Category: Texas Motor Speedway
Scan All from Texas Motor Speedway
Even before the green flag dropped on the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 on Sunday, one driver had reason to put the censors to work on this week’s Scan All.
“Something just broke ya’ll,” Austin Dillon informed his team before going to the garage with a broke track bar. “I’m not (redacted), something broke.”
Before long, drivers and team members were cursing the track, the wind and everyone else.
“The wind has picked up here pretty good,” said the spotter for Clint Bowyer. “Good thing (Stewart-Haas Racing competition director Greg Zipadelli) gives me hazarded pay for this.”
“You mean we pay you?” joked team owner Tony Stewart.
At one point Kyle Busch became angered by the driving of Derrike Cope
“NASCAR, can we ****ing park the 55, please. He can’t even hold his own lane, that’s ****.”
Watch the video to enjoy the rest of the best scanner communication from Sunday’s race.
Radioactive from Texas Motor Speedway: ‘IQ of a (expletive) mud flap’
Everything is bigger in Texas, including the tempers from drivers on a hot day at Texas Motor Speedway.
Jimmie Johnson climbed from the back of the pack to score his record seventh victory at TMS on Sunday in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500.
With a repaved racetrack, there wasn’t much racing room available for drivers to share, leading to a few angry words shared over scanners.
Check out the latest edition of Radioactive above.
‘NASCAR Race Hub’ breaks down the Texas Motor Speedway repave
With a new look to Texas Motor Speedway, the track went through several changes in its first race weekend.
From an extremely slick track during Friday practice and qualifying, to a one-lane conveyor belt in the XFINITY Series race, the track continued evolving into Sunday’s Monster Energy Series contest.
A diligent effort by the track crew at TMS helped to expand the racing groove slightly and create a bit more room for drivers to operate on Sunday.
Along with the new pavement, the reconfigured Turns 1-2 created a different feel with braking and preferred lines throughout the weekend.
AJ Allmendinger stopped by “Race Hub” yesterday to discuss how the track changed throughout the weekend and how it differed from previous years.
Winner’s Weekend: Johnson, Knaus reflect on Texas Motor Speedway triumph
The narrative was the same for the last few weeks surrounding the seven-time NASCAR champion, Jimmie Johnson.
He’s good at this track, this will be the one he finally breaks through at.
It didn’t happen at Auto Club where Johnson has a track-record six victories, he finished 21st.
How about Martinsville, where Johnson has the most wins by an active driver? Nope, he finished 15th.
Finally, at Texas Motor Speedway, where Johnson had six wins, he ended his so-called “drought” and added a record seventh.
Check out this week’s edition of Winner’s Weekend where Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus reflect on their Texas triumph.
Joe Gibbs Racing might be down this year, but don’t count them out
If you don’t like the way things are in NASCAR racing, stick around. They’ll change soon enough, as this cautionary tale will illustrate.
In 2015-16, Joe Gibbs Racing was the dominant team in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, winning a total of 26 races.
Kyle Busch won a championship in 2015 for JGR and the team’s success last year helped earn Toyota its first Cup Manufacturers’ Championship. Heady stuff, to be sure.
By comparison, Hendrick Motorsports won just 14 races and Stewart-Haas Racing 11 in 2015-16. That means JGR won more races than Hendrick and SHR combined in that stretch. That’s stout.
But in the first seven races of 2017, the performance of the four JGR Toyotas has fallen way off.
Some key numbers tell the story.
Michael Thomas Shroyer Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports
Laps led
In the first seven races of 2016, JGR’s four drivers combined to lead 990 of 2,149 laps run, or 46.1 percent. This year, they have led only 441 of 2,142 laps run, which translates to just 20.6 percent. Kyle Busch has led 413 laps and Denny Hamlin 28. Neither Matt Kenseth nor Daniel Suarez has led at all this year. The Kenseth number is especially glaring: In 2013, he led 1,783 laps for the season.
Jerome Miron Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Top-10 finishes
Last year at this time, the four JGR drivers had combined for an impressive 16 top-10 finishes. This year, they have just 10 in in the first seven races, a decrease of 37.5 percent. Busch and Kenseth have three top fives each, while Suarez and Hamlin have two apiece.
Getty Images Getty Images
Top-5 finishes
This number is dramatic — JGR’s number of top-five finishes has cratered by 75 percent, from 12 in the first seven races of last year to just three so far in 2017. In fact, JGR had as many top-five finishes in the 2016 Daytona 500 — three — as they’ve had in all seven races so far in 2017.
