NASCAR THIS WEEK 8 - THE DERRICK. / The News-Herald Wednesday, October 24, 2018

SPEED FREAKS QUESTIONS & ATTITUDE A few questions we had to ask MARTINSVILLE Compelling questions ... and maybe a ourselves few actual answers

Of the eight remaining, who’s THREE THINGS TO WATCH What happened to the ‘Big 3’? your biggest surprise? GODSPEAK: . They’re all still very much alive in When this season started, he the playoffs … well, at least two of had no wins and was doing them. But it’s true, what looked to be so-so. Suddenly, he’s the guy a three-man show through summer to beat. has given way to Chase Elliott’s cur- KEN’S CALL: It’s easy to sug- rent roll. showed good gest , and maybe form at Kansas, finishing second, even , but I’ll say but that came after finishes of 32nd, because he’s a eighth and 26th the previous three lame duck at Stewart-Haas weeks. was 28th and Racing, yet keeps it alive. 12th the past two weeks, with his most recent win coming Aug. 12 at On the other side, whose Michigan. And Martin Truex Jr., who departure is most surprising? seems out of stride since his team’s GODSPEAK: Sorry to see Ryan lame-duck status became official, Blaney get weeded out of the While Chase Elliott enjoyed his second win in three weeks and advanced in the playoffs, four finally got back into the top 10 at playoff pot. Coolheaded driver other drivers were cut from postseason play following the race at Kansas. [AP/COLIN E. BRALEY] Kansas after three races outside of who makes things happen. it. KEN’S CALL: Three of the four 1. The fallen four 2. Ford’s odds 3. Abbreviated must be disappointed, but schedule So now it’s a ‘Big … 1’? most disapointed should be Four drivers were cut from Going strictly by strength , because his entire the playoff herd Sunday at in numbers, Ford’s chances Martinsville will have only Momentum is only as good as your season seems to be a downer. Kansas Speedway as the of winning the driver’s two days of racing activity, next set of tires, so don’t start NASCAR Cup Series heads championship look very and if you blink you might thinking Elliott’s No. 9 team has it into the Round of 8. The good at this point. Of the miss practice or a race. The all figured out. Someone will hit on FEUD OF THE WEEK drivers failing to make the eight drivers still in play, NASCAR Camping World something over the next few weeks cut were , five are from the Ford Truck Series will qualify and find the fast lane, and given VS. NASCAR Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson camp, including all four and race on Saturday. The their 2018 track records, don’t bet POINTS: Blaney had a good and . “I am cars from Stewart-Haas race is scheduled for 1 against the Harvick and Kyle Busch day despite kissing the wall proud of what we did down Racing. Toyota has a pair p.m. on . The teams. with his No. 12 Ford during in the stretch of the year,” of candidates in Kyle Busch NASCAR Cup Series has the race. He finished sev- Keselowski said. “We won and Martin Truex Jr., while two practices scheduled — Ken Willis, ken.willis enth, but six points out of the three races and did all is represented by Saturday, but both will be @news-jrnl.com playoffs. that … but of course the Chase Elliott. “We will take broadcast on NBC’s stock- GODWIN KELLY’S TAKE: ultimate goal is to win a it one week at a time,” said market network, CNBC. Blaney is going to learn from championship.” Harvick, a Ford driver. Guess it fits because this is CUP STANDINGS this experience and become STOCK car racing. a real threat next year and in 1. Kyle Busch 4055 seasons to come. “I messed — Godwin Kelly, [email protected] 2. Kevin Harvick 4054 up and cost us a shot,” Blaney 3. Martin Truex Jr. 4038 said. 4. Chase Elliott 4018 5. Clint Bowyer 4015 5. 4015 G O D W I N ’ S P I C K S 5. Kurt Busch 4015 FOR MARTINSVILLE 8. Aric Almirola 4006 KANSAS 9. Ryan Blaney 2212 WINNER: 10. Brad Keselowski 2194 REST OF TOP 5: Kyle Busch, 11. Kyle Larson 2178 Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, THREE THINGS WE LEARNED 12. 2159 Kevin Harvick 13. 2150 FIRST ONE OUT: William Byron 1. Much ado 14. 2148 DARK HORSE: Denny Hamlin 14. Jimmie Johnson 2148 DON’T BE SURPRISED IF: There was a lot of talk 16. Alex Bowman 2144 Johnson wins. This is where about Kyle Larson’s 10-point 17. Ryan Newman 663 drivers penalty, which knocked 18. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 632 have the best chance to score him out of a mathemati- 19. 630 a victory. cal chance of moving into 20. Daniel Suarez 627 the Round of 8. Ganassi Racing appealed and lost. “I M O T O R M O U T H S don’t know much about the WHAT’S ON TAP PODCAST appeal stuff,” Larson said. “I kind of just drive the race CUP SERIES: First Data 500 Eight guys remain alive for car.” SITE: Martinsville Speedway (.526- the next round of the playoffs. mile oval) Well, 10, assuming you count 2. When you’re hot SCHEDULE: Saturday, practice us. (CNBC, 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.), quali- When you’re hot, you’re Kyle Larson’s team had a controversial week, but he put the fying (NBC Sports Network, 4 p.m.). Tune in online at hot. It took Chase Elliott blinders on heading into Kansas. [AP/COLIN E. BRALEY] Sunday, race (NBC Sports Network, www.news-journalonline.com/ three seasons to win his coverage begins at 1 p.m.; green daytonamotormouths first race, but in his past 3. Bowman beaming year and how everybody at flag, 2:45 p.m.) 11 starts, he has won three Hendrick Motorsports has races, including a pair of As expected, Alex Bow- stepped up,” said Bowman, CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS: Texas victories in the Round of man’s playoff came to an who replaced Dale Earn- Roadhouse 200 12. “This is a huge time of end, but he was just happy hardt Jr. in ’18. SITE: Martinsville Speedway year,” Elliott said. “We have to make the field. “I’m very TV SCHEDULE: Saturday, qualifying a lot of work to do and a proud of the progress we’ve — Godwin Kelly, godwin. (Fox Sports 1, 10 a.m.), race (Fox long way to go.” made over the course of the [email protected] Sports 1, 1 p.m.)

