A Few Bristol Predictions

Making predictions is a tricky business, especially for the psychically-challenged, like me. But be that as it may, I'm going to throw caution to the wind this week and offer up a few of my own Bristol prognostications.

I don't claim to have any insider information, but sometimes the future can be found just a easily by reading recent history as it can by looking at the stars.  And should I bat a thousand on the below predictions, I'm going to start playing the Florida Lottery, and pronto.

A milestone for Martin: If Mark GoDaddy Martin snags the pole at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, it will be the 50th pole of his career.  And I think he's gonna do it.

Really, a pole isn't such a stretch, considering "The Kid" already has earned nine pole positions at the track - the most of any active driver (and tying Cale Yarborough for first all-time).

To top that, Martin did the Bristol sweep last year, earning both Sprint Cup Poles at BMS.

"Both times we went to Bristol last year, the guys gave me an awesome race car. We were fast right off the truck," Martin said. "I went out there and both times we were crazy fast. I remember thinking, 'This is crazy. I don't know how many more times I can do that to my heart!' But it's fun. And it's so rewarding to see the guys faces when we're at the top of the chart."

Carl keeps it clean - Given that Scotts is the sponsor of Saturday's Nationwide Race, I've no doubt that Carl Edwards will be on his best on-track behavior where Brad Keselowski is concerned.  After all, Scotts did release a statement post Atlanta that included a thinly veiled admonition to the driver they sponsor. 

To wit - "Scotts appreciates the support of NASCAR fans everywhere, and we have an excellent relationship with Carl Edwards, Jack Roush and the No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing team. However, like many fans, we were very concerned about the on-track incident that occurred in Atlanta this past weekend. As a result, we have strongly expressed these concerns to both Carl and Jack, and we are confident that they have a clear understanding of the trust we have placed in them as ambassadors of our company, our associates and our brands. In addition, as a sponsor, we want to make sure that drivers, race teams and NASCAR focus on keeping these types of incidents and misjudgments from happening."

Ouch! Look for Carl to smile for the cameras, keep his nose clean at Bristol and get tangled with Brad a few weeks later down the line.

Special K stays in the top 35 - Speaking of Brad, even though Keselowski seems to have a nose for trouble, and Bristol is a track where trouble comes calling, I predict BK will sneak out of Bristol with a top 35 points standing.  I'm sure his detractors would like nothing better than for Keselowski to lose three positions on Sunday, but I don't think it'll happen.  He's got something to prove and my bet is, he'll have a strong finish this weekend.

Best race of the weekend won't be for points - If last year's "senior skins" race at Bristol Motor Speedway  was any indication, the Scotts EZ Seed Showdown on Saturday night will be the most fun race of the weekend.  NASCAR legends Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Dave Marcis, Harry Gant, Charlie Glotzbach, L.D. Ottinger, and more will be taking to the track Saturday night for a 35-lap sprint to glory. I, for one, can't wait. And based on last year's stellar third-place performance, I predict Ottinger will take the checkers.

Bechtel's Latest Book Captures What We Love About NASCAR

I was going to wait until I finished reading Mark Bechtel's new book before writing about it. But it's so darn good, I feel compelled to post about it now.

"He Crashed Me So I Crashed Him Back: The True Story of the Year the King, Jaws, Earnhardt, and the Rest of NASCAR's Feudin', Fightin' Good Ol' Boys Put Stock Car Racing on the Map" may have the longest title in publishing history. But don't let that put you off. Bechtel, a senior editor for Sports Illustrated, is a master at disguising dry details in engaging narrative.

It's a NASCAR history book that reads less like a piece of motorsports academia and more like a good yarn that your grandad might tell you while smoking a pipe in his easy chair.

It's genius, really.

From explaining the origins of The Alabama Gang to recounting Kyle Petty's honeymoon debut at Daytona, Bechtel is a sympathetic chronicler whose words balance a hearty respect for the sport with the blood-and-guts reality of how it all started.

Take this bit which contrasts Junior Johnson, Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough -

As odd a couple as Johnson and Allison were, Yarborough and Johnson seemed made for each other. Yarborough was, like Johnson, a strong, rugged outdoorsy type, a real man's man. Not that Allison was still a wimp. He had driven through some incredible injuries and never backed down from a fight. But he wasn't the kind of fella who would be the subject of a magazine profile detailing his nocturnal varmint-hunting habits, as Johnson later was in the summer of 1979, when Stock Car Racing ran a piece called "Coon Huntin With Jr. Johnson."

