Larry McReynolds / CREWCHIEFCLUB.COM
The next six races will separate the men from the boys at different types of tracks with the two different cars. By the time we get to Daytona in early July, we will have a much clearer view of the players in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
Between now and the Pepsi 400, we'll run the Car of Tomorrow at Dover, a unique three-sided track at Pocono and a fast intermediate-sized track at Michigan. Then, it's back to the COT at the road course in Sonoma, Calif., and the one-mile New Hampshire International Speedway before the final restrictor-plate race with the current car at Daytona.
And it's not just the different types of tracks and cars but the zigging and zagging to almost every corner of the country. We'll be in the Northeast at Loudon, N.H. We'll be out on the West Coast at Infineon Raceway. We'll be in the Southeast at Daytona and a few stops in between.
No matter where they go or what they drive, Hendrick Motorsports is the strongest team in the garage. Richard Childress Racing seems to be much better with the current car than they are with the Car of Tomorrow. While Kevin Harvick has been decent with the COT, Burton has struggled with it. I was shocked at how poorly the Gibbs cars bobbled in the Nextel All-Star Challenge. Tony Stewart ended up with a good finish, but he had to scratch and claw his way to get there. It may have been the worst Denny Hamlin has ever run anywhere, but the Gibbs cars will be back.
When you have a good race season, it just seems like it just flies by. It's just hard to believe that we only have one more NASCAR on FOX race. As we leave Dover, Del., we know we won't be able to sit still for eight months and say, "Daytona will be here next February. We'll see you then." We have to continue to fine-tune so we come back a little bigger and better even in 2008
Jeff Hammond, Steve Byrnes and I will be at the track every week through Homestead with SPEED's Trackside, and I'll be doing NASCAR Performance. During TNT's six Cup races and ESPN/ABC's 17 races, we'll still be doing some Busch and Cup qualifying shows. The three of us along with Mike Joy and Matt Yocum will be doing some of the final 17 races for DirecTV's HotPass as well. We may not have FOX on our shirts, but we'll still be well-represented.
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FOX race analyst Larry McReynolds has more than 25 years of NASCAR experience as a mechanic, crew chief and broadcaster. He and his fellow Crew Chief Club members take you behind the wall at www.crewchiefclub.com.
The next six races will separate the men from the boys at different types of tracks with the two different cars. By the time we get to Daytona in early July, we will have a much clearer view of the players in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
Between now and the Pepsi 400, we'll run the Car of Tomorrow at Dover, a unique three-sided track at Pocono and a fast intermediate-sized track at Michigan. Then, it's back to the COT at the road course in Sonoma, Calif., and the one-mile New Hampshire International Speedway before the final restrictor-plate race with the current car at Daytona.
And it's not just the different types of tracks and cars but the zigging and zagging to almost every corner of the country. We'll be in the Northeast at Loudon, N.H. We'll be out on the West Coast at Infineon Raceway. We'll be in the Southeast at Daytona and a few stops in between.
No matter where they go or what they drive, Hendrick Motorsports is the strongest team in the garage. Richard Childress Racing seems to be much better with the current car than they are with the Car of Tomorrow. While Kevin Harvick has been decent with the COT, Burton has struggled with it. I was shocked at how poorly the Gibbs cars bobbled in the Nextel All-Star Challenge. Tony Stewart ended up with a good finish, but he had to scratch and claw his way to get there. It may have been the worst Denny Hamlin has ever run anywhere, but the Gibbs cars will be back.
When you have a good race season, it just seems like it just flies by. It's just hard to believe that we only have one more NASCAR on FOX race. As we leave Dover, Del., we know we won't be able to sit still for eight months and say, "Daytona will be here next February. We'll see you then." We have to continue to fine-tune so we come back a little bigger and better even in 2008
Jeff Hammond, Steve Byrnes and I will be at the track every week through Homestead with SPEED's Trackside, and I'll be doing NASCAR Performance. During TNT's six Cup races and ESPN/ABC's 17 races, we'll still be doing some Busch and Cup qualifying shows. The three of us along with Mike Joy and Matt Yocum will be doing some of the final 17 races for DirecTV's HotPass as well. We may not have FOX on our shirts, but we'll still be well-represented.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOX race analyst Larry McReynolds has more than 25 years of NASCAR experience as a mechanic, crew chief and broadcaster. He and his fellow Crew Chief Club members take you behind the wall at www.crewchiefclub.com.
