Denny Hamlin (Photo by ASP, Inc.)

Round one is over in the Chase but it already has produced many changes on and off the track for fans. Races are starting later, fans are seeing more of it and there’s a new points leader with the former points leader saying he’ll win this weekend. Members of the Backseat Drivers Fan Council examine these and other issues this week.

Denny Hamlin proclaims on Twitter he’ll win at New Hampshire
After running out of fuel at the end and losing several spots last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, Denny Hamlin stated on Twitter he would win this weekend’s race at New Hampshire. Fan Council members were asked what they thought of his declaration:

72.0 percent said it was a great move to get his team looking ahead rather than back
28.0 percent said it was a bad move because it raised expectations and pressure

What Fan Council members said:
• These guys have to stay motivated and move on regardless of what happened in one race. I don't blame Denny one bit for being positive and knowing what his team is capable of!

• Denny, Denny, Denny … why did you have to open your mouth and make the statement, “We will win next week.” That statement just might come back and bite you in the a**. I have watched Denny want to win a race at any cost and he didn't care who he ran over to get the job done. Watch out Chasers!!!

• Denny's handling himself and his team MUCH better this year than in past years! The driver is the focal point that the team rallies around, and unlike his teammate who tends to isolate and turn off the team with his tirades, Denny seems to have learned his lesson and is doing what he needs to keep his team rolling along!

• It shows that while he has a fragile psyche (at times), he feels confident in himself and his team for next week. New Hampshire is one of Denny's best tracks and (crew chief Darian) Grubb won the race there last year ... why not make a bold prediction?

• Every driver should expect to win, so I see nothing wrong with expressing thoughts.

• I can remember the last time Denny had that same look on his face. Phoenix 2010 and his Chase was done as he folded like a house of cards. Only now we'll see him fold up the tent over nine races instead of two.

• There is a difference between confidence and cockiness — and that right there is confidence. He knows that he and his team can and WILL get it done. Any time Denny calls his shot, they deliver. They will be in Victory Lane next weekend when it's all said and done.

• It's a good thing. With NASCAR having become so vanilla, it could certainly use some more Joe Namath types.

Is later greater?
As it has done in the past, start times for NASCAR Sprint Cup races in the Chase are later than they normally are before the Chase. Fan Council members were asked if they liked the later start times during the Chase:

48.5 percent said it didn’t matter to them
27.8 percent said they liked it
23.7 percent said they hated it

What Fan Council members said:
• I don't understand the thought process. How does pushing start times back bring in viewers? Football viewers are going to start watching those games and if they are intense and good how are you going to pull those viewers away? NASCAR would have to expect those games to be boring and not exciting to entice those viewers over. Just doesn't make sense.

• It doesn't matter to me what time the races start, I will watch them over the NFL.

• NASCAR is going to lose to NFL or college football, no matter what they do. The product and the number of cookie-cutter tracks lends to that. I watched football for most of the day and came back at the best time — when Brad took the lead from Jimmie. I had no problem with the earlier start times but whatever NASCAR believes, they go with, no matter how flawed the logic.

• There's no way it won't conflict with NFL so best bet would have been to have the race at the normal time. My (NFL) game was 4:00 pm and I had to stop watching the race 60 percent of the way in to watch my game. A 12:00 start might have worked out.

• I started watching NFL games. Almost forgot to turn the TV to the race. I see this as a serious problem with casual fans. If they tune into an NFL game and it turns out to be a good game, they are less likely to change the channel to watch the race.

• I like it. It gives me the chance to see the start of the race as I normally arrive home after church and the race has started.

• NASCAR should stop trying to worry about the NFL all the time. Changing start times is an inconvenience to people in every time zone.

• I couldn't care less ... I'm DVRing the races and watching NFL RedZone all day.

• Like it or not, it is best for our sport. The later in the day you run the races the more people who can tune in, especially on the West Coast.

Split-screen coverage
Just as it did last year during the Chase, ESPN will show a split-screen of the race and commercials during the second half of the race. Fan Council members were asked about what they thought of this:

54.2 percent love it
30.5 percent like it
12.6 percent don’t care
2.7 percent hate it

What Fan Council members said:
• Just like last year, having the box there during the commercial is POINTLESS if ESPN isn't going to show any RACING. Showing a close-up of Jimmie Johnson during a commercial break is irrelevant.

• Keeps from missing out on racing action during those long string of commercials. LOVE IT!

• They should do this more and NOT just for select races. With all the commercials being poured into the races these days, us fans deserve to see more than 60 percent (max) of the racing action.

• I wish that all the TV partners would do a split screen for the entire race, every race. Actually, it's better because the advertiser's logo is seen separate of the commercial so you actually know what is being advertised. Maybe that can be worked out in the next TV contract. IndyCar does it and it's great. I understand that the local breaks have to be full-screen commercials; but, for the national commercials, they can do split-screen.

• Commercials pay for the sport, and this is a good way to accommodate the advertisers while making sure we don't miss something during a commercial break. I wish all the NASCAR networks did this from midway through, rather than just the last few laps.

• Watching in the UK, we have commercial free coverage for the whole race

• Not OK with the race being 25 percent and the ads being 75 percent of the screen. Needs to be a 50-50 split.

• Bravo to ESPN … I'd like to see this 100 percent for Homestead!
 

Brad Keselowski crossing the finish line at Chicagoland. (ASP, Inc.)

Rating Sunday’s race at Chicago

54.9 percent called it Good
34.3 percent called it Fair
7.1 percent called it Poor
3.7 percent called it Great

What Fan Council members said:
• Chicago always produces some of the worst "racing," if it can be called that, of the year. I understand that NASCAR needs a presence in that market but I just couldn't bring myself to watch the whole thing. No passing for the lead or really anywhere else for that matter.

• I was at Chicagoland and when I attend a race I always give it a GREAT rating because I can watch what is going on all over the race track. You don't get that luxury when you watch it on TV. There was some awesome racing. I was amazed as to how many cars Dale Jr. passed when the green flag dropped. Starting dead last and finishing eighth was quite the accomplishment and needs to be noticed. Just when you thought Smoke was smoked he drives up to the top 10. Then what the heck was that when Denny ran out of gas? Jimmie and Brad put on a nice show at the end. Fans, you have to be there at the track if you truly want to experience a NASCAR race!!!!!!!

• While it did have a lot of green-flag racing to close out the race, there was still enough excitement going on around the track to keep my interest!

• Lots of strategy and guys chasing the setup. That makes for an interesting race.

• I have to say there was just no side-by-side racing. You could easily lose interest during this race. With hardly any cautions, when they get spread out the race gets boring.

• I attempted to watch the race but turned it off to watch a football game. I had no interest in the race. Sorry.

• I loved the battle between the 48 and the 2. They are by far the two best teams in NASCAR right now, and look like they'll be battling throughout the Chase.

• I will be watching a LOT of NFL if this was any indication of the next nine races

• If I could do the schedule, I would make Loudon the first Chase race. Having a great race like Richmond, with its Chase drama every year, and then following up with Chicago, a super-boring track, is a momentum killer. Good thing Loudon and Dover are the next two races. Both fun!!

The Backseat Drivers Fan Council was founded and is administered by Dustin Long. Fans can join by sending Dustin an email at dustinlong002@gmail.com.

Please include the following information:
Name, city, state, Twitter name, e-mail address and favorite driver.
 

Tony Stewart. (Photo by ASP, Inc.)

Days after Brad Keselowski employed some gamesmanship — and subsequent mind games — at Chicagoland Speedway, Tony Stewart detailed his use of mental deviousness, claiming that he knew even before last year’s NASCAR season finale at Homestead ended that he would beat Carl Edwards for the Sprint Cup championship.

He could see it in Edwards’ reaction that weekend.

Stewart recounted that story in a fan forum Tuesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame when asked about his come-from-behind charge to win the championship.

Stewart had won four races to put himself within three points of Edwards heading into the Homestead race. Three days before the event, Stewart and Edwards met with the media to discuss their championship battle and Stewart unleashed his boxer’s bravado.

Asked how far they would go to win the title, Stewart started the following exchange that day:

“I’d wreck my mom to win a championship,” Stewart said. “I respect him as a driver, but this isn't about friendships this weekend. This is a war. This is a battle. This is for a national championship. It’s no-holds barred this weekend. I didn’t come this far to be one step away from it and let it slip away, so we're going to go for it.”

