Charlotte Motor Speed- Take Every Win That’S Available, His Performance Sheet 3
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The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s Godwin Kelly & Ken Willis have covered NASCAR for nearly 60 years combined. godwin.kelly@ NASCAR THIS WEEK news-jrnl.com [email protected] SPEED FREAKS QUESTIONS & ATTITUDE A few questions we had to ask ourselves Compelling questions ... and PHOENIX maybe a few actual answers Your knee-jerk review of Vegas and results of the “new THREE THINGS TO WATCH Is that a look of concern? package”? GODSPEAK: It’s a work in 1. Penske power Let’s call it a mix of mild concern, progress. Drivers have more car balanced by a hesitance to offer control, and there have been It sure looks like Team snap judgment. I tuned into Sun- fewer wrecks. Give it time. Penske has found the day’s race, saw a big pack of cars KEN’S CALL: If it seemed perfect secret key to the new slicing and dicing, and said, “See, at the start, the engineers NASCAR package — two that’s exactly what NASCAR was would eventually mess it up. But wins by two drivers on looking for with the new con- it seems imperfect at the start, consecutive weekends. figurations.” Then I looked in the so maybe the engineers will find Joey Logano credited corner of the screen and realized a way to tighten up the field. Ford’s engineers for solv- it was just the second lap of Reverse psychology, right there. ing the puzzle. “Everyone a green-flag run. By Lap 10, it is going through a learn- became the Urban Meyer 400 — Kez, then Joey. Is this going to ing curve right now, so everyone in spread formation. be a Penske year? if there’s a time to do it, GODSPEAK: You know how the now is the time because Now what? winds of fortune work, but right we had to redo every- now Team Penske enjoys a bel- thing we had anyway,” I always go back to the theory lowing jib. What? Logano said of the new proposed by former Nashville KEN’S CALL: Penske also has a Mustang. “That seems to Joey Logano won at Las Vegas a week after teammate Tennessean motorsports writer third wheel, Ryan Blaney, who be paying dividends for Brad Keselowski captured the flag at Atlanta. Team Larry Woody, who suggested has done no better than 22nd so us now.” Penske has seen early success with the new aero/motor tossing a rabid badger in every far. If they get him going, watch package. [AP/JOHN LOCHER] cockpit to liven things up. Given out. 2. NASCAR’s NASCAR’s reluctance to see the observation “But still work to do. It’s been happy with his car brilliance in that, I will instead early. Three different yet this season. “The last opt for patience and the insti- FEUD OF THE WEEK The Cup Series made its winners, three races; so two weeks we’ve been tutional knowledge that no full aero/engine package we’ll take this one and in right field at the start eventual landing spot, rules- DENNY HAMLIN VS. KURT debut at Las Vegas, with head to Phoenix.” of practice, and they just wise, will be universally loved BUSCH: Hamlin was not happy mixed reviews. NASCAR keep scrambling and by all. about having to play follow-the- is poking and prodding 3. Harvick watch taking big swings at it leader behind Busch, who was at the data gathered to to get us close,” he said. — Ken Willis, ken.willis a tick slower on older tires, but date. “I think it was good When the Cup Series “Hopefully, we can get @news-jrnl.com impassable because of the new to see directionally that circus hits Phoenix and that figured out.” Count 9th Annual Hope aero/motor combo. guys (came) up through ISM Raceway, you have on it Sunday. GODWIN KELLY’S TAKE: This the pack and make to keep one eye on Kevin NASCAR CUP Project Golf is something new in the Cup a pass for the lead,” Harvick. Harvick has — Godwin Kelly, STANDINGS Series — faster cars that NASCAR Vice President piled up nine wins at the godwin.kelly@ can’t pass. “(When) he ran Steve O’Donnell said. 1-mile oval. He hasn’t news-jrnl.com 1. Joey Logano Tournament133 the bottom (racing lane) then 2. Kevin Harvick 131 there’s nothing anyone could do 3. Denny Hamlin Friday127 October 11th about it,” Hamlin said. HealthHealth 4. Kyle Busch LocalLocal News 121News LocalLocal NewsNews Local News 5. Brad Keselowski EducationCall115 592.1126 to LocalEducation News PagePagePage 825 8 6. Kyle Larson PagePagePage102 102 2 PagePagePagePage 11 2 66 GODWIN’S PICKS 7. