John Wes Townley Gets Cup Ride, My Thoughts

In probably the most shocking entry we have ever seen in NASCAR this year, RAB Racing's John Wes Townley, is listed to drive this weekend in the Cup Series at Pocono Raceway for FAS Lane Racing.

John Wes Townley (Credit: TheHotLap)

This news, however, has several NASCAR fans fired up, saying that they lost a bit of respect towards FAS Lane Racing and Frank Stoddard (owner of the team) for hiring Townley, cautions ready to happen, hoping their driver isn't involved in his cautions, etc.

First off, lets look at Townley's NASCAR racing stats. Townley has 57 career starts between both the Nationwide and Camping World Trucks Series. How many Top 10's are in there? Zero. His actually picked up his best ever finish in NASCAR, 14th, for the 2012 American Ethanol 225 at Chicagoland in mid-July. Townley currently, has finished on the led lap in only 13 of the 57 career NASCAR starts, which is not a great stat for someone that attempts he full race. Not to mention, Townley has 11 career DNQ's in the NNS and Truck Series combined.

The only positive career stats he has is in ARCA, where he has 3 Top 5's, 10 Top 10's in only 24 starts.

Townley does have sponsorship this weekend from Zaxby's, which his father is a co-founder of. Some may say its pretty much the main reason why Townley was hired to drive for FAS Lane, which is most likely the truth. Saying this is pretty much the reason why I think they hired Jason White to drive the second Pocono race last year, cause he had sponsorship with him.

My thoughts? I honestly said that you know a Cup team has gone insane when they hire John Wes Townley to drive for them for a race. Am I saying that Townley is the worst driver out there? No, of course not. However, with Townley's history of causing cautions, expect some cautions that have the 32 listed involved.

Are we being too hard on Townley? I think yes, we are. We did the same thing with Sam Hornish Jr. in his 2010 and 2011 seasons. We bashed him for causing to many cautions. Now, you rarely see him wrecks now, he's finishing several races on the lead lap, and he even picked up a Nationwide win last year. Is Townley going to be the next Hornish Jr.-like change? Probably not. But if he has a more positive focus, then its possible that he will have more finishes on the led lap, and perhaps get that long awaited Top 10 finish.

Where Will Matt Kenseth Drive For 2013?

Its Silly Season time, and the first big name that'll be a free agent for the 2013 is known. It'll be 2003 NASCAR Cup Champion, Matt Kenseth.

Because of lack of sponsorship for the #17, and being a contract year for Matt Kenseth, Kenseth would be released from Roush-Fenway Racing after the 2012 season ends, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. taking over the 17 ride for the 2013 season.

Main question now is, where will Kenseth drive for the 2013 Season? The biggest possibility is he'll be driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, either in the 20 car or a new 4th team for JGR (which is likely the 02, which they have used in 2008 and 2009 for a few races). For the 4th team to even be possible, it will depend on sponsorship. Joe Gibbs Racing said they would like to keep Joey Logano in the Cup, but with a big name like Kenseth (and if they can't find sponsorship for a 4th JGR team), Logano would likely drive for JGR full-time in the Nationwide Series.

Another possibility is Penske Racing, who will be moving to Fords for the 2013 season. For all we know, Penske will pick up a driver familiar with Fords. Unlike Joe Gibbs Racing, I think its doubtful Penke will have a 3rd full time team. Kenseth will likely replace Allmendinger in the 22 ride if Allmendinger's statistics doesn't improve before the season ends.

Cup Regulars In Nationwide/Truck Events: What Should Be Done?

Its been a problem for the past few years, Cup regulars dominating the Nationwide and Truck Series. Last year, NASCAR made drivers pick what driver points they would like to run for in one series. For example, if one driver picks Cup points, they would get no driver points for both the Nationwide and Truck Series. This rule was made so regulars have a chance to win the series. Teams will still get owner points, but some Cup drivers would still run several Nationwide (and Truck Series) events.

What should be done? I think the points rule should stay, but it should have a few changes to it. One change they should make is to limit how many Nationwide and Truck races a Cup driver can run in. For Nationwide, I say 10 races should be the maximum. For the Truck Series, I say 7 races should be the maximum. For example, if Brad Keselowski chooses to take Cup driver points for the 2013 season, he can only run up to 10 Nationwide events and 7 Truck Series events.

But what if someone that runs full-time in the Cup Series picks to run for Nationwide or Truck driver points (like Joe Nemechek does for NNS)? They can run as many Nationwide/Truck events as they please.

A Nationwide-regular driver can also run as many Cup races as they please too. For example, if Trevor Bayne picks Nationwide points for the 2013 season, he can run as many Cup races as he pleases too.

For the stand-alone events or if they are at a different track for a race weekend, no Cup drivers should attempt. For example, at Road America we should see no Cup drivers attempting the race. Don't worry, teams can still get owner points for the owners Championship.

Yes, sponsorship will still be an issue with this idea, but it will let fans enjoy races more without having to worry about a Cup regular dominating a race every week.