“Did you say something?” Edwards asked.

“Yeah, you can come visit my trophy in the room at (Las) Vegas when you come there,” Stewart responded, referring to the site of the season-ending banquet.

“He’s got the talking part figured out,” Edwards replied.

“They say there’s talkers and doers. I’ve done this twice,” Stewart said.

Tuesday, Stewart talked about that media session and what followed:

“The trash-talking started on Thursday at the media event, which wasn’t really necessarily my plan until I got there. When we got there, I saw that Carl was nervous and it was like a drop of blood for a shark. As soon as I saw that it was like instincts kicked in for me. I’ve been in championship battles before with guys that had that look. You just know that you can kind of take advantage of that situation a little bit.

“So we wore him out at media day, but then he came back and won the pole and pretty much made a statement that it didn’t look like it really phased him too much.”

While Edwards led much of that race, Stewart battled various issues, including running over debris that forced him at the back of the pack. Yet, Stewart continually moved toward the front.

During a red flag for rain about 150 laps from the end, NASCAR parked the cars on pit road. It was then that Stewart knew he would win the title even though Edwards led and Stewart was only a few positions behind.

“I saw what to me was the final blow to him,” Stewart said. “He got out of the car ... looks back and we’re four cars behind him. The look on his face was, ‘How did he get up there already?’ He sat there for ... that rain delay, he was with his crew chief and Jack Roush at the pit box and I was just sitting on the wall talking to crew guys, laughing and carrying on. I knew we had it won. I hadn’t raced him all day but I just knew mentally we had the advantage.”

Stewart also later said that his car’s handling was as good as it had been, allowing him to make various moves. He called the race “the most fun I’ve had on pavement, for sure.

“That’s by far the best pavement race I’ve ever had,” Stewart said. “Everybody goes, ‘Oh, he did something different, he rose above everything.’ My car was really good. That’s the moral of the story. My car was good and balanced all day. When you get it driving that nice, you can do things like we were doing. I put myself in spots that I wouldn’t normally do because it drove so well and it felt so good that I felt more comfortable getting myself in those positions.”
 

AJ Allmendinger. (Photo by ASP, Inc.)

REINSTATED   NASCAR announced Tuesday that it has reinstated driver AJ Allmendinger after his successful completion of its recovery program.

“I want to thank everyone for their support,” Allmendinger said in a statement issued Tuesday. “I am grateful for the opportunity to return. The Road to Recovery program was really helpful to me in getting my priorities reset away from the race track. And, honestly, that helped find my love of racing again and why I began racing in the first place.”

Allmendinger failed a drug test at Kentucky in late June and NASCAR temporarily suspended him for the Daytona race the following week, forcing him out of the car hours before the race. He had the opportunity to request his remaining urine sample be tested and that was done later that month. After it came back positive, NASCAR indefinitely suspended him July 24.

Penske Racing released Allmendinger on Aug. 1. That opened the No. 22 ride. Sam Hornish Jr. has driven the car since Daytona. Joey Logano will take over the ride next season.

SHOWING IMPROVEMENT   With the opportunity to drive in the Cup Series after AJ Allmendinger’s suspension, Sam Hornish Jr. is showing signs he could be ready for another full-time effort in the series.

Hornish’s finish at Chicagoland Speedway was the third consecutive race he’s placed 11th. He’s finished in the top 12 in five of the last six races, including a fifth-place run at Watkins Glen.

In the Nationwide Series, Hornish’s sixth-place finish last weekend at Chicago marked his 13th top-10 finish in the last 14 races.

SPECIAL GROUP   Ryan Blaney became the seventh first-time winner this season in the Camping World Truck Series and the 12th different winner in 15 races when he won at Iowa last weekend.

The first-time winners in the Truck series this season are John King (Daytona), James Buescher (Kansas), Justin Lofton (Charlotte), Joey Coulter (Pocono), Nelson Piquet (Michigan), Ty Dillon (Atlanta) and Blaney.

In the process, Blaney — at 18 years, eight months — became the youngest driver to win in NASCAR’s three national touring series.

PIT STOPS   JR Motorsports announced Tuesday that Ryan Pemberton would serve as Danica Patrick’s interim crew chief for this weekend’s Nationwide race at Kentucky Speedway. The team released Patrick’s crew chief, Tony Eury Jr., earlier this week. ... A Chase driver has won the fall New Hampshire race every year since the Chase’s debut in 2004. ... The winner of the fall New Hampshire race has gone on to finish in the top three in points four of the last five years.

by Dustin Long
Follow Dustin on Twitter: @DustinLong
 

NASCAR’s Chase for the Championship is here and with it comes the question of who will win it. Members of the Backseat Drivers Fan Council tackle that question and more, including what is the biggest surprise this year and if they think drivers give their best effort every race. Here’s what the Backseat Drivers Fan Council had to say about those issues and more.

Who will win the Chase?

Martin Truex Jr. (56) and Clint Bowyer (15). (ASP, Inc.)

The race shop was once a movie theatre. The team’s finances proved as stable as a house of cards. No surprise that one of NASCAR’s biggest dreamers was the owner.

Five years later, Michael Waltrip’s team is in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup for the first time. Michael Waltrip Racing brings an intriguing mix with drivers Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr., who both have shown the ability to string several strong races together this season.

Neither likely will be among the Chase favorites, though, because most people will be smitten with Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin or Dale Earnhardt Jr. All are worthy picks and make it easy to overlook Waltrip’s group.

While much will be made of Hendrick Motorsports putting all four cars in the Chase after Jeff Gordon’s determined drive at Richmond to secure the final wild card spot, just think what could have been for Waltrip’s team. Had Mark Martin run the entire schedule instead of a majority of races, he could have been in position to make the Chase and put all three MWR cars in it. Still, Waltrip’s team has more cars in the Chase than traditional powerhouses Joe Gibbs Racing, Richard Childress Racing and defending champions Stewart-Haas Racing.

That’s a credit to what Waltrip has built along with co-owner Rob Kauffman, who joined the organization in Oct. 2007 and saved it with his infusion of cash.

“They hired the right people,” Denny Hamlin says. “They hired the right drivers. That's how you become successful.

“(MWR) is going to be around for a long time. You look at the progression of the race team, they’re legit now. I mean, they are guys you're going to have to beat week in, week out.”

Bowyer, who joined the team this season, enters the Chase with two wins after his victory last weekend at Richmond. He’s finished in the top 10 in five of the last six races.

“With everything new, never would (I) have dreamed in a million years all this would have happened this quickly,” Bowyer said after his win last weekend.

Asked about the possibility of winning the title, Bowyer said: “Jimmie (Johnson) seems like he has a blast doing it. I promise you I could throw a better party than him. Might not survive it, but we would have a lot of fun.”

As for Truex, he seeks his first win since 2007, but has shown signs of contending for victories, especially during a stretch in the spring where he finished fifth at Martinsville, sixth at Texas and second at Kansas — all Chase tracks. He had finished no worse than 11th in seven races until placing 21st at Richmond. Still, he’s lead in four consecutive races entering the Chase, his longest streak of the season.

"I'm going to be honest with you, the way our cars are running and as fast as we've been the last six or seven weeks we're dangerous,” Truex says. “I know we're kind of an underdog and not a lot of people expect us to do much. It's a good position to be in. We just need to be smart, make good decisions and our Toyotas are strong enough to do this thing. (I’m) looking forward to going out and having some fun and hopefully we'll put together 10 good races and be in the hunt.
 

Regan Smith (ASP, Inc.)

GETTING BETTER   It’s easy to miss because Regan Smith has not been in contention for a Chase spot, but a team that showed promise last year, winning the Southern 500, is displaying signs of improvement after struggling much of this season.

Since Todd Berrier was hired as crew chief before Indianapolis, Smith has had an average finish of 17.0. Not spectacular by any means, but in the seven races before the crew chief change was made, Smith’s average finish was 28.0.

“We weren’t happy with what was going on at the beginning part of the year,” Smith says. “Certainly none of us were happy with how we were running, myself included. This is a race team that up until the start of the season, and maybe the last five races of last year, was on the uphill swing.