© John K Harrelson/LAT Images http://www.latphoto.co.uk John K Harrelson
Victories
JGR drivers won three of the first seven races of 2016: Hamlin took the Daytona 500, while Busch won at Martinsville and Texas. And then Carl Edwards was victorious in the next two races at Bristol and Richmond, giving JGR five victories in the first nine races. This year, the team is o-for-7.
, LAT Images http://www.latphoto.co.uk Matthew T. Thacker
Points
A year ago at this time, JGR’s Busch led the points, with Edwards fourth, Hamlin eighth and Kenseth 12th. That works out to an average points position of 6.25 among the four drivers. This year, the four JGR drivers are an average of 17th in points: Busch is seventh, Hamlin 16th, Kenseth 22nd and Suarez 23rd.
So what does it all mean?
A couple of observations
Not surprisingly, the sudden departure of Edwards and then the leave of absence of his former crew chief Dave Rogers have been serious blows for the team. You don’t lose talent like that without an adjustment period.
The fact that JGR’s quasi-teammates at Furniture Row Racing are running competitively suggests the problem at JGR isn’t under the hood, because JGR and Furniture Row use the same engines.
Conversely, that does point to JGR potentially having issues with either aerodynamics or chassis setups. Or maybe a little of both.
Ford Motor Co. has stepped up hugely this season with the addition of Stewart-Haas and better results across the board. That’s cut into JGR’s chances at good finishes, too.
Still, if last year taught us anything, it’s that just because JGR is down now doesn’t mean they’ll be down all year.
Hendrick Motorsports was awful all summer last year and then they suddenly found enough speed for Jimmie Johnson to win another championship and the team’s other drivers to pick up their pace, too.
Will something similar happen at JGR later this year?
It’s way too early to tell.
But it’s also way too early to count them out.
Top 30 in Monster Energy Series points standings after Texas Motor Speedway
Kyle Larson charged through the field to grab his fifth second-place finish of the season and build on his points lead. Check out how the top 30 stand after racing deep in the heart of Texas: © John K Harrelson/LAT Images http://www.latphoto.co.ukJohn K Harrelson
1 Larson finished second for the fifth time this season and built on his points lead. The No. 42 has been the class of the field so far in 2017.
2 With the third-best average finish through seven races, Elliott has been one of NASCAR’s most consistent drivers with finishes of 14th or better in each race.
3 In addition to being consistent this season, Truex has the second-most playoff points so far this season, winning four stages and a race. © John K Harrelson/LAT Images http://www.latphoto.co.uk John K Harrelson
4 The only driver with multiple wins so far this season, Keselowski has finished sixth or better in each of the last six races.
5 Team Penske looks very strong to start the season with both drivers finishing in the top-six in six of seven races. Logano needs to start increasing his playoff point total, though.
6 While Blaney has been fast at every track this season, his finishes have been a rollercoaster. He’s paired top-12 finishes with results of 18th or worse on alternating weeks.
7 Outside of two strong finishes at Phoenix and Martinsville, it’s been a struggle for Busch and all of Joe Gibbs Racing.
8 Chip Ganassi Racing has shown a ton of speed in 2017 and outside of a crash at Daytona and a blown tire at Martinsville, McMurray has his best start to a season since 2010.
9 The smile on Bowyer’s face keeps getting bigger with each passing week. He’s been 11th or better since Daytona.
10 The consistency Harvick has shown since joining Stewart-Haas Racing hasn’t been there this season but he’s had great cars a few times. He’ll break through for a win before too long.
11 What a change one weekend can make. Johnson jumps up three spots and guarantees a shot at a record-breaking eighth championship.
12 Bayne only has two finishes worse than 13th this season. Great consistency from the Roush Fenway Racing Fords to kickoff 2017.
13 Outside of his victory at Phoenix, Newman has been around a 17th-place car most weekends. RCR lacked speed at Texas as Newman finished 26th.
14 The rookie Furniture Row Racing driver has impressed with consistency in his early Cup career. After five top-15 finishes, Jones struggled at Texas and finished 22nd.
15 The Daytona 500 winner stopped the bleeding of four poor results at Texas with a 10th-place performance.
16 All of Joe Gibbs Racing has faced a bumpy road to start the season. Hamlin has only two top-10s to pair with three finishes of 25th or worse.
17 A mechanical failure cost Kahne his run of top 20 finishes to start the season and was a big hit in the points standings.
18 Almirola scored his fifth straight top-20 finish, which is a move in the right direction for Richard Petty Motorsports.
19 Stenhouse has shown speed this season and has posted top-15 finishes in the last two races.
20 After three results of 30th or worse in the first six races, Dale Jr. turned his luck around in the Lone Star State with his first top five of the season.
21 A busted track bar led to Dillon’s worst finish of the season a week after his best. RCR has been up-and-down so far this year as the No. 3 has some work to do to make the playoffs again this season.
