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Fast Laps in the lair of the Thunder Lounge

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by Charlie Turner

I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot.

October 29, 2007 9:25 am CDT 6 Comments

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Hendricks haters don’t want to hear it, but champions get lucky. Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon have been lucky in 2007.  That’s not to say that they aren’t good.  They are better than good.   They have won fourteen of the thirty three Nextel Cup races run so far this season.   Johnson made the right move - was in the right place at the end of the  Pep Boys 500 at  Atlanta Motor Speedway Sunday -  avoiding the  fuel starved race leading and not so lucky Denny Hamlin as he stalled on the last restart.

Jimmy missed Hamlin.  Unlucky, Martin Truex Jr plowed into the back of the Fed Ex number eleven.  So did the - not lucky enough - #07 of Clint Bowyer.  Three very good Chase racers all - and all unluckilly done for 2007.

And who is more in need of a rabbit’s foot than Dale Earnhardt Jr.  What the she-devil else can happen to the Chosen One?  That was a scary hit he took when his - you gotta be kidding me - whole freakin’ wheel came off.  Come to think of it, maybe he was the luckiest guy out there Sunday.  He walked away with a headache.

There may be a few headaches in Texas next Monday morning as well.  Get yourself ready for a Thunderous Texas weekend with four fast corners from ON PIT ROW.

1)  Is Chad Knaus the best crew chief ever?

2) Is there anything to the Dale Jr. cospiracy theories?

3) Who is to blame for the tire problems, then wrecks, at Atlanta; Goodyear, NASCAR or the crew chiefs?

4) Does the GREEN -WHITE-CHECKER finish need adjusting.

We are developing a new blog-centered feature for ON PIT ROW and the Fast Lap comments that come in from here at the Fast Lap at the Thunder Lounge and the Bench Racing blog at OnPitRow.com will be a big part of that. 

Oh, and be careful at the Lounge this weekend.  Be very careful.

Filed under: Fast Lap Questions, NASCAR, On Pit Row the Fastest two hours on radio 

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Comments

6 Responses to “Fast Laps in the lair of the Thunder Lounge”

  1. User Avatar Luke on October 29th, 2007 9:43 am

    OK Slapsticks…

    1) No, but he is damn good. There are other names before Knaus, but that list is short and distinguished.

    2) If there is, he isn’t budging. Maybe for fear that it could get worse? While it’s probably a far fetched reality, is it really? Let’s just say that the visible evidence is somewhat condemning.

    3) I’d be surprised if you can pinpoint Goodyear. Crew Chiefs, most likely with the occasional salt of NASCAR failing to get the track 100% clean thrown in for good measure.

    4) Only if it were to give it more than one shot.

  2. User Avatar Charlie on October 31st, 2007 11:52 pm

    Hey, don’t you have a bar to run somewhere?

    1. I am not as good with the history of NASCAR and it’s crew chiefs as, say Steve or probably Luke and Marc. Knaus has me sold though. His organization makes no mistakes. He pushes the envelope to the point of being penalized for passing the line - takes the penalties - and the team never misses a beat. His driver is accused of being lucky instead of good. That is preparation. He’s the one.

    2. No I don’t buy it. Teresa Earnhardt sabotage her own team? Come on. Jr has done remarkably well for a lame duck operation that has been in upheaval all year and subject to more distraction than sailor in a harem;-)

    3. Crew chiefs. And Knaus didn’t have any problem.

    4. I don’t really have a problem with it. Those that want to keep restarting until you get a green finish, can’t answer how to handle the fuel problem to my satisfaction.

  3. User Avatar Steve on November 2nd, 2007 6:54 am

    1– I’d be hard pressed to vote against Chad as the best ever. He has a cool, calm, lets not panic air about him that his hard to not be impressed with. It is hard to vote against ON PIT ROW regulars Jeff Hammond or Larry McReynolds. Those two had some pretty good years as well. All three have one thing in common–their drivers aren’t too shabby either.

    2– No way in the world. Good luck breeds good luck. Just as cautions breed cautions and bad luck breeds bad luck. These things tend to run in packs and sooner or later the tide turns. For Junior the tide has switched beaches and starting next year–we’ll see if its the team or the super star.

    3– You can’t blame anybody but the crew chiefs for trying to run at the edge. They will run as low of tire pressure as they can without the tire falling off the rim to gain any advantage possible–regardless of the safty factor until NASCAR mandates and polices. But do we really want that?

    4– It seems to me that the problem with the GWC is the GWC itself. It is too short of a time and drivers feel they have to make something happen–NOW. Extend it to 5 laps and give them some time to sort things out. If it can’t be settled in one GWC then run a second, or a third. If there are pit stops needed–now wouldn’t that be interesting?

  4. User Avatar Luke on November 6th, 2007 9:38 am

    IRT: Steve’s 4th comment…

    Wow. You mean you had an idea that was worth a shit? :D
    * Makes note on calendar *

    Y’all are lucky that recovery mode is still rolling. Incredible weekend and crowd, yet again. ;)

  5. User Avatar Charlie on November 6th, 2007 10:42 am

    Congratulations on another successful race weekend Luke. Nice to know that you survived. We are making plans for the April race down there.

    As for Steve’s comment - one for four is about his average.

  6. User Avatar Luke on November 6th, 2007 12:05 pm

    Is his average that high?

    I’m shocked. :D
    As for April, that sounds good. Got a few ideas, if you would like, so give me a buzz. You know where to find me. ;)

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