Cross' Words: 'Dega
By B. Duane Cross, NASCAR.COM
May 2, 2006
04:26 PM EDT (20:26 GMT)
Perspective is defined as a mental view or outlook. Suffice to say, Talladega is the one track that is defined by a driver's finish.
"It's what it is."
"You run out of options pretty quick here."
"I'm not sure what happened."
"We had a great car."
"I couldn't find any friends there at the end."
Yep, that just about covers what's to be said about Talladega Superspeedway. It's either the girl you want to take to the prom, or the ex you'd rather not be reminded of. It's also must-see racing.
If nothing else, Monday proved that NASCAR's largest track is both a swirling breath of fresh air and a wind tunnel of the unexpected. In the final few laps, Jeff Gordon went from also-ran status in the top 15, to battling for the lead, back to also-ran at the checkered flag.
Hey, it's just one of 'em racin' deals, right? Not so, said Mark Martin, whose car was heavily damaged in a crash on Lap 9: "I wrecked. I don't know. Please don't ask me what happened. I don't know. It's Talladega."
Ken Schrader, who also was collected in the early-race wreck, was more forthcoming. When asked what he saw as the crash unfolded, he said, "Just a whole lot of stuff I didn't want to. Somebody ran into somebody else and then it just starts gathering cars as it goes.
"I was just in the wrong place. ... We got down in the grass and thought we were gonna be OK for a little bit, but we got turned around and slid into Kasey [Kahne]. It's not what we needed and not what anybody needs."
On the flip side, those who managed to avoid the carnage were content to leave 'Dega in one piece.
"It was a good finish," said Matt Kenseth, who finished sixth but lost the points lead to Jimmie Johnson, the race winner. "We ran pretty competitive, but not quite as strong as last time. Still, we ran pretty good and I got a decent finish out of it. For Talladega, it was alright."
Fifth-place finisher Jamie McMurray said: "It was a lot easier to pass [Monday] in the Cup cars than what it was in the Busch cars, so it was an exciting race and a lot of fun."
"That was just a wild race," said Carl Edwards, who finished eighth. "It feels good to leave here after leading some laps and finishing in the top 10."
It's all about perspective.
Say Anything
"In 1982 it was just a blast to race [at Talladega], but in today's day and age it's hard to have fun when you know that the pin is out of the grenade. It's just a matter of time before it goes off."
-- Mark Martin, who finished 35th -- 88 laps down -- after being caught up in crash on Lap 9
Figuratively Speaking
3 -- DNFs for Greg Biffle through nine races. He had one in 2005, and hasn't had to work through his much adversity since suffering three DNFs in a seven-race stretch between Loudon and Fontana in the second half of the 2004 season.
Fast Facts
•Jimmie Johnson won the $60,000 Leader Bonus for winning the race and leading the points. This is the second time this season that he has won the bonus, claiming all $90,000 in the first nine races.
•Jeff Gordon led the most laps for the first time in 2006; he led 62 laps at Talladega. The last time Gordon led the most laps in a race: one year ago at 'Dega when he led 139 of 194.
•Tony Stewart had his 10th top-10 finish in 15 races at Talladega, and he now has finished second six times at the track -- including the past three races.
•J.J. Yeley finished 11th Talladega and was the highest finishing rookie. And the streak continues: At least one rookie of the year contenders has scored a top-15 finish in all nine races this season.
Up Next
Richmond |
7 p.m. ET Saturday on FOX
•Nine of the past 10 races at Richmond have been won from a top-10 starting position. While 20 of the 99 races at Richmond were won from the pole, only one of the past 27 have been won from the lead starting position.
•There have been 12 different pole winners in the past 12 races at Richmond, beginning with Rusty Wallace in May 2000.
•There have been nine different race winners in the past nine races at Richmond, beginning with Ricky Rudd in September 2001.
•Ryan Newman has seven consecutive top-10 starts at Richmond, the longest current streak, while Greg Biffle's three consecutive top-10 finishes is the active leader.
•Petty Enterprises has 15 wins at Richmond, the most of any car owner. Petty's last victory at RIR came 62 races ago, when Richard won the 1975 Richmond 500.
Mailbag
I was just wondering your thoughts concerning Rusty Wallace. Do you think he will ever race in Nextel Cup again? Also, do you think Kurt is doing a good job driving Rusty's old car?
-- Brett
I'll answer in reverse order: Yes. And yes.