22 It’s been feast or famine for Kenseth this season. He has three top-10 finishes along with three DNFs.
23 The Joe Gibbs Racing rookie has gone through quite the learning experience. While he has two top-10 finishes, he hasn’t had the No. 19 near the front very often.
24 The final rookie in the field this year has consistently put his car near the top half of the field. He’s finished 22nd or better in every race since Daytona.
25 If it wasn’t for a 35-point penalty, Allmendinger would be knocking on the door of a playoff spot right now. He has two top-six finishes and hasn’t finished worse than 26th this season.
26 After finishing fifth in the Daytona 500, Menard has struggled mightily with a best finish of 19th in the next six races. © John K Harrelson/LAT Images http://www.latphoto.co.uk John K Harrelson
27 The newly formed No. 37 JTG Daugherty team has trended in the right direction with a best finish of 11th last week at Martinsville. © John K Harrelson/LAT Images http://www.latphoto.co.uk John K Harrelson
28 The single car Leavine Family Racing operation has shown some promise this season. McDowell has kept the cars fairly clean and has a best finish of 15th. © John K Harrelson/LAT Images http://www.latphoto.co.uk John K Harrelson
29 Even if you came into 2017 with more realistic expectations for how Patrick would perform, she’s underperforming. Outside of a 17th at Daytona, she hasn’t finished better than 22nd with an average finish of 25.9 through seven races. © John K Harrelson/LAT Images http://www.latphoto.co.uk John K Harrelson
30 It’s been a rough go for Cassill and the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports team this season. He’s finished between 27th and 29th in the past five races.
Kyle Larson, 315 points (6 playoff points)
Chase Elliott, 298 (2 playoff points)
Martin Truex Jr., 275 (9 playoff points)
Brad Keselowski, 274 (10 playoff points)
Joey Logano, 243 (1 playoff point)
Ryan Blaney, 224 (2 playoff points)
Kyle Busch, 211 (1 playoff point)
Jamie McMurray, 209
Clint Bowyer, 204
Kevin Harvick, 198 (3 playoff points)
Jimmie Johnson, 190 (5 playoff points)
Trevor Bayne, 164
Ryan Newman, 163 (5 playoff points)
Erik Jones, 159
Kurt Busch, 151 (5 playoff points)
Denny Hamlin, 151
Kasey Kahne, 147
Aric Almirola, 146
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 139
Dale Earnhardt Jr., 133
Austin Dillon, 130
Matt Kenseth, 126
Daniel Suarez, 125
Ty Dillon, 122
AJ Allmendinger, 107
Paul Menard, 106
Chris Buescher, 93
Michael McDowell, 91
Danica Patrick, 90
Landon Cassill, 83
Where the best Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers win the most races
20 tracks where Jimmie Johnson has won Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races
With his first win of the season in the books after grabbing the checkered flag at Texas, Jimmie Johnson continues to add to his storied career. With 81 career wins, Johnson only has three active tracks on the schedule he hasn’t visited Victory Lane at – Chicagoland Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, and Watkins Glen International. Here’s how Johnson’s 81 wins breakdown by track:
20 With so much success on other short tracks like Martinsville and Dover, it’s surprising Johnson has only visited Victory Lane once at Bristol. The lone win came in March 2010 where Johnson led 84 laps to best Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch. His average finish of 14.17 ranks among his lowest. Getty Images Getty Images
19 Johnson’s championship-clinching win could easily go down as his most important. His first win at Homestead put him in elite company as he tied Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt with seven Cup Series championships. Johnson has an average finish of 13.25 which ranks on the low end for the No. 48 team. Getty Images Getty Images
18 Outside of the superspeedways, Michigan is Johnson’s worst track with a 16.43 average finish in his career. His singular win came in June 2014 in the scenic Irish Hills. The struggles are unusual when compared to Johnson’s success at similar tracks like Texas and Auto Club. Getty Images Getty Images
17 The lone road course win of Johnson’s career came in June 2010 and Johnson has found a consistent groove in Wine Country, finishing 17thor better in every Sonoma race since 2006. Getty Images Getty Images
16 The largest oval in NASCAR has grown on Johnson since his career started with DNFs in four of his first seven appearances at ‘Dega. Overall, it still serves as his worst average finish (17.30) and the track he’s recorded the most DNFs (8).
15 Back when The Track Too Tough to Tame had two races per season, Johnson swept the 2004 races. He added his third win in the 2012 Southern 500. He has an average finish of 10.39 and posted his second worst finish (33rd) at the track in 2016.
14 The two-time Daytona 500 winner captured his first Harley J. Earl Trophy in 2006 and added a second with a helpful push by his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr in 2013. Johnson swept Daytona that season by winning the Coke Zero 400 ahead of Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick.
