NASCAR – ROVA DRIVE

Three Wins Leads A Top 3 at Martinsville

April 8, 2024April 21, 2024 Missed Gear

There were 400 laps to make it work at Martinsville and the #24 driver, William Byron, took the lead with less than 90 remaining. A late caution pushed to overtime and a Chase Elliott charge but Byron came around to take the win and his second Martinsville Speedway Victory Clock.

The Hendrick drivers began a pit sequence with the #24 team making a call to come in first as the third quarter of the race was approaching. Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott came in a lap later and were there challenging at the finish but could not hold Byron in the Cook Out 400.

Denny Hamlin, fresh off the Richmond win, was leading before his pit 2 laps later than Byron. He may have had some juice for the Hendrick drivers but John Hunter Nemechek was caught up in a caution that pushed the race to overtime. The #11 came in for new tires but was stacked back in 10th on the restart to finish just out of the top 10.

The day gave Byron a series lead with 3 season wins. It was also a 1-2-3 finish for owner Rick Hendrick on a 40th anniversary of a first NASCAR win. (The first Hendrick win was also at Martinsville with Geoff Bodine in 1984) Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott were 2nd and 3rd. Bubba Wallace and 2023 series champion Ryan Blaney filled the top 5

Thanks to DoS Images for race photo coverage at Martinsville Speedway!

Race Day Showcase

Easter Rain Up To The Wire At Richmond

April 2, 2024April 21, 2024 Missed Gear

It is possible that NASCAR and Easter may be an egg in the basket too far. A handful of races were run on Easter in the “early days” of the series from 1953 to 1989. Then for over 30 years Easter marked a Spring break for the season. The dirt races at Bristol put Easter back in the mix and, this year (2024), the date caught up with Richmond Raceway.

Easter may have been a hard sell for NASCAR and Richmond. The start time was set as an evening race but it still pulls at holiday family time and the reality of Monday “back to work” for many whose jobs do not offer the Monday off.

The novelty of the dirt surface at Bristol may have put enough interest on the race to overcome chocolate bunnies and “traditional” family gatherings but Richmond did not have novelty or dirt. The rumblings are in the background of the possibility of losing a double race schedule. It is unfortunate that Richmond has been caught in a scheduling battle. It wasn’t long ago that Richmond was a focal point for early season racing and a “CHASE” finale with the Championship contenders put in place.

For the Toyota Owners 400, the race ran “mostly smoothly” after a mostly cloudy day had rain earlier that challenged the scheduled start. NASCAR pushed the green flag a few minutes and started the field on Goodyear rain tires. A competition caution pulled the field at lap 30 to swap back to standard racing tires. A couple of cautions outside of stage finishes allowed some shakeup but it was the final caution that pushed the race to overtime that brought the heat.

Martin Truex Jr was out in front when the final caution and restart shook it up for the finish. The restart had team mates Truex and Hamlin on the front row. Hamlin took an early nose out for rounding the first turn and kept the lead to the finish. Truex fell back to fourth. Joey Logano and Kyle Larson were second and third with Chase Elliott rounding the top five.

This was Hamlin’s second win of the season and his fifth Cup win at his “home track” in Virginia. Martin Truex Jr had some issue at the conclusion with his team mate and tactics on the restart but NASCAR did not issue any penalty for what could have been an early hit on the throttle.

Race photos supplied by DoS Images

Race Day Showcase

Byron Wins Daytona Under Yellow

February 20, 2024February 20, 2024 Missed Gear

Oh the stories… The spin on the spins… The “behind the grandstands” commentary…

William Byron won the day late Daytona 500. Alex Bowman was right there with him for 2nd place. Hendrick Motorsports earned a 9th Daytona 500 win (Tied with Petty Enterprises).

“He wrecked half the field to do it!”
“They planned it – Byron drove right into the back of Brad!”
“Whatever – All the good ones got wrecked”

And other such talk. You’d think it was an election year with all the finger pointing conspiracy nonsense… (Wait… Oh… Yeah…)

To be fair (stop… we’re not in Canada) the drivers that got knocked about called it out as hot racing up front with laps winding down. Anyone not expecting someone to get loose and cause a super speedway “big one” just doesn’t watch racing very often.

