Cross’s Words
The Glen
By Duane Cross, NASCAR.COM
Random ruminations after Watkins Glen ...
• Robby Gordon has received more attention for what he didn't do at Montreal (yield to NASCAR) than what he did do at Watkins Glen (yield to NASCAR). Give RG his props; he learned a hard lesson -- and didn't repeat his transgression, tempting as it might have been.
Still, you'd have a hard time getting a jury of Gordon's peers to convict if he had lost his composure after losing a position -- via an official scoring ruling -- on Sunday at The Glen. Kudos.
• New rule: If you're gonna get up in another driver's grill, take off the helmet!
"If you're not going to take 'em off then don't waste everyone's time," Tony Stewart said.
C'mon, this isn't tiddly-winks; shed the headgear and throw some haymakers! The Kevin Harvick-Juan Montoya tete-e-tete looked like Rock'em Sock'em Robots, except no one got their block knocked off.
• Speaking of Smoke, he's won three of four races for the first time since Race Nos. 19-22 (including wins at Indy and Watkins Glen) in 2005 -- the same just-completed stretch.
And for what it's worth, Stewart won the championship that year.
• Does anyone buy the line "Bill Elliott was walking past Boris Said, stopped and asked, 'What are you doing Saturday?' "
As rain washed out qualifying, the wheels already were spinning within the Wood Brothers' hauler: We're in, and with Boris behind the wheel we have a much better chance at getting back into the top 35.
Mission: Accomplished. But the story of Bill's generosity seems contrived. So call me jaded and cynical. Then again, maybe he is just that nice a guy ...
• OK, since some folks (and you know who you are; I have your e-mail addresses, too) can't comprehend:
It is my opinion that Kyle Busch will prove to be a better hire for Joe Gibbs Racing than Dale Earnhardt Jr. for Hendrick Motorsports. Of course, I tend to look at things through a racing perspective -- not marketing and sales.
Now that that's out in the open (again), feel free to flood the inbox with crap about hatin' on Junior. But that has nothing to do with it; Kyle is a rare talent, but Dale isn't a slouch by any stretch.
• Road-course racing is a much-welcomed respite from the usual 'round and 'round for which NASCAR is so infamous among the masses.
Imagine a Chase race in Montreal. ... Yeah, I see you smiling.
OK, Mr. Know-It-All, which track would you drop from the Chase? None -- I'd add Montreal and California, because that may be the only thing that warrants Cali keeping two Cup events each year.
Say What?
"I actually got out of the car and said, 'Dude, it wasn't even my fault. I got hit from behind. What do you want me to say?' And, I don't know, he started screaming and saying things. Then it becomes personal."
-- Juan Montoya on his post-crash one-on-one with Kevin Harvick
"The guy has run over somebody pretty much every week and it's just hard to go back and look at your guys with your car all tore up when you're sitting there thinking that you're going to run in the top five, top three, have a chance to at least race for the win, maybe, at the end of the race. It just sucks."
-- Kevin Harvick on his late-race bumper-car routine with Juan Montoya
Figuratively Speaking
4 -- DNFs for Dale Earnhardt Jr. because of engine failure through 22 Nextel Cup races this season, which equals the number of DNFs because of engine problems for his 180 Cup races during the previous five seasons. (Thanks, Bill Marx of the Sporting News Wire Service.)
Mailbag
Vernon Weaver, Parts Unknown
Is it the top 12 drivers (driver points) or the top 12 cars (owner points) that determine who will be in the Chase for the Cup?
Driver points -- though the owners also get a seat on stage at the year-end banquet in New York, which means Bobby Ginn (No. 01) is still in the running for a bird's-eye view of the festivities.
And here's something that makes you go hmmm: Only the top 10 drivers / owners will be on stage at the Waldorf.
Scott Shane, Los Angeles
I'm gonna make this real short but effective: "Centurion Boats at The Glen" is a stupid name for a car race!
A road course, no less. ... It would make a lot more sense if the race were in Long Pond, Pa.
Dean Andree, Bradenton, Fla.
Someone needs to give some props to Mark Martin. Having raced in five fewer races than everyone else ... and he is only 216 points out of the Chase. (Of course that will change this week with him sitting out at The Glen.) I think this is an amazing fact that has been vastly overlooked by the media. I know that he isn't running for the Chase, but someone needs to point out just how amazing he has done while sitting out as many races as he has.
Pat yourself on the back, Deano; you unearthed a story no one has talked about: Mark Martin and his tremendous season while running a limited schedule.
Bryan Morse, Vacaville, Calif.
Is it too early to consider Clint Bowyer and the No. 07 crew legitimate for a shot at the Cup? There are some tough tracks coming up for him (Bristol and The Glen) but overall RCR does well at those tracks. RCR is showing a lot of improvement, from two years ago, with all three teams in the Chase. I think it says a lot for that organization.