It's word pictures like this that connect the here-and-now to then then-and-gone. And after finishing certain passages in Bechtel's book, I felt like I had shaken hands with Junior Johnson, watched Bobby Allison build an engine and thrown a punch during in an infield melee.

Great stuff. And race fans should read it.

The Fourth NASCAR Day of Christmas: Four Championships

In case you didn't hear it enough in November, let me reiterate. Jimmie Johnson is the first-ever consecutive four-time Cup champion in NASCAR history.

Dale Earnhardt didn't do it. Richard Petty didn't do it. And alas, neither did Cale Yarborough. Johnson and Johnson alone is king of the NASCAR heap.

And that's not all. In 2009, Johnson took seven trips to Victory Lane, racked up 16 top five finishes and led a career-high 2,238 laps.

Not bad for a guy who's only been racing at NASCAR's highest level since 2001.

And the hits keep coming. Today, it was announced that Johnson has won the Driver of the Year Award for the third time - an honor which encompasses all the racing series in the United States and is voted on by 20 journalists and broadcasters nationwide.

With stats and accolades coming out his ears, you might ask what can possibly be left for the champ to conquer?

Only a little thing called the Rolex 24 at Daytona. That's where you'll find Johnson come January 30 and 31, as he races with teammates Jon Fogarty, Alex Gurney and Jimmy Vasser. To date, Johnson's best finish at the marathon event is second place - a spot he earned in both 2005 and 2008. But with a win this go-round, Johnson would become the first Cup champ EVER to win the Rolex title.

And a win for JJ isn't that far-fetched. If the past four years are any indication, Johnson will likely best this race too. Right now, there doesn't seem to be any kryptonite that can slow Superman down.

Photo info: Jimmie Johnson celebrates his fourth consecutive Sprint Cup championship at Homestead, courtesy of Reuters

Headed to the All-Star Race? Try Some Sweet Tea From Junior (Johnson, That Is)

Beginning this week, race fans in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia can grab a gallon of Junior Johnson's own Sweet Iced Tea and Lemonade at their local Lowes Food store. The beverages are sweetened with real granulated sugar and made with purified North Carolina Mountain Water--sounds like they'd make good mixers for tailgating to me.

"The very first Lowes Foods store was in Wilkesboro, not too far from our farm," Johnson said. "We’re excited to launch this product with a retail partner based here in our home state.”

For the uninitiated, Johnson won 50 NASCAR races. Equally successful as a team owner, his drivers won 139 races and six series championships. Cale Yarborough won three straight titles from 1976-1978 and Darrell Waltrip won the three other championships in 1981, ’82 and ’85. He is ranked as the 3rd most successful owner in NASCAR history. His tea can be found in refrigerated gallon jugs in the dairy section of Lowes Food Stores.

Darlington Recap

Chad Knaus may have the biggest brain in the Sprint Cup garage. Saddled with a backup car that had never seen a lap on the Darlington track, Knaus and crew managed to get Jimmie Johnson and the Lowes Chevy from worst to nearly first by the end of the Southern 500. Working on the #48 during the first yellow flag, staying out on the track during the next caution put Johnson in position early. And with Johnson's skill and a little luck, they brought home a #2 finish for Hendrick Motorsports. That's what I call a good night.

A few more Darlington observations:
He don't need no rocking chair: With his second win of the season veteran Mark Martin conquered the "track too tough to tame" pretty handily. It's almost as if Martin was sending a not-so-subtle message "sit back boys and let me show you how it's done." Due to his victorious finish, Martin's currently sits in the top 12 in points.

Hand it to the kid: Joey Logano's taken a lot of flack for his lackluster start so far--and so has Joe Gibbs racing. But this week's tips from Cale Yarborough must have paid off because the kid looked downright impressive at a track that's toyed with much more experienced drivers than he. Perhaps JGR should have enlisted the help of Yarborough a bit sooner.

