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July 27,2009
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Jamie McMurray won at Indy (and the Daytona 500 in February) and gave owner, Chip Ganassi, his first ever “Triple Crown” of motor sports; the Ganassi driver, Dario Franchitti, won the Indianapolis 500 in May. After the race, Jamie said, “Like most people, I pray each morning and ask for good health and for my family. At the beginning of the year, I said, Lord if I could win two races it would be unbelievable; and, for the two to be the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400, I feel truly blessed.” He also acknowledged that his car was tight going into the turns. His “only” chance to win came when Kevin Harvick chose to start on the inside as the leader with 17 laps to go. This allowed Jamie to not lose speed by being on the inside, and he was able to pull away going into Turn 3.
- Two tires or four? Of the top ten, on the next to the last restart, six teams took two tires and four teams took four with 17 laps to go. Two tires won! Before the race, “Strategy and track position” was the talk in the garage, and it was the reason Jamie won. When the caution came out with 22 laps to go, all the cars had 16 laps on them and the logical wisdom was to take four tires. Montoya and Biffle, who had been running first and second, followed the standard protocol. However, Jamie and five others did not, and Montoya and Biffle restarted 7th and 8th. Montoya, who had led the most laps and dominated the race for the second year in a row, fell to 9th on the restart as his car did not perform in traffic. Biffle moved forward, but he could only get back to 3rd place.
- With the #1 car -Jamie McMurray’s Brickyard 400 Sprint Cup Series race win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (second win of the season and fifth of his career) he now joins Jimmie Johnson and Dale Jarrett as the only drivers to win the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 in the same year. #29-Kevin Harvick finished second, followed by: #16-Greg Biffle, #33-Clint Bowyer, #14-Tony Stewart, #31-Jeff Burton, #99-Carl Edwards, #18-Kyle Busch, #20-Joey Logano, and #2-Kurt Busch. Pole sitter, #42-Juan Pablo Montoya dominated much of the race, leading the most laps, but he lost the lead during a late pit stop, then hit the wall with 15 to go and finished 32nd. There were 14 lead changes among 10 drivers, and six cautions for 25 yellow-flag laps. The attendance was reported at 140,000, down from 180,000 last year.
- Montoya experiences heartbreak at the Brickyard for second year in a row. In 2009, on the last pit stop, Montoya was penalized for speeding on pit road and lost the race which he was leading. This year, taking four tires with 17 to go seemed safe even with six cars moving ahead of him on the restart. This put him on the inside of row 4 with Biffle on the outside of him. With 17 laps to go, four tires instead of two, wins most of the time in NASCAR. But this time, for this driver, the lack of ‘clean air’ bogged his car down and he fell to 9th. Then, he began to push to move to the front and got just a little high in Turn 4 and hit the wall. Then Dale, Jr. hit him and Montoya drove the car directly to the garage, climbed out of the car and finished 32nd. His crew chief, Brian Pattie, through hands covering his face in the hauler, said it was his fault. Montoya left the track. If only two or maybe four teams had chosen two tires instead of four, Montoya may have still won. But they didn’t, and he didn’t. His bid to become the first driver to win both the Indy 500 and Brickyard 400 will have to wait another year. He will be in Pocono; he may even win. But, it will not be the same as winning this race.
- Today (Monday morning), Jamie will be in Atlanta testing for the Watkins Glenn road race! Winning the two biggest races in NASCAR and giving Chip Ganassi the ‘Triple Crown’ doesn’t result in a day to celebrate. In fact, it curtailed the night celebration as the road crew in Indy had to fly home, and then to Road Atlanta early Monday morning. The reason is the Chase. Making the Chase is the bigger goal and with the results of the last three races the #1 team is now only 151 points out of 12th place with six races remaining to gain those points. Mark Martin, Dale, Jr., Ryan Newman are 63, 92 and 147 points behind Clint Bowyer who is in 12th. For any of these to replace anyone in the top 12, they will need to not only perform well themselves, but will need Edwards in 10th, Biffle in 11th and/or Bowyer to have average finishes of 15th or worse in the next six races.
- Roush-Fenway Racing and Ford have not won a race in 2010, but they still have three cars in the Chase at this time. Richard Childress Racing also has three teams in the top 12, Hendrick Motorsports has two (with the other two in 13th and 14th), and Joe Gibbs Racing has two, and Penske Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing have the last two spots.
PIT NOTE:
This week, Jimmie Johnson said that he hoped that when the drivers see “Lowe’s” on the hood of the car behind them in their rear view mirror that they feel a little pressure or intimidation. Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was known as the Intimidator, and his pulling up on a car definitely affected how they drove. Both intimidation and pressure refer to an awareness that causes fear. Fear always causes us to pause to some degree. It causes us to adjust to some degree; it limits our performance and alters our focus. No wonder it is the most rebuked attitude in the Bible. “Do not fear” is quoted over and over again. I John 4:18-19 says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear consists of torment; the one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.”
So, it is love that overcomes fear…“perfect love” that is. Perfect love is found solely in Jesus. He lived the only perfect (sinless) life, which allowed Him to drink the ‘cup of God’s wrath’ on the cross, and thus fulfill both the requirements of the Law and the penalty for breaking the Law. Even after we have had this perfect love imputed to them through faith, we have (in a sense) our own conscience in our ‘rear view mirror’ condemning us. While we are told we are ‘new creatures’ according to the Word of God, the old nature is bombarded with thoughts of condemnation for failure to perform according to the Law. The constant reminder of these failures takes the grace of God out of focus. The good news of Jesus’ love, which was demonstrated on the cross, and his forgiveness of our sin is replaced with thoughts that we must now ‘work’ for our salvation. Constant contemplation of our failure and the realization that we will never in our flesh succeed in holy living is terrible news. It will lead to frustration, despair, and hopelessness. This is the ‘torment’ spoken of by John. However, he also gives the Gospel, the good news that “perfect love casts out fear.” Dwelling on the perfect life of Jesus and his taking on the punishment of all our sin reveals and deepens our understanding of His love for us. This brings deeper appreciation for His love. Thinking on these things every day, instead of our failures, will allow us to live in the Spirit, which we are told is a place of liberty and freedom.
If you live each day free of judgment, retaliation and punishment, your soul is in torment. That is not of God. “The just shall live by faith.”
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July 12, 2010
CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY
David Reutimann wins at Chicago (without an *)! Michael Waltrip Racing’s lead driver won for the second time in his career. However, during the race, every time an announcer mentioned David as the “potential or probable winner,” they felt compelled to mention that his only other win was a “rain shortened” race at Charlotte. This also was the focus of the Victory Circle interview; the implied difference being that this was his first ‘legitimate’ win.
In both wins, David was the one leading the field when the checkered flag was displayed. The first win came as he huddled under an umbrella and shivered in the rain, after going 180 MPH just two seconds ahead of the second place car and the race being red-flagged for rain. The second as he sweated in his car and nervously navigated the last five laps around traffic with his eyesight blurred by tears. Both paid 1st place money, awarded the same number of points, and gave him a spot in next year’s All-Star race. Both post race interviews focused on the rain shortened win in Charlotte. Why? The first win did not require the finishing of the race, and his win was viewed as some sort of luck (grace?). The second win involved the same elements of grace at various moments during the race, but crossing the finish line under power and physical control of the car gave legitimacy to the effort.
- Jimmy Johnson led the most laps, finished 25th. Jimmie uncharacteristically fell two laps down with a mistake on pit road and a slide through the infield. He finished one lap down after getting a ‘wave around.’ He stayed in 3rd place in the points and actually gained points on the leader, Kevin Harvick, who finished 34th.
- Jeff Gordon moved to just 103 points behind Harvick with another 3rd place finish.
- Daytona was the 18th points race of the season, half of all the races. Here are some stats at the halfway point from Jayski.com:
• 7 different race winners
• 12 different Coors Light Pole winners
• 46 drivers led at least one lap
• 31 drivers have scored at least one top 10
• Average Margin of Victory of 1.294 seconds
• 11 races with an MOV under 1 second
• Average of 12 leaders per race
• Average of 28 lead changes per race
• Average of 43 green flag passes for the lead all along the track (highest through 18 races since the inception of Loop Data in 2005)
• Average of 3,613 green flag passes per race (highest through 18 races since the inception of Loop Data in 2005)
• 50% of the cars finished on the lead lap
• 78% of the cars were running at the finish
• All four manufacturers are in the top 12; three have won at least one race.(NASCAR PR), see more NASCAR stats on Jayski's statistic pages. (7-6-2010)
PITT NOTE:
Reutimann celebrated both wins about the same outwardly (soda and alcohol baths, and pictures with every hat imaginable). However, this win without an *, revealed a sense of relief a sense of real accomplishment tied to his finishing every lap.
Spiritually, everyone who receives Eternal Life will need an (*) beside their name. That (*) will refer to a note that says: “Jesus Christ, the only son of God, lived a holy, righteous life that perfectly performed the Law of God. Jesus received the complete wrath of God on the cross as his Father left Jesus completely alone for the first time in eternity. Three days later, Jesus came back from the dead giving proof that his substitutionary death for sin was accepted by his Father; and therefore, Jesus’ Holy performance replaced the requirement of man’s works of righteousness for anyone who has faith in the promises of God.”
That is Good News! By faith, I have that (*) beside my name.
I pray that you do, or will, also
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July 6, 2010
DAYTONS INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
- Kevin Harvick beat half the field to win the Cup race; the other half was in the garage! After the Green-White-Checkered restart, Kevin started on the inside pole position where he had started the race. He pulled out to a big lead on the back straightaway, when Jeff Gordon, in 4th place, pulled to the outside of Kevin’s teammate, Clint Bowyer, who was in 2nd place. This allowed Kasey Kahne to push Kevin to the win on the inside, while the outside lane slowed up. Kasey finished 2nd in a Ford, which is still the best finish for Ford this season.
- Eighteen (18) cars were involved in a crash with 12 laps to go. This not only affected the outcome of this race, but may have determined cars that make the Chase. Clint Bowyer had been leading the race, and he had moved from 14th to 10th in the points. He was within 300 yards of taking the white flag, when the caution came out and a Green-White-Checkered finish was dictated; he is now 49 points out of 12th after finishing 17th. As a result of being in the crash, Mark Martin fell 39 points out of the Chase to 13th, and Dale Jr. replaced him with a 4th place finish. Jeff Gordon moved to 2nd place, ahead of Jimmie Johnson who was in the crash. Harvick is now over 200 points ahead of both Gordon and Johnson, an increase of over 100 points. He can now concentrate on winning the next eight races before the Chase, and closing the gap of 30 points that he would be behind Denny Hamlin and Johnson in the reset of the points, if the Chase started today. The ‘Big One’ also affected others toward the bottom of the top 35, who don’t have to qualify on time. Rookie Kevin Conway made it to the top 10 after the crash and finished 14th. This puts him 123 points ahead of 36th. This year, he has changed car numbers twice with other team cars to keep him from having to qualify, and therefore, dominates the Rookie contention. Steve Parks, who has not had a Cup start in years, finished 13th.
PITT NOTE:
NASCAR had a ‘moment’ on Friday night…the Richard Childress #3 car, in Wrangler blue and yellow decals, with Earnhardt Sr.’s name over the driver’s door, started 3rd, led during the 3rd lap with fans holding up 3 fingers, took the checkered flag, and pulled into Victory Circle!
Dale Jr. did not do a burn out; he simply paraded his car along the front straightaway for the fans. His in-car camera showed his face the whole time, and the announcers were too emotional to speak. Once out of his car, he hugged and exchanged personal reflections with Richard Childress. He was asked by the reporter to express his feelings. Dale thanked everyone involved including the fans, spoke of his father, and expressed that this was the last time he would drive a car with #3 on the side. Then, he revealed that it would have been a shame for all the effort of Richard, Teresa, the teams and his own driving to have not resulted in the #3 Wrangler car not being in Victory Circle. He rambled on until he acknowledged he was rambling, then the reporter asked him to ramble some more. Which he did by repeating most of what he had just said in the last two minutes. He expressed again his relief that he had not messed up the moment by some driving mistake of his own making.
REAL, RAW EMOTION. That was what was happening. Reality TV shows try to create it, and NASCAR had it on Friday night in a NATIONWIDE race. Performance, nostalgia, appreciation, and relief all came together for a moment to create real, raw emotion. It was thrilling and draining. No one wanted it to end. Even reporters and those who had known and raced against Dale Sr. were too caught up in the moment to speak, to ask penetrating questions, or to produce an entertaining segment. It was a moment all its own.
