NASCAR THIS WEEK 8 - THE DERRICK. / The News-Herald Wednesday, October 23, 2019 SPEED FREAKS QUESTIONS & ATTITUDE A few questions we MARTINSVILLE had to ask ourselves Compelling questions ... and maybe a few actual answers Does Chase Elliott ride his THREE THINGS TO WATCH good fortune into the final Good grief, who’s the favorite? four? GODSPEAK: Elliott must have That’s a very good question. At a four-leaf clover in the glove different points of the season, compartment and a rabbit’s a few different guys looked like foot under the seat. He’s it was their year. Kyle Busch in going to Homestead. the spring, Denny Hamlin in the KEN’S CALL: Usually, I’d say summer, Martin Truex Jr. a couple no, given the struggle to of months ago. Now, who knows? advance. But with Chase, I’ll You get the feeling Busch has make an exception. been biding his time and wait- ing to flip the switch. And with How big a blow for Kez? renewed hope, maybe Chase GODSPEAK: This is not good. Elliott makes his run at just the He was fifth in points going right time. into Kansas and watched his playoff run be flushed down You ruling anyone out? the toilet. And I thought losing my watch was bad. Brad Keselowski, that’s about it. KEN’S CALL: Won three times Denny Hamlin crosses the finish line to win at Kansas. He will lead the remaining eight playoff drivers But that’s too easy, of course. in 2019 and ran his career into Round 3 of the playoffs. [AP/ORLIN WAGNER] If setting the odds board, my total to 30. Got cold at the bottom three right now would wrong time. In 25 years, it’ll 1. Great eight 2. What’s next? 3. Chase this be Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney and barely register as a blip on Joey Logano. The key words, his body of work. The eight drivers advancing The next three races will Chase Elliott was ranked however, are “right now.” The into Round 3 of the NASCAR narrow the NASCAR Cup among the playoff drivers, way this season has zigzagged up Cup Series playoffs are Denny Series playoff field to four which means nothing at this front, things could change by Turn FEUD OF THE WEEK Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle drivers, who will battle among point. Elliott made it in by 3 at Martinsville this week. Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing); themselves for championship three points after a second- COLE CUSTER VS. TYLER Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney honors. The next three races place finish at Kansas. Elliott Ken Willis, ken.willis REDDICK: These two had a (Team Penske); Kevin Harvick will be staged at Martinsville said he was too busy driv- @news-jrnl.com good old-fashioned wrestling (Stewart-Haas); Chase Elliott (short track), Texas (1.5-mile ing to count points. “I’m just match on pit road after the (Hendrick Motorsports); and oval) and Phoenix (1-mile trying to move forward,” he NASCAR Xfinity race. Custer Kyle Larson (Ganassi Racing). flat track). A win at any of said. “Obviously, three points NASCAR CUP said Reddick pushed his car Toyota and Ford each have those tracks by the eight is three positions, two points STANDINGS into the wall in the final laps. three cars still alive while survivors means a ticket to the is two positions and one is one GODWIN KELLY’S TAKE: Glad Chevrolet has two drivers bat- Championship Round at Home- position. Obviously, it’s just 1. Kyle Busch 4046 to see there is still emotion in tling for a position in the final stead-Miami Speedway. about trying to get as many as 2. Martin Truex Jr. 4042 NASCAR racing. “I just wasn’t four. you can get.” 3. Denny Hamlin 4037 very happy with it and was 4. Joey Logano 4030 just going to tell him that Godwin Kelly, [email protected] 5. Kevin Harvick 4028 and he went berserk on me,” 6. Chase Elliott 4024 Custer explained. 