Driver Stats: Clint Bowyer

JJ takes the checkers, at a track very important to his team owner. That's the top story, and it was a good race--I would have preferred for Denny to win, but I did have Johnson as my A driver and Hamlin as a B driver on my fantasy team, so it was overall a good day. However, because I have profiled the first four finishers of this race previously, this week I'll look at the guy who finished fifth--and currently sits second in the points standings. Clint Bowyer drives the #33 Cheerios Chevy for Richard Childress Racing, and is currently outperforming his bigger-name teammates like Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick. 

Bowyer is a relative newcomer to the series, but not to success. He won the Nationwide championship last year, but his first race in Cup was in 2005. His first full season in 2006 was the only time he's been out of the top five in the standings. He has 2 wins--the first coming in the first race of the 2007 Chase--2 poles, 19 top 5's, and 49 top 10's. Expectations were muted this year because he was moved from the #07 Jack Daniel's ride to his new team to help out new  Childress teammate Casey Mears. But he seems to be clicking with new crew chief Shane Wilson. Bowyer, a Kansas native, handles himself and his career with a no-nonsense, low-key approach that doesn't really put him in the spotlight. But quietly consistent performance on the track speaks for itself, and rising expectations for Boyer's return to victory lane may mean more media exposure as the season progresses. Even though he's well-spoken and polite in interviews, it's clear that Boywer's focus is on making a statement while driving, not talking, so watch out for a post-win celebration that speaks volumes in the near future. 

Track Trivia: Martinsville Speedway

Built in 1947, this track is the only one remaining running Cup events from the original lineup of venues from 1949. Martinsville Speedway, located in south-central Virginia, is a .526-mile oval and the 500 lap race will be 263 miles. The track is considered flat, with minimal 12 degree banking in the turns, and as such has some of the slowest speeds of any oval on the circuit. The grandstands hold 65,000 people, and while this may be the oldest, slowest track in the Cup series, the stands should be full. Like Bristol, fans love the short-track action at Martinsville because the cars have to run close together--there's nowhere else to go. 

Drivers who came up through their local short tracks love racing here, and usually do well, as do those with a background in road racing. Don't be surprised to see a faster driver nudge a slower driver who won't move over out of their way--it's just racin'. I have Jimmie Johnson on my fantasy league, and the Hendrick cars are expected to dominate. The race at this little paper-clip shaped track marks the first time this year the owner points from 2009 decide who is guaranteed a spot in the race, but qualifying still will be key for a good pit selection. Lets hope Sunday's trip back to the roots of stock car racing is a memorable one. 

Driver Stats: Denny Hamlin

Yes, Kyle Busch won in Bristol. Convincingly, dominating the race. It isn't the first time this season, and it won't be the last. But his teammate was right behind him, so that's why Denny Hamlin is this week's driver profile. Last year, Tony Stewart was the leader of the Joe Gibbs Racing garage, and Denny and Kyle were just two young up-and-comers. Now with Tony gone and 18-year old Joey Logano in his spot, 28-year-old Denny Hamlin finds himself in the disconcerting position of being the senior member of the team with just three full-time years in the series. Kyle's only been with the team one year, and at 23 he still has a lot of maturing to do. So Denny has buckled down and worked at being a good team player, and his team owner Coach Gibbs has noticed and commented on it. Let's hope it helps him win some this year. 

Denny Hamlin drives the #11 FedEx Toyota for JGR. He started in Cup in 2005, and won the Rookie of the Year title in 2006, his first full year in the series. He has 4 wins, 6 poles, 33 top 5's, 61 top 10's, and has finished the season in the top 10 twice. He did make the Chase all three years, but his best finish was third in his rookie season, so he's still reaching for the type of success expected of him. He has won at least one race each season. He experienced success in Late Model racing, coming out of the local NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. And he has that All-American, boy-next-door look about him. He's a talented racer who should have won a few more races last year but had some bad luck, so maybe some of Kyle's good fortune will rub off and we'll see Denny doing the victory laps a few more times this year. It's hard not to root for a driver who is actually buying and giving away tickets to the races on his website because he's concerned about the economy's effect on the fans. He makes me think about the American flag, but all Denny really wants now is that checkered one. 

Track Trivia: Bristol Motor Speedway

Why did the off week have to coincide with spring break? Unlike many of my younger peers, I had the enviable experience of remaining in the 'burgh the whole time. Oh well, the weather's been better, spring is almost sprung, and NASCAR's off to "The World's Fastest Half-Mile" this week. 

