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Friday, September 29, 2017 Lake Oconee News Page D3 NASCAR THIS WEEK The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s Godwin Kelly & Ken Willis have covered NASCAR for nearly 60 years combined, godwin.kel ly@news-jrnl.com ken.willis@news-jrnl.com SPEED FREAKS A few questions we had to ask ourselves Which Bubble Boy has the best shot of winning this week? GODSPEAK: I’m going with Ryan Newman. Something tells me he will get fast this weekend. KEN’S CALL: Looking at the bottom six in the stand ings, Kurt Busch is the obvious choice. The only choice, really, barring rain or gas issues. What about Joey Logano’s “timeout” penalty during last weekend’s practice? GODSPEAK: Who hasn’t had a “timeout” penalty? Aren’t millennials the “timeout” generation? KEN’S CALL: If punish ment was the aim, they should’ve sentenced him to an infield autograph session. CUP STANDINGS 1. Martin Truex Jr. 2149 2. Kyle Larson 2125 3. Kyle Busch 2119 4. Brad Keselowski 2106 5. Denny Hamlin 2088 6. Matt Kenseth 2087 7. Jimmie Johnson 2076 8. Ryan Blaney 2070 8. Chase Elliott 2070 10. Kevin Harvick 2069 11. Jamie McMurray 2053 12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 2044 12. Austin Dillon 2044 14. Ryan Newman 2043 15. Kurt Busch 2027 16. Kasey Kahne 2023 NEW HAMPSHIRE THREE THINGS WE LEARNED Kyle Busch had to get through a tire-smoke cloud on Lap 151 before he could produce this victory burnout after the race, [nascar getty images/jonathan ferreyj 1. Have a smoke Tire smoke-outs are generally reserved for the winning driver, but the winning driver had to survive a tire-smoke cloud on Sunday. Kyle Busch described it. “That was some ‘Days of Thunder’ stuff over there,” he said. “You couldn't see anything. It was just a wall of smoke.” 2. Crazy haze The “Big One” happened on Lap 151 and involved several playoff drivers such as Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch, both sidelined in the garage. “Boom!” Busch said. “As soon as the smoke cleared I’m looking at Harvick’s door — my teammate.” 3. Damaged, continues When things are rolling your way, the good luck gets your car through a bad incident. Martin Truex Jr. was involved in the smoke-storm crash, but his team patched up his No. 78 Toyota, and he finished fifth. It’s looking more like the Year of Truex. — Godwin Kelly, godwin. kelly @news -jrnl.com GODWIN’S PICKS FOR DOVER WINNER: Matt Kenseth REST OF TOP 5: Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson FIRST ONE OUT: Trevor Bayne DARK HORSE: Clint Bowyer DON’T BE SURPRISED IF: Kenseth finally gets over that win hump at the “Monster Mile.” MOTOR MOUTHS PODCAST This week, Ken Willis is joined by a guest co-host, the World’s Youngest Angry Old Man. We’ll talk Loudon, Dover and other things. Tune in online at www. news-journalonline.com/ daytonamotormouths THREE THINGS TO WATCH 1. First cut, the deepest Cat Stevens scored the song “The First Cut Is the Deepest” in 1967, and that title holds true heading into Dover. Sixteen NASCAR playoff drivers will go in and only 12 will exit the “Mon ster Mile.” The scramble is not at the top of the standings, but with those bringing up the rear. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Austin Dillon share the bubble-boy position at 2,044 points, with three more drivers behind them. 2. Nobody is safe From Ryan Blaney in eighth place to Kasey Kahne in 16th, and all those drivers sandwiched in between, they would love to a get a race vic tory and advance to Round 2. Kurt Busch and Kahne really need a Hail Mary triumph to keep advancing. Kahne is 21 points behind the 12th- place driver, and his chances of advancing are slim. Busch was the first to be playoff-eligible by winning the Daytona 500 and may be one of the first to go. One more look at Kasey Kahne’s magic moment at Indianapolis, the win that got him into the NASCAR playoffs, because he is about to exit the postseason, [nascar getty images/sean GARDNER] 3. About Dover Dover International Speedway is a crazy-fast, high-banked, concrete-surfaced 1-mile oval. There is no other track remotely similar to Dover, which refers to itself as the “Monster Mile.” Jimmie Johnson is particularly fond of Dover. Since 2009, he has scored eight Cup Series wins at the track. Other playoff drivers with recent wins there include Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch. — Godwin Kelly, godwin. kelly @news -jrnl.com QUESTIONS & ATTITUDE Compelling questions... and maybe a few actual answers Is Kasey Kahne really “excited” to be joining the No. 95 team? No, but we would like to think he’s at least hopeful. Some folks are pointing to the recent history of Barney Visser’s Furniture Row Racing (No. 78 team) and how it struggled to get some footing, got a jolt with the arrival of Kurt Busch in 2013, and has been a jugger naut since Martin Truex Jr.’s arrival in 2014. That, however, is much more of an exception than a rule. If Kasey starts a similar ball rolling for Leavine Family Racing, great, but in NASCAR’s current business climate, it’ll be very tough. Logano penalty: Justified or silly? You can make either argument. Joey was forced to sit with his car on pit road during all of the final practice last Saturday at New Hampshire. That wasn’t a good look for anyone. But he was there because his team failed to get through tech inspection ... FOUR TIMES! That, too, is rather silly. Also, it’s a little late for that team to try sneaking a fastball past the tech cops. FEUD OF THE WEEK KEVIN HARVICK VS. AUSTIN DILLON: Dillon got into Harvick and crashed him out. Harvick pointed the finger (verbally) at Dillon, who said it was a racing deal. Harvick finished 36th. GODWIN KELLY’S TAKE: “He kept coming left and I was in the gas and he bobbled, and when he bobbled I tapped him and it spun him out,” is the way Dillon described it after his 19th-place run. WHAT’S ON TAP CUP SERIES: Apache Warrior 400 SITE: Dover International Speedway (1-mile, concrete oval) TV SCHEDULE: Friday, quali fying (NBC Sports Network, 3:45 pm.). Saturday, practice (CNBC, 1 p.m.). Sunday, race (NBCSN, race coverage begins at 1:30 p.m.; green flag, 2:15 p.m.) XFINITY: Driver Sober 200 SITE: Dover International Speedway TV SCHEDULE: Saturday, race (NBC Sports Network, 3 p.m.) CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS: Las Vegas 350 SITE: Las Vegas Motor Speed way (1.5-mile oval) TV SCHEDULE: Saturday, race (Fox Sports 1, 8:30 p.m.) 2017 SCHEDULE AND WINNERS Feb. 18: The Clash at Daytona (Joey Logano) Feb. 23: Can-Am Duels at Daytona (Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin) Feb. 26: Daytona 500 (Kurt Busch) March 5: Folds of Honor Quick Trip 500 at Atlanta (Brad Keselowski) March 12: Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas (Martin Truex Jr.) March 19: Good Sam 500k at Phoenix (Ryan Newman) March 26: Auto Club 400 at Fontana (Kyle Larson) April 2: STP 500 at Martinsville (Brad Keselowski) April 9: O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas (Jimmie Johnson) April 23: Food City 500 at Bristol (Jimmie Johnson) April 30: Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond (Joey Logano) May 7: Geico 500 at Talladega (Ricky Stenhouse) May 13: GoBowling.com 400 at Kansas (Martin Truex Jr.) May 20: All-Star Race at Charlotte (Kyle Busch) May 28: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (Austin Dillon) June 4: AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover (Jimmie Johnson) June 11: Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 at Pocono (Ryan Blaney) June 18: FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan (Kyle Larson) June 25: Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma (Kevin Harvick) July 1: Coke Zero 400 at Daytona (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.) July 8: Quaker State 400 at Kentucky (Martin Truex Jr.) July 16: New Hampshire 301 at Loudon (Denny Hamlin) July 23: Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis (Kasey Kahne) July 30: Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono (Kyle Busch) Aug. 6: Watkins Glen (Martin Truex Jr.) Aug. 13: Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan (Kyle Larson) Aug. 19: Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol (Kyle Busch) Sept. 3: Southern 500 at Darlington (Denny Hamlin) Sept. 9: Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond (Kyle Larson) Sept. 17: Chicagoland 400 (Martin Truex Jr.) Sept. 24: New England 300 at New Hampshire (Kyle Busch) Oct. 1: Delaware 400 at Dover Oct. 7: Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Oct. 15: Alabama 500 at Talladega Oct. 22: Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Oct. 29: Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Nov. 5: AAA Texas 500 at Texas Nov. 12: Can-Am 500k at Phoenix Nov. 19: Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead KEN WILLIS’ TOP lO NASCAR DRIVER RANKINGS MARTIN KYLE BUSCH KYLE BRAD DENNY HAMLIN CHASE MATT KEVIN HARVICK ERIK JONES JIMMIE TRUEX JR. Can take it LARSON KESELOWSKI Hometown ELLIOTT KENSETH After NH wreck, Still best JOHNSON House money easy this week, Can’t wait to Will finish named for Winless Cup Finds Dover not much room of playoff Still is fun money but won’t see Dover’s third this the Earl of streak has nightlife for error outsiders dogged by white cliffs week Chesterfield reached 69 intriguing mediocrity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
