Montoya Wins In Sonoma

Juan Pablo Montoya made the most of his track position and fuel mileage at the end of the race to post his first Nextel Cup win at Infineon Raceway. The pass he made on Jaime McMurray to take the lead in the final laps was textbook clean and he nursed the car home before it ran out of gas. It was a perfect example of why you can win on a road course without having the best car in the field. It's all about track position at the end of the race and having enough fuel to get to the checkered flag.

It wasn't that Montoya didn't run a great race, and his ability on a road course is unequaled, but Tony Stewart and Robbie Gordon were the class of the field throughout the event. Stewart most certainly had the fastest car and Gordon was the most consistent leading the most laps. In the end, it was pit stratedy and fuel economy that did Stewart and Gordon in, as they had to stop for fuel and lost any chance at a win. It makes you wonder why NASCAR has gone to a smaller fuel cell for the cars, because winning on pit stratedy isn't the way I like a race to be determined. I have always been a firm believer in giving the drivers enough fuel to race each other and may the fastest car win! But anyway, congrats to Juan Pablo Montoya and to Chip Gannasi Racing, who ended a long dry spell with this trip to victory lane.

Carl Edwards Breaks Through In Michigan

It had been nineteen months since "Mr. Back Flip" won a race, and in dominating fashion Carl Edwards took the 400 miler at Michigan International yesterday. He finally did it while overcoming an early speeding penalty and holding off Martin Truex Jr. to win and snap his 52-race Nextel Cup winless streak. It was his fifth career Cup win and ended a dry spell that he never envisioned would have happened. With a four win season in 2005 many thought that Edwards was on his way to several wins per season, but as he now knows winning races is never guaranteed in NASCAR.

With the competition so tough in Nextel Cup, not only from other teams but within your own, you can never count on past success to take you to the winners circle on a consistent basis. Just ask Casey Kane, Ryan Newman or Dale Jr if they ever thought they would hit dry spells such as they are experiencing now. Not only was this a much needed win for Carl, but more so for Ford as they have felt the wrath of the Chevy dominance this year. After he crossed the finish line there were six Chevrolet's lined up behind him before the next Ford scored some points. Also, a moral victory for Michael Waltrip and his struggling Toyota team as he cruised across in 10th place.

But is the start of a series of wins for Edwards and Rouch Racing? Can they put a string of victories together and put a damper on the Chevy dominance that is evident this year? Will Dodge and Toyota make it towards the front of the pack and steal a win? My guess is that this year belongs to Chevrolet as they have too many strong teams, and as in most things in life it's a numbers game, and Chevy has the highest number in NASCAR. So let's wait and see who will or will not step up to make this season a little more competitive and a little more memorable on the race track.

Hamilton's Second F1 Win Comes At Indy

Lewis Hamilton's second straight win came at the fabled Brickyard in front of a very large and enthusiastic American audience. He capped another perfect weekend with a pole and held off his teammate Fernando Alonso for another McClaren one two finish. As in many of the F1 races it was decided again at turn one at the start of the race. Once Hamilton got through cleanly than it was clean sailing from there. He did hold off one failed attempt by Alonso about mid way through the event but he was every bit the measure for the two time world champion.

showing by BMW but not allot of points as in the Renault and Mark Ferrari closed the gap somewhat to the McClaren's with Massa and Raikkonen finishing third and fourth respectively. With six wins out of the seven races held at Indy Ferrari looked to regain the top podium position but were no match for the Silver Arrows. Another stong run by BMW but Heidfeld had mechanical trouble and fill in driver Sebastian Vettel salvaged the last point. Again Toyota could only rely on Jarno Trully as Ralf Schumacher made another mistake at the start of the race, what a surprise! Heikki Kovalainen and Mark Webber in the Renault powered Red Bull finished in the points with strong races.

performance by But let's give a big pat on the back to Lewis Hamilton for his second win and another dominantMcClaren. I know he is in the best car on the grid but this kid has gotten more out of it than most drivers he competes against. Having the best car is one thing, getting the most out of it is another, and Lewis Hamilton has shown he can do just that. So we will see what happens when they get back to Europe in two weeks. Will another team step up to challenge McClaren? Will BMW finally win a race.? Will Toyota finally wise up and dump Ralf? Stay tuned for the next chapter.

What Would Dale Sr. Say About Jr. Leaving?

I remember vividly that fateful day in February 2001, pictures of Dale Earnhardt and his namesake, laughing and smiling, and in a matter of few hours life as they knew it was changed forever. It was hard for me then to accept that my all time favorite driver had been killed at a track that he had so much success at. A track where his best friend Neal Bonnet lost his life seven years earlier. But in all that sadness, I don't think it would have compared to the sadness Dale Sr. would have felt if he were alive today to see his son walk away from the team he had built for him. My father always lived by the rule "Blood is Thicker Than Water", and I think that rings true in this situation.