Sadly, in real day to day living, many people are seeking such ‘personal moments’ instead of every day enjoying the good news that is available and an absolute thrill to their soul. That good news is found in understanding what Jesus has provided through His life, death and resurrection. One who has believed the promise of God in Jesus does not have to depend on his own performance to be in right standing with his Father. This person does not have to relive the past victories in life to find joy, for joy comes new every morning as we discover Jesus on each and every page of the Bible. This person does not have to find peace by manufacturing praise for what God did in the past, because His presence and power is experienced daily and He renews our strength. This person is not relieved just to have avoided ‘messing up,’ he does not live in fear of failure. Instead, he knows that he cannot ever live the holy life that Jesus lived, and the Father requires to be right with him. He is grateful that Jesus took all the wrath of the Father for his personal sin, and the sin of the world. Intellectually, he knows that he is not under a cloud of condemnation for his failure, but his sins have been forgiven because of his faith in Jesus being his substitute in death. He experiences the unspeakable emotion of being granted life, now and eternally, instead of a just sentence of death and eternal separation from a righteous God.
NASCAR had a moment, and we race fans enjoyed the experience. God offers you a greater moment, every moment of the remainder of your life…and beyond. Please believe the promise of God in Jesus, today.
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June 29,2010
NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Jimmie Johnson wins his 5th race of the season ‘by a bumper!’ After winning three of the first five races this year, the #48 team went into a ‘slump.’ Jimmie described it as his failure to relax and accept what his car was capable of doing. He said he had been pushing too hard and making mistake. He has now won two races in a row by taking advantage of other driver’s mistakes. Last week, it was Marcus Ambrose cutting his engine off while leading under caution and being unable to restart the car. This week, it was leader Jeff Burton not pitting with 14 laps to go, and all the lead lap cars pitting behind him. That placed 14 cars in seven rows on new tires behind him, and all passed him before the checkered flag flew. Burton finished 12th. Meanwhile, Jimmie was bumped by Kurt Busch in the 3rd turn and passed for the lead with six laps to go. Jimmie recovered and fell only to second. With two laps to go, he bumped Kurt in the 3rd turn and passed for the win.
- “Rubbing is Racing” has returned to NASCAR. Last week, at Sonoma Jeff Gordon rubbed four drivers ‘wrong’ (Sadler, Truex, Biffle, Kurt Busch). He admitted his errors in judgment, called to apologize between the races, and admitted he was ‘looking over his shoulder’ as he raced at Loudon. This week, it was Montoya that seemed to hit everyone until he was ‘taken out’ by Reed Sorenson who was a lap down. Jeff Burton spun Kyle Busch while trying to avoid his inevitable slip from 1st to 13th after the final restart. These were just the most visible of a race full of the inside car leaning on the outside car in the corners of this mostly flat track. As Kenny Schrader often said, eight tires are always better than four. After the race, except for the Montoya/Sorenson tangle, the drivers were not upset with the rubbing. Jeff Burton, who had angry words for Kyle Busch after the Charlotte race, passed it off as his fault and apologized to Kyle. Kyle was not seemingly upset with Jeff in his interview. Kurt Busch, who finished 3rd after his bumping with Jimmie Johnson, talked of this being the way racing used to be and by implication and smile as he spoke, ‘the way it should be.’
- Nine Races remain in the ‘Race to the Chase.’ When the teams return to Loudon in September, it will be the first race in the Chase. The top 12 drivers will have been determined from those currently in the top 12 of points. As of today, those within 100 points are: (13) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3 points behind Carl Edwards in 12th, (14) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], -15, (15) #33-Clint Bowyer, -16, and (16) #20-Joey Logano, -99. Three drivers who made the 2009 Chase, but appear out of the running this year since they are more points behind 12th place than can be made up in one race, are: (20) #9-Kasey Kahne, -174, (22) #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, -183, (35) #83-Brian Vickers, [out this season with illness].
After seventeen races, two of the top 12 have won ten of the races, while seven have not won at all. Richard Childress Racing has the 1st and 8th place drivers, Hendrick has the 2nd, 7th and 11th place drivers, Gibbs has the 3rd and 4th, Kurt Busch is the only Dodge team in 6th, and Roush drivers are in the 7th, 10th and 12th. Tony Stewart is in 9th place. The fact that three Roush Ford drivers are in the top 12 is somewhat remarkable, as Ford has not won any of the first 17 races of 2010. This has not happened in the last 30+ seasons of the Cup Series.
PITT NOTE:
Right after his 4th win, Denny Hamlin was saying “all we do is win.” However, for the last two weeks, he has mostly been a non-factor. Jimmie Johnson was being analyzed for what was wrong with him for nine weeks; then, he wins two in a row and is almost crowned the champion for the 5th straight year by the media. If the Chase started this week, Denny and Jimmie would be tied for the points lead by virtue of their five wins each, 30 points ahead of both Busch brothers, 40 points ahead of the current leader Kevin Harvick (would be 5th) and 50 ahead of the other seven drivers.
However, it does not start until after nine more races. Both drivers could be passed in wins by that time; if so, that driver would be the favorite. This is racing. Consistency is the best indicator of eventual contenders for the Cup title each year. The only problem is that you never know when someone new is going to become the most consistent driver…and for how long. Yesterday, I saw two interviews of one of the top 5 finishers on pit road; in the background was Richard Petty walking with four other men on his team. Richard’s #9 car had dominated the race until the engine blew. That inconsistency in an engine part had Richard hurrying to his plane instead of being interviewed. Richard’s 200 wins did not matter, only what had happened on the track the last four hours resulted in news worth talking about. This year, Jeff Gordon, Kurt and Kyle Busch, and Tony Stewart have been very consistent. In my estimation, they pose the greatest threat to Jimmie or Denny not being crowned champion at the end of the season. Yet, none of that may materialize. Literally, until the races are run and the numbers say otherwise, anyone really has a chance to win it all.
Consistency - I often say, “the most consistent thing about me is my inconsistency.” Therefore, I am frustrated much of the time, especially when I ‘preach’ to others and do not live it myself. Not that anyone can ever ‘preach the gospel’ by their life. We live as directed by the law. We hear, believe, enjoy and proclaim the gospel, but never live it. We are driven by the good news revealed in the gospel to live by the direction of the law. If we ‘lived the gospel,’ we would be Jesus and replace His perfect 33 years. Moreover, our ‘living the gospel’ would be bad news because we sin! The glorious truth that I am learning is that there is really only one consistent One; and, that is Jesus. He was consistent in his daily living for 33 years and never sinned. He was consistent on the cross, where He not only endured, but fully exhausted the complete wrath of His Father for sin. Jesus is consistent and faithful today and every day to His Promises (2 Corinthians 1:20). That consistency is summed up in not only His continual forgiveness of our sin, but in His choosing to not remember our sin. Therefore, we are free from guilt and free to live for Him. We are blessed by his eternal promises of abundant life. We are free of condemnation from Him who could have chosen for us to face our own penalty for sin instead of sending His Son to be our substitute.
Jesus is the only true Champion, and you are part of Him through acceptance of His promises by faith. And, yet…you will still not live a consistent, sinless life, but He will consistently forgive you and you will never again have the shadow of God’s wrath following you. That is Good News!
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June 22, 2010
INFINEON RACEWAY
- Jimmie Johnson won the pole, dominated, fell back, fought with Marcus Ambrose for the lead, got beat out of the pits, fell back and accepted 2nd place; then, he was handed the win when Marcus made on of the biggest blunders in NASCAR history.
- Jeff Gordon was aggressive and hit two cars (#6 and #56) at different times on lap 62. Later, he took out two more at the same time.
-Gibbs’ cars finished 33rd, 34th and 39th for worse day in their history.
- BUT the BIG story was the loss of the race by Marcus Ambrose in the #47 car. Marcus was the fastest driver in all practices. He started 5th and had a two-second lead when the caution came out with 9 laps to go. With a good restart, he would win the race. Seemingly, to save fuel, he turned off his car going uphill and coasted to a stop before it refired. By that time, six cars had passed him, and there was no one to blame but himself.
PIT NOTE:
What do you do when there is no one else to blame? |
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June 16, 2010
MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
- Denny Hamlin won the Michigan Cup Series race, and it was his fifth win of season - all five wins since the spoiler replaced the wing ten races ago! That is one-third of the races this season. If the Chase started today, he would have a 20-point lead. He led 120 of the 200 laps, overcame a loss of fuel pressure on a pit stop, and he did not hit the wall during his victory burn out. Other than that, it is just another weekend for Denny and Joe Gibbs Racing.
- Tony Stewart moved to the 11th spot in points with his second straight top 5 finish. This is the first time he has been in the top 12, and therefore in the Chase this year.
- Hendrick teams finished 4th, 6th, and 7th. Jeff Gordon was the highest finisher, which has been the case in the majority of the races this year.
PIT NOTE:
After the race, Denny said he just stayed patient at the start of the race and moved to the lead as other cars fell back. He shared that the car was really bad during the first practice on Friday, but continued to get better in every practice and ended up being the ‘Best’ in the race. Jeff Gordon commented that “the #11 car is the best right now, but he may be peaking too early and not be as good in the Chase.” J.D. Gibbs, President of Joe Gibbs Racing, indicated that he simply enjoyed each win, because you never know when it will be the last win.
This is just an example of how some are thinking about the Championship; however, those winning now are emphasizing the ‘now,’ while those not winning are emphasizing the ultimate prize at the end of the season.
In Christianity, you will find a similar contradiction. The Gospel is the good news of forgiveness of sin, because Jesus experienced the total wrath of God in judgment of sin when He was on the cross. Jesus lived a sinless life in fulfillment of the Law, which no one else could perfectly keep. The contradiction is found between those who see Heaven as the goal of being ‘saved,’ and those who experience the freedom to live each day ‘in Christ.’ Many, who see a relationship with Jesus primarily as the key to life after death, try to do the impossible and live a ‘perfect’ life. Oftentimes, they put down those who are not ‘serious’ enough and demonstrate too much happiness and joy in the Lord each day of their lives. Others seem to ‘win’ everyday, because they are seemingly always bubbling over with joy.
There are cycles in racing. After Jimmie Johnson won three of the first five races of the season, it was predicted that he would win all season and ease his way to his 5th Championship. Now, everyone debates what happened when the wing was exchanged for the spoiler. However, there is not a cycle in the truth of God’s Word and the work of God’s spirit when both are given free rein in our lives. Properly understood, the Good News frees a person from the fear of the condemnation of God, today and for eternity. Therefore, you will enjoy the abundance of life every day here on earth, and then even more so in the presence of God for eternity. All fear of failure is gone, or of running out of favor with God. You are confident because you understand that it is all about Jesus and not yourself. What a joy to know that you win because of being ‘in Christ,” not because you pleased God more than you angered Him.
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June 8, 2010
POCONO RACEWAY
- Hamlin wins for the fourth time at Pocono and for the fourth time this season. Denny Hamlin remained patient and overcame a two-hour rain delay, 5 caution flags in the last 50 laps, a Green-White-Checkered finish with a Talladega ‘Big One’ style taking out seven cars, to win for the 12th time in his career. One third of those wins have been at Pocono where he has only nine starts. The win moved him to third in the points; and he would be the top seed, if the Chase started today per his series leading four wins for the season. His perfect day was marred only by his victory burn-out when he hit the wall. Denny will now need a front clip put on the car which had not received a scratch in the previous three races it was used, all of which yielded wins.
- Teammate troubles continue…
Already this season, Johnson/Gordon, Montoya/Murray, and Busch/Hamlin have had very public disagreements following on-track crashes. After the last lap crash that took out seven cars when A.J. Almendinger blocked Kasey Kahne on the back stretch by forcing him onto the grass on the inside of the track, you can now add Almendinger/Kahne of Richard Petty Motorsports to this group. A.J. was protecting his best finish of the season and made a move that may have worked in his old open wheel racing day, but never in NASCAR. Almendinger’s move cost Petty a second car in the Top 10, Jeff Gordon a drop of three positions in the Chase, seven cars with finishes of 27th or worse, and over $200,000 in repairs to cars.
- Logano (Joe Gibbs Racing) and Harvick (Richard Childress Racing) also had an on-track ‘run-in’ for the 2nd race in row. As Joey passed Harvick on the outside, both cars went for the same spot and Joey spun out. After the race, Joey pulled his car as close to Harvick’s as possible and was restrained by NASCAR officials and Childress crewmen when he tried to confront Harvick. Joey’s father met him at the car and emphatically directed his son to go after Harvick.
PIT NOTE:
Retaliation is a natural emotional response when one is ‘wronged’ by another. It is natural for those who love the wronged one to take their offense personal and take up the defense of that person. It is natural for loved ones, such as parents, to respond in defense of their children.