It won't be long now: The team at Stewart-Haas Racing put together another impressive race this week. Garnering 3rd and 4th place finishes, this team is on track to win big--and soon. I'd say in the next three races one of these cats will be in Victory Lane.

Where's the Karma when you need it?: Nothing like having your night ended by a teammate. Just ask Carl Edwards. Smacking the wall thanks to Greg Biffle, Edwards' night ended on a decidedly low note--32nd to be exact. Biffle, the culprit in question, snagged a respectable top 10. Sometimes Carl, life just isn't fair.

Earning his stripes: Brad Keselowski proved his mettle and also that Talladega was no fluke. With a seventh-place finish and a solid, well-run race (he started 31st), it looks like Brad K. is here to stay.

Puttin' the Southern Back in the 500

Thank goodness tradition counts for something somewhere. For a sport that's often slicked up, sometimes toned down and always cleverly marketed to the masses, NASCAR still does a remarkable job of recognizing the people, places and traditions that have made the sport what it is today.

There are so many folks with fond memories of Darlington and its Southern 500 -- from the Boy Scout troops near Florence who used to get free tickets to the race every Labor Day weekend, to the '60s farm kids in the Midlands who made the trek each year to see the likes of Fireball Roberts and Cale Yarborough race their hearts out.

For a Florida girl like me, merely the name "Southern 500" unlocks Polaroid memories from years gone by. My Dad's politically incorrect Confederate Flag beach towel wafting from the back of a vinyl lounge chair. Uncle J's "racy" stories of camping out with his buddies in a beat-up fifth wheel at Speedweeks. My Uncle E's anecdotes of the days he was a small-time racer on the tracks of Hollywood, Florida. The sounds of Waylon Jennings. The taste of fried okra. The haze of red dust on a dirt road.

In short, whether you were an eyewitness to Darlington's history or not, there's something about merely the name of this racing tradition that makes fans feel a little bit nostalgic, a little bit proud and a whole lot of happy.

Sure there will still be races at tracks in Las Vegas, New Hampshire and Fontana. But for this weekend at least, the South's gonna do it again.

Wet Your Whistle at Bristol With Some "Thunder Valley Lightning"

NASCAR legend Junior Johnson will put his own potent potable up for sale at Bristol this weekend. Junior Johnson Brand Premium Sweet Iced Tea and Lemonade will be used in the new signature drink from Bristol Motor Speedway – “Thunder Valley Lightning”. As previously announced, Bristol Motor Speedway has partnered with Piedmont Distillers, Inc. and its Junior Johnson Midnight Moon moonshine to introduce the new signature drink.

For the spring race weekend, race fans will be able to purchase the signature drink in a 24-ounce collectible cup at 20 drink stations located throughout Bristol Motor Speedway’s concourse area inside the track and at exterior locations surrounding the track. A portion of the proceeds from each sale will go to a non-profit organization.

After retiring from driving, Junior Johnson became the third most successful team owner in NASCAR history. His drivers won 139 races and six series championships. Cale Yarborough won three straight titles from 1776-1778 and Darrell Waltrip won the three other championships in 1981, ’82 and ’85.

Old Coots vs. Young Guns -- An All-Star Race We'd Love To See

We all know the economy is in the tank and track owners from Daytona to Martinsville are trying anything and everything to get people out to the races.

Thus, it is in the interest of economic stimulus for the sport we all know and love, that I offer a race weekend promotion that's guaranteed to generate the interest of fans across the nation: an Old School versus New School Shootout.

Who wouldn't want to see Richard Petty go head to head with Kyle Busch? What could be more fun than watching Ricky Rudd, Darrell Waltrip and Rusty Wallace race to the finish with the likes of Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin? Of course the logistics could be a nightmare, and then there's the little matter of cars and equipment. However, I for one, would like to see how the current Sprint Cup hotshots measure up. Today's newbies come to the sport with tons of hype reflecting off their designer sunglasses. But when it gets down to brass tacks, do they really have what it takes to hang with the legends of motorsports?

Of course we'd have to find a spot for Dale Junior or it wouldn't be an automatic sellout. And Kyle Petty would probably pout to the media if he weren't included in some way. But these are just minor obstacles. The possibilities of such an event are endless. Who knows, Cale Yarborough might even be persuaded to show up and throw a punch or two!