Whew!
We might need to take roll after that one to make sure everyone is accounted for.
A week after the unthinkable — a calm and orderly Talladega — they ditch the three-wide stuff for some actual elbow room … and look what happened. Talladega actually had more cars finish on the lead lap (28) than Texas (23). We had 11 cautions due to accidents, usually single-car spins from drivers pushing it an ounce too far.
One of those end-arounds came from Denny Hamlin, but it was preceded by a blown engine (a modern rarity) and followed by another rarity: fire. The karma cops might’ve been involved, since Denny, a recently converted Ohio State fan, gave the Texas faithful a horns-down gesture during driver intros.
Anyway, Denny popped out of his charred “Camry” unharmed as the black smoke not only provided a brief scare, but told us we don’t yet have a new pope.
Speaking of which, here’s hoping the cardinals come to a more thorough consensus than the NASCAR world reached regarding Joey Logano’s latest win.
Joey has a knack for winning when the heat is on. And he was feeling some after Talladega, where the team radio feed aired his less-than-neighborly reviews of teammate Austin Cindric. And where his car was eventually DQ’d for an issue with its spoiler. And where he triggered tough social-media reviews from Chipper Jones, of all people.
With Kyle Busch’s ongoing eviction from Victory Lane, NASCAR’s MPD race (Most Polarizing Driver) has become a two-way race between Denny and Joey.
Let’s review it all — as well as check in on the old Earnhardt farm — as we tighten those belts, go through the gear box and hopefully avoid that Turn 4 Texas bump.
First Gear: Joey Logano wins, Brad Keselowski doomed
Joey Logano is the ninth different winner in the past nine Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway.
It’s also his 37th career win and moves him into a tie for 23rd all time with Bobby Isaac. Next up, at 39, are Matt Kenseth and Tim Flock, with Mark Martin next at 40.
And remember, while it feels like Joey has been around longer than Goodyear, he’s only 35.
There’s no looking back, they say, but if Joey chose to, he’d see old friend and former teammate Brad Keselowski, who’d been sharing a 36-career-win total with Joey. You’d like to think Kez will surely begin adding to his victory total again, but first things first, he needs to get out of this ditch.
He finished 28th at Texas, which could’ve been worse except so many others had wrecked before his solo spin ignited a four-car wreck on Lap 247.
“I was just trying too hard, busted my butt, looked pretty dumb,” he told Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass afterward.
It’s been a wicked brew of setup misses, rotten luck and wrecks through 11 races. And why even bother to confirm with some research? This absolutely has to be the worse start to a season for Kez.
The sad sack of stats: 11 starts, zero top-10s, just three top-20s, zero laps led. Of the 36 drivers who have started all 11 races, he’s 32nd in points. Honestly, how could four drivers have worse numbers than that?
Second Gear: The other Kyle dominating down below
Kyle Larson led the most laps at Texas (90) before settling for fourth, but still jetted away with a trophy in the overhead. He’s becoming the new Kyle-to-beat when moonlighting in the Xfinity Series.
His latest win — Saturday in Fort Worth — came as a fill-in for Connor Zilisch, who’s nursing a back issue following his violent head-on crash into Talladega’s inside SAFER Barrier a week earlier.
After a three-year hiatus from Xfinity visits, Larson began running a few each season starting in 2022. In 11 starts since, he’s won five and finished outside the top five just once. Those are similar numbers once delivered regularly by the other Kyle — Busch.
Well, except for 2021, when Busch won all five of his Xfinity starts. He’s 0-for-5 since then, by the way. About the most productive thing Rowdy did this past weekend was turn 40.
Third Gear: What’s this, a two-week break for the Xfinity Series?
Connor Z will get additional time to heal, and doesn’t have to give up another start.
While the Cup Series began racing twice a year at Kansas in 2011, the Xfinity Series has remained a once-a-year visitor, racing there on its fall weekend. So after 12 straight weeks without a rest to start the year (a series first), the Xfinity haulers are idling this week.
And since the following week brings All-Star weekend in North Wilkesboro, it’s gonna be a two-week break for NASCAR’s second-tier circuit. Through three months, Saturdays have sometimes brought the best action, so someone else has to step up in Kansas City.
Fourth Gear: Dale Earnhardt back in the headlines
Dale Earnhardt owned roughly 1,200 acres of property in Mooresville, N.C. — a little over 600 connected acres includes the house and property where he spent so much of his off-time.
Somewhere in the midst of all that land is 400 acres Dale’s widow, Teresa, wants to sell to a group with plans to build an industrial park. Just another property transaction, right? Not quite.
For years, Teresa’s image took a beating due to her business split with Dale Jr. — and later, her refusal to let Junior have rights to the No. 8 his cars wore for the early part of his career. Junior regained rights to the number last year, and suddenly there was no reason for Earnhardt Nation to recoil at the mention of Teresa.
Until now. Granted, the 400 acres is just a third of the total property owned, but there’s a brand new uprising by the protectors of all things Dale Earnhardt. It’s a loyal lot. A planning board voted, 4-3, to recommend an OK of the sale, but Mooresville’s city commission gets the final say.
No doubt, Dale Earnhardt loved his property and loved knocking around it on trucks and tractors. But the deeper he got into his career, the more he also loved a good business deal. Kind of hard to say where he might come down on this.
— Email Ken Willis at ken.willis@news-jrnl.com
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