The Morning Lap: NASCAR News from Around the Web
Brad Keselowski was in the middle of a news conference after his second-place finish Sunday in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race when he became distracted by a replay on TV.
It was Mark Martin’s car slamming violently into the end of a short, narrow barrier on pit road during the first half of the race.
“Whoa. Damn,” Keselowski said, stopping in the middle of an answer to a reporter’s question. “That’s the first time I’d seen that. Jeez. My God.”
Martin walked away from his crash at Michigan International Speedway, but the side of his car was essentially impaled by the end of the wall, raising questions about whether that spot – a gap in the barrier on pit road that leaves the edge of the wall exposed – creates a safety risk.
From hosted.ap.org
Fittingly, Allgaier had just dumped Jacques Villeneuve on the final lap to to win the NAPA Auto Parts 200 in Montreal Saturday.
Well, actually he hadn’t. Allgaier had just tapped Villenueve, gotten him a little loose, then passed him so he could take the checkered flag first. If Allgaier had really dumped Villeneuve he wouldn’t have finished third.
Allgaier’s move was standard operating procedure in the NASCAR business. Yet after it was over Villeneuve was crying foul, as if Allgaier had sentries on the top of the bleachers with .22 rifles trying to puncture Villenueve’s tires.
As I watched Villeneuve in the media room complaining about Allgaier’s final move, I considered grabbing my cell phone and calling the authorities. You know, for one of those 72-hour evaluations for someone who may or may not have lost his mind.
How in the world did Villeneuve have an issue with Allgaier when just laps earlier he had crashed Alex Tagliani into a wall with the lack of compassion that would make Hannibal Lecter proud? On a further scale, how did Villeneuve’s claim of racing clean counterbalance with him plowing into Danica Patrick at Road America earlier in the year?
From www.astheworldturnsleft.com
Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman traveled to Michigan International Speedway holding on to the two-wild card spots for the Chase for the Championship, the NASCAR Sprint Cup’s 10-race battle for the championship to conclude the season.After Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400, Kahne and Newman left MIS with those same two spots in their grasp with just three races left before the Chase begins.
The top 10 drivers in points and the two drivers with the most wins from Nos. 11-20 earn spots into the Chase. Kahne, who drives the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, has two wins and is 33 points behind 10th-place driver Denny Hamlin.
Newman, who drives the No. 39 WIX Filters Chevrolet for Newman-Haas, has one win and sits 13th in points, 47 behind Hamlin.
From www.detroitnews.com
This past season, Waltrip has and will race all four of the restrictor plate races, and raced in Kentucky. But, now it seems like Waltrip is ready to change his schedule up for next season.It appears that Waltrip wants to share seat time in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and Camping World Truck Series.
“I’d like to run some Nationwide races, I’d like to run some Truck races, so I’m still just seeing what’s out there,” said Waltrip. “I’ll do anything, I just want to race every now and then.”
From beyondtheflag.com