Rusty Reckons: Power Rankings Part 3

The summer has certainly heated up and so has NASCAR. Over the last few months, Rusty's been holed up in his cool basement watching the fastest sport in America. During this cave dwelling experience, I've noticed a few things that's made NASCAR exciting. Here's a short list.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 02: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #3 Wrangler Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona International Speedway on July 2, 2010 in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR

1. #3 in Victory Lane

There are a few, and I mean a very few things that have the slightest inklin of bringing a tear to a NASCAR fan's eyes. After the tragedy of the 2001 Daytona 500, an Earnhardt behind the wheel of a #3 Chevrolet in victory lane is one of them. A few short weeks ago, we were treated to just that . . . and at Daytona, no less, the site of one of the greatest tragedies in NASCAR history. In honor of his father, Dale Jr. piloted a Nationwide car with his old man's #3 Wrangler blue and yellow paint scheme. With his usual restrictor plate aplomb, Dale Jr drove a great race and found victory lane for the first time since 2008. Once in victory lane and filled with his usual post-victory emotion Dale Jr declared he did what he wanted to do and that he would probably never again pilot the #3. His swan song, if it remains that, can surely go down as one of the best in sports history. Essentially, he drove it from victory lane, into the history books. That my friends, is certainly the #1 thing on Rusty's power rankings for this part of the season.


2. Chip Ganassi

There is no triple crown in auto-racing, but if there was, Chip Ganassi would get the honor. This year, Chip Ganassi, co-owner of the #1 car with driver Jamie McMurray in NASCAR and owner of the #10 car driven by Dario Franchitti in the Indy Series, won the top 3 races in America. In just 5 short months, Ganassi cars have found victory lane at the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, and the Brickyard 400. Rusty's certainly one to argue that there's a good deal of luck in racing, especially NASCAR, but unless Ganassi's been buying rabbit's feet by the truck-load, I think we can say he's got a few things figured out. Currently sitting at 17th in the points, it's not looking too bright for McMurray's chances to make the Chase, but of any of the tracks to win at, Indy is the most indicative of a driver's championship success. Only a handful of winners at the Brickyard have NOT won a Championship. McMurray added his name to that short list this year . . . for now, but Ganassi might just have another trick up his sleeve, yet.


3. David Reutimann

Who? Exactly! Unfortunately for David, up until this point, he's essentially been considered an also ran. A teammate of the sponsor-lovin Michael Waltrip, Reutimann has had minimal success at best. He's never made the Chase, and honestly has never really been close. He had won before last week, but in a rain shortened event. I know, I know, a win's a win, which is true, but Reutimann arguably wasn't going to win that race without a little help from the man upstairs. This time, it was a different story. Reutimann's win in Chicago was done with the usual moves seen by the sports top contenders. Reuti, as we've learned is his nickname among friends and growing fan-base, led a total of 52 laps and made the right moves toward the end of the race to finally take the checkers in a full NASCAR Sprint Cup event. Time will only tell if this springboards a promising career for the driver of the 00 (pronounced double zero) Toyota, but Rusty doesn't think we've seen the last of him.

4. ESPN's coverage

As a general rule, ole Rusty's not a fan of the cable sports giant's coverage of actual sporting events. Rather than having some national know-it-all flown in 10 minutes before the game and handed a single page dossier on the teams, I'd rather have local or regional guy who actually follow the teams call the game. ESPN's NASCAR coverage is the exception, however. Though I'll miss the lovely Lindsay Czarniak, the ESPN team truly does an excellent job. Further adding to ESPN's stellar work is the cut-away car segments. Now, usually I'm not a fan of anything that gets away from the actual action on the field, but racing's a little different. Discussions about the intricacies of the modern NASCAR race car are greatly aided with the ESPN cut-away car. Sure, Fox, and NBC, and TNT all have similar things, and ESPN wasn't even the one to invent the concept, but according to this avid fan, they've perfected it. The level of detail and knowledge base provided by this little aside is what makes ESPN's coverage of NASCAR make the current power rankings.

5. Greg Biffle/Jack Roush

The "bug-eyed-dumby" made it back to victory lane. The #16 3M Ford from the Roush stable ended a long winless drought stretching back to 2008. It was also Jack Roush's first win since last fall at Talladega. The win couldn't have come at a better time for the Cat in the Hat, either. Just before the Pocono race where Biff found victory lane, Jack was involved in a rather serious airplane crash. The wily old man was piloting his own private plane when it got a little hairy on landing. Roush was able to walk-away, but has been through several surgeries since. Having one of his teams find victory lane the Sunday he had to watch from a hospital bed, I'm sure helped in the recovery. Biffle's currently sitting at the 11th position in points, not a shoe-in for making the Chase, but this victory certainly helped, and if he does make NASCAR's version of the playoffs, those 10 bonus points will sure come in handy, too.