“We seemed to get better each week and seemed to learn new stuff each week and we went through a period there of probably 15 races or so until we made some changes a (few) weeks ago. We were having the same problems week-in and week-out and weren’t learning and weren’t fixing and didn’t understand them. Todd Barrier came in and he’s done a great job.”

NUMBER CRUNCHING   Tony Stewart has the best average finish of any driver at Chicagoland Speedway, which hosts the opening Chase race Sunday. Stewart’s average finish there is 8.7 with three wins and nine top-10 finishes in 11 starts. ... Of the 10 Chase tracks, the series has raced at eight of them this season. Greg Biffle has the best average finish among this year’s title contenders at those tracks at 6.4. ... Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to have made the Chase all nine years.

PIT STOPS   Matt Kenseth will debut a new chassis this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. ... The chassis Kevin Harvick will use was first raced by Austin Dillon (24th at Michigan) and then run by Harvick at Pocono (14th). ... The chassis Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive was run at both Pocono races this season where his best finish with it was eighth in June. ... Kasey Kahne’s chassis will be one he’s raced three times this season, including at Charlotte when he won the Coca-Cola 600. ... Greg Biffle will use the same chassis this weekend that he won with at Michigan last month.

by Dustin Long
Follow Dustin on Twitter: @DustinLong
 

(Photo by ASP, Inc.)

Trust and belief are core issues the Backseat Drivers Fan Council delves into this week. Members state how much they trust NASCAR in regards to debris cautions. Belief centers on what Fan Council members think about the title chances of Denny Hamlin, who has a series-high four wins, including the last two races. Belief also centers on what they think of Tony Stewart’s various comments last week toward Matt Kenseth and if Stewart will seek revenge. Here’s what members of the Backseat Drivers Fan Council had to say on those topics and more.

Do you trust NASCAR on calling debris cautions?

55.9 percent said only part of the time
33.0 percent said yes, all of the time
11.1 percent said no, never

What Fan Council members said:
• I have to be honest here and say that sometimes I think NASCAR throws a caution for no apparent reason to change the outcome of the race ... plain and simple!

• If you can't trust NASCAR then why are you watching?

• How many times does this need to be talked about?! Seriously, I am tired of it! Face it, NASCAR is a dictatorship; they are judge, jury and executioner. They are in business to make money, and what makes money in racing? Excitement! What doesn't make money in racing? Boring-ass, single-file, follow-the-leader (who is eight seconds ahead) racing. So if NASCAR wants to toss out a phantom yellow once in a while to create some action — which creates profits — I am all for it.

• I'm sorry, but I just don't buy the conspiracy theories. There is just too much at stake, financially, for the powers-that-be at NASCAR to go around manipulating results. It's a legitimate sport, not wrestling.

• The lack of consistency has always irked me. If brushing the wall brings out a caution on lap 10, it should bring out a caution on lap 110.

• I do believe that NASCAR does, at times, consider what will make a good TV finish and may be inclined to abuse the caution flag to create that situation. That's my honest opinion, and I hope somebody can argue the other point and change my mind.

• I believe they make mistakes but I also believe that NASCAR has to err on the side of safety and there may be cautions called that are not necessary. However, by and large, they make the right calls most of the time.

• NASCAR is definitely not infallible when it comes to their calls, so they're not going to get it right all the time. But this is racing. You're never going to get it right all the time. And you're never going to please all the fans with the calls — it just can't be done, especially when you consider the coverage that most of us are stuck with. I'm tired of this whole debate.

After scoring two consecutive wins, is Denny Hamlin the championship favorite?

75.1 percent said No
24.9 percent said Yes

What Fan Council members said:
• Denny is too mentally weak. He'll snap and disappoint the team again.

• Hamlin choked the 2010 title away in the final two races after being one of the winningest drivers of that season. Just because he has won two in a row, he looks like the flavor of the month. Remember what happened with Smoke last year? The only favorite is the 48, period.

• That team has not shown the consistency to win the championship so far, but with Darian Grubb as crew chief, who knows?

• With Darian Grubb, a crew chief who did a great job last year with Tony Stewart, on top of the pit box and having momentum heading into the Chase, they could be dangerous.

• I believe this might be Denny's year, he and Darian are really clicking and look very good to win the Championship!

• Serious challenger, but still think JJ is the man to win.

• He hasn't shown the consistency to be the favorite. Betting against Jimmie Johnson in the Chase is the ultimate sucker bet. It’s about time to start singing the praises of Darian Grubb, though — what a 12 months of racing for him!

• Hate to say it, but Dale Jr. is the guy to beat. Top 5s week in and week out.
 

(Photo by ASP, Inc.)

Will Tony Stewart seek revenge on Matt Kenseth?
After wrecking with Matt Kenseth at Bristol, Tony Stewart said: “I’m going to run over him every him every chance I’ve got from now ’til the end of the year, every chance I’ve got.” But then a few days later, Stewart said: “I can’t guarantee anything is not going to happen. It’s not our intention to seek him out. We’ve got along a lot more races than we’ve disagreed. We’ve always got through it in the past.” Fan Council members were asked if they think Stewart will seek revenge on Kenseth by the end of the season?

74.9 percent said no, Stewart won’t seek revenge
25.1 percent said yes, Stewart will seek revenge

What Fan Council members said:
• I'm looking forward to it and will be disappointed if Stewart doesn't.

• Tony is a professional and won't stoop to the level of others.

• If it serves Tony's purpose or if he gets angry, he will wreck anyone at any time. I'm growing tired of NASCAR applauding his childish/angry behavior.

• Now that Tony has lost his primary sponsor, he doesn't dare do anything controversial. It's a shame, because I was kind of looking forward to a punt at Richmond or Martinsville.

• Frankly, Tony is full of a lot of hot air (kind of like Harvick). They both say what they want, in the heat of the moment, and then change their minds later when it suits them.

• Tony is smart enough to know not to get negative publicity by doing something stupid. Will he cut Matt a break? Probably not ... but not at the cost of his racecar. Now having said that, if I were Matt Kenseth, I wouldn't push Tony around for a while because Bad Tony can come back quickly!! But I don't think Tony will actually go out of his way to run him over.

• Racers never forget when they think another driver has wronged them.

Grade Sunday night’s Cup race at Atlanta

51.9 percent called it Good
29.5 percent called it Fair
11.6 percent called it Great
7.1 percent called it Poor

What Fan Council members said:
• It was a good, solid race. I have come to appreciate the races with long green-flag runs. The best cars end up at the front.

• This could have been a 100-lap race, because the first 250 were not that exciting. I am not a huge fan of long green-flag runs with the field so spread apart, and so few people on the lead lap.

• I was there in person. The only good parts were the beginning and the end, unfortunately. Normally in person you can find good racing that is not shown on TV, but sadly this was not the case in Atlanta ... disappointing and boring.

• This was just a great race throughout. There were battles up front all race long and watching some of the drivers master that track was just beautiful.

• Just when racing was getting entertaining again we go back to single-file, spread-out-by-two-three-seconds racing. They need to maybe throw tacks on the track every 70 laps to cause wrecks.

• I have to say I was really bored. I don't know if the track needs repaved or what, but when the cars get so spread out I start web surfing. This is one race that I would not go see in person.

• Another green-flag-plagued race saved by cautions at the end.

• This was by far the most boring Atlanta race I can remember and I was there! No passing, single-file runs. The ending was "fun” but other than that ... very slow.

• Once again it seems aero rules. The race was pretty boring overall. The last 20 laps were exciting. Then total heartbreak.

The Backseat Drivers Fan Council was founded and is administered by Dustin Long. Fans can join by sending Dustin an email at dustinlong002@gmail.com.

Please include the following information:
Name, city, state, Twitter name, e-mail address and favorite driver.
 

Roush Fenway teammates Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth. (ASP, Inc.)

Greg Biffle credits an aggressive approach with his team’s return to the points lead and says once NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup starts, there won’t be any backing down.

Biffle regained the points lead after his victory at Michigan and held it despite finishing 19th last weekend at Bristol. That finish was good enough to clinch a Chase spot and return him to NASCAR’s playoffs after missing it last year.

Biffle has three finishes of sixth or better in the last five races, including the Michigan win and a third-place finish at Indianapolis. He notes that with his team comfortably in the playoffs, they could try more things and, often, the experiments have worked.