Thankfully, God did not follow that which is natural for an earthly father, nor that which is natural for a friend or for a fellowman, when He witnessed the cruelty inflicted on His son for mankind’s sake. In fact, it was revealed in the Old Testament what would be necessary for the anointed of God to bear in his own body if there was to be redemption for mankind. Since the sin of Adam and Eve, every man has personally sinned. The holiness of God was absolutely violated; there was no ambiguity about who was at fault. Each and every man stands guilty before God. Many have tried to defend their sins, many deny there is an absolute to which they are accountable, and most have sought to appease God’s wrath by emphasizing their ‘good works’ toward others as a reason for God to grant them grace and eternal life. However, God’s wrath against sin is perfectly aligned with the gravity of sin itself. Man cannot fully comprehend the violation of the personhood of the Father; therefore, his sincere attempts to redeem himself are as laughable as they are predictable. Ultimately, anything man attempts on his own, fails; and God understood this before man even sinned.
Until we consider and get just a small glimpse of the overall vileness of sin versus the holy God, we do not understand and admit that only God could provide redemption from that sin. We look to the cross and the judgment of sin to find how much love God had for us and the magnitude of Jesus’ sacrifice. Pain, humiliation and the thought of how unfairly Jesus was treated, pale in comparison to the silence from the Father in this most horrible time for his son. Jesus could have called angels to defend him and destroy mankind. Jesus could have rightly proclaimed his innocence, and Jesus could have spoken one word and been out of the situation. If he had, then what we witnessed on that day would be the reality facing every man at death when the Father would require the judgment on every sin.
The GOOD NEWS - God remained silent when Jesus pleaded, “Why have you forsaken me?” By that silence, God refused to intercede but instead allowed His son to bear His complete wrath for sin. GOOD NEWS!!! There is not now, nor will there ever be, condemnation upon anyone who embraces Jesus’ act on the cross as redemption by God of that person from both the penalty of sin and the dominance of sin each day of his remaining years on Earth. GOOD NEWS!! Man is ‘set right,’ justified in the sight of God, for all eternity by simply believing that Jesus not only endured the wrath of God in death, but because of his absolutely sinless life, Jesus rose from the dead and his sacrifice was sufficient to redeem any and every person who does so (i.e. believes in Jesus).
Thankfully our heavenly Father did not encourage his Son to defend himself, but allowed him to love us who are totally guilty.
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June 2, 2010
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
- Kurt Busch wins the COCA-COLA 600. For only the seventh time, the same driver won the All-Star race and then won the 600 the following weekend. Kurt dominated the 400 lap event by leading 252 laps. It is also the fifth time Kurt and Kyle have won Cup races back-to-back. Only eight pairs of brothers have pulled off the feat for a total of sixteen times. Jamie McMurray finished 2nd and Kyle Busch 3rd. Pole sitter Ryan Newman finished 9th.
- Jimmie Johnson finished 37th. This was the third finish of 31st or worse in the last three races. He has now fallen to 7th in the points standings.
- Half-way…to the Chase. Charlotte was the 13th race of the season with 13 more races until the Chase field is set. Kevin Harvick is the points leader by 29 points over Kyle Busch. At this time, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton (8th) are the RCR cars in the Chase, with Clint Bowyer just 4 points out of 12th. Kyle Busch (2nd) and Denny Hamlin (5th) are the Gibbs’ qualifiers. Roush has three cars qualified at the half-way point (Kenseth 3rd, Biffle 9th, and Edwards 11th). Hendrick entries are Gordon 4th, Johnson 7th, and Martin 10th, along with Newman in 12th. Kurt Busch in 6th position is the only Penske car. Martin Truex, Jr. (-14), Jamie McMurray (-26) and Tony Stewart (-27) round out the Top 16, which it appears the final 12 will come from. Montoya (20th/-176 points) and Kahne (21st/-183 points) both made the Chase in 2009, and they would be the long shots to make up the difference.
Twelve of the first thirteen races have been won by six drivers in the Top 12. Matt Kenseth (3rd) and Jeff Gordon (4th) have not won a race so far this year.
- Chip Ganassi wins the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 in the same year. No owner has ever accomplished this feat. For over ten years, Ganassi and Roger Penske have entered cars in both races, and Richard Petty has done so on a couple of occasions. This year, John Andretti was in the Petty car, but wrecked on lap 65 and finished 30th in the 33 car field.
PITT NOTE:
On Memorial Day, I watched (small) parts of three races (which took place on Sunday, the day before): Formula 1 (190 miles, 58 laps), Indianapolis 500 (500 miles, 200 laps), and the Coca Cola 600 (600 miles, 400 laps). That is 1290 miles, 658 laps of racing! Indy says it’s the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” and they had the most spectacular wreck of the day. However, TV producers of the race focused over four minutes of their last 30 minutes on the air to show Ashley Judd (wife of the winner, Dario Franchitti, who failed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series) running to Victory Circle, standing in the corner of Victory Circle to try to avoid taking the spotlight off her husband, kissing her husband, and sitting on the side of his car. For the day, Formula 1 had the most interesting moment of racing when teammates purposefully crashed each other while running 1st and 2nd (their designated #1 driver was being beaten for the 4th race in a row by their #2 driver and this moved the whole team out of the #1 position for the season). The Coca-Cola 600 once again had the greatest pre-race show which demonstrated our military might and honored those who serve to protect our rights and economic system that allows for races to be enjoyed. But, on this Memorial weekend, what was memorable about racing, the Cup race specifically?
Kurt Busch was excited about winning both weekends at Charlotte. He was ecstatic about his crew chief, Steve Addington, who was his brother’s crew chief last year. He was elated that he led 252 of the 400 laps. But, what happened on the track that was memorable for the fans? Unless you live and die by what happens for an individual driver, such as Jimmie Johnson who had another DNF and fail another spot in the points, probably nothing.
Yet, there is much that can be considered memorable, if it were not such a long season and the strength, strategy and statistics had not become common place to the fans. For example, 43 cars running 600 miles equals a race of 25,800 combined miles, if all cars had finished the race. That is 43 cars that all reached speeds of over 190 miles per hour every green flag lap (all three races mentioned above had at least one car exceed 200 mph during their race). It is remarkable that there were very few crashes, while racing over 25,000 miles at three times our normal speed limit, just inches apart. It is remarkable that with over 400 combined pit stops in the race, resulting in over 9000 lug nuts being taken off and returned, there were not more tires that were not secure. It is remarkable that only one crew member got hit on pit road (Tony Stewart ran over one of his crew member’s feet – by the way, he is OK). It is remarkable that 43 engines with hundreds of internal parts and thousands of other parts and bolts on each car all stayed together as well as they did. When broken down and examined, the odds against winning a race is overwhelming. Beating the odds of even finishing a race is remarkable. The combined effort involved in even getting a car to the track to qualify is commendable. Yet, there is little memorable about any one of the 38 races run in a NASCAR season, nor of the season as a whole.
What about your life? Up to this point in your life, what is most memorable? If you live to be 70 years old, you will experience 25,550 individual days, and 80 years gives you 29,200 days. Your body is remarkable. It is so intricate that race cars are simple in comparison. Most of us put the wrong ‘fuel’ into our bodies and they still work for years. If we need repairs, man has figured how to remove infected parts, redirect internal piping, tie things back together, provide physical therapy, supplement the healing with medicines, and then marvel that the body will mend itself.
In truth, the number of years we are housed in this repairable body is nothing compared to the eternal existence that everyone will experience. If you are alive today, you can be alive forever. The most remarkable thing is that we can live that eternity with the Creator of all that we have experienced. It is also remarkable that we can have peace and joy in these earthly years because of what our Creator has provided for us.
God is Holy, and every person is a sinner. God is Just and therefore cannot overlook sin; He must judge sin. The penalty for sin is death. Everyone dies physically, and without Him, all would continue to experience death every day of eternity. Man can repair the physical body, but he will always fail in his attempts to mend his spiritual state with God. Doing ‘good’ for others through personal efforts or charitable gifts of money and time has nothing to do with pleasing God and avoiding the penalty for sin. The Good News - God sent his Son, Jesus, who died on the cross for the penalty of our sin. God’s wrath toward sin was experienced by Jesus so that any and all men who believe on Him will never experience the wrath of God for their sin. But those who do not believe are condemned even now.
More Good News! Those who believe do not wait until eternity to experience the forgiveness of God. There is no condemnation right now, or ever for those who embrace through faith what Jesus has done for them. God has already judged their sin on the cross and does not judge their sin again. A believer experiences only the correcting love of a Father when he sins; there is no fear of eternal condemnation. A believer’s life is renewed each day, and the joy of his salvation is restored each day as the believer reviews the Word of God and sees the restoring power of Jesus on every page. The memory of what Jesus did on the cross in experiencing the wrath of God, the memory of how Jesus lived in compliance of every degree of the Law of God, the memory of how Jesus rose from the dead because of the perfect life he lived which is imputed to believers, the memory of the fact that Jesus is coming back one day and that we will rejoice in His presence FOREVER is MEMORABLE...GOOD NEWS!!!!
Think on (remember) these things.
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May 24, 2010
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
- All-Star Race was won by Kurt Busch. Kurt Busch had the horsepower, and the Gibbs’ teammates provided the drama. Kurt Busch powered his way around Denny Hamlin to win the fourth and final segment of the race and the one million dollar prize. Denny had blocked Kyle Busch earlier, which caused Kyle to retire to the garage when he hit the wall. Martin Truex, Jr. finished second after winning the preliminary race and transferring into the All-Star Race.
- NASCAR inducts the first five into their Hall of Fame - Bill France Sr., Bill France, Jr., Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt. These five men were recognized for their key roles in the development of the sport by being the first to be enshrined in the new Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday, May 23rd. Only drivers Petty and Johnson were alive to give their own speeches and interviews, but both spoke of just realizing “how big a deal this is.” Both these men love to race; both were successful doing so, and both gave as much to the sport as they received.
Richard Petty won 200 races. He is called the “King” just like Elvis. However, what he has given to the sport is his patience to sign every autograph he could, every time he was asked, and many times when he just made himself available. I saw him do so many times, but two times especially stand out to me. One time, he was standing at the gate waiting to cross the track at a Busch race with me when he saw some kids wanting autographs. However, two rows of fences made it impossible for them to ‘bother’ him. He could have smiled, shrugged his shoulders and told them he could not get to them. Instead, he told them to wait; and when the gate was opened to cross the track, he walked around to where they were and signed until the gate was closed (he had to wait 30 minutes for it to open again). The other time was at his shop where I conducted a Bible study. Each time, there was a table waiting for him to sign things sent by fans. Every time, I was there he had a set amount of time dedicated to sign for the fans. With each signature, Richard was acting as an Ambassador for NASCAR. He is called ‘King,’ but I know he is the best Ambassador NASCAR will ever have.
Junior Johnson won races and championships as a driver and owner. His moon shining stories made him a folk hero around which an image of NASCAR emerged. However, his greatest contribution was the unselfish act of directing RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company to talk to Bill France, Sr. about being the title sponsor of the Cup Series. Junior could have taken the money for himself, but his pass-off to the sanctioning body changed NASCAR forever. I believe that act is the single most important act in the history of NASCAR. Without that one act, there would be no need for a Hall of Fame, as the Frances would have never built the empire they have. What did Junior get in return? A lot of enjoyment summarized in his own son inducting him into the Hall of Fame on Sunday.
PITT NOTE:
In ‘stick and ball’ sports, being included on the “All-Star” or “All Pro” team is by the vote of fans, participants, and/or media members. To be chosen is a distinct honor as you form teams of the best from all the teams in the league and have a game of the best against the best. Racing does not fit that type of format, so everyone is invited that has competed in at least one race in the last 36 races held. The winners of the last thirty-six (36) points races and the winners of the last ten (10) All-Star races, who did not win in the last year, are given an automatic spot in the race that pays $1 million to the winner. Two other drivers are added by virtue of finishing first or second in a preliminary race. Finally, one driver is allowed to participate by an actual vote of the fans! You might argue that this is the only driver who can claim to be an actual ‘All-Star.’ However, the winner of the fan vote is usually the driver whose fan club does the best promotion. This year, a promise to donate all winnings to Speedway Children’s Charities propelled Carl Edwards into the race.
Denny Hamlin did not win the race, but expressed the fundamental attitude that dominates the All-Star races when he defended his movements while blocking his teammate, Kyle Busch. Denny proclaimed that as the leader, he had control of the whole track and that he had no responsibility for the crash of his teammate. Kyle, on the other hand, pulled directly behind Denny’s hauler and proclaimed he needed to be stopped from killing Denny. Other drivers point out that since this is not a race where points are a consideration, they can take chances and ‘go for it.’ This reveals the attitude where the normal restraints of a points race are removed and the only thing that matters is winning. Again, this is in contrast to all other All-Star events where special rules give more protection to the stars, not less. Having a great experience is more important than the final score.
All-Stars in other sports are a very special select group; whereas, everyone is invited to compete in NASCAR’s version. The only special part of the night that involves people is the introduction of the crewmembers with their driver before the race. This is the only time special emphasis is given by actually naming those who, if mentioned at all, are recognized by the driver as ‘my pit crew’ or ‘the guys back in the shop’ when interviewed on television.