The Rusty Old Jalopy award: Carl Edwards

It's time to park, Mr. Ed. I've always been a fan of letting race drivers settle their business on the track. Let'em race, and let'em race hard. In recent years, NASCAR's been quick to punish overly aggressive driving in order to polish their image. This year, they let the gloves come off a bit, but maybe a little too much. Carl makes this week's jalopy award for his kindergarten behavior at a recent Nationwide race (oh, and let's not forget earlier this year at Atlanta). Brad Keselowski and Edwards have never been fast friends, but regardless of any rivalry, Keselowski didn't deserve to be outright wrecked on his way to the checkers like Edwards did a few weeks back. This isn't the first time Edwards has gone a little berserk either. After a wild race in Martinsville a few years back, Edwards came up and physically threatened teammate Matt Kenseth during a post-race interview, a teammate! Even more notable was his Cole Trickle-esque bumping of Dale Earnhardt Jr. at a Michigan Nationwide event. Junior got into Edwards towards the end of the race. Mr. Ed expressed his displeasure at Junior's move by ramming his car during the victory lap at the conclusion of the race. Junior escaped losing his hand by mere inches. Rusty's always been a fan of the bump-n-run and letting guys get aggressive. I'm an Earnhardt fan, for crying out loud. But there's a line. Using your car as a weapon and means of exacting revenge is over that line. Carl continues to cross it, and should be parked. Period.

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Rusty Reckons: Breakfast Advice; "Eat Your Wheaties, Jr!"

As we head into NASCAR's All Star weekend, Wheaties has announced that Dale Earnhardt will be featured once again on the front of its famous box of bran cereal goodness. This will be the second time the Intimidator's face will great cereal lovers the country over. It's been scheduled to coincide with with Sr.'s induction into the first class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. It's also notable coming during the middle of his son's long winless drought. Maybe Jr. could be more like his dad on the track if he ate his Wheaties. Rusty's not sure, but it's sure worth a shot.

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Wheaties' Neck Just Got a Little Redder

Wheaties today unveiled a special-edition Dale Earnhardt commemorative box, "honoring his legendary career and celebrating his induction into the Hall of Fame."

An accompanying release notes:

Earnhardt’s record-tying seven championships, along with 76 wins and incredible fan popularity helped propel him into this latest “Breakfast of Champions” honor.

Earnhardt becomes the first stock car driver to be featured on the Wheaties box twice. He first appeared on a series of boxes in 1997 when he raced a Wheaties paint scheme in the All-Star event that same year. And, now Wheaties honors his competitive spirit and champion attitude in connection with his induction.

What jumps out at me more than anything is Earnhardt's image on the box.


At the risk of pissing off NASCAR nation (including HHR's own Rusty), the man known as "The Intimidator" looks as if the only thing he could intimidate is a bathroom stall. That said, it would not shock me if this become the most sought-after cereal box in the history of the Walmart.

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Rusty Reckons: Power Rankings Part 2

Well, another six races have come and gone and we are now officially 1/3 of the way through the season. As I sat down to pen this installment of Rusty's power rankings, I began to think about the good ole days of the sport, when brawn seemed to reign over brains, and TV deals didn't matter as much. Lucky for me and some of the more traditional fans, though, there are a few peeks at some of those old traditions in NASCAR lately, and this power rankings reflects just that.

Photo: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

1. Happy Harvick - Last time out, I highlighted the resurgence of the entire RCR team. Well, ole Happy must be reading HHR, cause he's gotten even better since then. At Talladega last month, he broke his two year winless streak, not having found victory lane since Daytona in 2007. In fact, since a 13th place at Phoenix, Harvick hasn't finished outside the top 10 and has led at every race except Texas and Dover. Harvick's contract at RCR is up at the end of the year, and after Shell/Penzoil announced it was moving to Penske just a few weeks ago it looked like he might be saying goodbye to the only team he's ever known at the Cup level. However, with his recent success on the track, a deal with RCR should be inked in the coming weeks.

Getty Images

2. Hamlin's knee surgery - The joke's always been that NASCAR is a backwards redneck sport, and maybe there's some truth to at least the first part of that. In most other sports, a torn ACL will sideline a player for months if not end a career. Not for Denny Hamlin. After winning at Martinsville, Hamlin had surgery to repair the ACL he tore playing pick-up basketball in January. He was right back in the car two shorts weeks later in Phoenix. That first race back was a struggle, and Hamlin wheeled the car home in 30th. Since then, though, he's been on a tear. The FedEx #11 found victory lane one week later in Texas, and has since rattled off a fourth and 11th place finish before finding completing the sweep at Darlington two weekends ago. It was the first sweep at Darlington in 17 years. Apparently, even with a recovering knee, the 'Lady in Black' is not 'too tough to tame' for the boy from Rusty's neck of the woods (Chesterfield, yee haw!).

