Kahne Seizes Opportunity

Kasey Kahne sized his opportunity to get his Famers Insurance Chevrolet in Victory lane last weekend at Pocono. Kahne had a competitive all race long but the race appeared to belong to Jimmie Johnson yet again. But disaster struck for the 48 team when Johnson blew a right front tire exiting turn two force the Lowe's Chevy into the hard into the wall. From that point on it was Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne who appeared to run the field they swapped the lead a limited amount of times, but the action started with nine to go when the caution flew. Gordon restarted on the outside front row with Kahne on the inside, Gordon got the edge on the restart and started to run until another caution flew. They restarted the same as before but this time it was Kahne who was able to edge out Gordon to go on and win the race.
This was Kahne's second win of the season. Kahne has had a multitude of great runs  all season long but has not been able to capitalize on them, this is a huge momentum builder for the 5 team and I feel they could be a strong force to be reckoned with come chase time.

-Stephen Appell

Taking Risk

Tony Stewart suffered a broken leg in two places after a hard car crash Monday night while running his 410 dirt sprint car., and it has people talking and not about a replacement. People are talking about if drivers should be racing in different divisions of motorsports much like Stewart running sprint cars, others are Kasey Kahne and Kyle Larson who also compete in the same cars. Kyle Busch love to run his late model at tracks everywhere such as in Ottawa where he won Tuseday night.
Stewart being the team owner really does not have anyone to tell him do not run so much it can hurt you. Ray Evernham stated Tuesday night that when Kasey Kahne ran for him that they had an agrement that Kahne could run a limited about of races in a 360 sprint a slightly smaller car to the 410 sprint.
Their will always be a risk in running other divisions besides just your main division. That is a risk a lot of racers will take because racing is what they do. For those you that say they should not run other division i understand your point but then should Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, etc. be running in the Nationwide Series on a part time basis. I like that these drivers go out during the week to run the small tracks, its good for the fans who cannot afford to go to a NASCAR race to see there favorite driver possibly. It also allows the driver to go and run where they started and potentially scout new talent.
A driver such as Tony Stewart or Kyle Larson fully understands the potential risks they take every time they strap into a car, but they are racers and it is what they do.
Let them race.

-Stephen Appell    

INDY.

Only one word is needed to explain this weekends historical race. INDY, that is right we are back at Indianapolis Motorspeedway, for the Brickyard 400. This has been one of NASCAR'S most famous and toughest races to win since its inaugural race in 1994. Dale Jarrett, Jimmie Johnson, and Jamie McMurray are the only three drivers to win the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 in the same year. Jamie McMurray is also the only driver to ever with the Daytona 500, The All-Star Race, and the Brickyard 400 in the same year; but that could all end this weekend. Jimmie Johnson has his eyes set on putting his name next to McMurray's as a drive to win NASCAR'S big three in the same season. But he has drivers hungrier then him that want this race, Like Indianapolis native Tony Stewart who is in search of his third Brick trophy, and Juan Pablo Montoya who dominated the race a few years back only to have a speeding penalty killed his dream, of being the first ever driver to win the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400.
The Brickyard 400 always makes for and exciting race like in 2011 when Paul Menard won his first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup at the Brickyard 400 in a fuel mileage race. Who will win this weekend well we will just have to wait to find out. It will be great.

-Stephen Appell
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Give Me More Dirt!

WELL WELL WELL. The first NASCAR dirt race in 43 years has concluded and I think there is only one thing that can be said. Show me the dirt!!! The Camping World Truck Series at Eldora, it was some of the best racing that this sport has seen in years. Constant side by side action with beating and banging all around. NASCAR made a great move taking a chance on this race and everything fell into place. Austin Dillon who started a miserable 19th managed to keep his nose clean as he dove through the field to win the first ever Truck series dirt race, and by his excitement level you would have thought he won the Daytona 500. Dillon had a contest on his hands though as he held off dirt ace and NASCAR young gun Kyle Larson who beat and banged with his team mate Ryan Newman to capture second.
There were smiles every where after the race, because a show had been put on. over 20,000 fans from forty-eight states, packed into the tiny town of Rossburg, Ohio. Every fan left satisfied but not every driver did. The drivers who were not able to transfer into the main event through the qualifying races were heart broken as they new there shot at history was over.
Hats off to NASCAR and track owner Tony Stewart as they made this amazing deal happen. I am positive that this race will become an icon of the series and the sport. I even think that more of these races are to come, and they are welcomed as long as the racing is good.