The spectacle that is produced by the Charlotte Motor Speedway staff is exciting. The changing of the format from year to year keeps it fresh, and the “no holds barred” or “go for broke” attitude is different from regular races. The fact that the three feet high, 1.5 mile wall is painted yellow for the race and repainted white within four days for the next race, is impressive. However, unless every driver is truly an All-Star, this weekend is ‘All-Star’ in name only.
So what? Who cares who is a real All-Star? What is the Biblical lesson that we can learn? This year, I became acutely aware of how self-centered this weekend is for the drivers and teams. While the event is a great celebration for everyone in NASCAR, a showcase and a fun time, it is also a microcosm of most of society. Individualism dominates society. Doing what is best for ‘me and mine’ prevails in this modern culture, just as it does each year at this event. In real life, this attitude motivates people to sometimes work hard, but also to manipulate to get their desired results when hard work fails. Sadly, it is also the way people seek to ‘win’ with God, (i.e. be blessed by God). It is sad because if we understand God, then we will understand that there is no contest for God’s love. God’s love is unlimited. There is no manipulation of God; He knows all, even the motives of our heart, and He cannot be fooled, tricked or appealed to with tears. God loved us from the foundation of the world. He loved us before we were even formed in the womb. He sent his only Son to die in our place. He did for us everything that had to be done to live up to His holiness. He gave us His Law to show us His holiness versus our inability to live according to His Law. He then asks us to simply have faith that He has done all the work. He tells us that He will attribute our faith as righteousness, just as He has done for every person who is in Heaven from Adam to this very day. “The just shall live by faith” is the common thread. He is the All-Star. We are invited to celebrate Him, every day, every hour, in every way for eternity. And, if we do live by faith. we will one day hear, “well done, my good and faithful servant.” Faith, not by our works, qualifies us for His ‘All-Star squad.’
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May 17, 2010
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
Kyle Busch won the Cup race at Dover after Jimmie Johnson was caught speeding. For the second time in three weeks, Kyle was bowing to the crowd with the checkered flag in his hand. He did the same thing on Saturday after the Nationwide race; he would have won the truck race on Friday, if he had not run out of gas during the Green-White-Checkered restart. In all, this past weekend, he led 494 of the 900 laps that were run at Dover.
- Is Joe Gibbs Racing the “king of the spoiler?” Since the rear spoiler replaced the wing seven races ago, Denny Hamlin has won three times and Kyle Busch has won two times. That is five of the last seven races being won by a Joe Gibbs team. However, if Jimmie had not been penalized for speeding on Pit Road, he probably would have won the race since he led the majority of the laps. So…
- Who will make the Chase? In two weeks, the Charlotte ‘Coca-Cola 600’ will be the half-way mark to the start of the Chase. The short history of the championship format shows few changes in who qualifies between the 14th and 26th races of the season. At this point, there are 3 Hendrick, 3 Roush, 2 Childress, 2 Gibbs, 1 Waltrip and 1 Penske team in the top 12. However, there are only 43 points from 12th to 16th, and those four teams include three more ‘Hendrick’ cars (Newman, Stewart, Dale Jr.) and Bowyer from Childress. I believe at least two of these will move into the top 12.
- Brian Vickers will not make the Chase this year. Brian did make the Chase in 2009, but he has been side-lined indefinitely with blood clots found in his legs last Wednesday. No cause for the condition has been reported, but he is on blood thinners to minimize the immediate danger and will not be allowed to return until he passes a new physical with NASCAR. Please take time to send Brian a note. Last year, I received a lot of cards when I had cancer and it blessed me immensely.
- Attendance was only 88,000 for the Dover Cup race. That was down 45,000 from 2008. The total for the combined three races held at Dover this weekend did not cover the 133,000 that was at the Cup race in 2008.
PITT NOTE:
“Right in front of your nose.”
“Right under my feet.”
“It was coming right at me.”
These are three common statements we often utter in lifetime (usually in exaggeration). These are literally true for the fans who had the connections to get tickets for seats in the bridge that crosses the third turn at Dover.
Dover did not have a tunnel or bridge until the late 1990’s. When the gate crossings were closed, you were stuck either inside or outside of the track. The gates were only opened before the checkered flag when they had to take an injured driver or crewman to the hospital, and that meant a red flag for the race. They added a bridge over Turn 2 which allowed for a better access and way out for the crews and infield fans. However, the second bridge was the most unique viewing spot in all of NASCAR. The back stretch is banked 9 degrees, with a higher inside wall than outside as it supports the dirt for the horse racing track inside the car racing track. The track is narrower on the back, and it actually narrows by about three feet from the exit of Turn 2 to the entrance of Turn 3. It literally gives the impression of going down a tunnel or at least a chute every lap. These features give those sitting a mere 20 feet above the surface of the track the most unique experience in watching a race in NASCAR. In a matter of about 8 seconds, a dot in Turn 2 becomes huge as it streaks right at you, passes under your feet, and you smell the tires as they burn off on the track. Literally, the best seat in NASCAR!
In the spiritual world, there is as great an experience for our daily life that many never realize is “under our noses,” “under our feet,” or right before our very eyes.” That experience is having the Gospel tune our hearts to sing everyday. The Gospel is the Good News that Jesus died for our sin; and if we embrace what He did on the cross to satisfy the penalty of sin against God who is Holy, we will have eternal life. Many do believe this, and it is ‘counted unto them as righteousness.’ However, the Gospel is not just a key to getting into Heaven when we die; this is what many miss. The Gospel is also that we now have a fountain of living water for EVERY DAY of our life, from today throughout eternity! That is GOOD NEWS!
So, how do we miss the Gospel being applied to every day of life? We do it by substituting the Law for the Gospel. Many times in the Bible, we are told - “They just shall live by faith.” The first time this is illustrated by Abraham was 400 years before the Law of Moses was even given. It was written by the prophet Habakkuk in chapter 2, verse 4 - “the righteous shall live by faith.” Jesus fulfilled the Law by living it perfectly His entire life and by suffering the penalty of death for us (every human) who failed to keep even one part of it at any time during our life. In doing so, Jesus took away the “sting of death” brought by the Law and provides the joy of salvation EVERYDAY!!!! Sadly, many come to Jesus in faith, and then feel they must live the Law to receive the daily blessings from God. This is contrary to scripture. The Law only condemns; it is the Gospel that blesses. The key is finding Jesus on every page of scripture and meditating on His love and grace, instead of searching scripture for how we are to do something to bless Him.
It is literally “right before our noses,” ‘right under our feet,’ and right before our eyes.’ It is all about Jesus, not us! That is the Good News for everyday living.
FAITH AND UNDERSTANDING--TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN (Discover the Word Archive) |
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May 10, 2010
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
- Denny Hamlin wins for the third time, and all since having knee surgery. During this time, Denny has moved from 15th in points to 6th. He also won the Nationwide race on Friday night.
- Jeff Gordon led the most laps during the Darlington Cup race. Also, he has led the most total laps for the season; yet, he has not won a race. Jeff has lost three races when cautions occurred in the last five laps of a race he was leading. This time, he probably would have won the race, if he could have gotten a late caution. However, during the last caution with 25 laps to go, Gordon was in the wrong place. Jeff said it was his fault for not clearly signaling to the drivers behind him that he was planning to pit. This caused him to miss pit road. When he did pit, the caution flag came out and he drove through the pits, and he was in 15th position on the restart. Even in traffic, his lap times were faster than Denny’s by a couple of thousands of a second, which proved he had the better car. In addition, Jeff would have been even faster in the clean air that Denny enjoyed.
- Jamie McMurray finished 2nd after starting on the pole, and he is 16th in the points for Ganassi/Earnhardt. This year, he has been strong in several races.
- Jimmie Johnson had his third DNF of the season - three WINS and three DNF’s. Jimmie was knocked out of the race when Almendinger slid across the track and hit him hard in the driver’s door. He had already been in the wall to get two ‘Darlington Stripes,’ and he received a ‘Lucky Dog’ pass to get back on the lead lap. Even after finishing 36th, he is still second in points.
PITT NOTE:
Good News! Those who believe in Jesus will not have a DNF! The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 1:6, “There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.” God is the One who starts the work of salvation, and He does not fail! He will “keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish.” DNF’s are the worst thing for race teams. After a crash, they work feverishly to repair their car in order to finish as many laps as possible. They hate to give up on finishing a race. Seldom has there been a Cup Champion with over three DNF’s in a season. Christians experience many ups and downs in life. They are frustrated in their inconsistency in living a life that shouts to the world that they believe in Jesus and that they continually experience peace and joy. This verse gives the answer. It is not our effort in trying to live the Christian life that will ‘keep us on the race track and out of the garage for repairs.’ It is the realization that God:
1) Starts the work in us
2) God will keep at it
3) God will bring our lives to a flourishing finish
4) It is a process that does not end until Jesus Himself appears!
How refreshing! How freeing! How wonderful this news! As we seek God everyday by reviewing and reminding ourselves of what the Gospel provides TODAY (not just on the day of death), we have our hearts tuned to what God is doing. Each believer receives the power and freedom to live in peace with God and as a testimony to others. We are blessed to know that when we have a sinful thought or action, we are not put ‘out of the race,’ because “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
God does not have DNF’s. This is ‘Good News’ for all who believe!
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May 3, 2010
RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
- Kyle Busch won the Cup race at Richmond plus both poles for the weekend. Kyle won when he passed Jeff Gordon with 5 laps to go coming out of Turn 2 on the restart with more momentum from having the outside lane on the restart. Kyle dominated the first part of the race by leading 219 of the first 229 laps. There were only nine cars still on the lead lap after the green flag pit stops between laps 150 and 157. When the caution came out on lap 160, ONLY those nine cars pitted and the 18 cars who were one lap down did not pass and received the “pass around” that allowed them to return to the lead lap. Just 10 laps later, a caution came out and all 27 lead lap cars pitted. All of those cars made changes to their set-ups. By lap 200, Kyle, while still in the lead, was complaining that his car was not as good as it had been. Kyle fell back in the pack until the caution flag flew with 25 cars remaining in the race. By this time, Jeff Gordon had built a 7-second lead, and Kyle had no chance unless there were several caution flags. Three cautions in the last 25 laps provided that opportunity; and, Kyle passed Jeff with 5 laps to go and pulled away for the win!
- Jimmie Johnson: Five in a Row? “One for the Thumb”? Chad Knaus, Crew Chief for Jimmie Johnson, stated that a lot of the #48 team’s success over the last four years has been because of the relationship between his team and the #24 team. He spoke of how the two teams are like one team in the race shop. At Richmond, a newspaper report told of a scientific study that indicates that superstars in any sport have an ‘intimidating factor’ that gives them an advantage. The report says that other competitors naturally give ‘allowances’ to those with great success, which gives a slight advantage, which leads to more victories. Donald Trump, Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods were among those mentioned, as was NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Senior. If you put these two reports together and see how Jeff Gordon has performed this year, it might indicate that the one person/team who may deny Jimmie and the #48 team ‘one for the thumb’ is the one by whom Jimmie was mentored, and has helped his team the most.
- For the third time in 2010, Jeff Gordon loses the race when leading with 5 laps to go. Jeff has led 131 more laps this season than any other driver. He has been a strong contender at some point in 7 of the past 10 races. It has just been at the very end of the races, where caution flags have taken away large leads and then the double file restarts have allowed others to win by different pit or restart strategy. In this case, the top 5 cars did not pit on the caution with 37 laps to go, while those from 6th position back did. Kyle was 8th at the time, but by the time the final green flag flew on lap 395, he was on the outside of Jeff with fresher tires. Jeff’s choice of the inside restart position gave him the preferred position for blocking, but Kyle was able to maintain his RPM’s and used the horsepower and fresher tires to pull away. Jeff’s other two losses with fewer than 5 laps to go were at Martinsville and Phoenix where he was leading on Green-White-Checkered restarts and lost.
PITT NOTE:
Jeff is 6th in the points’ race, 162 behind Kevin Harvick, and 152 behind Jimmie Johnson. If the Chase started today, he would be 40 behind Jimmie, with whom he has shown the most frustration this year, because Jimmie has won four times to his none. Jeff has voiced his displeasure with Jimmie and Matt Kenseth for their driving styles that he believes has cost him better finishes. However, he has been mostly ‘cool, calm, and collected,’ as we would say in the 1960’s of someone in control of their emotions. Jeff has run strong enough to win four of the first ten races, yet he is 6th in the points and winless.