Why was it so difficult to come to an agreement with his step mother over ownership of the team? Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn't strike me as being a difficult guy or one who can't be reasoned with. Maybe the problems with his relationship with his step mother were so far reaching and unrepairable. But how would Dale Sr. feel if he were alive today? Would this same situation be played out with the team under his control? I have to feel that he built this team with the plan of handing it over to his two son's and still find a way to satisfy his immediate and extended families. As the old saying goes, you can choose your friends but not your family, it rings loudest in this sad situation. Oh well, I guess as in life, all things come to an end, although it being a very sad one. Rest easy Dale Sr., maybe now Jr. can win that championship that has eluded him.

Dale Jr Is Hendrick Bound

Well the worst kept secret was revealed at a press conference today, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced he will join Hendrick Motor Sports for the 2008 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. I guess it was not to hard for Rick Hendrick to cast aside Kyle Busch in favor of the biggest name in the sport. Even though Busch has a world of talent, it's evident it will take several more years for him to harness it and show the maturity that is required to be a champion. So enter Dale Jr into the strongest organization in Nextel Cup.

Many people believe as I do that this move gives Jr the best chance to win a championship. With Toyota needing a few more years to find their way and Ford and Dodge having trouble keeping up, the Chevy teams will be favored for several years to come. But it won't be easy winning a championship just because he is in the Hendrick stable, especially if Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have something to say about it. Also, don't forget Casey Mears is a talented young driver who will come into his own and have just as good a shot at the championship as the other three.

My hope is that Hendrick can work a deal with DEI and Budweiser to bring the sponsorship over with Jr. so it makes it easier for the fans to recognize him. It usually takes most of the first half of a season to get to know who is driving what car when sponsorship changes hand. It would be cool to see Jr driving the old #25 car with Bud on the door panels just like in the late 80's when Tim Richmond was wining races for Hendrick. Who knows, maybe Jr. and Busch will switch seats this year and they both start a new chapter in their racing lives. Stranger things have happened before, but as a big Dale Jr. fan I am anxiously awaiting the start of his association with the best team in NASCAR.

100TH Win For Newman/Haas In Portland

Congratulations to Newman/Haas Racing as it gained it's 100th win in The Champ Car event in Portland. Sebastien Bourdais came away with is third victory in a row and now seems to be running away with the championship once again. It would be nice to see more competition for him as it would make the series more interesting. There seems to be no rivalries in the series, which always brings more attention to any race. Remember the days when Michael Andretti would battle Al Unser Jr. almost every race? Or when Rick Mears, Emmo and Mario would duke it out for a race win?

With the inception of the Panoz chassis and all the improvements to the car (which I really like) to accommodate road racing, it would be better for the series to have some controversy or feud amongst some of the drivers. The standing F1 style start was a good idea as it gives every driver a better chance of gaining position early on and it is more entertaining for the fans. Well congrats again to Newman/Haas and to Sebastien for yet another win in the series that seems to be lagging behind in TV viewership.

Rain Shortened Win For Gordon

There is nothing worse for a race fan than a race that is shortened by rain. This was the case yesterday in Pocono as a race shortened event was won by the wonder boy Jeff Gordon. I guess it sounds like sour grapes, and I admit it probably is, but I can't stand it when rain plays the deciding factor in a race. Just like at the Indianapolis 500, the best car did not win the race and the car that should have didn't. But just like in life, racing most of the time is not fair, and like DW always says; "Fairs got nothin' to do with it!"

Poor Ryan Neuman, not that I am his biggest fan, but it has been a long time since he was in the Nextel Cup winners circle. It would have put Penske and Dodge back in the win column but Martin Truex and Denny Hamlin might have had a good shot too. But like the weather, racing can be very unpredictable and the race at Pocono was no exception. I have been a firm supporter of shortening the two races at this track to 400 miles, as they do for The Brickyard and Pepsi 400's. Running 500 miles at a 2.5 mile track with slower lap speeds is allot to ask of a driver, his car, and his team. It is also tough on the race fans who have to sit for hours waiting to be entertained, then ultimately disappointed. I heard allot of "boos" from the crowd when Gordon was pronounced the winner. Anyway, congrats to Jeff on his fourth win this year, maybe the better car will win next time at Pocono.

Historic F1 Victory For Lewis Hamilton

On a race day that featured an horrific accident and four full coarse cautions, Lewis Hamilton made F1 history as he scored not only his first win but the first F1 win for a black driver. Regardless of race, this 22 year old rookie has been nothing short of phenomenal. Sure he is in a very good race car, but the two time defending champion Fernando Alonso is in the same car, and Hamilton has proved to be his equal if not better so far this year. In six races he has been on the podium every time and now has captured his first win with many more sure to follow. He had no real threat in a race that saw a record number of safety car periods which in F1 is almost unheard of, as he sailed to victory in The Canadian Grand Prix.