Yes, Bowman gave Byron a push but was not lined up square and Byron went up and then down into Brad Keselowski. Side draft off the 22 of Logano seemed to catch the 24 and push it back down towards the 6 of Keselowski. The 6 spun in front of and around the 24. The 24 went below the line and caused the 38 of Todd Gilliland to check up and spin back into the field. Cars went into billiard mode and bounced about in smoke and rubber and metal.

The race actually finished under yellow. The restart put several up front with Byron being chased into the final laps. The 7 of Corey LaJoie, the 1 of Ross Chastain and the 2 of Austin Cindric got a bit touchy going for any advantage over the 24. The contact took them all off pace and kicked off the yellow just beyond the cut line for the 24 to set a re-start. The timing put Bowman just next to but a bumper back giving Byron the win.

Straight up I’m not a big fan of Byron. There is no doubt of his skill set with wins and growing performance consistency. It may just be the appearance of money and favoritism, real or not, of his somewhat sudden appearance and advancement through the upper tiers of NASCAR. It is not the digital iRacing heritage as that is actually kind of cool to come in that way. Perhaps there is a level of hard running late model drivers around the Country being skipped for shots at a seat while some much younger hit a streak of luck with bits falling into place at ease as if advancing levels in a video game.

Maybe it’s just the Liberty University connection. Have you been to Lynchburg…? If so, you’re not at all surprised by the Daytona “big one”. Everybody in Lynchburg drives like they expect God to save them…

Race Day Showcase

Football Hasn’t Given You A Thing

February 11, 2024February 11, 2024 Missed Gear

The calendar has rolled… The IMSA Rolex 24 has rolled… The Busch Clash has rolled… Now there is a pause for football and everyone goes nuts. Even during the other event dates, the football story lines were weaving their way in. It’s as if racing was on the sidelines even when it was the main line.

Now, as Daytona is in the back field and the Super Bowl is on tap, once again it is time to ponder the popularity of the game of football. Take a moment to consider how many people actually play the game. Sandlots to high school it is a percentage who actually get on the field. From that group, only a fraction go on to the college level. Of that bunch, only a percentage go on to the NFL or other variations of the “pro” level.

Fun fact, by the way… The first Super Bowl was played in 1967. (Kansas City was in it, just for further detail. The Packers beat them…) The first Daytona 500…? 1959! Lee Petty won it…

Super Bowl 1 (1967) – Winner: Green Bay Packers [] The First Daytona 500 (1959) – Winner: Lee Petty

Dates and history aside, consider when, or if ever, you last touched a football. Maybe think of what football has actually done to improve anything for anyone that doesn’t actually play.? Helmets and pads and shoes and uniforms are lighter and safer but that is for the players. Few if any of these advantages spill over to the “civilian” world of common use.

On that, consider racing and your car. People drive or ride in a car almost every day. The car in the driveway has been heavily influenced and improved because of racing. Fuel economy, power, brakes, safety, aerodynamics, construction materials, tires… The list is extensive. Racing has made the “daily driver” a better machine.

So… Why…? Why does football eclipse motorsport in candid conversation?

Enjoy your game… Just remember… Your car will be there to get you to work the next day. What will the football do…?

Race Day Showcase

Blaney Wins At Martinsville For A Championship Chance

October 30, 2023November 1, 2023 Missed Gear

Strategy and determination ruled the track at Martinsville Speedway for the Round of Eight final elimination Xfinity 500. Unlike the bang and bump Xfinity series the day before where cars crossed the line backwards and on fire, the NASCAR Cup race of the same title series name was run closer to calculated endurance.

The final third of the race ran green as a run for the lead brought Ryan Blaney up to and around Aric Almirola with 22 laps to go. Blaney kept the #12 Discount Tire Ford out front for the win. This was the third 2023 win for Blaney, who came up originally from High Point, NC which is just a bit south of the speedway.

It was, however, a disappointing day for Joe Gibbs team mates Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex, Jr. The race started with Truex on the pole but a speeding penalty half way in put him back in traffic that he could not push through. Hamlin had a good run with a stage win and top five performance but could not clinch at the end. Mechanical issues the week before at Homestead had him at Martinsville with too many points down and in a “must win” to advance.