I do not know what Jeff’s actual emotional state is; I only hear his comments on TV. However, his demeanor and words after the Richmond race reminded me of a sermon I preached at the track in Nazareth, PA at Busch (Nationwide) race in 1995. It was about how to “FLOW” in life, seeing the ‘big picture,’ instead of allowing your mood to be determined by the latest good or bad circumstance. The admonition was to: “F”…Fear Nothing, for the Bible tells us “Do not Fear” more than any other command. That includes not worrying. “L”…Love EVERYONE, for we are told that is the most important command of God after loving Him. Love is simply meeting someone’s need, which always requires honesty in dealing with people, not just ‘taking it’ from those who want to harm you. “O”…Oblige the Moment is the way we are to live. Accepting the reality of a current situation in our life, instead of dwelling on the “ifs” of life which removes the immediate frustration caused by disappointment. It allows us to move to solutions more quickly. It encourages us to analyze and avoid the same mistake in the future. Jesus told us to live and be thankful for today and tomorrow will take care of itself. Finally, the “W”…Worship the Lord. This is the key. In everything we are to “rejoice and be glad” for in Him we have our very being. In Him we find peace, comfort and joy in all things. When we acknowledge Christ in all things, win or lose, we are able to "FLOW" in life, instead of the emotional roller coaster we oftentimes experience.
Fear Nothing
Love Everyone
Oblige the Moment
Worship the Lord
CHECK OUT THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE - "TRUST GOD'S PROMISES, NOT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES" |
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April 27, 2010
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
- Kevin Harvick “noses” his way to a Talladega victory! The news of the week had many concerned at Richard Childress Racing (RCR), with Kevin’s sponsor, Shell, moving to Penske Racing at the end of 2010 and the possibility that Kevin would also leave the team. But, all was well at Richard Childress Racing (RCR) on Sunday. Kevin restarted third, behind leader Jamie McMurray, on the first ever third Green-White-Checkered attempt in the Cup Series, and he pushed his way to the eighth closest finish in the series’ history. On the final restart, Kevin pushed Jamie almost continually for 1¾ laps, and established a gap to the third place car of about ten car lengths. In the tri-oval, Kevin rubbed Jamie’s bumper just enough to cause him to wiggle. Kevin then pulled to the inside and beat Jamie by .011 seconds. This was his first win since the Daytona 500 in 2007. After the race, Jamie said that he was just hoping for a caution flag on the third Green-White-Checkered restart once the White flag came out, which would have given him the win at any point except the last few feet coming to the Start/Finish line.
- Talladega’s unique Start/Finish line location gave Harvick the opportunity for the win. Only at Talladega is the finish line NOT in the middle of the front stretch where the most fans have the opportunity to see the finish. At Talladega, the start/finish line is almost in the first turn; therefore, the tri-oval plays a bigger role in determining the winner than at any other track. Over the years, many winners would not have won if they had not had that extra ¼-mile to race.
- The new spoiler is not a ‘spoiler’ at Talladega; NASCAR hits a ‘home run.’ Restrictor plate racing is only 1/9th of the Cup season (4 of 36 points races), but it consumes separate whole divisions of race teams with separate budgets. The four restrictor plate races have historically been the most controversial, as special rules and inspections are used. NASCAR has tweaked the rules of these races over and over, many times between each race in a season; sometimes during the weekend of a race (they even considered lowering the size of the restrictor plate as late as this past week on Saturday night when the speeds approached 200 MPH). This was the first restrictor race with the spoiler on the cars, instead of the wing, that had been run for two years. The result? After years of trying, this was maybe the ‘perfect’ combination. From the beginning, the cars obviously handled better than in the past years. Two cars could out run a pack of eight or more. Pulling out to pass was not a death sentence. In my opinion, it was the best Talladega race since before restrictor plates. NASCAR got it right!
- Family Feud… the Jeff and Jimmie saga expands. After the race, Jeff Gordon said of his run-in with Jimmie, “It takes a lot to make me mad, but the 48 car is testing my patience…” With six laps to go, Jimmie was in the middle line and appeared to move down to block his teammate/partial owner who was obviously faster and moving toward the front. The ensuing checking up of cars to avoid Jimmie resulted in a crash that collected Jeff as he was forced to slow and move below the yellow line. This was the fourth race in a row that Jeff had a strong car only to have conflict with a driver and crash to some degree. Three times Jimmie has been involved. Jimmie’s day also ended in a crash, and he finished 31st.
- Denny Hamlin was once again impressive and finished 3rd after having one of the best cars all day. His recovery from surgery has been phenomenal but his avoiding hitting the wall and damaging his car when he did four complete loops coming out of Turn 4 on lap 74 gave him the opportunity to finish well.
- Dale Jr. finished 13th after restarting 6th on the last Green-White-Checkered flag. Once again, he was one of the strongest cars, but he chose the wrong line on the final restart and fell back.
- Michael Waltrip led the race twice and looked strong until he was taken out in a crash for which he blamed Kurt Busch with strong sarcasm.
- The first three finishers, Harvick, McMurray and Montoya finished on flumes as they coasted and drove on the apron of the track to conserve fuel when the planned 499 mile race was extended with three Green-White-Checkered restarts.
- Mark Martin (5th) was surprised to be the top finishing Hendrick team after riding in the back of the field for most of the day.
- There were 88 lead changes among 29 different drivers which sets the Cup record in both categories.
- One third of all the Alabama State Troopers were on site at the Speedway.
PITT NOTE:
Harvick seemed to be helping McMurray win the race by pushing him around the track. McMurray knew he needed the help, but also knew Harvick would pull out and try to win himself. When Harvick made his move, McMurray was not surprised and had chosen a line that he thought would protect the inside and force Harvick to the outside. But, Harvick’s move was sudden and decisive to the inside. The ensuing drag race from the tri-oval to the finish line was ‘too close to call,’ and McMurray was trying the ‘side draft’ maneuver that Harvick had used against Mark Martin to win his last race at Daytona in 2007. The move did not work, and McMurray settled for 2nd instead of actually running into Harvick and probably taking the win.
Many people live their lives the same way. Taking ‘help’ from any source for immediate gratification of their current need; and then they are hoping they can avoid any ramifications of that relationship that may harm them. The bottom line is a reliance on self instead of God. God is to be our source for all things, at all times. His assistance is always from absolute truth and with total desire for our good. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” His ways are not our ways; His ways are full of grace, hope and love. Those who surrender their will and way to His will always find peace, comfort and joy, even when the results are not pleasing. Let Him have control today in all you do.
CHECK OUT THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE -"HOW MUCH DOES GOD CONTROL?" |
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April 20, 2010
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
- Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch both won on Monday in Texas for Joe Gibbs Racing! Rain on Saturday and Sunday delayed the Nationwide and Cup races, so 801 miles were run on Monday. Denny restarted second with 17 laps to go and moved around Jeff Burton (who had come from 30th after a pit road violation) on the restart. He was not challenged during the last 17 laps; even though, he took only right side tires on his last pit stop with 24 laps to go. Jimmie Johnson was bearing down on him after restarting fifth and being the first car with four new tires, but he could not overcome his advantage with so few laps to go. The win was Denny’s second in the last three races and this came just 19 days after knee surgery. Kyle’s win in the Nationwide race was his 5th straight Nationwide race win at Texas. He joins only Dale Earnhardt and Jack Ingram with the record at having won five in a row at a single track.
- A Talladega style “Big One” (location of this week’s race) with 19 laps to go takes out the dominant cars of Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart along with seven other teams. On the restart with 19 laps to go, everyone ‘went for it.’ After taking only two tires, five cars were leading and there was four-wide racing in the 1st turn and again in the 3rd and 4th turns. Tony took the blame for the crash, after he and Jeff had led 285 of the total laps. In his interview, Tony expressed his apologies to all the drivers, teams and the fans of the cars his error took out of the race. He spoke especially to Jeff Gordon, whom he addressed as ‘a teammate’ since Hendrick provides the engines, chassis and technical support of his and Ryan Newman’s cars. After a 19-minute red flag, Mark Martin, Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle all pitted for tires; they moved back to the front and finished 5th, 6th, and 10th respectively.
- Some Track Dryer Facts (from Jayski.com).
*8 ServiceMaster Clean jet dryers were used to dry the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval.
*A ServiceMaster Clean jet dryer will operate 50 minutes on full tank of fuel. *The minimum time it takes to dry a 1.5 mile track after a significant rainfall is 150 minutes.
*175 gallons of fuel is needed to fill the tank of a ServiceMaster Clean jet dryer
*There are 4,500 ServiceMaster Clean franchise locations around the world.
*There was 20,000 gallons of jet fuel available on the Texas Motor Speedway premises for use in track drying efforts. (ServiceMaster)(4-18-2010)
- According to Kyle Busch, the spoiler made a difference for the first time in a race. After finishing 3rd in the Sprint Cup race, Kyle indicated that he and his crew chief had concluded that their frustration during the race (mid-way he suggested on the radio that they forget a good finish and just use the second half of the race as a test session) was caused by the set-up they used being suited for the car with a wing on the trunk instead of the new spoiler.
- Dale Jr. fans cheered his passing for the lead early in the race, but he was passed by teammates Johnson and Gordon soon after that. Dale finished 8th after restarting 3rd with 17 laps to go.
- Teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson provided the most controversy during the race, as they sparred with each other for several laps. Each made ‘runs’ on the other on lap 124, and both were nudging the other either in the side or in the rear until Jimmie suffered a cut tire and had to pit. Each expressed ‘disappointment’ with the other after the race. Neither one thought that they were at fault and that the other one had “started it.” Johnson’s crew chief expressed that it was wonderful that both drivers are ‘stallions’ and not ‘old mules.’
PITT NOTE:
Jeff and Jimmie followed their statements of ‘disappointment’ in each other with assurance that they would discuss their points of view privately and would come away as friends as they were prior to the incident. Quite a contrast to the proclamations we have heard many times when similar run-ins happened on the track. (Which was completely different from the comments between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski after the Atlanta race.) NASCAR is known for the weekly calls between drivers who had ‘problems’ during the race. They honestly express their displeasure with the other driver’s actions, sometimes they get an apology, but mostly they just air their frustrations so they can have peace, since they have to deal with the same driver again next week.
What they do is very close to the ‘conflict resolution’ instructions given in Matthew 18:15-17. "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
This is not just ‘great advice.’ It is actually the command of Jesus as to how two believers are to restore relationships that have been strained because of either purposeful or unintentional sin that affects the other person. It involves simple, honest, and hopefully calm presentation of the facts as seen by each one, and then agreement to the fault. There is not even a restitution factor involved (just as no owner ever replaces a car destroyed by the error of his driver). Why? Because restored relationships that allow for fellow believers to walk in peace together are more valuable than the replacement cost of any material thing.
Taking another view and application of the passage also reveals how Jesus deals with each of us. We have all sinned against Him. He calls upon each of us to face the facts of our sin against God and confess our sin to Him. Once we do that, and repent of our determination to be ‘right’ and ‘justified’ in our own way of trying to be accepted by God, then we have a restored relationship with God that is eternal. However, failure to listen to God’s revelation of our personal sin against him will result in an eternity apart from the love of God in a place made not for man, but for Satan. Heaven or Hell, only two eternal abodes. Please respond to the confrontation from God about your sin against Him and receive His forgiveness today.
CHECK OUT THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE - "UNCONDITIONAL FORGIVENESS" |
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April 13, 2010
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
- Ryan Newman wins from the inside restart position on two tires at Phoenix. Kyle Busch was 2.5 seconds ahead when Scott Riggs blew a tire and hit the wall with two laps remaining, which allowed NASCAR to have yet another Green-White-Checkered finish. The night before in the Nationwide race, the same had happened with four laps to go and Kyle won when he took four tires and promptly raced for the lead on the restart. This time, however, SEVEN cars decided to take only two tires, relegating Kyle to the 9th starting position with the other dominate driver of the race, Jimmie Johnson, in 8th. Jeff Gordon was the first off pit road with two tires, and he chose to restart on the outside which had been the preferred restart position all night. Ryan’s tires gripped, while Jeff spun his wheels on the restart, and Ryan beat him to the first turn and the race was over. Jimmie made it to 3rd, but Kyle was hung up in traffic and only made it to 8th, after the two drivers each led 113 laps of the race. This was Ryan’s first win as Tony Stewart’s teammate; his first win in 78 races and the first time ever that a car with the 39 number had won a NASCAR Cup race. It is the 103rd different number to win a race in NASCAR’s history.
- Robby Gordon moves into the Top 35 and will not have to qualify for the next race. Travis Kvapil blew his engine and finished 36th, while Robby finished 14th. This moved Robby 7 points ahead of Travis in Owner’s Points.
- This year, the Phoenix race added 63 laps in order to finish under the lights. The additional laps allowed for the last hour of the race to be under the lights. In past years, the race started later and the final hour was under lights, but with NASCAR’s standard start time being 7:30 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time), the race would have finished before sunset at the former length.