3. The #3 back on the track - Well, we've been waiting for almost 10 years. Ever since the horrific tragedy at the Daytona 500 in 2001 where we lost Earnhardt, every fan has speculated about if/when we might see the #3 back on the track. The next week after the tragedy, Earnhardt's team and car were back on track, but with a new number and driver (the #29 piloted by Happy Harvick). Not having the 3 on the track is like college basketball without Dick Vitale. Yeah, it's a little more peaceful and quiet, but it just ain't right. But now, the 3's going to be back, even if for just one short race. Junior's going to get behind the wheel of a car with his daddy's number on the side, and even his old paint scheme on the hood. The Nationwide race at Daytona this summer will feature the legend's son driving the Wrangler #3 in a partnership with JR Motorsports, RCR, and Earnhardt Gnassi racing. And as far as this old purist is concerned, that's pretty dadgum awesome!

4. Talladega spring race - Dubbed "the most competitive race in NASCAR history", the boys in Alabama put on quite a show last month. After the asphalt debacle at Daytona, plate track fans like yours truly were hoping for a better race at Dega, and boy did the Aaron's 499 deliver. By the time the race was over, a series and track record 88 lead changes had been recorded, and those were just measured at the line. All across the track, the total probably approaches 200 over the course of the 499 mile race. To top it off, the race was won with the #29 using one of the most recognized moves in NASCAR, the sling-shot. Harvick kept tucked in behind race leader Jamie McMurray until just at the right moment, before pulling out and passing him for the win. A little shake . . . and bake! How's your mind? Blown!?! Ricky would be proud.

5. Sibling rivalry - The story of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon is made for a Hallmark Channel special. A few years back, a little unknown guy named Jimmie went to one of the most winningest drivers in NASCAR to ask some advice. Instead of advice, he got an offer to come drive the 48 with Hendrick Motorsports. Since then, the 48 team has emerged as one of the most dominant in the history of the sport. During all this time, Gordon and Johnson have maintained one of the best friendships in the garage. However, with the 48 struggling since the re-introduction of the spoiler back to the car, things have gotten heated between these Hendrick brothers. A minor fracas at Texas turned into a downright hullabaloo at Talladega, when the 48 and 24 seemed to be playing bumper cars on the track. With Happy, Smoke, and Kurt Busch on their best behavior, NASCAR is in need of some 'drama' and feuding. Jimmie and Jeff are providing just that, and maybe even more.

The Rusty Old Jalopy award: And finally the award for what's been smelling up NASCAR like my daughter's stinky diapers, Stewart Hass Racing. Last year was the first year for Tony Stewart's newly formed team, and it was quite a success. Both cars made the Chase, and Smoke was able to find victory lane 4 times. While the #39 piloted by Ryan Newman was never the first to take the checkers, it wasn't due to the team's failure but rather a streak of some really rotten luck. Take note Earnhardt Jr. fans, he might not be the only one who needs a rabbit's foot from time to time. In 2010, though, both the #14 and #39 are struggling and currently sit outside the crucial top 12. Stewart has only had 4 top 10 finishes in the 14 car, and has finished 23rd or worse 5 out of the last 7 races. Newman's finishes have fared slightly better, and he's even won a race, but a very slow start has hampered the 39 team, and they are still 13th in points, out of the top 12.

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Rusty's Reckons: Power Rankings Part 1

Well, we are now officially six races into the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, and as NASCAR takes its annual Easter break, the brain-trust at HHR thought we'd bring you a new feature, Rusty's Power Rankings. Every so often, I'm going to reach back into my bag of tricks and pull out some gems as I ruminate and pontificate on the best and the brightest in NASCAR, and I won't be just discussing drivers in these rankings. As you'll see this week, this ranking is going to include all elements in the sport. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the first installment of Rusty's Power Rankings.

1. Jimmie Johnson & Chad Knaus - Sigh! Don't these guys ever take a day off? So far this season, the 48 team has won HALF of the races (3 of the 6)! As you might imagine, the 48 team finds itself in a familiar position, atop the points standings. Usually, Knaus and Johnson find their streak towards the end of the season. Just like in individual races, they make adjustments, and get hot coming down the home stretch, leaving the competition in a cloud of dust. This year, they seem to be hitting their stride early. Too early? Time well tell, but it's hard to imagine the dominant force that is the Lowe's team beginning to struggle after such a great start.


2. NASCAR - Rusty's going to tip his hat to some big changes this year from NASCAR, all of them so far working out great. First, they got rid of the restriction against bump drafting, like it did any good. A penalty for bump drafting was about as likely as getting a travel called on Kobe Bryant. It won't gonna happen, folks. Nevertheless, it was a rule that allowed them to wag their fingers at the drivers four times a year. Second, they are going to be getting rid of that ridiculous wing and going back to the more traditional spoiler. That stupid wing looked like something out of Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Stock cars were meant to have spoilers, and I'm glad they are coming back. Lastly, the new green-white-checkers rules. In the past, they only allowed one shot at a green flag finish with the green-white-checkers system, which is NASCAR's version of overtime. This year, they are going to give it 3 shots, a much better idea! I mean, just look at Martinsville. Jeff Gordon conspiracy theories aside, what an ending!

