PAGE B8 FRIDAY, AUG. 1, 2014 S GILLETTE NEWS RECORD S GILLETTE, WYOMING

QUESTIONS & ATTITUDE Compelling questions ... and maybe a few actual answers

SPEED FREAKS HOT TOPICS: 3 ISSUES GENERATING A BUZZ A couple questions we had to ask — ourselves

AP/R. BRENT SMITH Not even Fastenal could keep Jack Ready for a run? and Carl together. Does a lame duck have any shot at a championship? AP/ROBERT BAKER Conventional wisdom says no, but Are Indy’s bricks like did very well last year, a Fountain of Youth? so might just be able to make a run at it this year. He’s Where do you now locked into the Chase, and until we put go through a year or two with the new among 2014 title format (assuming it lasts two years, contenders? of course), we’re not sure whether it GODSPEAK: By winning further increases the chances of the the Brickyard 400, Jeff Sample top teams or maybe helps the odds of has moved up to the head table with Jimmie second-tier teams and, yes, ducks. Johnson and Brad Kes- elowski. So Carl has a chance? KEN’S CALL: Some- Don’t bet on it. For whatever rea- where between Jimmie son, when a driver starts packing his Johnson and Morgan boxes, somehow a handful of horse- Shepherd. Maybe a tad power gets thrown in the packing, closer to Jimmie. right there next to the Sunoco cap And , and spare helmet. On the bright side, after he was a non- there appears to be no hard feelings factor at Indy? in the packing, but then again, there’s GODSPEAK: Don’t give more than three months left. up yet. Remember, he won fi ve times in the And ? last 10 races to win the It certainly appears he’s heading 2011 championship. KEN’S CALL: It’s begin- back Down Under, which means an- ning to look like a lost other driver will be heading Over Yon- year for Tony. He’s not der to the Petty Motorsports team. even fast enough to get Look around and you’ll see there’s angry these days. no shortage of young talent available for the King, assuming those pesky contractual issues can be navigated. ONLINE EXTRAS

news-journalonline. com/ Getty Images/GEOFF BURKE Ken Willis has been covering NAS- CAR for The Daytona Beach News- facebook.com/ Not sure what went into Joe Gibbs’ pregame pep talk with and his two Journal for 27 years. Reach him at nascardaytona other racers at Indianapolis, but it paid off, with all three fi nishing in the top four at the [email protected] Brickyard 400. @nascardaytona While veteran driver Jeff Gordon hogged “Had to make that extra stop,” he said. “That the Indianapolis Motor Speedway spotlight by just shows how fast our car was.” FEUD OF THE WEEK FEEDBACK winning a record fi fth Brickyard 400, Joe Gibbs Kenseth, who should make the Chase on Do you have questions or Racing made a strong performance statement points if he fails to win in his next six starts, said comments about NASCAR with the NASCAR Chase on the near horizon. the Gibbs team is “gaining” on it. This Week? Contact Godwin The three Gibbs stock cars fi nished second, “It was a good day for JGR,” he said. “All our Kelly at godwin.kelly@news- jrnl.com or Ken Willis at ken. third and fourth with drivers Kyle Busch, Denny Toyotas were pretty quick. We were all top-10 [email protected] Hamlin and . Since a solid Indy cars, kept guys out and got good fi nishes. Wish fi nish requires superior equipment and strong it was a one-two-three. Another good day for strategy, it appears the three-headed Toyota us.” CUP POINTS monster has been awakened just in time for the JACK CARL ROUSH EDWARDS 1. Jeff Gordon 717 playoffs. BOOKEND WINS 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 693 The stat book shows the team started the The Brickyard 400 ranks second behind the Jack Roush vs. Carl Edwards: Ed- 3. 666 season slowly. Busch and Hamlin each have a 4. Matt Kenseth 661 Daytona 500 as far as NASCAR majors. With wards announced he was leaving Roush win, while Kenseth, who had seven wins in 2013, 5. 628 that in mind, this is an interesting stat: Richard Fenway Racing after a decade and mil- 6. Kyle Busch 609 has not enjoyed a victory to date. Petty won his fi rst Daytona 500 in 1964 and his lions of dollars of investment in him. 7. Ryan Newman 606 The team hopes Indy indicates an upward 8. Carl Edwards 603 last in 1981 — a span of 17 years. Godwin Kelly gives his take: “Roush turning point that gets them in the champion- 9. 591 Jeff Gordon won his fi rst 400 in 1994. Gor- doesn’t like losing drivers he has 10. 577 ship conversation with don’s win Sunday shows a span of 20 years developed, especially when they go 11. 572 and . 12. Kevin Harvick 565 between wins in the same major event. And this to the ‘dark side,’ as Roush refers to “I think this was a really big day for JGR and 13. 562 nugget: Only one other driver from the 1994 Toyota.” 14. 559 for Toyota,” Busch said. “I’m proud of the effort; inaugural was in Sunday’s 400 lineup. Bobby 15. 555 we bring all three home in the top fi ve. Still, I 16. 551 Labonte started 43rd on a past-series-champion 17. Greg Biffl e 550 know that we have more work to do. (There’s) provisional. WHAT’S ON TAP? 18. 532 still an opportunity there to gain speed, and we 19. Tony Stewart 529 obviously got beat by speed.” 20. Marcos Ambrose 511 SILLY SEASON OVER? SPRINT CUP: GoBowling.com 400 21. Jamie McMurray 499 Hamlin was frustrated his fi rst two days over SITE: Now that Carl Edwards has declared himself a 22. 496 the 2.5-mile race course, but said his No. 11 SCHEDULE: Friday, practice (Fox 23. AJ Allmendinger 466 free agent, apparently headed to Joe Gibbs Rac- Toyota came alive when the track heated up and Sports 1, 11 a.m.), qualifying (Fox 24. Martin Truex Jr. 465 ing in 2015, and Greg Biffl e extended with Roush 25. 456 got a little slippery during the 160-lap race. Sports 1, 3:40 p.m.). Saturday, prac- Fenway, there is no other known driver moves 26 455 “That’s what matters,” he said. tice (ESPN2, 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.). 27. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 397 anticipated, which means NASCAR’s annual Silly Hamlin fi nished third despite a blown pit stop Sunday, race (ESPN, coverage starts 28. 382 Season is over. But is it ever really over? 29. 343 late in the race. at 12:30 p.m., green fl ag at 1:18 p.m.) 30. 325 31. 284 NATIONWIDE: U.S. Cellular 250 32. 282 SITE: Iowa Speedway 33. 262 SCHEDULE: Saturday, qualifying 34. 245 GODWIN’S POCONO PICKS 35. 244 (ESPN, 4:30 p.m.), race (ESPN, 8 p.m.) 36. 239 CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS: Pocono 37. 145 Godwin Kelly is the Daytona Winner: Tony Stewart Disappointment: Joey Logano Mountains 150 38. Michael McDowell 138 Beach News-Journal’s Rest of the top fi ve: Dale First one out: Cole Whitt 39. 113 motorsports editor and has SITE: Pocono Raceway 40. 77 covered NASCAR for 30 Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Don’t be surprised if: Stewart SCHEDULE: Saturday, qualifying (Fox T41. 54 years. Reach him at godwin. Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth acts like it’s his fi rst Cup win if Sports 1, 10:10 a.m.), race (Fox Sports T41. 54 [email protected] Dark horse: Martin Truex Jr. he makes it to Victory Lane. 43. 51 1, 1 p.m.)

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