“We have been decent in the points so we have kind of tried to step out of the box and do some things to try and learn for the Chase and really be more aggressive with the setup and go for the win and say, ‘Hey, if it doesn’t work we won’t cry over spilled milk,’” says Biffle, who led the points after 11 races earlier in the season. “That is all you can do. You can’t flip a switch. We are already running as hard as we can.”

Once the Chase begins, Biffle says little will change on how the team races.

“I think we will be and we will have to be pretty aggressive on the setups simply for the fact that we will have to be conscious of our finishes,” he notes. “That is going to be a huge factor, but it is almost like if it isn’t broke don’t fix it. What we are doing is working. We are having consistent races so we are only going to be six points ahead of about half the guys in the Chase (after the points are reset). We are only going to be three behind, as of right now, four of them. That could change this weekend but it is going to be really tight in the points.

“That 12-20 point cushion (on the top four) I have is all going to disappear and it is going to be really super tight on the points. Each position is super-important. I think everybody realizes that going to Chicago.”

CHASE-CLINCHING SCENARIOS   Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth clinched Chase spots last weekend at Bristol. Kenseth clinched only a wild card spot. He can clinch a full Chase spot (and thus use the bonus points for his win) by finishing 40th at Atlanta, finishing 41st and leading a lap or finishing 42nd and leading the most laps.

Any driver who leaves Atlanta 49 points ahead of 11th place in the points clinches a Chase spot. 

Other Chase-clinching scenarios are:

• Martin Truex Jr: Finish 14th or place 15th and lead a lap or finish 16th and lead the most laps.
• Clint Bowyer: Finish 11th or place 12th and lead a lap or finish 13th and lead the most laps.
• Brad Keselowski: Finish seventh or place eighth and lead a lap or finish ninth and lead the most laps.

A victory would secure at least a wild card spot for Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick or Tony Stewart. They would need help from others to clinch a top-10 Chase spot at Atlanta.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (ASP, Inc.)

SECOND CHANCES   Dale Earnhardt Jr. was asked last weekend at Bristol if as an owner he would ever consider hiring a driver who had previously failed a drug test.

“Well, I think it would be difficult to convince certain people — whether it be sponsors or just any individuals,” Earnhardt said. “Some people are always going to be skeptics when you have a failed drug test.

“I believe in second chances and if I felt a guy was talented and felt he could help my race team and be competitive I wouldn’t have any problem with hiring him. I would want to understand the rehabilitation process and want to feel good about his current state, but yeah, if I felt like he could help my team I wouldn’t have any problem hiring him.”

IS MORE BETTER?   Kyle Busch is entered in the Camping World Truck, Nationwide and Sprint Cup races this weekend at Atlanta. That’s a rarity for Busch, who used to run double- and triple-duty often. That changed after he wrecked Ron Hornaday Jr. in the Truck race at Texas last year. NASCAR barred him from competing in the Nationwide and Cup races that weekend while Busch’s team Cup team owner, Joe Gibbs, was forced to make nice with sponsor Mars/M&M’s. Since, he’s limited his racing outside of Cup.

This will be Busch’s 15th Nationwide start and first Truck start of the season.

Busch was asked at Bristol if running more Nationwide and Truck races could help him in Cup.

“Not necessarily, I think our Cup program is fine, it's running good, it’s fast,” said Busch, who is battling for a wild card spot to make the Chase. “The only other thing I can do is run more Nationwide and Truck races to get my bad luck out of the way there so it doesn’t move over to Sunday. Besides that, how much better do you want me to run before an engine blows up or before a brake rotor falls off or before you blow a right-front tire. You name it, we’ve had it.”

PIT STOPS   Michael Waltrip Racing has a press conference scheduled for Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway where it is expected the team will announce the signing of Martin Truex Jr. and sponsor NAPA to contract extensions. ... NASCAR announced it would not penalize Tony Stewart for tossing his helmet at Matt Kenseth’s car at Bristol on Saturday. That’s not a surprise since NASCAR didn’t penalize Todd Bodine for throwing his helmet at Nelson Piquet’s truck at Pocono earlier this month. ... Clint Bowyer and Marcos Ambrose have each scored four consecutive top-10 finishes, the longest active streak in Cup. Ambrose’s 160 points earned in that time leads the series.
 

Marcos Ambrose. (Photo by ASP, Inc.)

Watkins Glen had members of the Backseat Drivers Fan Council talking from what should have been done at the end of the race with oil on the track to what they saw throughout the entire event. Fan Council members also shared their thoughts on Dodge’s recent announcement that it will leave NASCAR after this season. Here’s what the Backseat Drivers Fan Council had to say on those issues:

Grade Sunday’s Cup race at Watkins Glen

46.5 percent called it Great
42.8 percent called it Good
8.7 percent called it Fair
2.0 percent called it Poor

What Fan Council member said:
• OMG! I was there and the final incident between Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski happened right in front of me! It was not only the greatest road course race I’ve ever seen, it was in the top-5 finishes I’ve ever seen!

• Best race all year and my guy wasn’t even in the running.

• I still don’t understand why people don’t like the road course races. They’ve been more exciting than Bristol for the past few years.

• Outside of Smoke’s charge to the front and Junior’s surprise appearance in the top 10 at a road course during the race, this one was a snoozer until the end.

• Please! There was passing, there was spinning-out-of-nowhere, and then there was that FANTASTIC FINISH!!! Holy cow — I haven’t been that involved in a race in AGES! Loved it!

• More. Road. Courses. PLEASE! Especially one in the Chase. Phenomenal racing all day long.

• The race was good. People will say it was great because of the ending, but I was disappointed that a missed call impacted the finish. Even had I been OK with the ending of the race, I do not believe that a race is judged by it’s ending. Instead, it is the pit strategies and side-by-side racing throughout the race that I consider.

• Race was great from start to finish ... and what a finish! That last lap literally got me up on my feet (and I have no idea when the last time THAT happened!!). Probably a bad call on NASCAR’s part to not throw the caution, but damned if you do, damned if you don’t. I agree with BK: Now that was racing!! Kudos to Ambrose!

• I thought most of the race was awful, especially when the cars got strung out with big gaps. The last lap was incredible, but not enough to save the rest of it.

• I’m really beginning to like these road courses — and not just for the last lap. This race was really good all the way through. And the length of the race was perfect!!

• What was not to like? Even if you don’t care for road courses, there was action all over the track, even when it was a little spread out up front for a while. The last few laps with Kyle, Brad and Marcos was fantastic. And seeing Tony Stewart mow through the field after his penalty was pretty outstanding!

What did you think of the end of the Watkins Glen race?
With some drivers saying there was oil on the track, NASCAR did not throw a caution. Series officials said afterward that their spotters positioned around the track couldn’t see the oil. The oil played a role on the last lap with Kyle Busch running through it and allowing Brad Keselowski to close. They hit, with Busch spinning. Then Keselowski and winner Marcos Ambrose ran off course and into each other in a duel to the finish. So, what did Fan Council members think of the finish?

47.5 percent said it was racing the way it should be
38.8 percent were conflicted — they’re not for what they saw but not against the action
13.7 percent said it was embarrassing to the sport to allow oil to impact the finish

What Fan Council members said:
• NASCAR’s hands were tied because there was no oil visible on the track. Drivers scream their heads off about debris when they believe it will benefit them and NASCAR knows better than to call a caution without first confirming it for themselves. Now granted, a majority of the field was reporting oil, but at that point the white flag was already in their air and it would have been a big controversy had NASCAR thrown the yellow and ended the race on the final lap. People would have been livid for not letting it play out. I believe NASCAR got this one right, it was a bad set of circumstances and they went with their gut. It was a fantastic finish we all would have missed out on had a caution been thrown prematurely.

• NASCAR is always saying they don’t want to throw the yellow because it will impact the end of the race. Well, by them not throwing the yellow it impacted it. It seems like there is something clouding their vision lately of making the right calls.

• The drivers almost to a man said that they couldn’t see the oil. If they can’t, how would NASCAR see it? I think that by the time the driver complaints over the radio reached NASCAR, it was too late to stop the race. The best driver won the race, in my view.

