Turn 4 Transitions

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Samsung 500

April 5, 2009 (Sunday) – 2:16 pm – FOX

 

 

                                                                        

Has Jimmie Johnson started his 2009 reign by his first win this season last weekend at Martinsville?  I look back at the last three seasons that Jimmie has dominated and I really can’t think of too many victories that really stick in my mind.  It was Carl Edwards, who if fact rings a bell for putting excitement into the NASCAR Sprint Cup 2008 season.  The only driver who gave Jimmie Johnson any competition last weekend at Martinsville Motor Speedway was home town favorite Denny Hamlin and after his monumental loss to Jimmie, Denny just laid over and succumb to Jimmie’s governing presence and acted as if coming in second place was a personal gift to the Cup Champion.  I do recall seeing Jimmie racing Denny a little dirty to take the lead and ultimately the win from the driver whose goal was to win.  C’mon.  Where is the emotion that NASCAR nation is expecting to see when a driver gets spanked and looses a race by one position?  It was as if Denny was thankful to be beat by the champion of the series.  Well, I have good news for Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin.  Jimmie will be running up front again this Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) and Denny will be trailing him again for the lead.  Both Jimmie and Denny have great success at TMS, so if you are looking for a repeat of last weekend, you are probably going to get it.

 

            Even though I have slated some predictability for two of NASCAR’s better drivers, I do have a few others that are not going to let the #48 or the #11 take center stage.   Carl Edwards is TMS’s defending champion and he is not going to let his honor be tarnished by letting other drivers slide by him on the track.  Carl has been facing a lot of obstacles this season based on his lack of success, but TMS would be a great turn around track for him.  Flipping and guns a’ blazing may be what Carl has planned for this short track on Sunday.

 

I wish I could say that this weekend will provide a team bonding exercise for Hendrick Motorsports or Roush Fenway Racing, but it looks like there are only going to be one driver from every camp that is going to be running up front.  Carl Edwards may have a little help from Jamie McMurray and Matt Kenseth, but it will most likely be short lived with the kind of luck that his teammates have been having.

 

Samsung 500      

(April 6, 2008)                                    

Top 10 Results  

1.  Carl Edwards         

2.  Jimmie Johnson       

3.  Kyle Busch             

4.  Ryan Newman        

5.  Denny Hamlin         

6.  Jeff Burton              

7.  Tony Stewart          

8.  Mark Martin           

9.  Matt Kenseth         

10. Clint Bowyer

 

A driver that made a little noise last weekend at Martinsville will be showing his #33 car again this Sunday.  Clint Bowyer is starting to come out of his shell since he was booted out of the Jack Daniels car and into the Cheerios car.   Clint managed to finish 5^th last weekend and based off his past success at TMS, he will be making an appearance in the Top ten again.

 

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