All-Star Race: What Should Be Changed?

The 2012 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race had an interesting format. 5 segments, 90 laps, one winner gets the million dollars. The first four segments had 20 laps; the winner of the first segment will pit first, the second segment winner will pit second, and so on. If there was a repeat segment winner, it'll go the next driver yet to win a segment.

However, this format had one major flaw; drivers that won segments one through three found a loophole, they can hang out in the rear to save their cars until Segment Four ended. Is it a great idea to do this technique? Yes, but in my opinion, its a bit unfair that a driver that stayed in the rear for 3/4's of the race automatically gets to start up in front for the mandatory "pit stop".

How can NASCAR fix it if this stays for the 2013 All-Star race? Well, I think they should bring back the elimination format. Meaning after each segment, (x) amount of drivers will be eliminated. For example, for the first segment, you have to finish in the Top 20 to continue. If one driver fails to finish to the Top 20 at the end of segment one, they are eliminated from the rest of the race. This will give us even more wheel-to-wheel action for drivers to avoid elimination. And also drivers who won segments will be racing harder instead of hanging out in the rear.

Another way for NASCAR to fix the All-Star race is to fix up the final segment. Instead of 10 laps, it should be 20 or 30 laps, with a mandatory 4-tire green flag pit stop in that said segment. They should still keep the "caution laps do not count" rule. Yes, Jeff Burton found a loophole similar to this idea in the 2002 Winston, but drivers are unlikely to perform this loophole if it is in the final segment.

Is Kurt Busch Costing Himself Another Ride?

Kurt Busch (Photo Credit: TheHotLap)

He was released from Roush Racing (now called Roush-Fenway Racing) after the 2005 NASCAR Cup season. In 2011, about a month after a controversial interview with Dr. Jerry Punch showed up on YouTube, Penske Racing and Kurt Busch "mutually agreed" to part ways.

During the Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington, Kurt Busch had yet another controversial incident. After he spun from a cut tire in the closing laps, the anger levels was becoming like a ticking time bomb. Busch made a pit stop for repairs. As he left, he did a burnout through Ryan Newman's pit box, which had Newman's pit crew members over the wall at the time. One of the 39 team's crew members was not happy at Busch's action's and confronted Kurt Busch's crew chief, Nick Harrison, to voice their displeasure with Kurt's actions.

The "Anger Time Bomb" was getting ready to explode. When Kurt was told he had to start in the back for pitting too soon, the "Anger Time Bomb" went off:

Steve Barkdoll (#51 Spotter): "We've got to start in the back for pitting too soon"
Kurt Busch: "IS IT ONE TO GO YET?!"
(moments later)
Steve Barkdoll: "They want you to drop farther to the back"
Kurt Busch: "I AM (expletive) THERE! I'M (expletive) THERE! ALL THESE MOTHER(expletive) BEHIND ME ARE LAPS (expletive) DOWN! (expletive)"
Steve Barkdoll: "Alright man, cool down. Let's think and get some points here, (expletive) it"
Kurt Busch: "(expletive)! (expletive)!"

Kurt Busch ended up finishing 21st, the last car on the lead lap. But he he wasn't done. He had a post race altercation with some crew members of the 39 team. Because of this altercation, and his reckless driving for almost hitting crew members of the 39 team, NASCAR placed Kurt Busch on probation until July 25th (which is ten race weekends) and was fined $50,000.

Main question is: Is Kurt Busch costing himself another ride this season? You know Phoenix Racing, they are a underfunded team looking for some sponsors. In fact, its been rumored they might not fund the full season. They need sponsorship to run the full season. However, his actions he's had in his career might not attract enough sponsors.

Am I saying Phoenix Racing will release Kurt Busch? No. But if his actions continue and the team can't find any sponsorship, then its possible.

Steve Arpin Future Plans for 2012

Steve Arpin (Credit: NASCAR Images)

In the O'Reilly Auto Parts 300, Steve Arpin picked up his second Top 10 finish in his Nationwide Series career by finishing 10th in the #30 Mike's On The Rocks Chevrolet for Turner Motorsports.

I asked the Ontario native what are his plans for the rest of the 2012 season. He replied back saying that as of right now, only the Aaron's 312 at Talladega is left on the schedule for him. However he added that he is working hard to find more. (Source: Twitter)

(UPDATE (4/30/12)): It appears as though that James Buescher is driving the 30 Car for Turner Motorsports at Talladega)

(UPDATE #2 (5/16/12)): Steve Arpin ended up driving the 30 for the spring Iowa race

Views On David Reutimann at Martinsville

David Reutimann
(Photo Credit: Getty Images / NASCAR Media)

A lot of talk right now is what David Reutimann did in the final laps of the Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville.

David Reutimann, driving the #10 Accell Contruction Chevrolet for Tommy Baldwin Racing, was having issues with the car all day. According to TBR, the 10 car was mainly having brake issues, they were in and out of the garage area a handful of times. And it wasn't until the final laps of the day his engine gave up and he ended up stopping on the frontstretch. This moment played a huge outcome of the finish.