• The “that was racing the way it should be” was for the skill of the three drivers — they were very entertaining and put on a good show. But I do think that NASCAR should have heard the drivers complaining of oil. There were lots of comments on Twitter and in-car radios, so (NASCAR) should have known. While it was exciting and fun, it put people in danger. I think we are only talking about the excitement because no one got hurt, but it was lucky that no one did. If we had had the same end to the race that we had last year with a big giant wreck, and if someone had gotten hurt, the “excitement” wouldn’t have been what we talked about on Monday. Shame on NASCAR for not better protecting the drivers.

• As much as I hate it when NASCAR throws bogus debris cautions, a caution for oil at the end was necessary. When oil on the track affects drivers’ finishes and has such substantial impact on the points, something needs to be put in place so it does not happen again. That said, the finish from an action perspective was great. Great car control, great racing — but it is almost invalidated because of the oil that created it.

• So, nobody saw the oil, what were they supposed to do, stop the race because it seemed like something might be slippery due to people spinning out? That happens sometimes in racing. It’s not necessarily because of something on the track. If they start micro-managing split-second moments at the end of races, NASCAR is dead on arrival.

• NASCAR was in a no-win situation. By the time everyone realized what was going on, the white flag had flown. If NASCAR had flown the caution after that, then they would have gotten crucified for not letting the race finish as it would have ended under caution.

• Everyone, including the drivers talking about the oil, said you couldn’t SEE the oil. If that’s the case, then why would NASCAR throw the caution? I believe NASCAR when they said the on-track officials didn’t see anything so they didn’t throw the yellow. Lastly, if the oil was THAT bad, wouldn’t a lot more of the drivers have spun out? Jeff Gordon aside, most of the guys completed the last lap just fine, thank you.

• The end of the race was just silly. NASCAR is supposed to offer real racing, not sliding around like a demolition derby.

• I’m somewhat glad NASCAR chose to follow the old dictum “Leave well enough alone.” Had the outcome been different, I’m certain to have complained with greater vigor.

Dodge is leaving NASCAR after this season. Does it matter to you?

50.3 percent said No
49.7 percent said Yes

What Fan Council members said:
• I really don’t care for Dodge, however, competition amongst the manufacturers is part of what makes the sport great and the money they bring to the sport leads to development of new technologies. I hope Dodge is able to put something together that they can be competitive with and return in 2014.

• Sad to see Dodge go away but I am not biased toward one manufacturer or another. I pull for drivers who race, not corporations.

• I think it is sad that the only two American manufacturers in NASCAR are Ford and Chevy. I have been a fan since way back when all manufacturers (I remember the Matador!) were racing. It added a lot more to the race and manufacturer loyalty actually meant something. NASCAR has its own self to blame for all the rule changes, and the so-called “Car of Tomorrow.” The only thing left to pull for is decals. I’m glad to see the new car changes coming next year and hope it improve things.

• Nope! I have driven a Ford and now own a Chevy so I’m not that worried about Dodge dropping out. Now if we could just get Toyota out so we can once again call it “The Great AMERICAN Sport”…

• Not really. I could give a rip about manufacturers. I have, however, wondered why Nissan isn’t in NASCAR. And frankly, I’d like to see “stock” cars for other manufacturers (i.e., BMW, VW) compete in NASCAR.

• Dodge is my favorite manufacturer in the sport and the Challenger and 2013 Charger are two of the best looking cars I’ve seen in the sport and I’ll be disappointed to not see them again — or in the case of the Charger, never get to see it. I think they could have taken a mid-level team like a Furniture Row or Front Row and given them solid support and made them a contending team.

• I’d rather have every manufacturer be represented strongly at some level, but I’d rather see no Dodges than see a half-hearted effort with a third-level team. Besides, how would Dodge even know how good they were if, say, Front Row Motorsports was their flagship team?

• If it does not make good sense for Dodge to spend millions in NASCAR with little return, they should keep their money and get out. It does not bother me that Dodge is leaving with three other strong manufacturers left in the sport.

• It’s a very bad sign for NASCAR, and that matters to me.

• Sad to see an American manufacturer leave the sport. I just hope it doesn’t lead to another foreign manufacturer.

The Backseat Drivers Fan Council was founded and is administered by Dustin Long. Fans can join by sending Dustin an email at dustinlong002@gmail.com.

Please include the following information:
Name, city, state, Twitter name, e-mail address and favorite driver.
 

Marcos Ambrose in Victory Lane at Watkins Glen. (ASP, Inc.)

Buoyed by his victory at Watkins Glen on Sunday, Marcos Ambrose said the goal is quite simple for the next four races as he and his team vie for a wild card spot in NASCAR’s Chase for the Championship.

“Our focus has to be being aggressive on our strategy, being aggressive with the car and me on the race track being aggressive to try to get that next win because without that we’re going to be racing for 15th or 16th in the championship and that’s not what we’re after,” Ambrose said in a teleconference with reporters Tuesday.

Ambrose ranks fifth in the wild card standings with only the top two getting into the Chase. Kasey Kahne currently holds one wild card spot with two wins while Ryan Newman holds the other spot by a slim margin. Newman has one win and leads Kyle Busch, who also has a single victory, by six points. Jeff Gordon, who has one win, is 10 points behind Newman. Ambrose is 44 points behind Newman, thus Ambrose needs a second victory to have a shot at a wild card berth.

“There’s no easier formula than if you’re not first, you’re last,” Ambrose said. “That’s the way we’re approaching this weekend and the next three. We have to go out there on full attack mode.”

The one benefit for Ambrose is that the series is heading to Michigan this weekend where he won the pole in June and finished ninth, so he has shown an ability to run well there but will have to be markedly better to score his first career oval win in the Cup series.

NEARING 100  Although the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has only 38 races (36 points races and two exhibition races), Tony Stewart will run in nearly 100 races this year. He’s boosting that total with a number of sprint car races at dirt tracks — where he spent much of his early days in racing.

“I feel like the more time I spend in a race car the better it’s making me as a driver,” says Stewart, who has won a pair of World of Outlaw sprint car races this year. “Everybody kind of has that feeling that you’ve got to get away from it at some point and recharge your batteries, but that does recharge my batteries.

“If we don’t get rained out here these next couple of weeks we are going to be right around 95 races at the end of the year that I’m going to run. It’s going to be a full schedule for sure but it’s a lot of fun. It’s one of the most fun years I’ve ever had in a race car.”

Stewart was the first driver in USAC history to sweep its top three series in the same year, winning titles in the midget, sprint car and Silver Crown divisions in 1995. He admits going back and forth between sprint cars and his Cup car is not much of an adjustment for him with his schedule.

“I’ve run I think 40 races already this year with it so it’s a lot easier for me to adapt because I’m doing it so much,’’ he explains. “It is hard. That is probably the hardest two cars to try to go back and forth between because their handling characteristics and the physics of them. It doesn’t take Kasey (Kahne) as long as he likes to explain to you. He goes out and kicks butt with it too. It would take guys awhile to go from that type of car to here, just like it would take time for anybody that runs a Cup car to go over there and run those cars.”

LOOKING AHEAD  After this weekend’s race at Michigan, the Cup Series heads to Bristol where the top lane has been altered to narrow the racing grooves and get cars closer together on the track.

So, what it will be like? It’s something Martin Truex Jr. admits he’s been thinking about.

“I'm interested to see what it's like,” Truex says. “The last few races there, I've ran second and third — pretty much ran the extreme high side, which has been ground away. I'm not really looking forward to finding out if it's going to be that much worse. Guys seem to run the middle of the race track and we were able to run the middle.

“I think it's going to be different because that extreme high side is not going to have the speed it's had in the past few years. I think we'll have to adjust our setup a little bit and work on some things.”
 

Tony Stewart talks with teammate Ryan Newman. (ASP, Inc.)

RIGHT PLACE RIGHT TIME?  Carl Edwards, in need of a victory to have a chance at a wild card spot for the Chase, has an average finish of 8.3 at Michigan — best among active drivers. Edwards has two wins, nine top-five finishes and 12 top-10 results in 16 starts at the track. Yet, he has finished outside the top 10 in each of his last two races there. He was 36th in the race last year and placed 11th in June.

