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Carl Edwards to Jimmie Johnson: You’re Welcome
For all intensive purposes, the race on Sunday at Talladega was won by Jimmie Johnson and not Tony Stewart or Regan Smith. Johnson’s astounding career-long luck streak continued as he was the only Chase driver currently near the top of the standings to dodge a massive melee that destroyed almost a dozen cars. Johnson, like many times before, had an average or worse car, but found a way to survive and even squeeze a top 10 out of it.
The awful irony of course is that Carl Edwards was the seed of the wreck. In a heartbeat, Edwards and teammate Greg Biffle--who has been the story of this Chase on the positive side--potentially had their championships destroyed. It’s one thing to blame Talladega as most drivers tend to do and another to blame a driver. Carl Edwards is a stand-up guy who was happy to be the scapegoat for the massacre. What these drivers do is difficult enough to the point that blame is a fairly risky endeavor to begin with. Even the most recurring defenders are a part of the most elite drivers in the world. It happens. But with a championship within shouting distance, Edwards should have certainly thought better than to ride his teammate’s bumper that hard. At Kansas Edwards earned the respect of the garage for being a go-for-it guy. He did the same thing on the final lap of Watkins Glen last year. Edwards took his car at an impossible speed into one of the final corners and wound up in a gravel trap. Said Edwards afterwards, “I just didn’t want to finish second.” As much as I respect that mentality, not wanting to finish second at Talladega may have placed Edwards doomed to finish second in the 2008 standings.
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50% - There are a huge population of fans that feel that Regan Smith won the race Sunday. I’m not one of them. At least I don’t think I am. It was a judgment call of judgment calls, and I’m not sure I ever heard of the “anything goes” on the last lap rule. The commentary in the ESPN booth cited it multiple times as did Regan Smith in his post-race interview. Regardless of what the rules were, based on experience, I know that Smith waited too long to make his move. He was glued to Tony Stewart’s bumper for two entire laps and although his move was admirable and well-executed for what it was, Smith failed to put himself in the best possible position to win. The ability to do that is what makes a Tony Stewart a Tony Stewart and a Regan Smith a Regan Smith. That, and equipment and resources, but that’s for another time.
0% - Odds that whoever is responsible for the Penske Racing South engine program this year should still have a job. Perhaps they’re doing some experimental research and development type things that just so happen to kill the motors after twenty laps, but will benefit them in the long term. Seriously, this takes pitiful in the power plant department to a whole new low. Either the 12 or 2 or both lose their engine on a weekly basis. How many engine deaths for JGR, RCR and Hendrick this year? The Daytona 500 seems so long ago…
It’s onto Lowe’s Motor Speedway this week. Nascar’s home track typically has some great fall racing and I’m looking forward to settling down after this week’s predictable unpredictability into some traditional Saturday Night racing. See you on the other side of the weekend.
By Danny West
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