-Stephen Appell
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Rain Rain Go Away

Saturday's Quaker State 400 from Kentucky MotorSpeedway was postponed last night due to rain, the Green flag drops in just over an hour at 12 pm ET. And who do we find leading the field to the green flag, none other then Mr. June bug himself, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Junior nation was presently surprised when Dale Jr. stripped the pole away from teammate Jimmie Johnson who had just set a new track record. Although this is only the third time the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, Kentucky MotorSpeedway has proven in the past to be a track with tough racing and first wins. Junior has officially started his winless drought since two weeks ago at Michigan marked a year since his last victory. Junior has proven over the past two season that he and his team are capable of winning and running up front. Although I feel today at Kentucky is when Junior and crew chief Steve Letarte put the right package together and race on into victory lane.

-Stephen Appell
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Jimmie's Weekend

After last weekends controversial restart in which Jimmie Johnson was black flagged for jumping the restart, he came out and dominated this weekend. Most of this weekends festivities at Pocano Speedway were a wash out due to rain storms, but when the cup cars did find themselves on track it was the 48 at the top of the board. Qualifying was rained out so owner points set the field, and it was Jimmie Johnson who would start first and Carl Edwards to his outside in second. When the green flag fell it was Edwards that lead the first lap but that was about all. Johnson Dropped the hammer and set sail passing Edwards and leading more then half the laps. As the laps dwindled down so did fuel millage and everyone started to conserve, as a late race caution flew the fuel millage went out the window as everyone hit pit road. Johnson elected to only make a two tire change and top it off with gas. The green flag flew with 9 to go with Junior on Johnson's inside but there was no challenge as Johnson took off yet again until a final late race caution. On the restart Johnson took the outside with Junior to his  inside but it was Greg Biffle who restarted in the fourth position who took off into second but he had nothing for Mr. 5 time as Jimmie Johnson finished his domination with a win.

-Stephen Appell

2 Down 1 To Go In Racings Finest Weekend

Memorial Day weekend is racing's finest with the three of the biggest races all occurring in one day. The Formula One Monaco Grand Prix, the Indy 500, and Nascars Coke-Cola 600.
 The Monaco Grand Prix was first up and when the green flag dropped it was Monaco native Nico Rosberg who lend the field. Rosberg had already dominated the weekend in Italy by leading practice and winning the pole. So Rosberg decided to go for the cycle by leading all the laps on the narrow Monaco circuit and winning the Grand Prix of Monaco, just as his father Keke Rosberg had years ago. With Rosberg's win he also got the first win for Mercedes in a Mercedes Silver Bullet at the historic Monaco track.

While the Grand Prix of Monaco was winding down the Indy 500 was just getting started, Ed Carpenter the owner/driver of the number 20 Fuzzy's Vodka Chevy led the field to the green flag and from the start we knew it would be interesting. Marco Andretti quickly made his was to the lead, but Carpenter came right back around, then it was Ryan Hunter-Reay, Carlos Munoz, James Hinchcliffe, and many more. There were over 60 lead changes today but at the eand it came down to pit strategy to set yourself up for the finale 10 laps, until a caution came out with 7 to go. The restart would come with 3 laps to go  with Ryan Hunter-Reay in the lead followed by Tony Kanan, Carlos Munoz, and Marco Andretti. The green flag flew and the field went on the attack Kanan and Munoz quickly passed Hunter-Reay with Kanan getting the lead and as they headed down the back stretch Dario Franchitti made contact with the turn one wall causing a caution and freezing the field. With not enough time to clean up the wreck it was finally Tony Kanan's time after twelve long years of trying TK has finally won the Indy 500. An emotional Kanan made the hard left turn in to victory lane to finally be graced with the Borg-Warner reef.

With Breakfest and Lunch out of the way and two first time winners all we have left is dinner the Coke-Cola 600. The 600 is Nascars most difficult race its a race of endurance and strength. The race starts in the day but finishes at night giving drivers and crew chiefs essentially two different tracks to contend with. Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch will lead the field to the green flag. The is Kurt Busch's second front row start on a row, but as far as the race goes my eye will be on the number 5 Chevrolet of Kasey Kahne, over the past few years Kahne has proven he knows how to run the track and this racing by staying on top of the changes.
One this is for sure it will be a great race.

Sit back and enjoy the final race of the weekend, but please remember what this weekend, Memorial Day weekend is about. Our troops the ones serving for our freedom and the ones who have sacrificed the ultimate. Thank You for all you have done.

-Stephen Appell
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