Some fans, however, are outraged at what David Reutimann did. Do they have every right to be angry? I say no, and some fans are just overreacting over the whole incident.

The main reason I can't blame him is the Top 35 rule. Coming into Martinsville, the 10 team was 34th in Owner Points. They were tied with the #33 Richard Childress Racing team for that spot, and just 5 points ahead of the #83 BK Racing team (who was 36th in Owner Points). So, every point had to count for this team, which is why they were in and out of the garage so they can make up laps, and just in case the #83 or the #33 teams had some sort of issue with the car or got caught up in an accident at some point of the race. The 10 team, likely, would've dropped out of the Top 35 in Owner Points, even if the final laps incident didn't happen.

The next thing people bring up is why didn't he pit when he knew something was going to break in the car. Here's the thing, he's more focused on keeping that car in the Top 35 in Owner Points. Another thing is the engine could've just gave up when he entered Turn 4, making it impossible to make it back to the pits. Yes, he had several opportunities to make it to pit road, but can't blame a guy for trying to finish the race with how much power his car can handle. Especially if the driver is fighting for a spot in the Top 35 in Owner Points.

What David Reutimann took was a risk. It may of not of been the best risk too take, but you can't blame drivers who have to take a risk that completely changes the outcome of a race. Its part of racing: You win some, and you lose some.

Inception Motorsports Giving Thanks for NASCAR Fans

Photo Credit: Inception Motorsports

Ever since their Twitter account started, one group of people was out there to help them. A Twitter account under the name @TheNascarFans (with the help of their followers) goes through many companies that can be potential sponsors. Inception Motorsports is one that they give potential sponsors the most focus to.

As a thank you to their loyal fans, David Stremme and Inception Motorsports decided to put TheNascarFans Twitter handle on the rear bumper of the #30 Inception Motorsports Toyota this weekend at Auto Club Speedway.

Twitter accounts:
- Inception Motorsports: @InceptionRacing
- David Stremme: @DavidStremme
- "The NASCAR Fans": @TheNascarFans

"New Nickname" to Appear on Mark Martin's Car at Fontana

It all started a few months ago when his team owner, Michael Waltrip, started the account. Mark Martin was greeted by all of his fans on Twitter. Answering several of his fans questions, recounting moments they had with the fellow driver, and many more. Martin is one of the active NASCAR driver that tweets a handful times a day.

Late Saturday morning (or on March 17th), it was discovered that Mark Martin's Twitter account has been hacked. They changed the account name, Twitter handle, and profile picture (including protecting tweets for the account). All day MWR worked hard on getting the account back to normal. Later that evening, Mark Martin was back on Twitter.

The hacker changed the name/handle to EPICSWAG, so as a little payback, Mark Martin decided to have a little fun with that name. Instead of have "Mark Martin" above the door, the #55 Aaron's Toyota will have "Epic Swag" above the door.

Mark Martin's Twitter account is @55MarkMartin

Rumored Upcoming Plans for Teams

Hamilton-Means Racing (Cup):

     Hamilton-Means has pushed back their Cup debut once again. This time they will plan to attempt the Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville in the #52 Crusader Staffing Toyota. Team originally was going to attempt the Daytona 500, but was put on hold because of a delay in obtaining some essential equipment. The plan then was for the Subway Fresh Fit 500(k) at Phoenix or the Food City 500 at Bristol. And just last week, it was announced they will attempt the Martinsville race. Johnny Sauter was said to drive to the 52 car, but decided not to agree to deal. Sauter's only plans for that race weekend is to drive the #13 in the Camping World Truck Series. Driver for the 52 at Martinsville was Scott Speed, after that the driver(s) is TBD at this point.


GoGreen Racing (Cup):

     Another new Cup team that has pushed their first Cup attempt is the GoGreen Racing. Tim Andrews is still said to drive the car, but the team unknowingly pushed their Sprint Cup debut back. It was suppose to be at Martinsville, but they didn't show up for the event. As of now it is unknown when and if they will attempt a race in the Cup Series. Tim Andrews is also said to be the driver of the #37 GoGreen Racing Ford in the Nationwide Series (first race for the 37 team, however, has yet to be announced).


TurnOne Racing (Cup):

     Reed Sorenson drove the #74 TurnOne Racing Chevy at the Food City 500 at Bristol. Stacy Compton was on the initial entry list for this event, but Reed Sorenson picked up the 74 ride later in the week. Team decided to start-and-park the event to avoid risking damaging their car. Sorenson appears to be the full-time driver for TurnOne. Another driver that might drive for a race or two is J.R. Fitzpatrick, who drives for the team in the Camping World Truck Series, but only time will tell for him.


Rick Ware Racing (NNS):

     I asked Rick Ware Racing if there if their 15 Nationwide team will be running any more races for the 2012 Nationwide Season. They told me that is the plan for them. The 15 team attempted the Royal Purple 300 with Scott Riggs. Because of lack of sponsorship on the car, it was a start-and-park deal with Riggs.

(Updated 4/2/12)