Clint finished a respectable 16th on Sunday at The Glen, so that hurdle has been cleared, and he was eighth at Bristol in the spring. He's legit for the Chase -- but a long shot, at best, to hoist the Cup; too many great drivers who know their way to Victory Lane.
Todd Schelin, Parts Unknown
When is someone going to dispel the notion of the sophomore slump? Three of them are currently in the Chase.
I give it no credence; it isn't high school or college. There are no freshmen, sophomores, juniors or seniors ... well there is Dale Jr. and Martin Jr. And no, there was no Dale Earnhardt Sr.; he was just plain ol' Dale Earnhardt.
Six of one ...
Drivers with momentum heading to Michigan:
• Jeff Gordon -- One word: unfathomable. But he still managed a top 10 -- and has 20 in 22 starts.
• Tony Stewart -- He may break the EA Sports jinx.
• Kurt Busch -- There will come a day when fans speak in reverent tones about how good Busch is (was).
• Kyle Busch -- OK, so with the playoffs looming he's driving for a team he'll be competing against next year. And competing against the team he'll drive for in '08. ... Gotta love this sport's free agency. Silly Season, indeed.
• Matt Kenseth -- Has anyone in Cambridge, Wis., asked you for an autograph while sitting in 5 o'clock traffic? ... Is there rush-hour traffic in Cambridge, Wis.?
• Boris Said -- A nice fit for the No. 21 team at Watkins Glen; 14th-place finish got the car back into the top 35. How about getting him a full-time gig, Wood Brothers?
Half a dozen of the other ...
And six drivers who need a jump start:
• Kyle Petty -- He broke his hand in frustration after the radiator spewed late in the race. Look at it this way: He can count this year's DNFs on one (broken) hand.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- Three DNFs in the first seven races, now two in the past three races. Can't you hear Junior Samples: "If it weren't for bad luck ..."
• Regan Smith -- Six starts in the No. 01, two lead-lap finishes. By comparison, Mark Martin has 15 in 16 starts. Call it growing pains ...
• Dave Blaney -- He finished 18th at Michigan in June, his third-best run of the season. With seven DNFs and an average finish of 29th, that is a bright spot, folks.
• Jamie McMurray -- He's dropped from the Chase radar, officially. This season, he's followed up two DNFs with finishes of 37th and 34th.
• Ricky Rudd -- He's won $2,659,514, the seventh-best season of his career -- and there are 14 races remaining. Talk about your "golden parachutes."
The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.
The Glen
By Duane Cross, NASCAR.COM
Random ruminations after Watkins Glen ...
• Robby Gordon has received more attention for what he didn't do at Montreal (yield to NASCAR) than what he did do at Watkins Glen (yield to NASCAR). Give RG his props; he learned a hard lesson -- and didn't repeat his transgression, tempting as it might have been.
Still, you'd have a hard time getting a jury of Gordon's peers to convict if he had lost his composure after losing a position -- via an official scoring ruling -- on Sunday at The Glen. Kudos.
• New rule: If you're gonna get up in another driver's grill, take off the helmet!
"If you're not going to take 'em off then don't waste everyone's time," Tony Stewart said.
C'mon, this isn't tiddly-winks; shed the headgear and throw some haymakers! The Kevin Harvick-Juan Montoya tete-e-tete looked like Rock'em Sock'em Robots, except no one got their block knocked off.
• Speaking of Smoke, he's won three of four races for the first time since Race Nos. 19-22 (including wins at Indy and Watkins Glen) in 2005 -- the same just-completed stretch.
And for what it's worth, Stewart won the championship that year.
• Does anyone buy the line "Bill Elliott was walking past Boris Said, stopped and asked, 'What are you doing Saturday?' "
As rain washed out qualifying, the wheels already were spinning within the Wood Brothers' hauler: We're in, and with Boris behind the wheel we have a much better chance at getting back into the top 35.
Mission: Accomplished. But the story of Bill's generosity seems contrived. So call me jaded and cynical. Then again, maybe he is just that nice a guy ...
• OK, since some folks (and you know who you are; I have your e-mail addresses, too) can't comprehend:
It is my opinion that Kyle Busch will prove to be a better hire for Joe Gibbs Racing than Dale Earnhardt Jr. for Hendrick Motorsports. Of course, I tend to look at things through a racing perspective -- not marketing and sales.
Now that that's out in the open (again), feel free to flood the inbox with crap about hatin' on Junior. But that has nothing to do with it; Kyle is a rare talent, but Dale isn't a slouch by any stretch.
• Road-course racing is a much-welcomed respite from the usual 'round and 'round for which NASCAR is so infamous among the masses.
Imagine a Chase race in Montreal. ... Yeah, I see you smiling.
OK, Mr. Know-It-All, which track would you drop from the Chase? None -- I'd add Montreal and California, because that may be the only thing that warrants Cali keeping two Cup events each year.