Bristol Motor Speedway is a .53-mile oval concrete track in northeast Tennessee. Completed in 1961, the tiny bullring boasts 160,00 seats, thanks to the renovation(s) by Speedway Motorsports owner Bruton Smith. They included adding variable banking from 24 to 30 degrees in the track's turns, and from 6 to 10 degrees on the straightaways. 

The Food City 500 is...well...500 laps, or 266.5 miles. Jeff Gordon is the going-away favorite for this one, and while I haven't picked my team yet, I have a hunch Kevin Harvick is going to do well. Finishing well is going to be very important for several marquee names, including Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt, and rookie would-be phenom Joey Logano, because after this race the top 35 cars in the points standings will be locked into starting races, and those outside will have to qualify on time. While this race is not yet sold out--for the past 53  Cup races it has been--this little track is a fan favorite, and the grandstands should be full. This girl, and I know I'm not alone, needs to see some bump-and-run short track action. 

Driver Stats: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Yes, he sits in 24th place in the standings currently. But Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 National Guard/Amp Energy Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports,  gets the spotlight this non-race week because he is still #1 with a bullet in NASCAR fans' hearts. After all, he has won the most popular driver award for the last six years running. There is a sizable minority, of course, who hate him because they think his name and not his talent got him to where he is today. From what I've seen, he may not ever approach the 7 Cup-series championships his late father achieved, but he is a decent driver and a pretty likable guy.

Dale Jr. won two then-Busch series championships before entering the Cup series in 1999. Since his first full season in 2000, he has 18 wins, 8 poles, 86 top 5's, 138 top 10's, and has finished four seasons in the top 10 rankings. He just may be the best active driver on restrictor-plate tracks, and he has won at least one race every season except for 2007--his last season with his father's old team DEI (where he drove the iconic red #8 Budweiser car). 

There's no denying the impact his father had on "June-bug's" career. And if fans of his father's switched their allegiance over to him after his father's death at Daytona, so what? If I had been a NASCAR fan in 2001, I probably would have cheered Jr. on too as he won the July Daytona race the same year, and again at Talladega, the site of his father's last victory. The fans voted the Intimidator most popular driver posthumously, so when Jr. started winning the contest they became the first father-and-son team ever to do so. I can't even begin to imagine what it's like racing the same tracks your father dominated, and always being compared, usually unfavorably, to him.

Dale Jr. hasn't been the most consistent driver lately, and everyone expects more out of him since his move to the dominant Hendrick organization. I'm not a diehard member of Junior Nation, but I enjoy watching him race when he's on, and I like hearing his opinion. Love him or hate him, when Jr. speaks everyone listens, and most of the time he's fair-minded and pretty funny. Here's hoping he settles down and gets his season back on track, for the good of the sport and its loyal fan base. 

Fast Facts: NASCAR Home Tracks

You don't have to go to a Cup race to experience the thrill of speed and the agony of crashing, of course. There are local tracks, dirt and paved, all over the country. South of Pittsburgh, the NASCAR-sanctioned Motordrome Speedway in Smithton provides die-hard race fans with a spring-through-fall schedule of Friday night racing under the lights. The Motordrome is a half-mile oval asphalt track featuring NASCAR's Whelen All-American Series, Super Late Models in a 50-lap race, Modifieds in a 30-lap race, Street Stocks in a 25-lap race, and the Chargers and Super Compacts in 15-lap races.  They do track performance and rank driver points nationally and by state by series. Partners include Hoosier Tires, Tony Stewart's tire of choice, and Sunoco race fuel, just like the higher-level series. 

It's a fun night out, and economical for families. Parking is free, or you can pay a little extra to park overlooking the track and have a picnic while you're watching the race. Adult admission is usually $12, or less with a season pass. There's the usual food concession stand too. My favorite is actually the Super Compacts, which are older-model four-cylinder cars with windows removed and reinforced for safety. You could pick out something from the junkyard that still runs, revamp the engine and go racing! I'm a little too old to actually risk it, but being there makes me want to try. 

Lots of top-tier drivers got their start at their local tracks at young ages, with their parents, family and friends serving as car owners and pit crew. Some big names even own some of the more successful teams. I've never seen anyone from higher up the NASCAR food chain at these local tracks, but you never know--maybe one of these days I'll bump-draft into somebody interesting at my home track. Plus, it's a cool t-shirt to wear to the big races because you always run into someone from Pittsburgh no matter where you roam. 