2018 SCHEDULE AND WINNERS May 6: AAA 400 at Dover (Kevin Harvick) Aug. 18: Night Race at Bristol (Kurt Busch) Feb. 11: Clash at Daytona (Brad Keselowski) May 12: Go Bowling 400 at Kansas (Kevin Harvick) Sept. 2: Southern 500 at Darlington (Brad Keselowski) Feb. 15: Can-Am Duel at Daytona (Ryan Blaney and Chase May 19: All-Star Race at Charlotte (Kevin Harvick) Sept. 10: Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis (Brad Keselowski) Elliott) May 27: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (Kyle Busch) Sept. 16: Las Vegas 400 (Brad Keselowski) Feb. 18: Daytona 500 (Austin Dillon) June 3: Pocono 400 (Martin Truex Jr.) Sept. 22: Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond (Kyle Feb. 25: Folds of Honor 500 at Atlanta (Kevin Harvick) June 10: FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan (Clint Bowyer) Busch) March 4: Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas (Kevin Harvick) June 24: Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma (Martin Truex Sept. 30: Bank of America 500(k) at Charlotte road course March 11: Camping World 500(k) at Phoenix (Kevin Jr.) (Ryan Blaney) Harvick) July 1: Chicago 400 at Chicagoland (Kyle Busch) Oct. 7: Delaware 400 at Dover (Chase Elliott) March 18: at Fontana (Martin Truex Jr.) July 7: Coke Zero 400 at Daytona (Erik Jones) Oct. 14: Alabama 500 at Talladega (Aric Almirola) March 26: STP 500 at Martinsville (Clint Bowyer) July 14: Quaker State 400 at Kentucky (Martin Truex Jr.) Oct. 21: Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas (Chase Elliott) April 8: O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas (Kyle Busch) July 22: New Hampshire 301 (Kevin Harvick) Oct. 28: First Data 500 at Martinsville April 15: Food City 500 at Bristol (Kyle Busch) July 29: Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono (Kyle Busch) Nov. 4: Texas 500 April 21: Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond (Kyle Busch) Aug. 5: 355 at the Glen, at Watkins Glen (Chase Elliott) Nov. 11: Can-Am 500(k) at Phoenix April 29: Geico 500 at Talladega (Joey Logano) Aug. 12: Pure Michigan 400 (Kevin Harvick) Nov. 18: Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead

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