NUMBER CRUNCHING  Tony Stewart has five consecutive top-10 finishes at Michigan. ... Greg Biffle has run all but two of the 5,836 laps run this season, best in the Cup Series. ... Brad Keselowski has scored a series-high six top-10 finishes entering this weekend’s race at Michigan. ... Regan Smith has finished ninth each of the last two races.

by Dustin Long
Follow Dustin on Twitter: @DustinLong
 

Photo by ASP, Inc.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the NASCAR Sprint Cup points lead at Indianapolis, giving his fans something to cheer about in a season where there have been plenty of highlights. Although the points will be reset at the start of the Chase, the question becomes can Earnhardt continue his successful season and win the championship?

That was among the questions Backseat Drivers Fan Council members were asked about last weekend’s Sprint Cup and Nationwide races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Here’s what they had to say about those issues and more:

Will Dale Earnhardt Jr. win the championship?
Earnhardt took the points lead at Indianapolis, the first time he’s led the points since late in the 2004 season. Fan Council members were asked if they thought he would win the championship this year:

64.5 percent said No
35.5 percent said Yes

What Fan Council members said:
• Even though I've been an Earnhardt fan all my life and have been hoping that Junior would finally win a Cup championship, I don't think this is the year. First, Jimmie Johnson served notice (Sunday) that anyone winning the championship this year will have to beat him to do it. Next, even though Junior is perhaps the most consistent driver in the sport this year, consistency, without wins won't get the job done. I think he'll win again. Ultimately, though, I think 5-Time becomes 6-Time. Jimmie is just too good.

• One win in four years. Letarte's track record in the Chase is pretty poor, especially when he got used up by Knaus in 2007. Earnhardt's record in the Chase isn't much better. There's no value in leading the points before the Chase.

• It's hard to pinpoint just why I don't think he will win. I think it's a combination of a lack of complete faith in Steve Letarte's ability to close the deal along with the feeling the luck he's had will not last. On the other hand, I do see maturity in Junior that just might supersede everything else.

• This has been his most consistent year. Consistency wins championships.

• He has yet to convince me he has the killer instinct to go out and drive beyond the car to go out and win more races and win the Chase.

• As a Junior fan, I'm just worried the team is gonna choke.

• As Steve Letarte said in a pre-race interview, “Give FIVE reasons why they won’t AND I’ll give ya FIVE reasons why they can.”

• Dale Jr. does not have the mental/emotional fortitude to win the championship. He has a tendency to get focused on and bothered by things that distract him. I believe Steve Letarte will give him the cars, and his crew will give him the performances necessary to win a championship, but I believe Junior will get distracted by something the media says, the fans want (or are saying) and he will lose enough focus to lose the championship. I believe he will learn that lesson and be a stronger contender for the championship the next time he's in the position.

• He has momentum behind him, a great owner and crew chief and crew. Plus he has Junior Nation behind him. It's his to lose.

• Even though he doesn't have the most wins this season has been the most consistent — but that isn't going to help with the last 10 races. Guys like Johnson and Stewart are going to step up and start rattling off wins and top 5s in the last 10 races. If Dale Jr. wins a couple more races before the Chase I would change my answer.

• Sorry Junior Nation, he's not going to win it. It will take multiple wins in the Chase to win it and his team is more about consistency. I also don't think he has the killer instinct it takes to win it. Until someone else wins one, I'm not sure anybody but Jimmie Johnson or Tony Stewart can win the title. I think it comes down to those two guys.

• Most consistent driver all year. He will win another race this year and capture that elusive championship. He is surviving the summer months well, where he typically does poor, which indicates that come fall, he will excel. I’ve never seen Junior this confident, mature and consistent.

• While he is my driver, I don't see domination. I see speed and consistency from the 88 team — and they belong in the Chase — but the winner of the Chase will dominate throughout it.

• I have to answer “yes.” I am a Junior fan and I have to have that faith. I am scared to even think it though, for fear that I will jinx him and Junior Nation! Regardless, I am so proud of his (and the entire 88 team’s) performance this year. BRAVO!
 

Photo by ASP, Inc.

Grade Sunday’s Cup race at Indianapolis

51.8 percent said it was Good
35.8 percent said it was Fair
6.6 percent said it was Poor
5.8 percent said it was Great

What Fan Council members said:
• Really not a lot of racing at all. It's understandable at IMS because these are big, heavy cars that are aero-dependent and not made to run big, flat tracks.

• We actually saw some racing instead of the parade I have been used to at Indy. It is still hard to pass with the cars being so aero-sensitive but it seems the most dominant car won Sunday, unlike Saturday.

• One guy dominated and the only time anyone could pass was the first couple of laps of the run (after a restart). Not exciting unless you were a Johnson fan.

• Extremely boring. NASCAR doesn't belong at Indy.

• Seven laps in and the field was strung out into a single line and from that point on the only passing was (with little exception) on pit road or at restarts. That's how it always is at Indy (and Pocono and California and Michigan), so not unexpected. The Indy race isn't there for the exciting racing, it’s there for the prestige of running tin tops at Indianapolis. It should stay there for the history. It’s not like it’s the only place with strung-out, not particularly exciting, racing.

• For an Indianapolis race which tends to be more about pageantry than great racing, this was a pretty good race. It had slow/boring spots, but also had action — that was covered on the television broadcast — throughout the field. The leader running away from the field typically makes for a boring race, but the restarts alleviated the lack of competition for the lead during the longer green flag runs. There was some passing on a track known for its lack of passing. There were tire and engine issues adding the element of surprise to portions of the race.

• More single-file racing. Very little passing. This track is just not made for stock cars. And did you see the number of empty seats?! WOW!

• I saw a lot of tweets stating the race was boring. I don't know how anyone said it was boring. I saw a lot of passing, pit strategy, green flag stops, etc. Yes, Jimmie Johnson spanked the field, but there are a lot of other races for points, wild card, etc., going on. In racing, it's not over until the checkered flag flies. I never find a race boring — some especially more exciting — but never boring.

• That was a horrible race. It is never good. Why did I even bother? A lot of people assign blame to the “tire debacle” a few years ago (2008) for the declining attendance. We've had four races since then with no tire issues, so let's face it: stock cars suck at this track. And most of the seats there are terrible — there are huge parts of the track you can't see. WHY would anybody go there for a Cup race? NASCAR weekends are expensive. If I am going to spend the money, it'll be at a track where I can see all the action! (Example: Richmond is our next race!)

• I attended the race at the Brickyard. Granted, you can't see much of the track, but I still thought the racing was pretty good. I focused on some battles between drivers — not just my driver. I did see passing until the field got too far apart. Neat to see Jimmie win his fourth Brickyard. Hated to see Matt get wrecked, but loved seeing Dale Jr. leave leading in the points.

Grade how ESPN showed the end of the Indianapolis Cup race.
ESPN noted that it showed the final 23 minutes of the race and the first eight minutes of post-race coverage without commercial interruption. To do that required more commercial breaks earlier in the race. Fan Council members were asked if they were fine with the long commercial-free portion at the end of there race or if they would rather have the commercial breaks more evenly spaced.

88.8 percent liked how ESPN showed the end of the race minus commercials
11.2 percent wanted more evenly spaced commercial breaks throughout the race

What Fan Council members said:
• What I really liked was the actual post-race coverage. Usually, we don't get much and I have to start looking for more info online, but this time I could just stick with the TV.

• The end of the race is what matters. Sure, we might miss what causes a caution or two but I think we all agree, at the end of the race, when strategy is coming together we want to see that.

• At least they (ESPN) are making an effort to appease viewers. I didn't notice the commercials in this race, to be honest, which is a good thing. (Believe me, the mashed potatoes/macaroni & cheese debate has been tattooed into the national conscience of NASCAR Nation.) I don't need uninterrupted post-race coverage unless there's some sort of controversy, a la the Nationwide race this weekend.

• In an ideal world, there would be fewer commercials. However, I liked this because a lot of the time, the drivers don't “race” until later in the race.

• Whoopie do! For a good portion of those 23 final minutes they had a single-car camera shot of the 48. That's not really showing the race. Use a split screen if they want to focus on the leader — but show the racing in the field.

• I think their entire coverage was great! The timing of commercials was better than TNT.

• ESPN's coverage of the race was textbook how a race should be covered regarding commercials.

• I noticed more commercials in the early broadcast and was worried ESPN was going TNT on us, but then I also noticed the long run at the end going commercial-free and I approve of this immensely.

