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That three car battle for the Chase to the Cup that many - including me - were predicting seems to be shaping up.  Jimmy Johnson got his first 2008 Chase win.  Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle each grabbed another top three finish.  Throw a blanket on those three with the pack over ninety points back already.  

And the pack doesn’t include any Toyotas at all.  The Joe Gibbs Racing gang is falling farther behind with each poor showing.  Wait until next year coach. Oh, and Kyle, the pressure’s off now. Go ahead and win some races.

Kansas was a pretty predictably dull race other that Carl Edwards’ banzai pass attempt at the end and Juan Pablo Montoya’s cheating penalty in qualifying.  My guess is, that Talladega will be a different story.

Want to spice up the race interest at the office?  Start a big-one pool and try to pick what lap the semi-annual wreck will occur.  I say 155.  But there will be plenty of Fast Laps before that.  Try the next four, restrictor-plated, four-wide, warm-ups for the weekend.

1: Was the penalty to Juan Pablo Montoya for over-filled shocks during qualifying appropriate?

2: Should Kansas get a second Cup date, in part because a casino is being built next to the track?

3: Can Joe Gibbs Racing return to respectability during the Chase?

4: Paul Newman?

That’s it.  That’s the Talladega 2 edition of ON PIT ROW’s Fast Lap.  Steve and I will kick these things around on Tuesday’s show.  Listen live right here and call us between 5 and 7 PM EDT at 877-502-8255 and give us your take on any or all of the above.  And, of course, leave your thoughts here in the comment section.  Just be nice to your friends.

Photo credit: con Sports Media, Inc.

I think I may be convinced.  In 2007 Clint Bowyer parlayed a win in the first race of the Chase to the Sprint Cup playoffs -his first ever win as a matter of fact - into contention with Jeff Gordon and eventual champ, Jimmy Johnson.  Clint hung in without another win.

Greg Biffle has two.  In a row.  And he’s going back to Kansas, where he is the most recent winner as well.  And the once - and probably future - favorite driver to sweep the Cup up - Kyle Busch is limping with an average finish of a tic worse than 38th place in the first to Chase races.  Yikes!  Looks like Biffle may be for real and Rowdy is outta here.

And where did Matt Kenseth come from?  I mean lately you expect the Biff and Carl Edwards to be tough, but that no. 17 team has been as resilient as the Detroit Lions.  Good to see though.

Take a look at our little mid-week distraction we call the Fast Lap and tell us, in your own concise way,  what you think of the four topics that Steve-O has tossed up today. 

1: NASCAR’s new drug policy adds random testing, but why isn’t there a banned substance list?

2: This weeks Robby Gordon rumor has he and DEI joining forces. Will Robby ever get it right?

3: How can the new car provide such great racing on a one miler and not even come close when you add another half mile?

4: Is The Chase down to a three car battle?

This is a debate so bring your arguing shoes.  We’ll use the best, or maybe the worst, comments on a future episode of ON PIT ROW. 

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Greg Biffle finally got the win that I and plenty of others had called for at various venues this year.  With what he called a “text-book pass” the Biff relegated Jimmy Johnson to runner-up status at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.  

Johnson was good again.  Tony Stewart was good for a change.  Dale Earnhardt Jr was tough early, and petulant late.  None of them won.  Kyle Busch sucked (maybe because of his crew).  Earnhardt bitched (at his crew).  Stewart apologized (to his crew).  Johnson probably shrugged and told his crew, “we’ll see how good they are at Dover”.

Chase week one is done and gone.  Chase race number two is on deck.  Biffle was probably a long shot to be a factor for the championship before Sunday night.  If he can win at The Monster Mile in Dover - and he’s been among the best there for better than three years - he will stamp himself as the “real deal” in the early playoffs.

This is the Fast Lap blog and it is a comment blog.  We want to read what YOUR opinions are to the four Fast Lap topics which follow.  And then we plan to assault your opinions and cause huge, vociferous debate.  Take a shot.