Ryan Blaney won the race but it may have been William Byron who won the day. Despite six wins, the late season points math had him below the cut coming into Martinsville. He fought with the #24 Chevy all day as his team kept him focused. He managed to bring it in leading the one lap back bunch which was just enough to clinch a spot for Phoenix.

Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell had Round of Eight wins for the advance and were “safe” at Martinsville. Larson and Bell finished 6th and 7th. Almirola hung on for 2nd, Hamlin was 3rd as Chase Briscoe and Joey Logano filled the top five.

The Championship is settled at Phoenix. Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and William Byron are in the mix for the Cup. Any of the others can grab a final win of the season. Will it be an upset…? Or will one of the Championship Four take the final checkered flag?

Photo Gallery – NASCAR Cup Xfinity 500 – October 29, 2023 – Martinsville Speedway

Race Day Showcase

Martinsville Spins The Xfinity Series

October 29, 2023November 1, 2023 Missed Gear

Saturday racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series certainly turned the heat on at Martinsville Speedeay. There were cautions. There were stops. There was a chase for a championship on the line and the tensions were running hot from a full season of racing. Nothing set that stage more than the final restart in overtime.

Austin Hill and Sheldon Creed shared the front row on the restart as the team mates hit it forward. Creed gave Hill a bump in close quarters and had to check in the turn catching Hill’s bumper hard. The crowded turn three and four invited John Hunter Nemechek into the mix and cars started losing grip and going off . It was a crash-fest has Creed and Justin Allgaier came out of the turn. Allgaier and Creed came up the stretch wheel to quarters but it was Allgaier at the checkers.

Creed is on a different tack in 2024 leaving RCR for Joe Gibbs. Hill is making no secret he won’t miss Creed. We’ll have to wait to see if racing between the two next season has moments of heat.
For this season, both are out of the championship run.

The RCR team friction also benefited Cole Custer as he was points behind Hill but even though Custer crossed the line backwards and on fire he was now in front of Hill to make the round.

Allgaier came from spots behind to get the win at Martinsville and make the cut. He came into the weekend just a notch behind Hill and below the points line.

The “must win” setting of the race at Martinsville also set up friction between Joe Gibbs Racing team mates Sammy Smith and John Hunter Nemechek. Smith started on the pole and finished third but felt slighted by Nemechek after, as Smith saw it, Nemechek blocked a run and cost him enough to not make the championship advance.

The four drivers in the championship hunt are: Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, John H Nemechek, Cole Custer

There were a lot of damaged cars being hauled out of Martinsville but the final race at Phoenix will see four drivers in new cars racing against each other for the NASCAR Xfinity championship. Will one of the four make “must win” moves or will one of the other drivers on the track steal the glory of the last win of the season?

Photo Gallery – NASCAR Xfinity Dead On Tools 250 – Martinsville Speedway – October 28, 2023

Race Day Showcase

Chris Buescher Hot Win At Richmond

July 31, 2023August 6, 2023 Missed Gear

The NASCAR Cup race on Sunday, July 30th, at Richmond Raceway went by with calculated strategy rather than “hit and run” havoc. The temperatures were still quite hot with in-car readings reaching 130 degrees. The pressure was on for a win as the Playoff season is coming fast. (The cut off race is Daytona at the end of August).

Team mates Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher were the race lap leaders for almost half of the Cookout 400. Keselowski is also an owner for the Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing team.

There were only 3 cautions and 2 were the stage finishes. The third came as the race was coming to a close setting up a 3 lap run for the checkers that had Buescher leading Denny Hamlin by half a second. The #17 Fastenal RFK Ford was well in front of the #11 of Hamlin before the caution.

Pit stops proved to be the “make it or break it” events for the race. Bubba Wallace had a good early run but a tire change mishap set him back. Pole sitter Tyler Reddick was flagged for a pit commitment violation and had to race back to a 16th place finish. Brad Keselowski also had a pit sequence which had him in the stall a bit too long with an odd angle going in forcing extra time on exit.

Tyler Reddick was the stage 1 winner. Brad Keselowski took stage 2.

Buescher’s win sets him into the playoffs. Denny Hamlin ran 2nd. Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Ryan Preece filled the top 5.

PHOTO GALLERY – NASCAR CUP – Richmond Raceway – Cookout 400 – July 30, 2023