryan Newman. Before that, this was the same number made famous by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and donned the ever familiar Budweiser colors. In a matter of two years, the team has lost sponsor backing, and in these current economic times, it is difficult to say whether the team will be able to find the backing to get back to the track.
To go along with the track theme, the Lowe’s Motor Speedway has announced changes to it’s All-Star Race happening on May 16. The race will still consist of four different segments totaling 100 laps, however the amount of laps in the segments has changed. The first segment is 50 laps, with a mandatory pit stop midway through. At the end of 50 laps, the teams will have the option to pit. Segments two and three will each be 20 laps. At the end of segment 3, there’s a ten minute break. The final segment will be a ten lap dash, all under green-flag conditions. This will definitely be exciting, as many of the best All-Star Race moments have happened in the final ten laps. It should be a spectacular event.
This Saturday night the series is back in action in Phoenix, Arizona, for the Subway Fresh Fit 500. At this track last year, Johnson swept both races in route to his third consecutive title. It is hard to bet against him at this track, and he is my pick to win this one. FOX’s race coverage will begin at 8:00 p.m.