Kurt's doing his usual job of staying in contention for both wins and the Chase. He's had some bad luck this year (who hasn't), but through nine races Busch still is in the top 20 in points (though he hasn't made a move toward the top 10 the past three races). And as the new kid on the Penske block, he's keeping the spotlight of Ryan Newman's struggles.
As for if and when Rusty will make another Cup start, I think it'll come when Steve makes his move to the big leagues. Being able to compete at the sport's highest level -- with your son in the same field -- would be an emotional rush to which little could compare. I don't believe Rusty would enter Steve's debut race, but I certainly can see the two of them racing at Bristol, Martinsville or Richmond.
OK, I'm probably not the only one to do it but I just have to: Could you please explain the Aaron's 499 this weekend?
-- Lusha120
Actually, you were the only person to ask. ... It's nothing more than a marketing ploy. There are 18 Cup races named the "500," so Aaron's "499" is more memorable, so says someone more gullible than me.
[At Phoenix] Martin Truex Jr. runs out of gas, has no tach, and is penalized 10 positions for speeding. Kyle Busch rams Casey Mears under a red flag and they penalize him five laps when he is already 45 laps down? Blatant disregard for anyone's safety, and he gets basically nothing. Truex gets 10 spots for something completely out of his control.
-- Erik (and echoed by a whole bunch of other folks)
Kinda like racing at Talladega, it is what it is. ... Robby Gordon is just happy that he wasn't to blame, and didn't suffer the consequences.
And from the home office in Aberdeen, Miss., Christina checks in with the ladies' response to last week's offer to turn the tables on the fellas:
1. Men are like ... laxatives: They irritate the (ahem) out of you.
2. Men are like ... bananas: The older they get, the less firm they are.
3. Men are like ... weather: Nothing can be done to change them.
4. Men are like ... blenders: You need one, but you're not quite sure why.
5. Men are like ... chocolate bars: Sweet, smooth, and they usually head right for your hips.
6. Men are like ... commercials: You can't believe a word they say.
7. Men are like ... department stores: Their clothes are always 1/2 off.
8. Men are like ... government bonds: They take soooooooo long to mature.
9. Men are like ... mascara: They usually run at the first sign of emotion.
10. Men are like ... lava lamps: Fun to look at, but not very bright.
Touché!
Fantasy Perspective
At Richmond ...
•Jimmie Johnson has one top-10 finish -- a second-place finish in this race in 2004 -- in eight starts. He has finished 25th or worse in his past three races at RIR and sports a 22.1 average finish.
•In 12 starts Matt Kenseth has one victory and seven top-10 finishes. He has scored top-15s in nine of his races at Richmond. Kenseth was 12th in this race one year ago and second there last September, his best RIR finish since his victory in September 2002.
•Tony Stewart has competed in 14 races, scoring three victories and nine top-10 finishes. His three wins are the most of any full-time driver at Richmond. Stewart has a 12.0 finishing average at RIR and has led at least one lap in eight of his 14 starts.
And finally ...
NASCAR honcho Brian France has been named to the Time 100, the magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world, which hit newsstands Monday. This is the first time that Time has recognized a member of the NASCAR family on its list.
Says Darrell Waltrip: "There's a point in every organization where you have to step it up another notch, and I think that's what Brian France was able to do for NASCAR. It's not that NASCAR was broken. The France family started NASCAR and drove the business to the top.
"I like France's management style: he doesn't go to the racetrack much, and some people criticize him for that, but he has such a good working knowledge of the people and the position they are in. In NASCAR you manage from the middle. That way you can go up or down the ladder, and he seems to be pretty good at doing that."
P.S.
So you want to be a racecar driver? Then Reality Racing -- The Rookie Challenge is your white whale, Ahab.
Bobby Allison is the series' spokesman and guest commentator. He's joined by brother Donnie, Buddy Baker, Geoff Bodine, Harry Gant, Ned Jarrett, Junior Johnson and Cale Yarborough as commentators and driver/contestant judges. They also will be guests on Reality Racing -- In the Drivers Seat, a 30-minute interview program to begin airing in June.
The Rookie Challenge is a 13-week show slated to air in the fall.
"Our show gives people who believe they have what it takes to be a profesionl racecar driver the chance to live their dream by not only competing against other drivers of similar experience, but knowing that the winner of Reality Racing will be given the opportunity to actua||y drive professionally as a member of an established race team in a NASCAR-sanctioned race," says Lee Schaefer, president of Racing Reality Inc.
"The signing of these legends of the auto racing sport provides our contestants with the best possible trainers and mentors as they strive to accomplish what each of these gentlemen did."
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