7. Kyle Larson 4011 8. Ryan Blaney 4009 9. Brad Keselowski 2229 GODWIN’S PICKS 10. William Byron 2181 FOR MARTINSVILLE 10. Clint Bowyer 2181 KANSAS 12. Alex Bowman 2165 WINNER: Denny Hamlin 13. Aric Almirola 2148 REST OF TOP 5: Kyle Busch, 14. Kurt Busch 2130 Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., THREE THINGS WE LEARNED 15. Ryan Newman 2121 Chase Elliott 16. Erik Jones 2072 FIRST ONE OUT: Clint Bowyer 1. Hendrick’s beating 17. Jimmie Johnson 772 DARK HORSE: Jimmie 18. Daniel Suarez 757 Johnson Hendrick Motorsports took 19. Paul Menard 699 DON’T BE SURPRISED IF: a beating in the last race of 20. Chris Buescher 644 Hamlin continues with his hot NASCAR playoff Round 2. Alex hand in these playoffs. Bowman and William Byron were eliminated in the knock- W H AT ’ S O N TA P out round. “Yeah, it’s just a (All times Eastern) M O T O R M O U T H S bummer,” Byron said. “We just PODCAST needed to win and we couldn’t CUP SERIES: First Data 500 do that.” Said Bowman, “That SITE: Martinsville Speedway Eight is enough. In our Pod, sucks.” (.526-mile oval) two is enough. Maybe two Rick Hendrick stands in front of Alex Bowman (left), Jimmie SCHEDULE: Saturday, practice too many. 2. Points matter Johnson and Chase Elliott. Only Elliott advanced to Round 3 of the (CNBC, 9 a.m.), practice (NBC NASCAR playoffs. [AP/TERRY RENNA] Sports Network, 12:30 p.m.), qual- Tune in online at Brad Keselowski was fifth in ifying (NBCSN, 4:30 p.m.). Sunday, www.news-journalonline. points heading into Kansas. 3. Bowyer down any means. I am proud of our race (NBCSN, coverage begins at com/daytonamotormouths He missed the cut by three effort.” Bowyer got a one-year 2:30 p.m., green flag, 3 p.m.) points behind Chase Elliott. Clint Bowyer was racing to extension to drive the No. 14 “We didn’t make it,” he said. advance into Round 3 at his Stewart-Haas Ford. GANDER OUTDOORS TRUCKS: Hall “I pushed as hard as I knew home track, finished eighth, of Fame 200 how and didn’t quite do good but wound up 12th in points. Godwin Kelly, godwin. SITE: Martinsville Superspeedway enough on the last restart, and “It was a decent day,” he said. [email protected] TV SCHEDULE: Saturday, race that was it.” “It wasn’t a stellar day by (Fox Sports 1, 1:30 p.m.) 2019 CUP SERIES SCHEDULE April 13: Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond July 7: Coke Zero 400 at Daytona (Justin (Kevin Harvick) AND WINNERS (Martin Truex Jr.) Haley) Sept. 15: South Point 400 at Las Vegas Feb. 10: Clash at Daytona (Jimmie Johnson) April 28: Geico 500 at Talladega (Chase July 13: Quaker State 400 at Kentucky (Kurt (Martin Truex Jr.) Feb. 17: Daytona 500 (Denny Hamlin) Elliott) Busch) Sept. 21: Federated Auto Parts 400 at Rich- Feb. 24: Folds of Honor 500 at Atlanta (Brad May 5: Dover 400 (Martin Truex Jr.) July 21: Foxwoods 301 at New Hampshire mond (Martin Truex Jr.) Keselowski) May 11: Kansas 400 (Brad Keselowski) (Kevin Harvick) Sept. 29: Bank of America 400 at Charlotte March 3: Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas (Joey May 18: All-Star Race at Charlotte (Kyle July 28: Gander Outdoors 400 at Pocono (Chase Elliott) Logano) Larson) (Denny Hamlin) Oct. 6: Delaware 400 at Dover (Kyle Larson) March 10: TicketGuardian 500 at Phoenix May 26: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (Martin Aug. 4: Go Bowling at Watkins Glen (Chase Oct. 13: 1000Bulbs.com 500 Talladega (Ryan (Kyle Busch) Truex Jr.) Elliott) Blaney) March 17: Auto Club 400 at Fontana (Kyle June 2: Pocono 400 (Kyle Busch) Aug. 11: Consumers Energy 400 at Michigan Oct. 20: Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Busch) June 9: FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan (Kevin Harvick) (Denny Hamlin) March 24: STP 500 at Martinsville (Brad (Joey Logano) Aug. 17: Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Oct. 27: First Data 500 at Martinsville Keselowski) June 23: Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Bristol (Denny Hamlin) Nov. 3: AAA Texas 500 March 31: O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas (Martin Truex Jr.) Sept. 1: Southern 500 at Darlington (Erik Nov. 10: Can-Am 500k at Phoenix (Denny Hamlin) June 30: Camping World 400 at Chicagoland Jones) Nov. 17: Ford EcoBoost 400 at April 7: Food City 500 at Bristol (Kyle Busch) (Alex Bowman) Sept. 8: Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Homestead-Miami KEN WILLIS’ TOP 10 NASCAR DRIVER RANKINGS DENNY MARTIN CHASE KEVIN KYLE BUSCH KYLE JOEY CLINT WILLIAM KURT BUSCH HAMLIN TRUEX JR. ELLIOTT HARVICK Where’s the LARSON LOGANO BOWYER BYRON One eye on First Likes these Still has a Lurking GO switch? Was hot Still missing Gonna miss Billy the contract championship next four chip and a there for a a cylinder it him Kid hits the talks within reach tracks chair few minutes seems sunset (again) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 CF-MealDeal-11.25x3.indd 1 10/18/19 9:31 AM.