Turn 4 Transitions

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

By Natalie Anthony

 

 

Sylvania 300

September 20, 2009 (Sunday) 1:00 pm – ABC

 

 

 

            1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.  Wow, it doesn’t take that long to count to eight, but it did take Kyle Busch twenty-six races to be that short in points to miss a spot into the 2009 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.  And to think this four time winner, so far this season, was bested by a driver who has just one win.  I guess what really clinched a spot for Brian Vickers was having nine Top 12’s in the last nine races of this season.  It just goes to show that consistency really is the ticket to being in the top of the field.  Well, for Vickers, he is no longer sporting the last place in point standings, he is now 8^th for the first race in the quest for the Cup this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS).  What is even more salt in the wound of the missed chase for KB; four of the drivers that made the chase are winless so far this season.  You can’t say that Kyle Busch blew off the season by not racing his heart out because that would be a true understatement.  If there ever was a driver who deserved a chance to compete in the championship; it is the driver of the #18 car.

            It is strange to think that after all these months of fantastic racing that we have dwindled down our NASCAR season to ten final races.  What is even stranger is that there will be no more talk about which drivers will make the chase because now it has shifted toward which driver will win the championship.  And the talk will be turned toward the tweleve drivers who are actually in the championship chase and the rest will be back page news until February of 2010. 

            Will it be a battle against past champions like Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, or Kurt Busch or will a new driver like Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, or Denny Hamlin take a stand at the podium of fame in the Sprint Cup series?  

            NHMS will be the first notch on the chasers belt that will soon find a few drivers already saying good bye to their Cup hopes.  Jimmie Johnson will be the first driver out of the gate to show he is a champion for a reason.  Jimmie’s last trip out at NHMS left him in the Top 10 and the Fall race last season gave him a runner up position.  Denny Hamlin, who is just off a winning high from Richmond, is peddling onwords with five Top 10 finishes out of seven starts at New Hampshire.  It won’t be unforseen to picture many of the Cup contenders running up front this Sunday.

 

 

 

Track Stats

 

 

 

Sylvania 300

 

(September 14, 2008) 

Top 10 Results  

1.  Greg Biffle

2.  Jimmie Johnson

3.  Carl Edwards

4.  Jeff Burton

5.  Dale Earnhardt Jr.

6.  Kurt Busch

7.  Martin Truex Jr.

8.  Tony Stewart

9.  Denny Hamlin

10.Kevin Harvick

 

 Lenox Industrial Tools 301

 

(June 28, 2009)           

Top 10 Results  

1.  Joey Logano

2.  Jeff Gordon

3.  Kurt Busch

4.  David Reutimann

5.  Tony Stewart

6.  Brad Keselowski

7.  Kyle Busch

8.  Sam Hornish Jr.

9.  Jimmie Johnson

10.Kasey Kahne

 

Post Questions & Comments to:

NASCARNATALIEANTHONY@yahoo.com