Grade the inaugural Nationwide race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

30.8 percent said it was Good
23.3 percent said it was Fair
21.5 percent didn’t watch
17.2 percent said it was Poor
7.2 percent said it was Great

What Fan Council members said:
• Maybe I'm just bitter, but I loved attending the NNS race at LOR. It was close racing and you can see the entire track. As a Speedway native, I love IMS with all my heart, but I chose to watch the NNS race on TV knowing I would be going to the Brickyard the next day. I didn't feel it was worth the money to watch a race with very little passing two days in a row.

• Any good feelings I might have had about the race were gone the minute NASCAR decided that, in spite of all the evidence in his favor, Elliott Sadler had to do the pass-thru penalty. The race ended for me right then. I've never been one to jump on conspiracy theories, but in that case, NASCAR made a decision that changed the outcome of the race and potentially the outcome of the season.

• Inconsistent calls and Cup drivers galore because they “needed” to be the first one to win at The Brickyard (in NNS). Roughly the same amount of people showed up that would have at LORP. It's time to go back to the short track.

• I think it was a HUGE mistake to take this race away from Lucas Oil Raceway and put on the big track. It did nothing but show two races that were boring this weekend. Since when is it better to take away all of the short tracks? I don't understand the thought process behind this move.

• It's great to see the NNS at Indy.

• They don't deserve to be running there. They were out of place and it just felt wrong. The race wasn't any good either.

• Fantastic action with the Nationwide race. I am in the “Support Elliott Saddler” camp. I think, truthfully, that Dillon was at fault and the correct action for that particular restart would have been to just do it over — very unfair to dump the whole blame on Elliott. And how could he possibly have slowed to give the position back without wrecking a lot of cars?

• I thought it was a little better than the Cup race. I don't know why — maybe because it was shorter? One thing I do know, though, is that Elliott Sadler got screwed. Bad call by NASCAR. That section of the rulebook might need to be updated. I'm not a Sadler fan, but he handled himself with a lot of dignity and class in that deal.

• It was very fun to watch. Some passing. Suspense. Well done.

• Lots and lots of drama! And some good racing!

The Backseat Drivers Fan Council was founded and is administered by Dustin Long. Fans can join by sending Dustin an email at dustinlong002@gmail.com.

Please include the following information:
Name, city, state, Twitter name, e-mail address and favorite driver.
 

Marty Smith, of ESPN, interviews Juan Pablo Montoya. (ASP, Inc.)

Today marks the second part of the Backseat Drivers Fan Council’s annual NASCAR media survey. Previously, Fan Council members rated NASCAR networks, shows and broadcasters. Today, Fan Council members rate reporters (print/internet), websites, radio shows and radio personalities.

Here is what the Fan Council had to say about those groups.

Rate these print/internet reporters with 10 being the highest score and 1 the lowest. (Last year’s score in parenthesis).
NOTE: My name was among those on the list to be rated by Fan Council members. Although Fan Council members were told their vote would remain anonymous, let’s just say that the home-field advantage of hosting the Fan Council helped me tremendously. I’ve taken myself out of the rankings because it was an unfair advantage.

9.07 — Marty Smith, ESPN.com (8.68 last year)
8.77 — Nate Ryan, USA Today (8.37)
8.75 — Bob Pockrass, Sporting News (8.66)
8.70 — Ryan McGee, ESPN The Magazine/ESPN.com (8.00)
8.23 — Jeff Gluck, SB Nation (7.81)
8.15 — Tom Jensen, Speed.com (7.49)
8.13 — Lee Spencer, FoxSports.com (7.48)
7.88 — Jenna Fryer, Associated Press (7.61)
7.85 — David Newton, ESPN.com (7.51)
7.78 — Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service (7.01)

Others: Monte Dutton (Gaston Gazette), Joe Menzer (NASCAR.com), Ed Hinton, (ESPN.com), David Caraviello (NASCAR.com), Terry Blount (ESPN.com), Mike Hembree (Speed.com), Steve Waid (Motorsports Unplugged), Mike Mulhern (MikeMulhern.net), Jay Busbee (Yahoo.com), Tom Bowles (Frontstretch.com), Matt McLaughlin (Frontstretch.com), Lars Anderson (Sports Illustrated), Mark Aumann (NASCAR.com), Bruce Martin (SI.com), Jim Utter (Charlotte Observer), Don Coble (Morris News Service).

What Fan Council members said:
• No one beats Marty Smith. I look forward to his articles, no matter the subject.

• My only problems are that Jeff Gluck sometimes is a bit too informal with his posts (ex: the piece on Mark Martin using his hacker's name on his car) and Jim Utter sometimes comes off so hostile on Twitter that I avoid reading his columns if I can find the same material written elsewhere. Jenna Fryer is probably my favorite, as her stories are always so thorough and informative.

• Bob Pockrass always knows the facts before anyone else and they are accurate. Dustin Long and Jeff Gluck seem to always get good driver interviews.

• In my opinion, the guys writing for NASCAR.com are not impartial. I have stopped reading most of the articles there for that reason. I have the same opinion of some of the writers for ESPN. I prefer the "independents" such as those who write for the Frontstretch. I've always liked Lee Spencer's articles, too.

• Dustin, I'm going to be honest. I gave you a low grade because of the US Army issue. I feel like you crossed the line between journalist and advocate during the time when that US Representative was attacking sponsorship.

• Jim Utter, while a talented writer, is rude to fans on Twitter ESPECIALLY if they respectfully question his opinion on something.

• My favorites by far are Lee Spencer and Marty Smith. They have the confidence of many drivers and owners alike and always call a fair and balanced story. I believe Dustin Long is underrated as a journalist but always takes an approach that is authentic and individual. I enjoy Bob Pockrass's stories and I support his approach. He is ALWAYS working ... the busiest guy in NASCAR, And Nate Ryan seems very honest and thorough with his reporting.

• Ed Hinton is a very talented writer but is so negative and self-centered that the pieces he writes are slanted in that direction. Tom Bowles has the same quality of being self-centered, and his stories are reflecting that.

• I've been reading Monte Dutton and Mike Mulhern seemingly forever. However, Monte's main interest seems to have gone to music, which I enjoy, but would like more of his NASCAR coverage. I also like Matt McLaughlin's approach to coverage commentary from his Southeastern Pennsylvania biker perspective.

• Too many NASCAR writers do not see the whole picture and follow the crowd. I greatly respect those who take the extra steps to view an entire situation, do extra research and look at an entire driver's history and facets before expressing an opinion. Too many just get on the bandwagon or flavor of the day.

• I rated some lower due to lack of professionalism in dealing with their peers. I had to remove several journalists from my Twitter feed because they simply acted like children to each other. That is embarrassing for the sport.

• Mike Hembree, Ed Hinton and Tom Jensen write clear, concise and tight stories that make you want to read more. All true pros. Jeff Gluck, Jenna Bob Pockrass and Monte Dutton have too many biases and are trying to stir some controversy up that is not there.

Rate these NASCAR-themed websites with 10 being the highest score possible and 1 the lowest. (Last year’s score in parenthesis.)

8.47 — Jayski.com (8.32)
8.08 — MotorRacingNetwork.com (NR)
8.04 — SBNation.com (7.75)
7.89 — SportingNews.com (6.35)
7.84 — SI.com (7.00)
7.75 — Speed.com (7.48)
7.61 — Frontstretch.com (6.83)
7.59 — Daly Planet (6.97)
7.41 — SpeedwayMedia.com (6.33)
7.36 — NASCAR Insiders (6.97)

Others: ThatsRacin.com, ESPN.com, NASCAR.com, AthlonSports.com, Insider Racing News, RubbingsRacing.com, FoxSports.com, Skirts and Scuffs, RacingWithRich.com, Motorsports Unplugged, MikeMulhern.net, Catchfence.com, Yahoo.com, Racin Today, Bleacher Report

What Fan Council members said:
• Jayski is at the top of my list. NASCAR.com is at the bottom. You would think the series website would be better organized and have the news on the main page. Not the easiest to navigate either. I go to SBnation.com and ESPN.com the most to find out what is going on in the sport.

• I wish NASCAR Insiders would start posting more often or give it up and tell us who they were … not sure what’s going on there. I have found that I use links off Twitter more than going directly to the website. Only exceptions are NASCAR.com and Jayski, and that's because I do it at work and can't look at Twitter there.

