Join us for our 82nd(!) episode of the schmak.
Lots of awesome schmak silliness, including the gyro cam sham, Darlington’s boring opening laps, the racing that broke out near the end, and a fantastic preview of the All-Star race next week. Do you have a question about the All-Star format? Eligibility for the race? It’s all here in the latest schmak.
Picks for the Sprint Open race:
Coach: Jamie McMurray
Rob: Martin Truex Jr.
Picks for the All-Star race:
Coach: Kasey Kahne
Rob: Clint Bowyer
This week, we schmak all things Richmond.
Penalties, tires, sprinkler malfunctions, it’s all here in the weekly Schmak of record.
Picks for next week at Talladega:
Coach: Dale Jr.
Rob: Cousin Carl Edwards
On Wednesday (delayed from their normal Tuesday announcement due to Keselowski’s White House appearance), NASCAR announced penalties for team Penske involving 25 points, $100,000, and 6 week suspensions for crew and car chiefs for both the #2 and #22 Penske Fords.
That’s a pretty harsh penalty any way you look at it, made even harsher because NASCAR has not yet actually stated that anything that they confiscated was “illegal”.
Just that certain parts “weren’t in the spirit of the rules”.
Heck of a penalty for not having NASCAR spirit.
For the first four races of 2013, Danica Patrick has raced in 3 new and 1 almost new car.
But for Martinsville, she’s getting a four year old car, while teammate/boss Tony Stewart is getting a car built last year and other teammate Ryan Newman is getting a brand new car.
In fact, the car that Danica is driving on Sunday was last on the track in November 2010, more than 2 years ago.
Methinks someone at Stewart Haas has low expectations for Danica at Martinsville.
Full chassis rundown from Jayski.com:
Chassis No. 10-535: This car (formally No. 14-535) debuted in April 2009 with Tony Stewart at the wheel at Phoenix International Raceway, where Stewart used it to qualify sixth and lead once for 19 laps before finishing second. The last outing for Chassis No. 10-535 was in November 2010, when Stewart started 20th and finished 17th at Phoenix. The car was on standby for the No. 14 team throughout many race weekends in 2011 and 2012 but was never pressed into service. Since the end of the 2012 season, it was updated to the sixth-generation (Gen-6) Chevrolet SS configuration and transferred to the No. 10 GoDaddy.com team of Danica Patrick and crew chief Tony Gibson.
On the Dan Patrick show, Hamlin had this to say about the last lap wreck with Joey Logano at Fontana:
“If it wasn’t intentional, it’s the worst case of car control I’ve ever seen as a driver.”
In a separate ESPN interview, Logano had a different story:
“My number one goal is to go win a race,” Logano told ESPN’s Marty Smith. “So did I intentionally wreck him? No, I did not intentionally do that. If I was going to do that I would have hit him in the left-rear tire. I hit him in the door. It’s hard racing at that point.”
I tend to believe Logano has problems controlling his car. I think Ryan Newman agrees.
Mark Martin will be subbing for Denny Hamlin in the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
He was not scheduled to be in the MWR #55 car at Martinsville, but he was supposed to be in the #55 in the following three events at Texas, Kansas, and Richmond.
Does this mean more seat time for Brian Vickers? More for Michael Waltrip? It’s like a semi-silly season already.
UPDATE: This probably explains it a bit better:
MWR, according to sources, would like to keep Vickers in the 55 for as much as possible because he is the likely replacement for Martin next season.
1) Biffle finished 6th, well ahead of Fontucky Master Jimmie Johnson, who came home 12th.
And it looked like he was having a decent day. I missed the boat on that one, I guess there is a reason the people paid to do pre-race analysis talked about Biffle.
Although he had to cut Matt Kenseth’s tire and pass the Hamlin/Logano wreck to get it.
2) Logano definitely drove it in too hard, and over drove the corner and caused that wreck. However, what sent Denny to the hospital was a LACK OF SAFER BARRIER ON A WALL. Haven’t we learned this lesson before? Vegas w/Jeff Gordon?
As the rule goes, if there is a chance that a car can hit any spot on the race track, it will.
We’ve seen that at Daytona this year, and at Bristol a few times with Michael Waltrip and Mike Harmon.
3) What the heck is Tony Stewart eating? Whatever it is, it’s making him angry and obese.
Also, I guess in his mind, he’s the only one who can throw a block?
EDIT: Just saw this yahoo sports article. Headline says it all:
Tony Stewart, blocking aficionado, is ticked at Joey Logano for blocking.
Restarts – is NASCAR just sort of letting them happen now?
Keselowski – only driver to finish in top 5 each race so far.
Dale Jr. – only other driver to finish top 10 in each race so far.
Why I haven’t picked Khane this season so far.
And of course the Denny vs. Joey thing.
Shortlist for next week at Fontucky:
Kyle Busch
Jimmie Johnson
Brad Keselowski
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Kevin Harvick or Matt Kenseth
Watch the finish to the 2011 race – pretty darn good.
Picks for Fontucky:
Coach: Kyle Busch
Rob: Dale Jr.
We will be love schmaking at 5 pacific today. Catch us at http://70.185.182.78:8000/listen.m3u
The nationwide race will have race buddy coverage! This was the thing where you could watch the in-car camera from multiple cars, and get live audio streams and all sorts of things.
Does anyone know if this is happening on the cup side tomorrow?