1: Should NASCAR be more flexible with qualifying and not so quick to cancel-but move it?

2: The much anticipated debut of Joey Logano was not too impressive; was it driver or equipment?

3: Can Kyle Busch’s championship hopes be realized now?

4: Last week it was Stewart/Zippadelli-this week its Earnhardt/Eury. Are these spats showing cracks in their relationships or just idle chatter?

Got any opinions on those babies?  Are you ready to defend your position.  Better yet, are you prepared to have your thoughts thrown out to the ON PIT ROW studio audience?  It could happen.  We want it to happen, in fact.  Come on, I want to argue with you!

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Well at least we know who won’t win the Sprint Cup.  Michael Waltrip is officially elliminated, costing Buffy Waltrip uncalculated bucks.  So too are Robby Gordon, Kasey Kahne and David Ragan.  Ragan and Kahne were close to getting into the Brian France Invitational.  Robby, sadly was not.  So he’ll sue somebody.  Like we need another law suit.

The most disappointing, and to me surprising failure was that of the Penske Racing teams.  After Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch finished one-two at the season opening Daytona 500, they bombed.  Oh, Kurt won a race on a roll of the dice, but other than that, nada. 

Is the Chase a battle between NASCAR’s dynamic dozen or is it really just the big three and other nine?  Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards are getting heat from two time defending Cup champ Jimmy Johnson.  Who else really has a shot?  Tune in Sunday to the track known widely as Martinsville on Steroids, for your first taste of the the 2008  Chase for the Sprint Cup.  But first, try your wit at the ON PIT ROW Invitational - the Fast Lap.

1: Has Jimmy Johnson surfaced as the “man to beat” for the championship?

2: How will Dodge’s announcement to pull factory support from the Craftsman Truck teams affect the rest of their programs?

3: Is Tony Stewart trying to get released from Joe Gibbs Racing early by being a PITA and A-hole?

4: Robby Gordon or Gillett Evernham Motorsports?

That’s it.  So what do you think?  The Fast Lap is a comment blog and lately, we’ve been a little weak in the comment department.  Give a brother a break.  Tell me what you think.  I promise not to treat you any worse than the Falcons treated my Lions yesterday.  I think I’m gonna be sick. 

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

 

Wake up!  It isn’t Auto Club Speedway’s fault that Jimmy Johnson had everybody covered for the last Labor Day race at Fontana.  It was Johnson’s turn to be the Superman of the super speedways as he totally dominated the 500 mile  in the fruitlands.

Carl Edwards had nothing for J J.  Neither did Busch the Younger.  And Kyle and Carl kept their tempers this time, perhaps waiting for a track with more of a door banging nature to wreak more havoc upon each other.  Maybe they’re hoping for plausible deniability.  Or perhaps the vaunted vengence that  everyone expects was really squelched by NASCAR’s probation.  I doubt it though.

Richmond is next.  And Richmond is the last chance for a select few drivers to lock in their opportunity to win the 2008 Sprint Cup.  This weeks Fast Lap questions have a Chase flavor of their own.  Can you qualify?

1:  Is Dodge in trouble if Kasey Kahne fails to make the Chase, which would mean no Dodges qualify for NASCAR’s playoff’s?

2:  Will next years Chase be better for the replacement on the schedule of Atlanta Motor Speedway with Auto Club Speedway at Fontana?

3:  Is Felix Sabates right?  Have we seen the best of Reed Sorenson?

4:  Who’s in and who’s out?  Give me your twelve qualifiers for the Chase?

Remember, your Fast Lap answers are limited to 100 words or less.  But come on back and bang fenders with your fellow Fast Lappers.  Throw some debris on the track.  Bench Race a bit.  We want to have a reason to put someone on probation too dammit! 

NASCAR Fantasy Racing

On Pit Row is glad to be a part of such a great NASCAR fantasy racing game like Champs, Chumps & Sleepers. Grand prize is a Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure. How cool is that?

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