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- The Daytona Beach News-Journal’sbecameGodwinthe Urban Meyer 400 — Kez, then Joey. Is this going to ing curve right now, so Kelly & Ken Willis have coveevrederyNASConeARinforspread formation. be a Penske year? if there’s a time to do it, nearly 60 years combined. godwin.kelly@ GODSPEAK: YouNAknow how theSCnoARw is the time becauseTHIS WEEK news-jrnl.com [email protected]? 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, RyanSPEEDBlaney,FREAKwho S be paying dividends for Brad Keselowski captured the flag at Atlanta. Team QUESTIONSLarry& Woody, who suggested ATTITUDE has done no betterA few thanquestions22ndweso us now.” Penske has seen early success with the new aero/motor tossing a rabid badger in every far. If they gethadhimtogoing,ask ourselveswatch DARLINGpackage. [AP/JOHN LOCHER]TON Compelling questionscockpit... andto liven things up. Given out. 2. NASCAR’s maybe a few actualNASCansweAR’srs reluctance to see the Has Denny become the odds- observation “But still work to do. It’s been happy with his car brilliance in that, I will instead on championship favorite? THREE THINGSearly. Three differTOent WAyeTCHt this season. “The lastDo we blame Newman?opt for patience and the insti- FEUD OF THEGODSPEAK:WEEKHe’s up. He’s The Cup Series made its winners, three races; so two weeks we’ve been tutional knowledge that no down. He’s all around. But his full aer1. Joo/hnsengineon wapatcckhage we’ll take this one and in right field at the startAt Bristol, Matt DiBenedettoeventual landingwas spot, rules- DENNY HAMLINgrind-it-outVS. KURTBristol win was debut at Las Vegas, with head to Phoenix.” of practice, and they justwithin reach of NASCwise,AR’swillbig-be universally loved impressive. Jimmie Johnson has gest feel-good win in years, but BUSCH: Hamlin was not happy mixed reviews. NASCAR keep scrambling and by all. KEN’S CALL: Gee, you think? been in every NASCAR his late-race battle while lapping about having toI’veplaybeenfollow-the-on that bandwagon is pokingplayoffandsinceprtheoddingformat 3. Harvick watch taking big swings at it Ryan Newman cost him time leader behind Busch,for a monthwhonow.wasHop aboard! at thewadatas introducedgatherined2004.to to get us close,” he said.and, after some contact,— KencrWillis,e- ken.willis a tick slower on older tires, but date.He“Ihasthinkwonitallwasevsengoodof When the Cup Series “Hopefully, we can getated handling [email protected] the impassable becausePut a perofcentagethe newon Matty D’s to seehisdirCupectionallySeries champi-that circus hits Phoenix and that figured out.” Countfamed social media battlefields, aero/motor combo.chances of a decent Cup ride guysonships(came)in upthe thrplayooughff ISM Raceway, you have on it Sunday. Newman took plenty of heat. But GODWIN KELLY’SnextTAKE:year. This the pasystem.ck andThermake’s aereal to keep one eye on Kevin as his physique suggests,NASChe’sAR CUP is something newGODSPEAK:in the That’sCup 100%. a passchancefor thehe wolead,”n’t make Harvick. Harvick has — Godwin Kelly, always been a toughSTguyANDINGto pass, S Series — fasterOpencarsletterthatto M. DiBene- NASCthisARpostseason.Vice PresidentHe fell piled up nine wins at the godwin.kelly@ and makes no apologies for it. detto: Do not settle. Wait for to 18th in points after Newman has obligations to his can’t pass. “(When) he ran Steve O’Donnell said. 1-mile oval. He hasn’t news-jrnl.com 1. Joey Logano 133 the right ride. Something will battling for a 19th-place own team to fight for every inch of the bottom (racing lane) then 2. Kevin Harvick 131 open for you. finish at Bristol. Johnson ground, and he’s never seemed to there’s nothingKEN’SanyoneCALL:could100% hedohas a remains optimistic. “I show favoritism,3.evDennen to any Hamlinunder- 127 about it,” Hamlinride,said.50% chance it’s in a car have to look at the truth HealthHealth dog like Matty D.4. Kyle Busch LocalLocal News 121News LocalLocal NewsNews that can legitimately compete inside of this team and Jimmie Johnson started the seasonLocaloff with a ba Newsng by 5. Brad KeselowsBackki Education To115 School LocalEducation News up front every week. how strong this team is,” winning the Clash at Daytona. In thePagenextPagethrPageee we 85eks, 8 Is Joey pulling a6.Jimmie?Kyle Larson PagePagePagePage 1026-10 102 2 PagePagePagePage 13 2 66 GODWIN’S PICKS he said. he faces playoff elimination. [AP/TERRY RENNA] 7. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 99 FOR PHOENIX In nine starts since8. ErikLogano’sJonesearly- 98 FEUD OF THE WEEK 2. Bubble churn Only 38 points separate of scoring his first Cup June win at Michigan,8. Martinhe’s hadTruex Jr. 98 LASNewmanVEGASfrom Johnson Series triumph at Bristol, AMPSONSAMPSONjust three top-10s COUNTY’SandOUNTY’Sfive finishes COMMUNITYOMMUNITY NEWSPAPEREWSPAPER FREE WINNER: Kevin Harvick SSAMPSON C C10.OUNTY’SKurt Busch C COMMUNITY95 N NEWSPAPER FREE RYAN BLANEY VS. DANIEL There was some churn with two regular- DiBenedetto wore his S between 16th and C25th. With just C N FREE REST OF TOP 5: Chase Elliott, 11. Aric Almirola 92 HEMRIC: Everybody thought among those drivers in season races left on the emotions on his sleeve. two more races before the play- Kyle Busch, JoeythereLogano,would beKurtfights on and THREEand around the NASCARTHINGSschedule. WE“It’sLEARNEDbeen a tough week, offs begin, this is12.no wayAlextoBoheadwman 85 Busch off the track, but it was a rela- playoff bubble. Daniel and I want to stick into a championship13. Clintdefense.Bowyer 83 FIRST ONE OUT:tivelyTy tameDillonnight at Bristol. 1. TwSuaro ezfomor Kyvedleup to 16th 3. DiBenedetto saga around and I want to 14. Chase Elliott 81 DARK HORSE: RickyTempersStenhousedid not flare. Blaney place — the final playoff win,” he said. “That’s all — Ken Willis, ken.willis15. Ryan Blaney 69 Jr. and Hemric had some contact. KylepositionBusch continued— leapfrog- Matt DiBenedetto won’t I want to do is win in the @news-jrnl.com16. William Byron 66 DON’T BE SURPRISEDGODWIN IF:KELLY’SThe TAKE: his assaultging ClintonBoNASCwyer byAR’sa be driving theVOLUMETheNo.VOLUME95 9, CupISSUE9, ISSUESeries, 50and 50 we Sampsonwere 17. Jimmie Johnson 65 Weekly TheTheVOLUME 10, ISSUE 10Sampson Sampson WeeklyWeekly TheVOLUME 10, ISSUE 34 Sampson Weekly competition tightensBlaney saidupheinkindthe of clipped minorscant-leaguetwo points.seriesRyan Toyota in 2020. He used close.” 18. Daniel Suarez 63 front pack becauseHemric.ofThatthemodestsize ofcontact withNewman,two morSuare wins,ez, Bowyer his social media to tell NASCAR CU19.P Ryan Newman 62 led to a tire going down and and Johnson are battling everybody he will be out — Godwin Kelly, this oval. but finished third in the www.thesampsonweekly.com STANDINGS20. Paul Menard 61 Week of December 7-13, 2018 Blaney’s No. 12 Ford going to get into the postsea- of a job. Afterwww.thesampsonweekly.comcomingwww.thesampsonweekly.comgodwin.kelly@ WeekWeekWeek of of December of August March 23-29, 7-13,8-14, 20192018 into the fence. “Heard a pop Cup sonrace.based“I thinkon points.we within a half-second news-jrnl.com 1. Kyle Busch 932 and I was like, ‘Oh, no,’” passed the most cars so 2. Joey Logano 893 I think we were the most INSIDEINSIDEINSIDE MOTOR MOBlaneyUTHSsaid. INSIDE 3. Denny Hamlin WHAT’S855ON TAP RoseboroRoseboro ChristmasChristmas PODCAST impressive,” he said, AmbassadorMayorMayor4. Martin Truex Jr. Voices VoicesDereck838 Citizen’s JCitizen’s Hogan visits AndGillespie The Winners Completes Are... “but that doesn’t matter 20195. KeALIVEvin Harvick CUP SERIES: 830AFTERTicketGuardian 500 FIVE Stay west, youngGOman,DWIN’staSy PICKS because we don’t have a Kyle Busch carries the checkered flag after winning 6. Brad KeselowsSITE:ki ISM Raceway794 (1-mile oval) Parade-Parade- UnderUnder west. Horace GrFOReeleyDAdidn’tRLINGTON trophy. Whatever.” the Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas. He wonFrustrationtheFrustrationTarheelTruck7. Chase Elliott ChalleNGeSCHEDULE: 757Friday,with withqualifying AcademyDOT/24 DOT/24 7th Year of Helping SEASON8. Kurt Busch ANNOUNCED741 exactly say that, but he wasn’t a BRISSeries raceTOFriday, but finishedL third in Sunday’s Cup (Fox Sports 1, 6 p.m.).