3. RCR - What a resurgence from the team who didn't field a single car in the Chase last year. Currently, all three drivers are in the top 12 (the top 12 make the Chase after Richmond in the fall). For Happy Harvick, this could be partially due to the fact that his contract's up at the end of this year with RCR. There's been rumors flying about where he might go, and whether or not he's going to stay with the team who brought him in to finish out the season after Dale Earnhardt's passing. He's cooled off over the past two weeks, but the 29 came out of the gate with four consecutive top 10 finishes, two of which were runner-up. Teammates Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton are also sitting comfortably in the top 12. Bowyer amassed 3 top 10's before struggling with a 23rd and 40th place showing. He righted the ship somewhat this past week with a top 10 in Martinsville. While Burton hasn't had the finishes of his Childress teammates, he has been consistent, which has gotten him to where he is. Being in the top 12 after 5 races is a really good predictor for those who end up in the top 12 at Richmond. If this holds true, RCR would be ecstatic to have all 3 drivers in the Chase, after last year's drought.

4. Paul Menard - Who? Exactly! Menard pilots the 98 Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports. Prior to this year, his career had him bouncing around teams as a weekly also-ran. His highest career finish was 5th at Talladega in 2008. Last year, he finished 31st in points, his best finish being a 13th place at Texas. This year, driving for a new team, though, has lit a fire under the cheese-head from Eau Claire. Menard's already matched his career best with a 5th at Atlanta, and has consistently finished in the top 20 earning him a standing of 11th in points. While maybe not a serious championship contender, if he keeps this up, Menard could be a force to be reckoned with in the Chase. In the right equipment, he's shown an ability to handle a race car and wrack up consistently good finishes. A bit of a surprise to this point in the season, Menard may continue to fly under the radar and surprise some people.

5. Bump-n-run - One of Earnhardt Sr.'s favorite way around a short track like Bristol or Martinsville was the technique dubbed the bump-n-run. Earnhardt would put a fender on a car, get'em loose, and as he drifted up the track, shoot underneath for the pass. His use of this little move helped earn him the nickname The Intimidator. In fact, it got to the point where he wouldn't have to actually touch a guy. They see that #3 in their mirror, and just move over for him. Well, those who pine for those good old days got a good taste of it this past Monday at Martinsville. Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth showed us just what the bump-n-run was, and more importantly what it looks like after the race is over (read: The Real Housewives of NASCAR city). As noted above, NASCAR's made a real concerted effort to try and bring back some of the lost aspects of the sport. The bump-n-run is certainly one of those that's back in full effect, and kudos to that!


The Rusty Old Jalopy award: Track conditions - It seems like ages ago now, but that race in Daytona felt like it took ages to complete on account of two long stoppages to fix the asphalt. Sure, with all the snow we got here on the East Coast this winter, there's going to be a pot-hole festival in nearly every city, but that's no excuse for Daytona. The Daytona 500 is the Super Bowl of NASCAR. The track, therefore, has a responsibility to the sport and its fans to put on the best possible show it can. Not having a track that's up to snuff is like having a big dead spot in the outfield for the World Series or a loose board on the hardwood at the Final Four. The racing at the 500 this year was great. It's just unfortunate that it was great racing bookended by long periods of sheer boredom watching asphalt dry, literally.

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Rusty Reckons: Dale Junior Wins at Daytona

NASCAR's fan favorite, Dale Jr. coasted to victory at Daytona, too bad for Junior nation it was in a computer game, and not a real track event. Nevertheless, victory weary fans will take what they can get, including yours truly. So, even if Junior cannot best his fellow Sprint Cup competitors, at least he knows he can operate a plastic steering wheel better than a bunch of 30 yr old's still living at home with their momma. That's trophy case material!

Earnhardt Jr. Wins First iRacing.com Event

In other news, it's rumored that Peyton Manning is challenging Brees to a rematch of Super Bowl XLIV, Techmo style.

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Rusty Reckons: New Year's Resolutions 2010

With a little over a week till the green flag drops on the 2010 NASCAR season, Rusty has emerged from his winter slumber to pontificate on the goings on and what's in store for the coming year. I've also emerged to shovel the nearly 2 feet of snow on the back deck! Tonight we'll get our first taste of racing this year with the preseason Bud Shootout. Even though the rumblings of NASCAR don't make national headlines, there are big changes already in store for stock car enthusiasts this year. So, without further adieu, let's begin to fill your heads with the ramblings of a true wanna-be redneck.