- A. J. Almendinger won the first pole in over 11 years in the #43 Petty car. He finished 15th.
- Hendrick cars finished 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 8th, PLUS 1st and 10th, when you add the Stewart/Hass relationship for engines and tech support.
- Roush, Hendrick, and Childress all have three cars in the Top 12 in points.
- Just ten days after knee surgery, Denny Hamlin drove the entire race.
PITT NOTE:
Twenty-four hours before Kyle Busch refused to talk to anyone after the Cup race, he had been all smiles and full of things to say in Victory Circle for the Nationwide race. His crew chief had made a ‘great call’ with four laps to go and put four tires on his car, allowing him to pass the two cars that had taken only two tires. A day later, the same choice relegated the best car at the end of the race to an eight place finish. The song says, “What a difference a day makes…” Kyle’s crew chief was monitoring Jimmie Johnson’s and Jeff Gordon’s communications as they entered the pits, and he heard each of their strategies of four and two tires respectively. They also heard Ryan overrule his crew chief and call for two tires. However, Jimmie had been Kyle’s only competition for most of the race, so he made his call for four tires based on Jimmie’s call, which matched the winning strategy just 24 hours before.
What was not anticipated was that five more teams would join Jeff and Ryan in taking two tires, therefore, putting four rows of cars to pass in a mere two laps to take the win. All were slower cars, but with better positions than Kyle. So Kyle refused interviews when he got out of the car.
Two observations - Kyle showed his frustration in the right way. Getting out of the car and giving the politically correct (for NASCAR) answer, “It’s just racing, we’ll get’um next week,” would not have been honest to his feelings. By God’s design, any and every ‘loss’ hurts or at least disappoints us emotionally. When your profession involves determining a ‘winner,’ this is even truer. There are weeks when a driver gets “everything he can out of his car,” and he is satisfied with the results. However, he will express his displeasure at the team meeting that ‘everything’ was not ‘enough.’ When the car was ‘enough’ and circumstances deny him the win, the ‘hurt’ can be overwhelming. The feeling of “what else can we do,” or the statement “it’s useless to even try or care” may come to mind. The thought of “it’s not fair” overtakes many times.
Kyle’s quick exit and silence was correct; he was not in the top three finishers, and therefore, he had no obligation with NASCAR to give an interview. The Bible tells us to “be angry and sin not,” and to “not let the sun go down on our anger.” When you do all you can do, and the results are less than you anticipated, you should be angry. “Not sinning” in those times starts with silence instead of “let me tell you one thing,” and then “another thing…” Control of the tongue is paramount according to the Apostle James. Reflection before speaking does not change the past hurt, but it can definitely positively influence the future and avoid further hurt.
A second lesson, we can only control what we do, and the choices of others will mess up our strategy at times. If only four cars had taken two tires, Kyle or Jimmie would have won. Seven chose two, and their strategy was doomed. Scripture tells us in Ecclesiastes that there is a “proper procedure for every matter.” This is our part; consider all the information you have and make the best call you can. Then it says, “time and change happen to all men.” This is God’s part. We are to acknowledge that “His ways are not our ways,” and we are to ask that “His will, not ours, be done.” This strategy allows us to compete with all our mind, soul and spirit, and be sure that “all things work together to the good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.” This allows for the immediate human disappointment of failure, and the long term satisfaction that God’s love covers all we do.
CHECK OUT THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE - "WHY DO CHRISTIAN AVOID EXPRESSIONS OF ANGER?" |
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March 30, 2010
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
- Denny Hamlin’s “surgical” moves win at Martinsville on the day he was supposed to have knee surgery. In addition, the Joe Gibbs Racing team of Joey Logano finished 2nd to give the company their seventh all-time 1-2 finish and their 78th win overall. Denny was to have surgery on Monday on his ACL that he tore last December; but instead of recovering in a hospital room, he was celebrating in Victory Circle. He, along with Jeff Burton, dominated the race until Jeff had a flat tire and hit the wall. Denny was leading the race with seven laps to go when he pitted on the last caution and fell to 9th on the restart. However, with Jeff Gordon only 30 yards from the white flag, the final caution occurred. The Green-White-Checkered restart allowed Denny to restart on the second row. Denny nosed Ryan Newman out of the way on the restart. Then, going into Turn 3, Jeff wrecked Matt Kenseth. Denny got past both of them and took the checkered flag. All 43 cars were running at the end of the race.
- Have you ever wondered about the finances in NASCAR? Jayski.com reported the following from Forbes.com this week.
• Highest paid NASCAR drivers:
#88 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. is NASCAR's highest paid driver for a second straight year with earnings of $30 million in 2009. For the past two years, Earnhardt has had little racing success, with only one win at the track. He finished a disappointing 25th in the Sprint Cup standings last year, but he was voted NASCAR's most popular driver for a seventh straight year. Forbe's earnings estimates include salaries, endorsements and the drivers' share of track winnings and licensing income. Earnhardt's immense popularity translates into big dollars in each of these areas outside of track winnings. "NASCAR needs Dale Jr. to be competitive, because he is so closely associated with the success of the sport. [As] go the fortunes of Junior, so goes NASCAR," says Ardy Arani, managing director of Atlanta-based Championship Group, a motor sports marketing consultancy.
The top 10 list from Forbes.com:
No. 1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnings: $30 million
No. 2 Jeff Gordon: Earnings: $27 million
No. 3 Jimmie Johnson: Earnings: $23 million
No. 4 Tony Stewart: Earnings: $19 million
No. 5 Carl Edwards: Earnings: $14 million
No. 6 Kevin Harvick: Earnings: $13 million
No. 7 (tie) Kyle Busch: Earnings: $12 million
No. 7 (tie) Kasey Kahne: Earnings: $12 million
No. 9 (tie) Matt Kenseth: Earnings: $11 million
No. 9 (tie) Mark Martin: Earnings: $11 million
(full article and more at Forbes.com)(3-25-2010)
• Hendrick Motorsports is still deemed most valuable:
Forbes reports that the average NASCAR Sprint Cup team generated $92 million in revenue last year, a drop of 4%. Teams were hurt by a 19% decline in NASCAR licensing revenue. According to License Global Magazine, total retail sales of licensed merchandise in 2009 was $1.63 billion compared to $2 billion the prior year. The economic down-turn and a saturated licensing market helped spur the decline. Another factor was the near bankruptcy of the leading NASCAR merchandise company Motorsports Authentics. Despite the revenue drop, the average operating income (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) for the top teams was flat at $7 million. Teams have trimmed budgets by reducing head count, tracking inventory more closely and cutting travel budgets. One area that has not yet been affected are the drivers’ salaries--but those cuts will come once contracts start to expire.
NASCAR's top team remains Hendrick Motorsports which is worth $350 million, the same as last year. They are the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Lakers and the Manchester United rolled into one. They dominate on and off the track with the best drivers (home to the top three finishers in the 2009 Sprint Cup) and the most popular racers (three of the four best-selling drivers for licensed merchandise). Hendrick Motorsports is worth 47% more than the second most valuable team, Roush Fenway Racing. The gap in value between the two top teams is similar to baseball with the Yankees (64% more valuable than the Mets) and ManU in soccer (38% more than Real Madrid).
Hendrick is the sports leader when it comes to sponsorship revenues, thanks to the success and popularity of its drivers. The four Hendrick cars generate an estimated $115 million in sponsorship revenue annually (from DuPont, Go Daddy, Lowe's, the National Guard and PepsiCo). Hendrick cars have the highest budgets in NASCAR, but the huge sponsorship haul allowed Hendrick to turn an operating profit of $20 million last year, the highest in the sport. The value of Stewart-Haas has risen 23% to $98 million, which ranks seventh overall. It is one of only three teams to see an increase in value over last year.
• Top NASCAR Teams:
No. 1: Hendrick Motorsports, Current value: $350 million, One-year value change: none
No. 2: Roush Fenway Racing, Current value: $238 million, One-year value change: -12%
No. 3: Richard Childress Racing, Current value: $153 million, One-year value change: -8%
No. 4: Joe Gibbs Racing, Current value: $144 million, One-year value change: none
No. 5: Richard Petty Motorsports, Current value: $124 million, One-year value change: -6%
No. 6: Penske Racing, Current value: $110 million, One-year value change: -1%
No. 7: Stewart-Haas Racing, Current value: $98 million, One-year value change: 23%
No. 8: Michael Waltrip Racing, Current value: $88 million, One-year value change: -12%
No. 9: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, Current value: $71 million, One-year value change: 1%
No. 10: Red Bull Racing Team, Current value: $59 million, One-year value change: 7%
(See more at Forbes.com)(3-25-2010)
PITT NOTE:
Denny Hamlin was expected to be one of, if not the biggest, obstacle to Jimmie Johnson winning his fifth straight championship. In the 2009 Chase, Denny’s performance and the history of Joe Gibbs Racing gave rise to speculation that he was the best ‘hope’ to unseat Jimmie. Denny’s off-season injury to his ACL threatened to sideline him for the first few races; but, he said he could delay the repair to the end of the season. He drove the first five races in pain. On the Thursday before Martinsville, he announced on the Fox and Friends Show that he would indeed endure the pain for the good of the team and his dream of winning the championship. Two days later, he had succumbed to the pain. He acknowledged the sound advice that getting the surgery now would accomplish what was best for his career long term and his quality of life long after his career ended.
So, Denny wins his last race before surgery, and Jimmie moves into first place in the 2010 points race. If Denny cannot get into his car at Phoenix and take at least one lap before climbing out and putting a substitute driver in, his hope of replacing Jimmie at the head table in Las Vegas in December is over. The surgery is now scheduled for Wednesday, which places real doubt he will be able to start on Saturday night in Phoenix. So, Casey Mears will substitute for Denny, and the #11 car will essentially be running for the Owner’s Championship and not the Driver’s Championship for the rest of the year. Such a split championship has happened in both the Nationwide and Truck Series, but never the Cup.
Denny’s attempt to endure the pain and delay surgery until a ‘more convenient time’ that would not interrupt his plans is common to all of us. It is especially true spiritually. Every man is ‘injured’ in that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” As we are very aware at Easter, Jesus voluntarily gave his life as the substitute payment on the cross for our sins. However, three days later, Jesus arose from the grave, having been victorious over sin and the penalty of sin. The life He now has for eternity, He provides to all who embrace by faith the ‘surgery’ He performed on sin. Denny agreed to the surgery that will give him opportunity to race for years and allow him to live a full life after racing. Embracing by faith the truth of our sin and what Jesus has done for us (i.e. The Gospel) will give us peace and joy for the remaining years here on earth and for eternity in Heaven. Not a bad exchange for simple faith. Embrace the Truth this Easter!
CHECK OUT THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE -"WHY DID CHRIST HAVE TO DIE?" |
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March 9,2010
ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
- Kurt Busch ‘unwinds’ (his reverse victory lap celebration) at Atlanta for the second year in a row. The Penske driver and his new crew chief, Steve Addington, won the fourth Cup race of the season. Kurt ran well in the first three races, but he was not able to ‘finish the deal’ for a variety of reasons. This time, Kurt had to overcome two Green-White-Checkered restarts to make it to Victory Circle. Kasey Kahne led the most laps for the race, but he fell to 4th on the final restart. Montoya finished 3rd after spinning his tires on the last restart when Kurt restarted the race about 40 feet sooner than he had been doing on restarts (the leader on a restart can restart the race at any point between a line on the wall and the start/finish line, and the second place car must not cross the line before him or he will be black flagged).
On the first attempt at a Green-White-Checkered finish, there was an eight car pile-up going into Turn 3; most of those cars were in the top 10 when the crash began.
- With six laps to go, Carl Edwards created the need for the ‘overtime’ when he deliberately crashed Brad Keselowski. Brad forced Carl up on the first turn banking and into Joey Logano. Carl’s car ended up in the garage on lap 41 of the race and stayed there for repairs for many laps. Carl and Brad have been involved in controversy in Cup and Nationwide races for the past three years, and they have rubbed each other (on purpose) several times on the track. This time, Edwards tried to slide into the side of Brad the lap before but missed. He clearly turned right and into Brad’s rear quarter panel at the Tri-oval, which caused Brad’s car to flip, hit the track and wall simultaneously, before turning back over on its wheels. NASCAR promptly ‘parked’ Carl and had him report to the NASCAR office. On his way, Carl responded to a reporter’s question of his intent. He said, “Brad knows the deal between us; the scary part was that he got airborne, which was not at all what I expected. I’m glad he is OK; maybe he and I will not have any more incidents…” Carl admitted that he had intentionally wrecked Brad. When he was told that he was being parked for the rest of the race, he was on the front straight-away and turned onto the Legend’s track at Turn 1 which took him onto Pit Road. This made him enter Pit Road going the wrong way, and he continued until he got to the garage. Pit Road was not open at the time, and no cars were coming down the lane; however, it was a very dangerous situation.
