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I can’t wait for October. If the fall race at Talladega is anything like Sunday’s — or even the Saturday Nationwide race — was then it should be one to remember.
Unless you are Dario Franchitti, aka Mr. Ashley Judd.
Franchitti, a past Indy 500 winner, is a rookie driver for Chip Ganassi and races in Sprint Cup and a few nationwide races. During Saturday’s Aaron’s 312, Franchitti was part of a hard wreck that ended with him being carried out on a stretcher with a broken ankle. David Stremme — he drove Franchitti’s No. 40 Dodge last season — took over for the Aaron’s 499 on Sunday.
By getting hurt on Saturday, Franchitti avoided the Big One on Sunday. The Big One came late and put race contenders Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., out of the lead. Junior managed to finish 10th for his series-leading seventh top 10 finish. Stewart finished 38th.
He did win the Nationwide race, so it wasn’t a horrible weekend.
Stewart led the most laps, but it was teammate Kyle Busch that took the checkered flag.
This wasn’t supposed to be a good race. With almost 40 lead changes among 20 drivers, it was anyone’s race to win, which is how many of the restrictor plate races have been. And it was still hard to pass, unless you were Denny Hamlin, who used the draft and slingshot move to perfection more than once during the race.
It was drafting that made the race fun to watch. With the current cars, the front and back ends line up in such a way that getting right on the bumper of the car ahead of you was easier than it should have been.
You won’t see that on the highways without somebody wrecking. It won’t be at 200 mph, either.
What used to be called the Car of Tomorrow hasn’t given the fans the best racing possible. Many of the drivers still hate it. After Sunday’s race, however, minds should be changing.
Of course, none of that will matter when the next race comes around. Speed won’t be the name of this game Saturday night in Richmond, Va.
Richmond combines two of my favorite things about NASCAR: short tracks and night races.
Richmond International Raceway is not as short as Bristol or Martinsville or as ceremonial as Lowe’s, but some of the best races I’ve seen have taken place there.
Like the time Kevin Harvick got into a fight with Ricky Rudd, or when Junior won in 2000, 2004 and 2006.
2006, you say? Richmond was the site of Junior last Sprint Cup points race win. It’s now 71 races since he’s been to victory lane. I really thought last week would be it and he did lead often. It wasn’t meant to be.
Jimmie Johnson won the spring and fall Richmond races in 2007, which should put him at the top of the odds. Other active drivers who have won there are Harvick, Stewart, Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne. Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth. Joe Nemecheck won in 2003 and if he qualifies his No. 78 Chevrolet, he should get a chance to show off again.
A Johnson win would make another one of my sisters happy, but until Amy signs up for Stock Car Challenge, her opinion doesn’t count.
For this week, we’ll pull for a top-10 finish from Jamie McMurray as a get well present for my stepmother Roze, as well as a top 10 for Clint Bowyer in the No. 07 Jack Daniels Chevy for my mom, DeeAnna, who could use a drink right about now.
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