One of the biggest changes for this coming year is the addition of a pretty face. After having a bit of a mediocre career in IRL (let's be honest, she's only had 1 win in 5 seasons), racing's #1 sex symbol is coming to stock car. Danica's now going to really show what she's got behind the wheel of JR Motorsports #7 Chevrolet, owned by none other than Dale Earnhardt Jr. In her first year in NASCAR, Danica's only going to be running 13 races in the Nationwide series, but she'll be sure to turn the heads of a few beered up infield hooligans . . . including yours truly.

But, speaking of Junior . . . mark my words, Dale Jr will go winless again in 2010. Until NASCAR shortens the race or goes back to the old system, NASCAR's most popular driver is going to continue to struggle 'closing the deal'. Coffee and trophies go to closers, sorry June bug. Junior's got the talent and equipment, but for whatever reason, he's not found his groove or been able to keep up with the changes to the sport. A few years back in a different points system with the older car, I think he could have really been a perennial championship contender. Regardless, the stands will still be filled with more 88 fans at Daytona and Talladega this year than anything.


Chad Knaus gets jealous of Jimmie's new found fame and the 48 team finally shows they are human.

Over the last four years, Chad, Jimmie, and the 48 team have been heads above the rest of the competition. Watching the other 42 drivers try to compete against the 48 was like watching an arthritic one legged dog try to win a butt kicking contest. You rooted for that old mutt, but you just knew it wasn't going to happen. Well, this year the one legged dog's going to win. It took four years, but I think Jimmie's hit his peak. Even people outside of NASCAR are recognizing the soften spoken clean cut guy from California.

JJ wins AP's Man of the Year. This means he's only got one way to go, down. He won't slip far and he'll finish in the Top 5 in points, but no 5-peat for Jimmie.

That ugly wing stuck on the back of an otherwise sweet looking race car is going the way of the dodo.

Since going to the COT, fans and drivers alike have fussed about the tricked out looking rear wing on the back of the new race car. It's made the cars more squirrelly and thus, according to some people, made for less passing. So, the big boys up in the tower listened. NASCAR is working with a few teams next month to test a spoiler similar to the one used on the old car. The goal is to get a little more downforce on the cars and hopefully make for better racing. Rusty thinks this is a great idea, but we'll have to wait and see how it transpires.

Unlike previous years, I'm not going to be making any wild predictions on who's going to win the title. I think there are several strong contenders, including Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart. Carl's been close several times, and if it wasn't for the 48 team would have at least 1 title already if not two. Since I'm thinking the 48 isn't going to win it this year, I could easily see the 99 taking the crown. Don't count out Tony though. Stewart had an amazing year last year with his upstart race team. Many people thought he would struggle including yours truly, but he proved us all wrong. If he can avoid a sophomore slump of sorts, he should be at the front and challenging for his third career championship come November.

Last year was a good year, but this year's going to be great (as long as you aren't a Junior fan). So, stock the fridge, get some bean dip, and let's get ready for another season of the world's best stock car racing series.

Hammer down!!!!!

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Preserving History: Jimmie Wins Record 4

After each major sporting event, HHR takes a look at how it is portrayed in news print in some of the nation's leading dailies. Part out of curiosity, and part to preserve the dying medium.

While it might not have been huge news in the Northeast or West Coasts, JJ's record stetting Cup win was huge down South.

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Rusty Reckons: The Chase Rundown Part 7 of 7

Well, it's finally here. The Chase for the Nextel Cup, NASCAR's version of a playoff system. To help you prepare for the 10 week showdown, Rusty's going to give you a run down of each of the 12 drivers in the Chase, this week. Included in that ranking will be the Rusty's Power Ranking, my own personal index of who's got the best shot to win the title.

Today we look at the #1 position, Mark Martin.











Mark Martin - If Tony Stewart was the success story of 2009, Mark Martin is the comeback story for this year. Mark Martin retired a few years back. Then at the behest of his long time owner, Jack Roush, he came back. Then he moved teams and ran a partial schedule. Finally, he signed a contract with Rick Hendrick to drive for a full season. He was going to make one more run at the title. Well, what a run it's been. Mark has a series high 4 wins this year. Now, heading into the Chase, he finds himself at the top of the points and poised to take home his first title. The consummate bridesmaid, Mark has done nearly everything in NASCAR but won the Cup championship. It's this fact, and this fact only that Rusty's ranked him behind Tony and Jimmie in the power ranking.

I attribute a lot of Mark's success this year to his attitude. I have never seen someone so happy to be driving a race car. In stark contrast to his teammate in the 88, who seems like he wants to be anywhere else, Mark is just happy. This relaxed attitude and the resources of the best team in the sport has led to Mark's success. Looking forward to the Chase, Mark has every right to continue to feel positive. He's already won at one of the Chase tracks (Phoenix) and he's won at a track very similar to several of the Chase tracks. Chicagoland is very similar to Kansas, Lowe's and Texas. If Mark's able to take home the crown after Homestead, it will truly be the best sports story in 2009. He's got the talent, he's got the equipment, he's got the right attitude. Will he do it? The mystery will start to unravel itself in New Hampshire . . . BOOGITY BOOGITY BOOGITY!!!