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 99 sign up FOR PHOENIX 8. Erik Jones 98 8. Martin Truex Jr. 98 LAS VEGAS AMPSONSAMPSON COUNTY’SOUNTY’S COMMUNITYOMMUNITY NEWSPAPEREWSPAPER FREE WINNER: Kevin Harvick SSAMPSON C C10.OUNTY’SKurt Busch C COMMUNITY95 N NEWSPAPER FREE REST OF TOP 5: Chase Elliott, 11. Aric Almirola 92 Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Kurt THREE THINGS WE LEARNED 12. Alex Bowman 85 Busch 13. Clint Bowyer 83 FIRST ONE OUT: Ty Dillon 1. Two for Kyle The Daytona Beach News-14.Journal’sChase GodwinElliott 81 DARK HORSE: Ricky Stenhouse Kelly & Ken Willis have co15.vereRydanNASCBlaneyAR for 69 Jr. Kyle Busch continued nearly 60 years combined.16.godwin.kWilliamelly@Byron 66 news-jrnl.com [email protected] DON’T BE SURPRISED IF: The his assault on NASCAR’s VOLUMETheVOLUME 9, ISSUE9, ISSUE 50 50 Sampson17. Jimmie Johnson 65 Weekly TheTheVOLUME 10, ISSUE 10Sampson Sampson WeeklyWeekly NASCAR THIS WEEKTheVOLUME 10, ISSUE 39 Sampson Weekly competition tightens up in the minor-league series 18. Daniel Suarez 63 front pack because of the size of with two more wins, 19. Ryan Newman 62 this oval. but finished third in the www.thesampsonweekly.comwww.thesampsonweekly.comwww.thesampsonweekly.com 20. Paul Menard 61 Week of WeekSeptemberWeekWeek ofof December Decemberof 27-October March 7-13,8-14,7-13, 3, 201920182018 Cup race. “I think we SPEED FREAKS passed the most cars so QUESTIONS & ATTITUDE MOTOR MOUTHS I think we were the most INSIDEINSIDEINSIDE WHAT’S ON TAP A few questions we Compelling questions ... and Roseboro Christmas PODCAST impressive,” he said, Rebecca’sMayor of VoicesClinton TransformingCitizen’s RoseboroAnd The Winners Christmas Are... had to ask ourselves Mayormaybe a few actual Voicesanswers Citizen’s Community Rallies CHARL“but that doesn’t matter OTTE2019 ALIVECUP SERIES: AFTERTicketGuardian 500 FIVE Stay west, young man, stay because we don’t have a Kyle Busch carries the checkered flag after winning SITE: ISM Raceway (1-mile oval) Parade-Parade- UnderUnder Of the four current outsiders, Is TruexPeopleJr. peaking too andsoon? Property west. Horace Greeley didn’t trophy. Whatever.” the Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas. He wonFrustrationtheFrustrationTruck SCHEDULE: Friday,with withqualifying DOT/24 DOT/24 Around Local Child whoexhasactlybestsaychancethat, butto sneakhe wasn’t a THREE THINGSSeries raceTOFriday, WAbut finishedTCHthird in SundaSEASONy’s Cup (Fox Sports ANNOUNCED1, 6 p.m.). Saturday, in a last-minute win? In traditional sports, you could make thethe LightsLights NASCAR fan. 2. Top-5 for Kurt race. [AP/BENJAMIN HAGER] practice (Fox Sports 1, 11:30 a.m. GODSPEAK: I pulled Clint 1. Roval madness a case for such aandthing,2 p.m.).especiallySunday,if race (Fox, Faith Bowyer’sTune innameonlineoutatof the hat, Kurt Busch has taken a we know we’ve gotFaithEducationSportssome “If it’s entertaining forthere’s a chancecoverageat burningbeingsthroughat 3 p.m., racing which is the easiest way to Race 3 of the play- PagePagePage 7 10 7 the energy and adrenaline you may www.news-journalonline.com/ liking to the new pack- more work to do.”Page 10 people to watch, it really at 3:30 p.m.) choose in this situation. offs will take place on need later. But not in racing. You daytonamotormouths age. At least that’s what does not matter to me a KEN’S CALL: Kurt Busch, easy. Charlotte Motor Speed- take every win that’s available, his performance sheet 3. Package reaction bit. Whatever it is, it is, XFINITY: Xfinity 200 He won the Roval pole last way’s 2.28-mile Roval regardless of whether you’ve already shows — two top-five fin- the rules are the same SITE: ISM Raceway year and finished fifth. He’s road course. Last year’s clinched a trip to the next playoff ishes in a row. “I’m really NASCAR’s new Cup pack- for everybody.” SCHEDULE: Friday, practice (Fox capable if the car’s capable. inaugural race was pure round. There are plenty of advan- proud of everybody to age made its debut at Sports 1, 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.). chaos when Brad Kesel- tages to such a thing, but mostly, get a top-five,” he said. Las Vegas. “Yeah, I mean — Godwin Kelly, Saturday, qualifying (Fox Sports Will Martin Truex ever become owski’s crash in Turn 1 it comes down to a racer’s desire “Now we’ve got two I really don’t care,” driver godwin.kelly@ 1, 12:30 p.m.), race (Fox Sports 1, NASCAR’s all-time winningest sparked a huge pileup. for trophies — a desire that usually top-fives this year, but Chase Elliott (ninth)Entertainmentsaid. news-jrnl.com 4 p.m.) Junior? “Last year I thought EntertainmentNASCARSports dates back to grade school. Page 9 GODSPEAK: No, but on the we were going to be all PagePagePage 9 16 9 Junior performance scale, right and finish OK, but DuringDuring Tuesday TuesdayHo night’sw’s night’sthe Citydr Cityeam Council Councilcoming? meeting, meeting, Mayor Mayor Lew Lew Starling Starling voiced voiced many many of of the the Truex is capable of 40 or so.