Driver Stats: Kurt Busch

Yes, I did have Carl Edwards anchoring my fantasy team for the Atlanta race, so I was holding my breath at the last restart. But Kurt Busch was not to be denied, and while he isn't one of my favorites, he did do a great job throughout the race. I'm not surprised to see him in victory lane--he has won at least one race every season since 2002--but I still do wish it had been Cousin Carl. But Tony was a bright spot as well, salvaging yet again another decent finish. 

Kurt Busch started racing in the top-level series in 2000, with his first full season in 2001. He has 19 wins, 11 poles, 63 top 5's, and 118 top 10's. He drives the #2 Miller Light Dodge for Penske now, but used to be one of Roush's drivers where he won the Cup championship in 2004. He has finished half of his seasons ranked in the top 10. 

The two Busch brothers have been controversial, not-extremely-well-liked but successful Cup drivers. They have even clashed with each other, on and off the track. I'm not sure what kind of attitude-adjusting offseason they had, but it seems to have benefited both of them in the early going this year. 

Sadly, there's no race this Sunday. And even more sadly, I have not managed to escape Pittsburgh for spring break. That could mean an installment about some other aspect of NASCAR racing, such as a lower-level or even local series. Stay tuned!

Track Trivia: Atlanta Motor Speedway

The Beast of the Southeast moniker has been claimed by many sports organizations. But it was true of Atlanta Motor Speedway last spring, when the Goodyear tires just got chewed up by the track surface (leading to one of the funniest grumpy-old-man quotes from Tony Stewart of all time). Greg Biffle says the tire tests he participated in show the tires will hold up this year so the racing will be better--we'll have to hold him to that. 

South of Atlanta, the track was built in 1960, but has been significantly renovated since the mid-nineties by the bad boy of track owners, Bruton Smith. It's a quad-oval, 1.54 mile track which makes for a 325-lap, 501-mile race. There's 24 degrees of banking in the turns and 5 degrees on the straightaways. The grandstands hold 124,000 fans--hopefully. Kyle Busch is the defending race winner, and I have used him to anchor my winning-streak fantasy team. I'm too superstitious, at least early in the season, to think the same driver can win two races in a row (which means I never expected Matt Kenseth's two-win start to the season, of course). I never advised actually taking my picks--I'm just sharing my thought process, flawed as it may be. 

I originally planned to go with Carl Edwards for this race, as he's won here before. But he didn't qualify well--starting position, for some reason, means a lot here--so I'm going with Kevin Harvick, again not an odds-on favorite pick. That's how the fantasy game goes, setting rosters before qualifying. Who knows, if he does well in final practice maybe I'll re-anoint Cousin Carl. In any case, let's hope it's a hot afternoon in the old town on Sunday, for all the right reasons. 

Driver Stats: Kyle Busch

He's got a few nicknames--Wild Thing, Rowdy, and the D00D. He hears choruses of boos everytime he wins. And he may just be the most fun driver on the track to watch. I'm talking, of course, about the first-time winner at his hometown track of Las Vegas, Kyle Busch. 

Kyle drives the #18 M&M's Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Only 23 years old, he graduated high school a year early so he could follow big brother Kurt's footsteps into NASCAR. He started in the series in 2004, and was the then-Busch series Rookie of the Year as well. In 2005, his first full year of racing, he won 2 races, becoming only the sixth driver to win multiple times in their rookie seasons. In his short career, he has 13 wins (eight coming last year), 10 poles, 49 top 5's, and 74 top 10's. The only time he has been out of the top ten was his rookie year in 2005. Last year, he won a NASCAR record 21 times across the top three series. 

No stranger to controversy, Kyle started with powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports but last year moved over to Toyota and JGR. Hendrick doesn't kiss and tell, but reportedly Kyle's less-than-mature attitude prompted them to release him in favor of free-agent Dale Earnhardt Jr. So how did Kyle respond? With the aforementioned career-high eight-win season, handing Toyota their first-ever Cup series win in the process. 

So far this year, he's been doing extremely well, with his lone poor finish a result of getting caught up in the Dale Jr./Brian Vickers wreck at Daytona. He won the pole at Vegas, but had to start at the back of the pack because of an engine change and worked his way--fairly patiently for Kyle--all the way to the front, then hung on through late cautions and restarts. Maybe because it was his hometown track there just weren't so many boos when he won this time. He may be cocky, but nothing wins fans like success.