What will NASCAR do? We should find out today if Carl will receive fines and penalties; but, history says this could be BIG, or basically overlooked! ‘Pay backs’ have been a part of NASCAR from the beginning. As a chaplain in the 90’s, several times I talked to drivers about not retaliating (some worked, one definitely did not). At that time, it was common to know before you arrived at Martinsville, Bristol, Phoenix or Loudon who was ‘out to get’ someone else; and, it generally happened as predicted at one of these four ‘slower’ tracks. If there is a fine (and there was not one after Homestead last November when Denny Hamlin admitted he intentionally wrecked Brad also), one unique requirement would be interesting. What if NASCAR required Carl to pay Roger Penske for the replacement of Brad’s car, or maybe Roger should require Brad to pay for it? In addition, there was the driving the wrong way on Pit Road. Just last year, NASCAR gave a crewman a four-week suspension for going into the infield to get a tire, which required them to throw a caution and influence the outcome of the race. There was also the incident where Kevin Harvick was suspended for a Cup race because he parked his truck in front of the NASCAR office after he was black flagged in a Martinsville race.
In the off-season, NASCAR announced that they were going to let the drivers ‘police themselves.’ This situation will definitely challenge their thinking; as this could have involved injury to fans if Brad’s car had hit the fence, which it almost did. In the end, it may just be the driving the wrong way on pit road that is ‘policed,’ as that act was not toward another driver, but to NASCAR itself.
- Richard Petty Motorsports placed cars in the 4th, 5th and 6th finishing positions. This is the third of four races this season that the team has had at least two teams running well in the race.
- Tires were a problem for at least nine teams. Goodyear suggested it was caused by either debris on the track that cut two of the tires that were on wrecked cars, or that teams had been too aggressive on ‘camber’ in the front tires, causing excessive wear and/or heat. During the first three races of the season, Goodyear was praised for changing the tires. They were given credit for the improved racing on the track. In NASCAR, there is always ‘someone else’ that can be blamed for just about every failure. That’s “just racing.”
- Jimmie Johnson ONLY finished 12th… but once again two caution flags happened at ‘just the right time’ to give him time to make changes and avoid going a lap down.
PITT NOTE:
Racing is a sport; it is entertainment, and controversy ‘sells.’ Having ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ sells tickets and t-shirts. It captures TV time and provides lively discussions on radio shows. The ‘heroes’ of the sport also teach values to youth by how they handle tough, emotional situations. Their fans live vicariously through them; and sadly, they find more excitement in defending or condemning a driver for a bad action on one day of the week (Sunday), than they do about anything in their lives on the other six days of the week.
NASCAR may come down hard and suspend Carl, or they may not. Denny Hamlin admitted he retaliated in Homestead, and he did miss the next race (Daytona). The only difference here is a car that flipped and could have hurt a fan.
So, how do we see the Gospel of Jesus in any of this? 1) God is not like NASCAR! Whatever decision NASCAR makes, as far as punishment, will possibly be inconsistent with something they did in the past in a similar situation. God is always just, fair and consistent in his judgment of sin. Jesus became sin for us and experienced the wrath of God on sin. 2) There is no defending ourselves by comparing ourselves with what someone else did to us. There is no such thing as ‘paybacks’ in our relationship with God. He is Love, and He loves us. He never seeks to hurt us or ‘get back at us.’ He is forgiving, and he forgets. We will only experience punishment for our sins, if we reject the gift of God, which is life eternal and abundant. 3) God will not react emotionally to something we do against Him, and act out of His character in a moment of ‘losing it.’ He will not get more and more upset as he waits for his car to be repaired, and then return to just ‘get us.’ He will come to us, speak clearly to us about what we did wrong, and then press us to confess our sin and repent of doing it again. 4) God will never forsake us. Regardless of how gross our sin, how embarrassing our actions, or how immature we act, God invites us to live in His Grace.
There are more lessons, but the foundation of them all is that, to varying degrees; we all act like Carl and Brad because we have a sinful, human nature. God seeks our rebirth as a ‘new man,’ whose life is the life of Jesus. Finally, Jesus, the God-man who turned the other cheek, who gave more than asked when others asked unfair things of him, is the only Hero that can be trusted and followed.
The Good News is that we no longer ‘fight’ our own battles! We simply preach the gospel to ourselves each day, and God’s Spirit will direct our path away from evil and revenge into Joy, Peace, and Love.
CHECK OUT THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE -"DIDN'T PAUL SAY ALL THINGS ARE LAWFUL?" |
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March 3, 2010
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
- Gordon dominates, but Johnson WINS!
Jeff Gordon crossed the start/finish line for the 202nd time on pit road where he took two tires in order to be on the front row on the restart as he rightly figured that other teams would take two tires. He had the ‘clean air’ that was so important, and he had nine ‘wave around cars’ (cars that stay on the track to get a lap back under the new double file restart rule) to contend with. However, the only car that really could spoil his dominance was his teammate, Jimmie Johnson, who took four tires and still restarted 4th. The difference in the wear of those two tires that Jeff did not change was only five laps, but that was HUGE in the remaining laps. Jimmie passed Kevin Harvick, who restarted 2nd in the 1st turn, and then passed Jeff for the lead 17 laps later. Jeff fell all the way to 3rd as Kevin, who also took four tires, passed Jeff. Kyle Busch may have been the only car that could have competed with the Hendrick cars; but, he finished 15th after serving a penalty for speeding on pit road on the last pit stop.
- OVERVIEW (after three 2010 races)
The racing has been great! Finishing in the Top 15 at Las Vegas were four Hendrick cars (Tony Stewart runs Hendrick engines), three Childress cars, three Roush, two Gibbs, two Waltrip and one Petty car. In the Top 15 in points are five Hendrick cars (Tony again), three Childress, three Roush, two Gibbs, one Ganassi and one Waltrip. All three races have had record or near record numbers of lead changes. The outcome has been in doubt at the end, even with various cars dominating at times during the race. NASCAR has responded to the fans and teams to give drivers more opportunity to really race. NASCAR has been in the background and not very much of a conversation item after the races. Jimmie Johnson has won twice, but two Childress cars are in 1st and 2nd in the points. Let’s hope this continues.
- ENCOURAGED
Richard Childress Racing, with 1st, 2nd and 7th places in the points, is the most improved overall operation. Richard Petty cars have performed well in each race, and Kasey Kahne is 9th in the points. Ganassi Racing won the Daytona 500 for the first time. Joey Logano, in only his “sophomore year,” is the top Gibbs car in the points. NASCAR has hit a home run in the Nationwide Series with Danica Patrick; look for her to be in the Cup Series next year.
- A little NERVOUS
Newman and Ambrose are 32nd and 33rd in the points, with only two races remaining until the 2010 Top 35 in points determines who is guaranteed entry in each race. Both drivers were in the top 17 in 2009 year-end points, but they were out of the top 35 for this season until good runs at Las Vegas, but another bad run for either in the next 2 races could mean they will have to make races on their qualifying times. Dale Jr. qualified well in two of the three races and finished 2nd at Daytona; however, Fontana and Las Vegas looked more like 2009 than a fresh start in the new decade. Brian Vickers, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya and Ryan Newman all made the 2009 Chase, and currently are 18th, 19th, 22nd, 23rd, 26th and 32nd respectively. There is plenty of time for all to recover and make the Chase…but they are nervous!
PIT NOTE:
Jeff Gordon had more fans than ever at Las Vegas as Jimmie Johnson approached for the pass that would give him his 2nd win of the season. The ‘anybody but Johnson’ fans were out in force and cheering for whoever was ahead of Johnson. Never mind that the race was between Hendrick teammates, at least NASCAR would have an ‘underdog’ winner if Johnson could just be held back. Americans like a person who works hard and gains success, but then they want another person to overtake and replace that person by working harder to gain success. Many fans do not acknowledge that the #48 car is anything but ‘lucky,’ as Jimmie mysteriously seems to be near the top of the chart, if not the ultimate winner, week after week.
Many people take this same view of life, reward and punishment is their relationship with God. They see themselves as ‘underdogs’ as they compare themselves with others. Being an underdog in this life, they believe God owes them better on the ‘other side’ based solely on their current circumstances. Others believe that working hard at living a ‘good’ life” with pure intentions will bring the ultimate success, Heaven.
While we are all ‘under dogs;’ we will never be righteous by what we can do to satisfy the holiness of God and therefore need someone else to be our substitute, the emotional angle that causes people to pull for the ‘underdog’ would be misdirected. The verse (Romans 3:23), “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” is the factual position of every human being. It is an emotional realization only in the sadness of the reality that everyone is both born with a nature that will sin against God, and that every individual will also desire and choose to sin against God. It then becomes the natural inclination to try to “do good works” to ‘win’ either a place with the Divine eternally, or to find ‘joy’ on earth while here. In contrast, Paul says in Galatians 3:15 that a person is only “justified by faith, not works.” Justification means that God looks at us ‘just as if we have NEVER sinned,’ and ‘just as if we have ALWAYS obeyed.’ God promises to declare us righteous (as if we never sinned, always obeyed) if we have faith in His promised Redeemer, Jesus.
It is not an emotional tie to an ‘underdog;’ and it is not a scale that weighs our good and bad works in life that ‘wins’ us a place in Heaven. It is simple faith in Jesus that gives joy, comfort and meaning to this life now, and for eternity.
CHECK OUT THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE - "WHO'S GOING TO HEAVEN?" |
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February 23, 2010
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY
-Jimmie Johnson wins for 48th time, 5th time at Auto Club Speedway, with a ‘comeback’ after Daytona for a fourth straight year. In 2007, he finished 39th in Daytona and 3rd in California. In 2008, 27th and 2nd, 31st and 9th in 2009, and 35th and 1st this year…and he won the Cup Series Championship each of those other years. Chad Knaus, Jimmie’s crew chief, said that at noon each Monday after the race everything about the previous race is forgotten. The ‘bad’ (35th a week ago) and the ‘good’ (1st this week) are behind them. It is all about the next race. They learn what they can from the ‘bad’ and move on. They celebrate the ‘good’ and move on. That is their ‘secret’ to their four straight championships. They were within two car lengths of being a lap down when the last caution came out with them on pit road. Under the old NASCAR rules, they would have been at best 18th in line on the restart. However, with the tweaking NASCAR made in the off season, they were leading the race and had their choice of starting on inside or outside. They made bold changes to their suspension on the pit stop, and took extra time in the pits in order to have the best run on the track. They could have panicked, but they did not. At the same time, Jeff Burton could have run a little faster on the track and beaten Johnson to the line instead of being 2/100’s of a second behind him. NASCAR would not have noticed that minute speed difference, and Johnson would not have won. Some claimed he was lucky, but the facts show that the #48 team simply followed the rules, kept focus on their own “game,’ and benefited by doing everything a little better than everyone else.
- Richard Childress Racing is BACK!! Their three teams finished 2nd, 3rd and 8th in California, after running equally well in Daytona. In fact, both Bowyer and Harvick could have easily won both races this year. All three teams have led this year, and they will be factors in the Chase based on the performance we have seen so far.
- Goodyear praised for bringing tires with more grip. Comments from several drivers indicate that racing in 2010 will be the best in years because Goodyear is doing extra testing and taking the advice of the drivers who did the testing at the various tracks. The key seems to be a change to softer compounds in the rubber, which gives more grip at the beginning of runs. The tires do wear down in fewer laps, which places the emphasis on the ‘handling’ of the cars. This, in turn, gives the drivers and crew chiefs more determination in the outcome, as their communication skills become even more critical.
- Joey Logano finished in the top 5 for the fourth time in his career after he and his crew chief had what he termed ‘a heart to heart’ after Daytona. Joey is being more definite about what he ‘feels’ in the car. The ultimate relationship between the driver and crew chief is what Chad said about himself and Jimmie, “It’s a trust thing; we don’t second guess each other.”
- Points are already being discussed…but those with the fewest, not the most points. Being in the Top 35 of Owner Points is the most important accomplishment during the first five races of each season. NASCAR rules guarantee the top 35 will be in the next race, regardless of how badly they qualify. The top 35 from the previous season are guaranteed a spot in the first five races of a season; but at the 6th race in Bristol, the top point getters in the first five races of the current season get the spots. After two races, this would mean that Ryan Newman, who was in the Chase last year, would have to start qualifying on time, as well as Marcus Ambrose who was 17th in 2009. Both of these drivers have had mechanical problems in the first two races, with Ambrose having blown engines in both races. Also, in trouble, is the #26 car which ‘bought’ the points of the Roush team that they had to close because of NASCAR’s limit of four teams per owner.