On a more somber note, Robert Kubica survived one of the worst crashes in recent F1 memory as his BMW went head on into a concrete barrier after getting airborne from contact with Trulli's Toyota. At fist glance, I assumed he had sustained terrible injuries and possibly fatal ones, but to my surprise and relief he escaped relatively unhurt. My only wonder is how will such a terrible crash effect him in the future. Will he be able to put it behind him and maintain the good work he has done for team BMW Sauber?

This race was also full of events that rarely occur in an F1 race. Phillipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella were both disqualified for running the red light at the end of pit road. Are they color blind? I think that red is the universal color that means "STOP". And what about Alonso going off in turn one four different times. Is he feeling the pressure from his new teammate? Then he get's passed straight up by Sato in the Super Aguri Honda! To say the least it was a Grand Prix that was short of boring and long on things to talk about. But congratulations to Lewis Hamilton on his maiden victory. Is he the next big gun in F1? What do you think? See you at Indy.

Indy Car In Texas

It has been some time since Sam Hornish has dominated a race, but last night in Texas it was vintage Hornish and vintage Penske. Other than the race starting a little too late for us folks on the east coast, it was pretty entertaining. I especially liked when Tomas Scheckter threw his gloves at Marco Andretti after the too touched wheels that sent Scheckter to the garage. Good thing they are friends, I'd hate to see what enemies might do to each other.

It is amazing to me how these drivers race wheel to wheel in these open wheel rocket ships at speeds over 215 MPH. Safer barrier or not it just shows you the courage these drivers have racing at such high speeds. Sam Hornish is probably the best at this type of racing. Even though he was never really challenged in this race, he has shown in the past the ability to race on the edge of danger and put his car in the winners circle. This is why he is the best at this form of racing. So congrats to Sam on another dominating win and to the Andretti Green team for finishing 2-3-4 behind him.

Why Is Danica So Mad All The Time?

Why is Danica Patrick alaways mad at someone or something? This time she has a issue with Dan Wheldon for an on the track get togeather that basically ended her race on the Milwaukee Mile. To me it seemed to be a racing incident but I guess she thought Wheldon was being a jerk about a previous altercation and wanted payback. What I think it is is an attempt to raise some attention to the fledgling condition of open wheel racing in the US. When a driver that hasn't won a race is the biggest draw than there is something wrong in paradise.

I found it rather amusing to hear Danica sqeaking away sounding all kinds of pissed off and then hearing Dan Wheldon fight back in with that tiny English accent. Maybe they should throw a few punches at each other and then we would really have something to talk about. Oh by the way, Tony Kannan won the race, boring as it may have been. Nice payback for the disappointment at Indy last week.

Truex Breaks Through At Dover!

Well it seems DEI is not dead in the water yet as Martin Truex Jr earns his first Nascar Nextel Cup victory in dominating fashion. It was only a matter of time before Truex won his first race as he showed today what he can do in a race car when given equipment that can run up front. I'm especially proud that Martin hails from my home state of New Jersey as I can't remember in recent past that a driver from NJ has won a Cup race. Again Chevrolet wins another race and another COT race to boot. Will the other manufacturers catch up?

With the win Truex has put himself ahead of his popular teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr in the race to the chase and a chance at the biggest prize in US Motor Racing. And speaking of Earnhardt, where will he wind up next year? I don't know if we will know anytime soon because when you are dealing with the biggest name in the sport it will take a long time to work out a deal with all concerned parties. The only thing I would bet on is that he'll be in a Chevy and sponsored by The King Of Beers. But congrats to Martin Truex Jr for his first win of which there will surely be many more to follow.

Indy 500 A Rainy Mess!!

Can you really feel good about wining a race shortened by rain, knowing you had the sixth or seventh best car in the field? I guess that's how it goes sometimes at The Brickyard and you can't stop mother nature from doing her thing, but winning this way leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I guess in the end no one will remember that Dario Franchetti won a rain shortened race, only that he was the 2007 winner of the event. But you have to feel bad for Tony Kannan, who was the class of the field, as his pit stategy and the final downpour ended any chance of him winning the race.

As I watched bits and pieces of the race it only served to remind me that the open wheel racing venue in this country is really hurting. When will people who run the IRL and Champ Car Series put aside their differences and form a single league that will combine the best drivers and the best teams. This would lead to stronger lower level development series that would nurture the best talent in years to come. We can only hope that this will happen soon as the attendance at most races (other than Indy) is very low and competition from all the Nascar venues is pretty stiff. Listen up Tony George, bring back open wheel dominance as it was in the late 80's and early 90's.