Say What?
"I actually got out of the car and said, 'Dude, it wasn't even my fault. I got hit from behind. What do you want me to say?' And, I don't know, he started screaming and saying things. Then it becomes personal."
-- Juan Montoya on his post-crash one-on-one with Kevin Harvick
"The guy has run over somebody pretty much every week and it's just hard to go back and look at your guys with your car all tore up when you're sitting there thinking that you're going to run in the top five, top three, have a chance to at least race for the win, maybe, at the end of the race. It just sucks."
-- Kevin Harvick on his late-race bumper-car routine with Juan Montoya
Figuratively Speaking
4 -- DNFs for Dale Earnhardt Jr. because of engine failure through 22 Nextel Cup races this season, which equals the number of DNFs because of engine problems for his 180 Cup races during the previous five seasons. (Thanks, Bill Marx of the Sporting News Wire Service.)
Mailbag
Vernon Weaver, Parts Unknown
Is it the top 12 drivers (driver points) or the top 12 cars (owner points) that determine who will be in the Chase for the Cup?
Driver points -- though the owners also get a seat on stage at the year-end banquet in New York, which means Bobby Ginn (No. 01) is still in the running for a bird's-eye view of the festivities.
And here's something that makes you go hmmm: Only the top 10 drivers / owners will be on stage at the Waldorf.
Scott Shane, Los Angeles
I'm gonna make this real short but effective: "Centurion Boats at The Glen" is a stupid name for a car race!
A road course, no less. ... It would make a lot more sense if the race were in Long Pond, Pa.
Dean Andree, Bradenton, Fla.
Someone needs to give some props to Mark Martin. Having raced in five fewer races than everyone else ... and he is only 216 points out of the Chase. (Of course that will change this week with him sitting out at The Glen.) I think this is an amazing fact that has been vastly overlooked by the media. I know that he isn't running for the Chase, but someone needs to point out just how amazing he has done while sitting out as many races as he has.
Pat yourself on the back, Deano; you unearthed a story no one has talked about: Mark Martin and his tremendous season while running a limited schedule.
Bryan Morse, Vacaville, Calif.
Is it too early to consider Clint Bowyer and the No. 07 crew legitimate for a shot at the Cup? There are some tough tracks coming up for him (Bristol and The Glen) but overall RCR does well at those tracks. RCR is showing a lot of improvement, from two years ago, with all three teams in the Chase. I think it says a lot for that organization.
Clint finished a respectable 16th on Sunday at The Glen, so that hurdle has been cleared, and he was eighth at Bristol in the spring. He's legit for the Chase -- but a long shot, at best, to hoist the Cup; too many great drivers who know their way to Victory Lane.
Todd Schelin, Parts Unknown
When is someone going to dispel the notion of the sophomore slump? Three of them are currently in the Chase.
I give it no credence; it isn't high school or college. There are no freshmen, sophomores, juniors or seniors ... well there is Dale Jr. and Martin Jr. And no, there was no Dale Earnhardt Sr.; he was just plain ol' Dale Earnhardt.
Six of one ...
Drivers with momentum heading to Michigan:
• Jeff Gordon -- One word: unfathomable. But he still managed a top 10 -- and has 20 in 22 starts.
• Tony Stewart -- He may break the EA Sports jinx.
• Kurt Busch -- There will come a day when fans speak in reverent tones about how good Busch is (was).
• Kyle Busch -- OK, so with the playoffs looming he's driving for a team he'll be competing against next year. And competing against the team he'll drive for in '08. ... Gotta love this sport's free agency. Silly Season, indeed.
• Matt Kenseth -- Has anyone in Cambridge, Wis., asked you for an autograph while sitting in 5 o'clock traffic? ... Is there rush-hour traffic in Cambridge, Wis.?
• Boris Said -- A nice fit for the No. 21 team at Watkins Glen; 14th-place finish got the car back into the top 35. How about getting him a full-time gig, Wood Brothers?
Half a dozen of the other ...
And six drivers who need a jump start:
• Kyle Petty -- He broke his hand in frustration after the radiator spewed late in the race. Look at it this way: He can count this year's DNFs on one (broken) hand.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- Three DNFs in the first seven races, now two in the past three races. Can't you hear Junior Samples: "If it weren't for bad luck ..."
• Regan Smith -- Six starts in the No. 01, two lead-lap finishes. By comparison, Mark Martin has 15 in 16 starts. Call it growing pains ...
• Dave Blaney -- He finished 18th at Michigan in June, his third-best run of the season. With seven DNFs and an average finish of 29th, that is a bright spot, folks.
• Jamie McMurray -- He's dropped from the Chase radar, officially. This season, he's followed up two DNFs with finishes of 37th and 34th.
• Ricky Rudd -- He's won $2,659,514, the seventh-best season of his career -- and there are 14 races remaining. Talk about your "golden parachutes."
The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.