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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 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 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 133 the bottom (racing lane) then 2. Kevin Harvick 131 there’s nothing anyone could do 3. Denny Hamlin 127 about it,” Hamlin said. HealthHealth 4. Kyle Busch LocalLocal News 121News LocalLocal NewsNews LocalEducation News 5. Brad Keselowski LocalEducation 115News Local News PagePagePagePage 10 85 8 6. Kyle Larson PagePagePagePage102 1022 2 PagePagePage 52 66 GODWIN’S PICKS 7. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 99 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 14. Chase Elliott 81 DARK HORSE: Ricky Stenhouse 15. Ryan Blaney 69 Jr. Kyle Busch continued The Daytona Beach News-16.Journal’sWilliamGodwinByron 66 DON’T BE SURPRISED IF: The his assault on NASCAR’s VOLUMETheVOLUME 9, ISSUE9, ISSUE 50 50 SampsonKelly & Ken Willis have cove17.reJimmied NASCARJohnsonfor 65 Weekly TheTheVOLUME 10, ISSUE 10Sampson Sampson WeeklyWeekly TheVOLUME 10, ISSUE 33 Sampson Weekly competition tightens up in the minor-league series nearly 60 years combined.18.godwin.kDanielelly@Suarez 63 front pack because of the size of with two more wins, news-jrnl.com ken.willis@new19. Rys-jrnl.coman Newman 62 NAthis oval. SCARbut finishedTHISthird in the WEEKwww.thesampsonweekly.comwww.thesampsonweekly.comwww.thesampsonweekly.com 20. Paul Menard 61 WeekWeekWeekWeek ofof of December December of August March 16-22, 7-13,8-14,7-13, 201920182018 Cup race. “I think we passed the most cars so I think we were the most INSIDEINSIDEINSIDE MOTOR MOUTHS INSIDE WHAT’S ON TAP RoseboroRoseboro ChristmasChristmas SPEEDPODCFREAKAST S impressive,” he said, QUMayorESTMayorIONS & AT Voices TITUDEVoices Citizen’s Citizen’s AndCooper The AppointsWinners Are... New “but that doesn’t matter 2019Changes ALIVECUP inSERIES: Newton AFTERTicketGuardian 500 Grove FIVE A fewStaquestionsy west, yoweung man, stay because we don’t have a Kyle Busch carries the checkered flag after winningCompelling questions ... andSITE: ISM Raceway (1-mile oval) Parade-Parade- UnderUnder hadwetost.askHorourselvesace Greeley didn’t trophy. Whatever.” the Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas. He wonFrustrationSEASONthemaFrustrationybeTrucka few actual answeSCHEDULE:rs ANNOUNCED Friday,with withqualifying DOT/24 DOT/24 District 4 Judge exactly say that, but he wasn’t a BRISSeriesTOrace Friday, butLfinished third in Sunday’s Cup Police(Fox SportsDepartment1, 6 p.m.). Saturday, thethe LightsLights Is itNASCstill PeARnskfan.e-Gibbs, or 2. Top-5 for Kurt race. [AP/BENJAMIN HAGER] Are we spending too muchpracticetime(Foxon theSports 1, 11:30 a.m. is Harvick now a cham- Bubble Boys? and 2 p.m.). Sunday, race (Fox, THREE THINGS TO WAFaithTCH pionshipTune incontender?online at Kurt Busch has taken a we know we’ve gotFaithLocalEducationsome News “If it’s entertaining for coverage beings at 3 p.m., racing PagePagePage 7 10 7 GODSPEAK:www.newFords-journalonline.com/runs strong 1. Bubblelikingboysto the new pack- more work to do.” Page 3 people to watch,Yes,itofrecourse.ally But thenatagain,3:30 no.p.m.)Yes, at Michigan.daytonamotormouthsOne race doesn’t age. At least that’s what does not matterbecauseto menoa driver back there between 15th tell the story. Stay focused With onlyhisthrperformanceee sheet 3. Package reaction bit. Whatever itandis,18thit is,place will lastXFINITY:beyond twXfinityo rounds200 on the Penske-Gibbs battle. regular-seasonshowsev—entstwo top-five fin- the rules are thein thesameplayoffs. This isn’tSITE:the NHL;ISM Racewaythere’s KEN’S CALL: It’ll still left on theishesschedule,in a row. “I’m really NASCAR’s new Cup pack- for everybody.”no playoff magic to be found.SCHEDULE:But thenFriday, practice (Fox come down to the Penske there is aprfouroud-drivof ereverybody to age made its debut at again, it’s quite intriguingSportsbecause1, 3 p.m.one and 5 p.m.). and Gibbs drivers. Kevin battle ongetthe amytop-fivsti- e,” he said. Las Vegas. “Yeah, I mean — Godwin Kelly,guy (Clint Bowyer) wasSaturday,supposed toqualifyingbe so (Fox Sports might win another race, cal playoff“Nobubble.w we’ve got two I really don’t care,” driver godwin.kelly@much better than this, and1, 12:30anotherp.m.),(Jimmierace (Fox Sports 1, but Stewart-Haas isn’t Ryan Newmantop-fivandes this year, but Chase Elliott (ninth) said. news-jrnl.comJohnson) … well … we could4 p.m.)be witnessing title timber right now. Clint Bowyer are just EntertainmentEntertainmentNASCARSports the endgame of a historic career. Page 9 above the cut line, PagePagePage 9 16 9 Is that a fork stick- while Daniel Suarez DuringDuring AndTuesday Tuesdaythe anti-bubblenight’s night’s City City gang?Council Council meeting, meeting, Mayor Mayor Lew Lew Starling Starling voiced voiced many many of of the the ing in Jimmie’s ribs? and Jimmie Johnson concernsconcerns frustrating frustrating Clinton Clinton businesses businesses and and citizens citizens over over the the issue issue of of Hwy Hwy 24. 24. With With sever sever- - Governor Cooper announced on Tuesday the appointment GODSPEAK: I’m calling it hope to claw their way al membersal membersMy ey ofes theofar the eDepartmentturning Departmentmor ofe ofandTransportation, Transportation,more to along along with with representatives representatives from from the the Fred Fred of a Samanthanew District DiPinto, Court MatthewJudge for Register, District Lynn4. Christopher Webster J. right now.