NASCAR THIS WEEK 6 - THE DERRICK. / The News-Herald Wednesday, December 18, 2019 CUP COUNTDOWN QUESTIONS & ATTITUDE Compelling questions ... and maybe a few actual Homestead provided answers championship energy Can John Hunter Nemechek match the success he’s had in NASCAR’s lower levels? It might take a while. [NASCAR/GETTY IMAGES] Poole, Nemechek … nothing but seat fillers? That’s a little harsh, but it’s a harsh business sometimes. So yes, on the surface, when you see that Brennan Poole has been picked up by Pre- mium Motorsports, and John Hunter Nemechek has signed with Front Row Motorsports, your excite- ment level falls well short of theirs. When it comes to sponsorships and race- day success, these are the types of teams that chase after the scraps left behind by Gibbs, Penske, Hen- drick, etc. … Always and forever more? Well, at least until fur- ther notice. Of the recent front-runners, Furniture Row Racing was the one team that went from boot- strapping newcomer to contender to actual champ (before shutting the doors, by the way). Leavine Family Racing is seem- ingly poised to be next. Kyle Busch, front left, celebrates with teammates in Victory Lane after winning the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series championship at Homestead. In theory, whatever new [AP/DAVID GRAHAM] business model accompa- nies the new Gen-7 car in By Godwin Kelly including the season-opening Daytona behind, it looked like the race would 2021 could make it easier [email protected] 500, and was carrying momentum from become a two-car shootout between for smaller teams to get his victory the previous weekend at Busch and Hamlin. bigger and faster. That This is the first of a five-part series Phoenix (ISM Raceway). Hamlin’s team pushed in all the chips would be good news for counting down the top five NASCAR Cup Busch was cast as the longshot, since on his last pit stop. His pit crew put an future upstarts, which are Series races of 2019. his last victory was in early June. enormous swath of black tape over the always needed. This finale on this 1.5-mile oval prom- grille with the hopes of picking up extra he Ford EcoBoost 400, held at ised to be nothing short of a 267-lap speed by lessening drag. Ken Willis, ken.willis Homestead-Miami Speedway, shootout among the series’ top drivers Instead, the tape blocked air from the @news-jrnl.com held the potential to be the top and teams. radiator, and the engine immediately race of the year, but because of Harvick led early, but as the sun began overheating. With boiling water Ttwo major pit-road boo-boos, it brings faded, so did the handling of his race car, shooting out of the radiator relief valve, WHAT’S ON TAP up the rear of the top-five field. especially on long runs. There were no Hamlin was forced to pit to have the tape This was the final race of 2019 and yellow flags during the last 101 laps of removed. Jan. 13-18: Chili Bowl only four drivers had a chance to win the competition. That gave Busch a clear path to vic- Nationals in Tulsa, Okla. Cup Series championship. Truex suffered the first pit-road casu- tory. He led the final 45 laps and beat Jan. 25-26: Rolex 24 at Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. and alty. He brought the No. 19 Toyota in for Truex by 4.578 seconds. Daytona Denny Hamlin won races in Round 3 to service and his pit crew bolted right-side “Everybody always says you never Feb. 8-16: Speedweeks at advance to the Championship Round. tires to the left side of his race car. give up,” said Busch, who refused to Daytona: Kyle Busch, who was the regular-sea- The weird mistake forced Truex back listen to the pre-race naysayers. “We’re Feb. 8: ARCA 200 son champion, was the only driver to to the pits under green-flag conditions no different. We just do what we can Feb. 9: Daytona 500 advance on points. to have his tires rotated into the correct do each and every week. Sometimes we pole qualifying; Clash at Truex, Hamlin and Busch all drive position. may not be the best. Sometimes we may Daytona Toyotas for car owner Joe Gibbs, whose He went from the lead pack, gunning not have the right track position. Feb. 13: Duel at Daytona teams won 19 races over the 36-race for the win and title, to 13th place and “We had a really good car, and I could qualifying races for Day- schedule. one lap down. race around and move around. That’s tona 500 Harvick, who drives the No. 4 Stew- “Yeah, ultimately it was the loss of what’s so special about Homestead- Feb. 14: Truck Series Next art-Haas Racing Ford, won the first title track position that bit us,” Truex said. Miami Speedway, is the ability to put on Era Energy Resources 250 under this format in 2014. Busch won in Truex tried to rally but wound up as a show. I felt like we did that there racing Feb. 15: Xfinity Series 2015, and Truex got his lone title in 2017. the runner-up for the second straight those guys. NASCAR Racing Experience Hamlin was pegged as the sentimen- year. “It was a lot of fun to cap off such an 300 tal favorite. He had scored six wins, With Harvick fading and Truex amazing year.” Feb. 16: Daytona 500 2 0 2 0 C U P S E R I E S April 5: Bristol June 21: Chicagoland Sept. 6: Darlington SCHEDULE April 19: Richmond June 27: Pocono Sept. 12: Richmond Feb. 9: Clash at Daytona April 26: Talladega June 28: Pocono Sept. 19: Bristol Feb. 16: Daytona 500 May 3: Dover July 5: Indianapolis Sept. 27: Las Vegas Feb. 23: Las Vegas May 9: Martinsville July 11: Kentucky Oct. 4: Talladega March 1: Fontana May 16: All-Star Race at Charlotte July 19: New Hampshire Oct. 11: Charlotte March 8: Phoenix May 24: Charlotte Aug. 9: Michigan Oct. 18: Kansas March 15: Atlanta May 31: Kansas Aug. 16: Watkins Glen Oct. 25: Texas March 22: Homestead-Miami June 7: Michigan Aug. 23: Dover Nov. 1: Martinsville March 29: Texas June 14: Sonoma Aug. 29: Daytona Nov. 8: Phoenix M O T O R M O U T H S SPEED FREAKS — A few questions we had to ask ourselves PODCAST What does Cole Pearn’s departure mean for GODSPEAK: He was so much fun to cover The guys take on a laundry Martin Truex Jr. in 2020? back when he owned his own race team. list of current topics as GODSPEAK: TitusvilleThis is not good Area for Truex. Hospital There wasn’t much of a filter, and he was Titusville Area Hospital we slip gently into the His numbersCardiology will drop from his past three always a straight shooter. We need the next Pain Management offseason. seasons, much like what happened to Jeff Sabates to emerge. Gordon when406 Ray West Evernham Oak Street, left the Titusville No. 24 KEN’S CALL: The successful run he had with 406 West Oak Street, Titusville Tune in online at team at Hendrick Motorsports. Kyle Petty in the early 1990s. Consistently www.news-journalonline. KEN’S CALL: CallThe Gibbs814-827-8815 team obviously to schedule has competitive and won some races, and were Call 814-827-1851 to schedule com/daytonamotormouths a deep bench,an so appointment. a capable replacement will always great for bull sessions in the garage. Cole Pearnan (left) appointment. recently announced he’s be named. But “capable” doesn’t always leaving the road to spend more quality time equate to good chemistry between crew Like what you’re hearing about the Gen-7 at home. John Wilson, MD, FAAC Jeffrey Friedel,chief MD and driver. Truex may keep on keepin’ car afterShashank early tests? Saxena, MD Haibin Wang, MD on, but a slowdown shouldn’t shock anyone. GODSPEAK: I have only seen the Ford ver- out so well. sion of the Gen-7 car. It looks pretty sharp, KEN’S CALL: A wait-and-see approach is What will you remember most about Felix but I thought the Car of Tomorrow looked always best with these things. But those Sabates’ career as team owner? cool during its test runs. That didn’t work wheel wells look neat..