13 The seven-time champion is a model of consistency at almost every track but Kansas serves as one of his best. Along with his three wins, Johnson has 17 top-10 finishes in 21 total starts, an 8.90 average finish, and has completed every lap at the track outside of two races.
12 Success at the New England track has dipped in recent years by Johnson’s standards. His most recent win came in 2010 after his first two came in a 2003 season sweep. His average finish still remains at a sturdy 10.50, so no reason to bet against Johnson at Loudon. Getty Images Getty Images for NASCAR
11 A very similar story to New Hampshire, Johnson swept the Tricky Triangle early in his career and then added another win in recent years. With two finishes outside the top 30 in the last five races, Pocono hasn’t been Johnson’s strongest track lately. His average finish of 10.57 is still better than most, though. Getty Images Getty Images
10 Johnson recorded all three Richmond wins in a four-race stretch from May 2007 to Sept. 2008, his best finish since then is third, three times. With an average finish of 16.03, there have been some low days for the No. 48 team at the 0.75-mile track. Getty Images Getty Images
9 After Jeff Gordon dominated the first ten years of NASCAR at the Brickyard, he passed the baton to Johnson, who racked up four wins from 2006 to 2012, including three of four. One more win at Indy and Johnson would tie Gordon for the most all-time. Getty Images Rick Diamond
8 It’s been six years since Johnson’s gone to Victory Lane in the Sin City, but he’s a contender almost every year. After dominating the track with three-straight wins, Johnson still fares well in the desert with a finish of sixth or better in four of the past five races. Getty Images Getty Images
7 This is a surprising stat — Johnson has a better average finish (8.96) than Kevin Harvick (10.04) despite having half as many wins at Phoenix. While Harvick has dominated in recent years, Johnson put together a stretch of 12 races from 2005 to 2011 where he didn’t finish worse than seventh and tallied all four of his wins. Getty Images Getty Images for NASCAR
6 With wins in the last two races in the Peach State, the No. 48 team and Chad Knaus seem to have gained a leg up on the competition at Atlanta. Johnson did the same in 2007 when he swept both races and has a formidable 10.68 average finish. Getty Images Getty Images
5 While there are several tracks Johnson has more wins at, the case can easily be made that his home state track in California, where he got his first Cup Series win, is clearly his best. In 22 starts, Johnson has finished every single lap and posted an absurd average finish of 6.50. He’s also only finished outside of the top 20 once, a 24th-place finish in 2014. Getty Images Getty Images
4 With his record seventh with at Texas on Sunday, Johnson now has seven or more wins at four different tracks. He’s dominated at TMS, winning four of the last six races at the 1.5-mile oval. Getty Images Getty Images
3 The track in NASCAR’s home city felt like home immediately for Johnson. He won five of his first nine starts at CMS and has led 1,895 laps in 31 races, his third-most of any track. Despite so much success, Johnson’s 12.58 average finish ranks in the bottom half of tracks for him. Getty Images Getty Images
2 A look at Johnson’s stats from so many tracks between 2006 and 2010 make it very clear why he won five-straight championships and is now a seven-time champion. Martinsville showcases that success as Johnson won five times and had an average finish of 2.80 at The Paperclip during his historic run of five-straight titles. NASCAR NASCAR via Getty Images
1 At what’s considered one of the most driver-demanding tracks in NASCAR, Johnson burst on the scene with a season sweep at the Monster Mile in 2002, which became a sign of things to come for the driver of the No. 48. Johnson owns Dover and will likely only add to his win total in the years to come.
20 tracks Jimmie Johnson has won NASCAR Cup Series races
Bristol Motor Speedway, 1
Homestead-Miami Speedway, 1
Michigan International Speedway, 1
Sonoma Raceway, 1
Talladega Superspeedway, 2
Darlington Raceway, 3
Daytona International Speedway, 3
Kansas Speedway, 3
New Hampshire Motor Speedway, 3
Pocono Raceway, 3
Richmond International Raceway, 3
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 4
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 4
Phoenix International Raceway, 4
Atlanta Motor Speedway, 5
Auto Club Speedway, 6
Texas Motor Speedway, 7
Charlotte Motor Speedway, 8
Martinsville Speedway, 9
Dover International Speedway, 10
Why the Texas Cup Series race was like Rockingham in 1998
Some interesting similarities occurred at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday that mimicked the AC Delco 400 at Rockingham in 1998.
The starting lineup served as the first similarity between the two events. For the first time since that race at The Rock, Ford qualified in the top five positions.
Ford actually held the first seven spots in that November race at Rockingham, pure dominance by the Blue Oval Boys that day.
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