Position before Richmond: 10
Rusty's Power Ranking: 3

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Rusty Reckons: The Chase Rundown Part 6

Well, it's finally here. The Chase for the Nextel Cup, NASCAR's version of a playoff system. To help you prepare for the 10 week showdown, Rusty's going to give you a run down of each of the 12 drivers in the Chase, this week. Included in that ranking will be the Rusty's Power Ranking, my own personal index of who's got the best shot to win the title.

Today we look at the #2 position, Tony Stewart.











Tony Stewart - Tony Stewart has been one of the best stories to emerge out of the 2009 season. Smoke took a big gamble by leaving Joe Gibbs, the #20 car, and his long time crew chief Tony Zippadelli last year to form Stewart Hass Racing. A lot of so called experts, including HHR's own Rusty predicted the newly formed team would struggle. Fortunately for Smoke fans, they have proven us all wrong. Tony has spent all year in the top 10 in points. He grabbed the top spot after Dover, and has held on throughout the summer. He's only 2nd to Martin, now because the points realignment gives Martin the advantage with 1 more win than Tony. Since winning at Watkin's Glen in early August, Tony hasn't finished in the top 10 and has only led 2 laps. However, as I said with Johnson, I attribute this to experimentation for the Chase rather than struggling with the racecar.

So, looking forward to the Chase, the prospects for Tony's 3rd championship look good. Tony's not found victory lane at only 2 of the 10 Chase tracks, California and Texas. Among the other 8, he's had 12 wins, 63 top 5's, and 96 top 10's in his career. Impressive numbers to say the least. The Chase also includes a track, Lowe's Motor Speedway, where Tony's already found victory lane this year. Among the other 7 Chase tracks where NASCAR's already visited this year, Tony's had 5 top 5's, led 84 laps, and only finished outside the top 10 once, a 23rd at Talladega. Clearly, when you look at the numbers, Tony's one of the favorites to win it all. I still contend this is Jimmie's championship to lose, but one bad race for the #48 and Smoke will be pouncing, and potentially pouncing for his 3rd title.

Position before Richmond: 1
Rusty's Power Ranking: 2

Tomorrow: #1 Mark Martin

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Rusty Reckons: The Chase Rundown Part 5

Well, it's finally here. The Chase for the Nextel Cup, NASCAR's version of a playoff system. To help you prepare for the 10 week showdown, Rusty's going to give you a run down of each of the 12 drivers in the Chase, this week. Included in that ranking will be the Rusty's Power Ranking, my own personal index of who's got the best shot to win the title.

Today we look at the #4 and #3 positions, Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson.











Denny Hamlin - No one in NASCAR is riding higher than Denny Hamlin right now. Denny won Richmond this past weekend in dominating fashion. If there's one race Denny's had circled on his calendar since coming to Cup it was Richmond. He hails from Chesterfield County, just across the river, so he grew up watching races at Richmond. To win there was like harpooning his white whale. This means coming into New Hampshire and the rest of the Chase, Denny's got a big shot of Uncle Mo on his side. In addition to a victory at Richmond, Denny also found victory lane after another rather dominating performance at Pocono. Add that to 9 top 5's and 14 top 10's, and Denny's going to be a tough car to beat. What does hurt Denny's chances, however, are the struggles at Joe Gibbs racing. Hamlin's the only Gibbs driver in the Chase this year, after all 3 drivers made it last year. While Denny doesn't need Kyle and Joey to win, it certainly doesn't hurt his case. This is why even with a strong team, I'm not predicting much of a chance for Denny to the win the trophy this year.

Position before Richmond: 4
Rusty's Power Ranking: 6











Jimmie Johnson - Make no mistake about it. Jimmie Johnson is my hands down favorite to win the championship. Since 2006, Jimmie's won three consecutive titles to tie Cale Yarborough's record. This year, he's going to break it. Why? Because Jimmie and Chad Knaus, his crew cheif, know how to run up front and win when they need to. This year, they've amassed 3 wins, 9 top 5's, 15 top 10's, and only 1 DNF. Even though Jimmie's had a few of his poorer showings lately, 36 in Atlanta, 33 in Michigan, I would be more apt to chalk that up to the experimentations of Knaus than a genuine struggle with the car. Knaus and Johnson have a formula for winning. They have an ability to adjust a race car throughout a race and get it to the front to win. Last year, Johnson had 4 wins going into the Chase, tallied another 3 and won the title. In 2007, 6 wins before the chase, and then 4 consecutive wins in October and November to win the title. The first year, it was 5 wins, with one more in the Chase in addition to 4 runner up finishes. Clearly, he knows when to turn it up a notch. So this year, I've seen nothing to indicate they aren't capable of doing it again. Tony and Mark are stiff competition, but I think this is Jimmie's championship to lose.

