The boys of NASCAR made their first West coast trip of the decade this week, and just barely out-drove Mother Nature on Sunday. So who shined like the So Cal sun, and who had their dreams of winning rained upon? We’ve got you covered!
Hot: Jimmie Johnson. Is it better to be lucky, or good? Jimmie Johnson wonders if it’s too much to ask for both at home.
Not: Dale Earnhardt Jr. I made the mistake last week of believing that Johnson had inherited Earnhardt’s 2009 equipment. Clearly, that still belongs to Junior.
Hot: Richard Childress Racing. They haven’t won yet, but after a disastrous 2009 campaign, RCR already has a combined 5 top 10s in two races. And by the way, Kevin Harvick leads the points standings.
Not: Ryan Newman. Another week, another appearance in the “Not” section for The Rocketman. This time, he has his Hendrick engine to blame.
Hot: Joey Logano. I said two weeks ago that this kid’s growing up. Now, thanks in part to Greg Biffle and Brad Keselowski, Logano has a fire lit under him. This 19-year old is going places in 2010.
Not: Juan Pablo Montoya. Juan’s day in a nutshell: He went fast. He went too fast. Boom went the engine. The end.
Hot: Matt Kenseth. Matt said earlier this week that he needed a crew chief change to get some emotion on pit road. With Todd Parrott calling the shots, Kenseth drove to a 7th place finish. Not bad for a first day.
Not: Richard Petty Motorsports. When you put all your effort into one car, and that car has a problem, you’re in trouble. Kasey Kahne ran in the top 10 for awhile, before spinning out and virtually ending his day. Kahne’s teammates were never even a factor. What are their names, again?
Hot: Scott Speed.I was down on this guy last year. Seriously, he was the punch-line of most of my NASCAR jokes. But the appropriately-named Speed led the Daytona 500 last week, and ran well in Fontana, finishing 11th.
Not: Michael Waltrip Racing. These guys were on such a high last week after placing two cars in the top 6 at Daytona. But engine failures plagued Truex and Ambrose, while Reutimann got comfy with the wall a few times in the Aarons car, and was never a factor.
Topics: Dale Earnhardt Jr, Hot Or Not, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Juan Pablo Montoya, Matt Kenseth, Michael Waltrip Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, Ryan Newman, Scott Speed
Hello. I'm Ben, the lead blogger for Stock Car Spin. I have been a NASCAR fan since 2001. I am a diehard(NASCAR.com is my homepage), so you can be assured that everything you read here is coming from the heart and soul of a fellow diehard NASCAR fan. I will say what needs to be said about the sport, the drivers, and whatever wacky situations may pop up, bad or good. Stock Car Spin is your reprieve from the mainstream media kiss-up coverage. Enjoy!
Stockcar Spin
Beyond the Flag