PIT NOTE:
The ‘big picture’ is the Championship. Every team knows that and talks about it; however, the #48 team lives it. When Chad said “at noon on Monday the past race is behind us,” I think he revealed his teams’ advantage. “Living in the past” assures us of failing to get the most out of the present. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3: 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Over my many years in churches, I have heard numerous testimonies about Christians’ past lives. It seems that the worse their life was before they became a Christian, the more people like to hear their story. Many come to the point of ‘glorying’ in how they used to be, instead of emphasizing the glory of God in their present life. Others are so teary in revealing how much they appreciate God for forgiving their past, that they never tell what He is doing in their life TODAY. When I pastored a church, I called on the congregation to tell how God had blessed them ‘in the last two weeks.’ I wanted to hear the current stories of God’s blessings, not the past. I wanted people to be aware of God’s power in their day to day lives, not telling about their past victories like old racers do with ‘bench racing.’
The ‘goal’ to which Paul refers to in the 14th verse, and which he “pressed on toward” was sanctification, being like Christ. Sanctification is by faith; faith comes by hearing the truth of God’s Word through reading it, hearing it, studying it, and meditating on it. It does not come by talking and thinking about your good or bad. It is all about Jesus. It is the Good News of who Jesus is, what He did for us, what He provides for us, and how He empowers us. It is all about Him, and nothing about us. The ‘pressing on’ we do is not done through our own works of righteousness for Him to approve and us to have pride in. When we truly ‘press on’ we ‘preach the Gospel to ourselves daily.’ Take a lesson from the #48 team; daily forget the good and bad of your own actions from the previous day, and think only of Jesus.
CHECK OUT THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE - "HELD BY THE GRIP OF GOD" |
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February 15, 2010
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
- The Duel 150 qualifying races on Thursday were won by Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne; they took the 2nd and 3rd starting positions for the Daytona 500. Both races ended with side-by-side finishes with a total of 2/100th of a second between 1st and 2nd place (in both races). There were only four open spots in the 500 to be determined, all the rest were racing for their starting position and pit locations. When the right combination of cars finished the second race in the correct order for Michael Waltrip, he was the final driver to know he was in the 500.
- NASCAR changes the Green-White-Checkered procedure in response to the end of the Bud Shootout. In another quick response by NASCAR to the desires of fans to have all races end under a green flag, NASCAR announced they would have a maximum of three restart attempts prior to the White Flag under NASCAR's Green-White-Checkered flag finish procedures. If the caution flag comes out on the final lap and the leader has not taken the white flag, the race will be restarted again, up to three times, before not ending under green. If there is a caution flag during the final lap and the leader has taken the white flag, the field will be frozen to determine the finishing order.
- Pavement problem delays race and puts the Daytona 500 finish under the lights. Three Richard Petty Racing cars (Kahne, Sadler, and Allmendinger) and two Richard Childress Racing cars (Harvick, Bowyer) were the dominant five cars in the first two thirds of the 200 laps of the Daytona 500. During this portion of the race, there had been 19 different leaders, making 34 lead changes, with these five leading the most laps. This record number of passes for the lead, even with the cars spread out more, was more than expected. However, with the track temperature dropping 30+ degrees from the start of the race, the grip in the track was enhanced and the last 40 laps produced much closer racing. The cars had spread out during the hours with the sunshine; once darkness fell the close side-by-side racing expected at restrictor plate tracks returned. With just over 70 laps to go, the first red flag came out so the crew could repair the large pot hole in the track, causing over an hour “break” time. Once the race resumed and with 40 laps to go, the two Joe Gibbs (Hamlin and Busch) cars, two Roush cars (Edwards and Biffle) and two Hendrick cars (Gordon and Earnhardt) had moved to the lead pack. The other two Hendrick cars had started 1st and 3rd but were in 16th and 17th positions as the caution flag slowed the race for the recurring problem with the pavement. The second red flag to repair the hole again was removed with 32 laps to go and three additional drivers led the race during those laps for a combined total of 22 different leaders and 18 more lead changes in just 32 laps. Cautions ensued. On the first Green-White-Checkered flag, Harvick was 4th and his 1st place teammate, Clint Bowyer, chose to start on the outside in order to help Harvick. Harvick immediately dove to the bottom of the track, and all of the first eight cars banged against one another like you generally see at a much slower track (like Martinsville). This left the two Childress drivers 3rd and 4th on the second attempt at the G-W-C, and Harvick 1st and Bowyer 8th on the final one. On the final of the three Green-White-Checkered restarts, Kevin Harvick was leading and chose to restart on the inside with Carl Edwards behind him in 3rd. Jamie McMurray was on the outside with Greg Biffle behind him as a partner. Two laps later Jamie was on his knees in disbelief and gratitude, kissing the Daytona 500 sign on the infield grass, while Harvick was 7th. In fact, of the eight top starters on the last restart, three fell out of the top 8. Meanwhile, Dale Jr. finished 2nd after restarting 11th, and had been back in 22nd on the first restart!
- Jamie McMurray wins the longest (520 mile) Daytona 500 in history! NASCAR’s commitment to providing fans with a green flag finish was put to the test the very first weekend of the new policy. Jamie won on the third Green-White-Checkered attempt, which added eight laps to the race (20 miles) and after two red flags delayed racing over two hours to repair a pot hole in the first turn. Jamie was in tears and continued to shake his head in disbelief an hour after taking the checkered flag. His win was the first Daytona 500 win for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Chip Ganassi joined Roger Penske as the only owners to win the 24 hours of Sebring, the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500, the three major racing prizes in America. Chip was in tears after the race, just as Jamie. Jamie ended 2009 as the ‘odd-man-out’ at Roush Racing as NASCAR’s mandate caused Roush to drop their 5th team. He was not confident of even having a ride until Chip gave him a second chance to drive one of his cars. Jamie was not in the Top 6 on the first Green-White-Checkered; he was 6th on the second, and 2nd on the final restart. Greg Biffle pushed Jamie from the 1st turn to the 3rd on the last restart and into the lead. He led from there to the checkered flag; thus, leading only two laps of the race, which is the fewest laps ever led by a ‘500’ winner. Jamie shared in Victory Lane - “I am a huge believer in prayer and this morning beside my couch I asked for safety, and then to finish in the top 10; God answered my prayers.”
PIT NOTE:
This “Great American Race” was just that, ‘GREAT.’ NASCAR had made changes in the off-season that “put the race back in the drivers’ hands” by allowing them to ‘police’ themselves as far as when and where they ‘bump drafted.’ During the two weeks at Daytona, NASCAR revised the Green-White-Checkered rule, which ultimately gave this great finish. Then, during the race they responded to the pavement problem by taking the time needed to fix the problem, twice. They allowed the cars to race back to the checkered flag instead of throwing the caution and freezing the field when a crash happened in the 3rd turn of the last lap at the back of the field. NASCAR got it RIGHT, before, during, and at the end. The drivers made mistakes, but recovered. The fans were satisfied and enjoyed their time at the track. Win, Win, Win!
PIT NOTE:
God set the ‘rules’ right from the beginning, and He has never changed them. He has allowed mankind free choice. When the ‘track’ on which people were running needed repair, He sent His Son, Jesus, to establish and demonstrate the ‘new covenant.’ When grace was needed to finish their race well, He provided Grace for restarts. But, the race will ultimately end for each of us; and, when it does, He will judge fairly based on both His law and His grace. For those who have confessed their sins and believe that Jesus lived the perfect life which they cannot, that He died in payment of the penalty for our sins which no human can pay, and believe that Jesus rose from death and He is eternal life; they will be saved eternally, and experience the joy of being in a right relationship with God everyday! There have only been 34 different winners of the fifty-two (52) Daytona 500’s. There are no limits to the number of people God loves and offers His grace for salvation.
CHECK OUT THIS OUR DAILY BREAD ARCHIVE - LIVING LIFE TO THE MAXIMUM |
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February 9, 2010
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
- Fewer Restrictions...Better Racing!
Kevin Harvick won the Shootout for the second year in a row; and, it was the seventh shootout win for Richard Childress Racing! Kevin came from 3rd to 1st by passing Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne in the first turn after the restart with two laps to go. A half-lap later, he won the race when Greg Biffle and seven other cars crashed behind him, and the caution was displayed. Under the rules, the order of the cars was frozen and the race ended at that time. The race was conducted under new rules announced by NASCAR in the off season, which allowed for the drivers to once again bump draft according to the way they chose to “police themselves.” The relaxing of their oversight at Daytona and Talladega, where last year the races were mostly ‘stay in line and follow the leader,’ resulted in exciting racing for all 75 laps. Along with the opening of the restrictor plate hole by 1/64th inch, which gave the drivers 12 to 14 more horsepower, throttle control and response when they needed to back off to avoid hitting another car, the racing was drastically different. There was not a single lap of the 75 where there were less than 10 cars running two abreast. Kevin Harvick’s remarks about the new rules and the fact that the Shootout is not for championship points were, “(drivers) don’t think twice about the cars, if it comes home in a garbage can, it comes home in a garbage can. It’s a lot more fun pushing and shoving, than riding around in a line.”
After the race, Jeff Gordon said that the relaxed rules resulted in much more pushing and bumping in the Shootout because it was not a points race. But, in the ‘500,’ we will experience ‘smarter’ racing, as no one will want to risk wrecking and starting the season off with a bad finish. Kyle Petty, commentating on TV, said the “risk/reward factor will come into place in the 500, whereas the Shootout was just for the trophy.”
- Danica Patrick’s’ start in the ARCA race was the most covered story of the week in Daytona. When touched by another driver, the Indy racing star finished 6th after sliding through the infield grass. She kept the car off the wall, pitted for repairs and came from 23rd to 6th with just 19 laps to go. It was announced on Monday morning that she will run her first NASCAR Nationwide race this week at Daytona, rather than waiting until next week at California as originally announced.
- The Shootout ended with an eight car crash after Speed Weeks started off with a 6 car crash on Thursday. Kurt Busch and Mark Martin lost two cars in the process, and winner Kevin Harvick won the Shootout in his back up car.
- Joe Gibbs Racing placed all three cars in the top 7 of the Shootout.
- Gil Martin, crew chief for Kevin Harvick, won for the first time at Daytona after coming to the track for 21 straight years.
- Ken Schrader started and finished 14th in what may be his last Cup start.
- NASCAR made several changes during the off-season:
• Race purses were reduced by approximately 10% at all races.
• Speeding down pit road to avoid going a lap down will not be allowed. Teams in the past would work on repairs after a crash, speed down pit road to beat the pace car and then only go to the end of the longest line on the restarts. The teams now will have less time to make repairs under cautions.
• Teams will be allowed 4.99 mph over the posted speed limit on Pit road. No more, no exceptions.
• Drivers committed to enter pit road when the red light closing pit road comes on will be allowed to drive through pit road at pit road speed without stopping in their pits for service. NASCAR will then return them to the spot they were running before the red light was displayed. This rule change corrects one of the biggest inadvertent penalties in NASCAR.
• Officials on pit road will block tires that come directly toward them on pit road for safety reasons only. A tire that gets loose and goes outside of the pit box results in a lap penalty for teams. In the past officials have ‘saved’ teams by moving to stop tires. This change makes officials ‘part of the field’ just like other sports where officials sometimes interfere with a play.
• On four-tire stops, if the tire changer flips the air hose and a ‘small’ portion does not get beyond the wheels, running over the hose in this case will not result in a lap penalty.
• The rear wing will be replaced with a spoiler like in the old cars starting in the 6th or 7th race of the season. This will depend on tests that have already started for Goodyear to determine changes they may need in the tires to handle increased down-force. Teams will be allowed to participate in two open tests before the change to determine set up changes they will need to maintain the proper ‘balance’ in their cars.
PIT NOTE:
Regardless of why the drivers race the Shootout differently than the ‘500,’ the relaxed rules change the responsibility of the drivers; it gives them more control and the ability to use tactics which will result in more side-by-side racing, without the fear of being penalized. Now the rules NASCAR put in place are the best ways to assure less crashes. Jeff Gordon even indicated that if the drivers are ‘smart,’ they will abide by what is not required. The difference is that the rules and punishment will not be the controlling thought process in their driving styles. Instead, they will be freer to take calculated risks and not just hope to ‘survive’ and go race at the 32 races not at Daytona and Talladega.
Most of the various religious world views center on rules that restrict behavior with some possibility of ‘future reward’ if one ‘stays in line.’ Those who reject religion all together create (by default) systems to control people’s behavior for some common ‘good.’ There is only one true message that provides the freedom to live each and every day in peace, joy and abundance. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the Good News that Jesus fulfilled all the Law written in His Word and revealed in His creation. It is the great joy of salvation experience anew each day as we reflect on the goodness of God in providing the gift of life in His Son, Jesus. Reviewing the truth of the Gospel each day of your life is the way to experience the abundance of life promised in John 10:10 (“…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it abundantly.”).
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RON'S PIT NOTES ~ 2010