• ESPN.com, FOXSports.com, Jayski.com and Speed.com are BY FAR the best. They cover all sorts of information and it is easy to find. Ironically, I find NASCAR.com far inferior. The Daly Planet had potential, but now it has basically turned into a website for people to complain endlessly about EVERY LITTLE THING.

• SPEED is the NASCAR network, so they have an inside perspective of the sport. With Tom Jensen and Mike Hembree as a 1-2 combo, they make a formidable duo. ESPN has a solid group of writers and so does Yahoo. SI has Dustin Long, which helps them because the other writers are not as good or are better with other series. I subscribe to Frontstretch.com and they have a pretty solid group of writers. Most are really good. The Daly Planet is somewhere to go when you need to understand the inner workings of TV presenting races, making it a valuable resource.

• NASCAR.com isn't as up-to-date as speedtv.com so speedtv.com has become my primary source for NASCAR-related news.

• I don't know what it means for the proprietors of these websites (especially ones not as big as ESPN.com), but with the emergence of Twitter as THE go-to for immediate NASCAR news, I really spend very little time going to actual NASCAR news websites. However, I will call out SBNation.com as a standout ... Jeff Gluck is always putting out lots of content and his approach and tone are very enjoyable.

• I have a love/hate relationship with SBNation.com. Sometimes the site absolutely can knock it out of the park on their articles and posts. There are times, however, where it gets very “tabloid-y.”

• The Daly Planet used to be good, now his agenda has taken over and it’s not worth reading. Half of his "columns" don’t even have anything to do with NASCAR TV. It’s all about Twitter and Danica. He also has no tolerance for other people's opinions. He claims to be a TV insider, yet never actually breaks any news. I don't think he is a race fan because he never goes to the track. Just sits in his bunker in South Florida and writes blog posts about Danica and Twitter. He had something really good and ruined it.

• To pick out just one — thank goodness for The Daly Planet! I might have given up on watching NASCAR if I did not have that blog where I can commiserate with others as to how generally awful most NASCAR programming is these days.

• I am sure I've read articles from most of these entities, but don't remember some of them. The “7” for AthlonSports.com is because I simply don't like the advertising on the page. Not all sports fans are 14-year olds looking for pictures of half-naked young ladies.

Rate these national radio programs with 10 being the highest score possible and 1 the lowest. (Last year’s score in parenthesis).

8.55 — Sirius Speedway, SiriusXM (7.78)
8.53 — The Morning Drive, SiriusXM (7.36)
8.17 — Late Shift, SiriusXM (6.87)
7.97 — Dialed In, SiriusXM (6.76)
7.96 — NASCAR Live, MRN (7.39)
7.95 — The Frontstretch, SiriusXM (6.93)
7.87 — Press Pass, SiriusXM (6.86)
7.81 — Fast Talk, PRN (6.83)
7.76 — The Pit Reporters, PRN (6.74)
7.71 — NASCAR Performance Live, MRN (6.94)
Others: The Backstretch (SiriusXM), Tradin’ Paint (SiriusXM), Speed Sport on FOX, SpeedFreaks, Manifold Destiny (SiriusXM)

What Fan Council members said:
• I'm on the West coast so I rarely get to listen to The Morning Drive but enjoy it when I do. The biggest problem with Tradin’ Paint is the revolving door of hosts. The show doesn't have an identity. I enjoy Sirius Speedway because Dave and Angie are very knowledgeable and I like the breadth of the regular guests. The Speedway Legend Series is awesome. I don't care for Mojo so I don't care for Manifold Destiny. I used to like Dialed In much better when it was earlier, and I still enjoy it when she is at the track and can get guests, but when it’s a lot of callers, she doesn't do as good of a job as other hosts.

• I love listening to The Morning Drive with Bag Man and Pistol Pete. I know they get the "lunatic fringe" calling in and it's tough to put up with some crazy opinions from time to time, but they do a fantastic job with it.

• If Tradin’ Paint didn't push politics so often, I would rate it higher. I love love love Claire B. Lange and the way she interacts with NASCAR personalities and with fans. She obviously loves her job and loves her fans.

• I download the Fast Talk podcast weekly. We all miss BP!

• Still can’t beat PRN and Fast Talk. Doug Rice is just fun to listen too. I don't much care for The Frontstretch. Pat Patterson doesn't get the job done too well.

• The Morning Drive is solid with Bagley and Pistone, while Tradin’ Paint has its moments. Moody and Skinner make a good combo for Speedway, while the Late Shift is always good because Buddy Baker is just a great wealth of stories and laughs.

• Dave Moody should be given a medal for his work. Some of the people that call into that show are amazing and not in a good way...

Rate these national radio hosts and co-hosts with 10 being the highest score possible and 1 the lowest. (Last year’s score in parenthesis).

8.79 — Eli Gold, NASCAR Live, MRN (7.87)
8.75 — Dave Moody, Sirius Speedway, SiriusXM (7.70)
8.51 — Mike Bagley, The Morning Drive, SiriusXM (7.23)
8.47 — Doug Rice, Fast Talk, PRN (7.13)
8.47 — Steve Post, NASCAR Performance Live, MRN (7.20)
8.36 — Pete Pistone, The Morning Drive, SiriusXM (7.08)
8.23 — Buddy Baker, Late Shift, SiriusXM (7.57)
8.18 — Pat Patterson, The Frontstretch, SiriusXM (6.89)
8.06 — Angie Skinner, Sirius Speedway, SiriusXM (7.26)
8.06 — Jim Noble, Late Shift, SiriusXM (6.83)
Others: Brett McMillan (The Pit Reporters, PRN), Claire B. Lang (Dialed In, SiriusXM), Crash Gladys (SpeedFreaks), Kenny Sargent (SpeedFreaks), Chocolate Myers (Tradin’ Paint, SiriusXM), Rob D’Amico (Speed Sport on Fox), Rick Benjamin, (Tradin’ Paint, SiriusXM), Mojo Nixon (Manifold Destiny, SiriusXM)

What Fan Council members said:
• Eli Gold, Claire B. Lange, Dave Moody, Jim Noble and Doug Rice are the absolute best of the best. Anytime I can listen to them I try to. They have so much passion for the sport and never take a break for anything. Angie Skinner is a little too vulgar, but she definitely makes it interesting.

• I don’t listen to a lot of radio, but Dave Moody, Jim Noble and Crash Gladys are really good.

• Always listen to Pete Pistone and Mike Bagley. They are great!

• I like most of the SiriusXM Radio hosts. Claire B. Lang is a unique person that I just don't enjoy listening to on the channel. She rambles on a lot. She could really use a co-host to try and tame her down a bit.

• I enjoy most of these announcers. Angie Skinner has brought some valuable knowledge to Sirius Speedway. Besides having access to “The Gunslinger,” she has also brought some of the behind the scenes "sponsorship chase" information that is fascinating. Rick Benjamin is my least favorite announcer. The moment you disagree or say something controversial, he cuts off the conversation, says you are wrong and hangs up. Tradin' Paint is the one show I will not worry about missing if I know he is on that day.

• TMD and Speedway folks are THE BEST at putting on an entertaining show even when the callers continue to beat topics into the ground sometimes for days!! Buddy Baker is great on any show but needs to be paired up with a better host! He would be excellent with Pat Patterson!!

• I very much enjoy the Sirius NASCAR programs and their hosts. Individually, I think Dave Moody is the best at his job. He calls an ace an ace, and he doesn't take the NASCAR line. I really enjoy Chocolate and Buddy because of their extensive background with racing and providing the history of what they experienced. I've always enjoyed Steve Post's approach in covering NASCAR and am very sorry that he was removed from Tradin' Paint, as Steve and Chocolate made a great team. I enjoy Angie very much so this show is complete. Jim Noble is too cautious in his approach. Eli Gold's show is always a class act. I absolutely can't stand Mojo and Claire B. He does nothing but stir the pot and is crappy about the way he refers to drivers or even callers.

• I love listening to Buddy Baker tell old stories and Claire B Lang has to be the hardest working person in radio. She's a real go-getter!

The Backseat Drivers Fan Council was founded and is administered by Dustin Long. Fans can join by sending Dustin an email at dustinlong002@gmail.com.

Please include the following information:
Name, city, state, Twitter name, e-mail address and favorite driver.