Position before Richmond: 3
Rusty's Power Ranking: 1

Next Up: #2 Tony Stewart

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Rusty Reckons: The Chase Rundown Part 3

Well, it's finally here. The Chase for the Nextel Cup, NASCAR's version of a playoff system. To help you prepare for the 10 week showdown, Rusty's going to give you a run down of each of the 12 drivers in the Chase, this week. Included in that ranking will be the Rusty's Power Ranking, my own personal index of who's got the best shot to win the title.

Today we look at the #8 and #7 positions, Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch.











Brian Vickers - Rusty makes no bones about the fact that he doesn't like Vickers as far as he can spit. Memories of Talladega will always haunt me. That aside, what Team Red Bull has done with the 83 car this year is nothing short of amazing. Vickers has only 2 career wins in Cup, and neither was a dominant victory. Needless to say this is Vickers first year in the Chase, and as I've been saying, that doesn't bode well for the championship. Vickers is the first driver I've reviewed with a win, so that does give him a head up on at least 4 other drivers. But call it a gut feeling, Rusty just doesn't see a serious title contender in the #83 team. However, Vickers will challenge for a few wins, and might even win another race. He'll have an off day or two, though, and that'll be enough to keep him somewhere around his current points position.

Position before Ranking: 12
Rusty's Power Ranking: 11











Kurt Busch - The driver of the blue deuce presents an interesting case, and one that goes against Rusty's typical consistency song and dance. Busch has had 2 DNF's in the last month (Michigan and Atlanta). When Kurt's not running towards the front, he's running towards the back . . . way back! He's won a race and tallied 7 top 5's, but has also finished worse than 20th 6 times; 4 of those worse than 30th. It's been an up and down year for the #2 team. Like Vickers, he will run up front and challenge for some wins in the Chase, but without the needed consistency, Busch will not be up front in the standings. If he's still in the hunt when they get to Dega, I'll be surprised. If can get through Dega, then he just might have a shot at his second title, and first at Penske, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Position before Richmond: 7
Rusty's Power Ranking: 8

Tomorrow: #6 Jeff Gordon, #5 Kasey Kahne

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Rusty Reckons: The Chase Rundown Part 2

Well, it's finally here. The Chase for the Nextel Cup, NASCAR's version of a playoff system. To help you prepare for the 10 week showdown, Rusty's going to give you a run down of each of the 12 drivers in the Chase, this week. Included in that ranking will be the Rusty's Power Ranking, my own personal index of who's got the best shot to win the title.

Today we look at the #10 and #9 positions, Ryan Newman and Carl Edwards.












Ryan Newman - The Rocket Ryan Newman is 1/2 of this year's surprising success story. Ryan moved from the storied Penske racing team to the newly formed driver/owner team of Tony Stewart. Apparently, the risky move paid dividends for Newman who made the Chase for the first time since 2005. I'm sure you're thinking Rusty's already sounding like a broken record, but consistency was the key for Newman. The key stat for Newman this year wasn't the poles he won, but the fact that for the first time ever running a full season in Cup, Newman has not had a DNF (hopefully HHR didn't just jinx him). This is the kind of consistency that will get a car into the Chase, but with only 5 top 5's, it's not the kind that will win a championship.

Position before Ranking: 9
Rusty's Power Ranking: 10












Carl Edwards - After racking up an amazing 9 wins last season, Mr. Ed has yet to find victory lane this year. That's not kept him out of the Chase however. By posting a respectable 7 top 5's, and 11 top 10's, Carl has run well enough to qualify for the 4th time. In fact, Carl's only missed the Chase once, in 2006, and only because at that point the Chase only included 10 drivers. Under the current rules, he would have made them all. This makes Carl tough competition. He knows how to win and he knows how to do so in the Chase. He himself has said he's faster than a greased cheetah strapped to a bullet train. That's the kind of speed needed to win this year, and ole steroid boy stands a better than not of winning it all.

Position before Ranking: 5
Rusty's Power Ranking: 5


Tomorrow: #8 Brian Vickers, #7 Kurt Busch

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Rusty Reckons: The Chase Rundown

Well, it's finally here. The Chase for the Nextel Cup, NASCAR's version of a playoff system. To help you prepare for the 10 week showdown, Rusty's going to give you a run down of each of the 12 drivers in the Chase, this week. Included in that ranking will be the Rusty's Power Ranking, my own personal index of who's got the best shot to win the title.

Today we start with the #12 and #11 positions, Greg Biffle and Juan Pablo Montoya.












Greg Biffle - The Biff must be eating his Wheaties. Since the Brickyard, the #16 team has rolled off 3 top 5's and 4 top 10's. Looking ahead, there are several tracks where Biffle seems to excel. First, no one seems to have quite the handle on Homestead like the bug-eyed-dummy. In his career, Biffle has won the final race of the season three times, and only finished higher than 20th, twice. The day late and dollar short philosophy hasn't won him a title, yet, but add that to the fact that he runs well at Richmond, and hasn't finished outside the top 10 at Dover since 2005, and Biffle stands a good shot at continuing his upward trend. Rusty gives him a bit of a long shot to win it all, but that's more a function of the drivers at the top than a reflection of a lack of talent from the #16 team.

Position before Richmond: 11
Rusty's Power Ranking: 9











Juan Pablo Montoya - In his 3rd full season in NASCAR, JPM has finally qualified for the chase. The #42 team focused on making the Chase this year. His conservative driving paid dividends, and Montoya has rattled off 12 top 10's and 2 top 5's this year. If it weren't for an untimely pit mistake at the Brickyard, JPM would have a win this year. He completely dominated the field in Indy, leading a race high 116 of 160 laps that afternoon. Regardless, this is his first year in the Chase. Without any previous experience, and facing a few tracks where JPM hasn't fared well, I would give him about the same odds as the Detroit Lions for winning the Super Bowl.

Position before Richmond: 8
Rusty's Power Ranking: 12

Tomorrow: #10 Ryan Newman, #9 Carl Edwards

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Rusty Reckons: No Duh (Y'all)

Here's the 'no duh' moment of the season. Earnhardt advised Keselowksi to go to Penske, instead of having him added to the Hendrick team. Why's that the 'no duh' moment you ask? Let Rusty lay it out for you.

1. NASCAR imposes a limit of 4 cars per team. Hendrick is at that limit with the 24, 48, 5, and 88.
2. The 24 and 48 are duking it out at the top of the point standings, just behind the owner-driver-dynamo, Tony Stewart. Meanwhile, Mark Martin (5) must still have a stash of free Viagra somewhere because he's driving harder than anyone, and has a series high 4 wins.
3. Keselowski's been able to do something Earnhardt (88) ain't this year, win a race.

Add that up, and you see why Earnhardt might be encouraging the up and comer to find another team, lest he find himself booted to the curb to make room.

Lucky for Junior and the 88 team, though, Rusty's got a feelin he's going to see that checkered flag before this year's out. Richmond, Talladega, maybe even Atlanta . . . I'm not sure, but I got an inclin.

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Rusty Reckons: NASCAR Gets Presidential

Yesterday, President Obama welcomed a whole slew of driver's to the south lawn of the White House for a little celebration of NASCAR, "a uniquely American sport." Typically, the President hosts just the champion. However, Jimmie Johnson's won the Sprint Cup three years running. Rusty figures he was getting tired of as Forrest Gump says, "Going to the White House, again", so this year he brought a few friends. Included among his visitors was the #48 car and the much sought after Sprint Cup trophy.


When asked his secret for picking winners - the President has correctly picked both the NCAA men's basketball champion and Super Bowl champion in the past year - Obama offered real ground breaking advice, "You guys call me up right before the end of the race and I'll let you know who I think's going to come out on top." I reckon that's a method with a much better percentage for being right. With that in mind, Rusty will forgo a prediction for Bristol until about 10:30 on Saturday night. I want to see who's left standing, first.

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Rusty Reckons: Earnhardt Offers Solutions to His Problems

It's no secret that the 88 team has struggled this year. Mired at 25th in points, and not having had a top 10 finish since his 2nd place finish at Talladega in April, Junior offers his thoughts on the sport.

His issue? The new car. His solution? Fix it so he can run better. Seems reasonable. According to NASCAR president, Mike Helton, it worked for his father.

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

CR Dunbar: NASCAR, Government Partnership Creates Jobs

The U.S. House of Representatives today passed a bill that would transfer 115 acres of government land to the Nevada Speedway Company for expansion of the Las Vegas Speedway parking lot.

Some may see this as pandering to NASCAR dads. I see it as the government finally recognizing the importance of NASCAR tailgating to economic growth. It is not economic theory, it is economic fact that the more fringed jean shorts, the more jobs created.

Follow us on Twitter@HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

@DanicaPatrick's Penthouse Forum

Lord only knows what sort of torrid fan mail she gets.

Follow us on Twitter @HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Have You Gotten Your BlogsWithBalls Tickets Yet?

Rusty (& NASCAR) Honor Those Who Gave the Greatest Sacrifice

Yesterday, at exactly 3:00:00 p.m. (EDT) in the middle of the race, NASCAR called the caution, stopped the cars in the middle of the track, made the drivers turn off the engines, and recognized the President's moment of silence for our fallen service members.

It's a rare event that Rusty's speechless, but that's pretty awesome!

Follow us on Twitter @HHReynolds or Click Here to get HHR in your inbox.

Have You Gotten Your BlogsWithBalls Tickets Yet?