NASCAR THIS WEEK 8 - THE DERRICK. / The News-Herald Wednesday, September 5, 2018 SPEED FREAKS QUESTIONS & ATTITUDE A few questions we had to ask INDIANAPOLIS ourselves Compelling questions ... and maybe a few actual answers Last year it was Kasey Kahne. THREE THINGS TO WATCH Who could be this year’s sur- So now the Brickyard goes up prise Brickyard winner? If everything against the NFL? GODSPEAK: Daniel Suarez is goes terribly my pick to upend the NASCAR wrong at To hopefully inject new life into apple cart at Indianapolis. Indianapolis, the Brickyard 400, NASCAR and KEN’S CALL: Jamie McMurray Jimmie Indy moved it from mid-summer showed some life at Darlington Johnson to September, where it becomes and he’s racing for his future ... (right) might the regular-season finale. Good but I’ll say Paul Menard. He’s become just move, in theory. Unfortunately, this done it before. a cheerleader not only puts it up against Week for Chase 1 of the NFL season, but right up Jimmie Johnson suggests he Elliott (left) in against the Indianapolis Colts, who can do well if he just makes the NASCAR are opening at home against the sure he’s in the playoffs. playoffs. Bengals. That’s a pool of 70,000 Believe him? Johnson has fans, from which the Brickyard will GODSPEAK: Yes, but that ESP made every surely lose a certain percentage. voice in my head is saying playoff field Johnson will somehow fall out since 2004. Who’s to blame? of the playoffs Sunday. It’s just [AP/RALPH been that kind of season for FRESO] Taylor Swift, kinda-sorta. She has ol’ J.J. a concert scheduled at the Colts’ KEN’S CALL: Like golfers, 1. One and done 2. The Indy Open 3. Plates, anyone? Lucas Oil Stadium the weekend of racers often think they’re just the NFL’s second Sunday. In order one tweak away from “finding The 26-race NASCAR Cup There are only two playoff The Indianapolis Xfinity to avoid clashing with the Brick- it.” In this case, I think they Series regular season spots left in the 16-driver Series race saw a sizeable yard, the Colts would’ve had to should focus on 2019. comes to a conclusion with field. If Johnson crashed competition jump from open with two road games. They the Brickyard 400 at India- out early at Indy, it could 2016 to 2017 after NASCAR opted not to do that. If it's not one napolis Motor Speedway mean big trouble. “It’s just ordered the stock cars out- thing, it's another. FEUD OF THE WEEK on Sunday and there could about cleaning things up,” fitted with restrictor plates. be a surprise ending. There Johnson said at Darlington. In 2016 there were two lead — Ken Willis, ken.willis CLINT BOWYER VS. RYAN is a mathematical chance “I didn’t have a great lap changes. Running with @news-jrnl.com NEWMAN: Newman was that seven-time NASCAR in that second round of plates last year the race slowing to get to pit road and champion Jimmie Johnson qualifying that put us back. produced 16 lead changes. Bowyer, who just got new won’t make the playoffs. Unfortunately, we had a The plates were used in the CUP STANDINGS tires, came flying up and hit “I don’t want to be in this loose wheel; and then I Cup Series for the All-Star Newman, sending both into the position,” Johnson said. missed the commitment Race with great success. 1. Kyle Busch 1038 wall. “We have been around this line coming in. We’ve just Connecting the dots — the 2. Kevin Harvick 999 GODWIN KELLY’S TAKE: No spot for a while. We have got to clean those things 2019 Indy Cup Series race 3. Martin Truex Jr. 883 comment from Newman. seen it coming.” up.” may become a plate race. 4. Kurt Busch 835 Bowyer blamed it all on lapped 5. Joey Logano 818 cars. “There are lapped cars — Godwin Kelly, [email protected] 6. Brad Keselowski 785 that are 50 laps down all over 7. Kyle Larson 783 the damn place,” he said. 8. Clint Bowyer 777 “That’s pretty frustrating.” 9. Ryan Blaney 755 10. Denny Hamlin 738 11. Chase Elliott 737 G O D W I N ’ S P I C K S 12. Aric Almirola 681 FOR INDIANAPOLIS DARLINGTON 13. Erik Jones 679 14. Jimmie Johnson 605 WINNER: Martin Truex Jr. 15. Alex Bowman 586 REST OF TOP 5: Kyle Busch, THREE THINGS WE LEARNED 16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 518 Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola, 17. Ryan Newman 503 Chase Elliott 1. Perfect timing 18. Austin Dillon 496 FIRST ONE OUT: Ricky Sten- 19. Paul Menard 493 house Jr. Brad Keselowski beat race dominator Kyle 20. Daniel Suarez 487 DARK HORSE: Daniel Suarez Larson off of pit road on Lap 346 (of 367) and DON’T BE SURPRISED IF: This is was able to pull away in clean air for his first a “Big 3” race and Truex is next NASCAR “crown jewel” victory. “We were WHAT’S ON TAP in line for a big race victory. running second and that last stop [ the pit crew] nailed it and got us out in the lead,” CUP SERIES: Big Machine Vodka Keselowski said. 400 at The Brickyard M O T O R M O U T H S SITE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway PODCAST 2. Three cautions (2.5-mile, rectangle-shaped) SCHEDULE: Saturday, practice Are we done throwing back? Three quick yellow flags, sandwiched into (NBC Sports Network, 10:30 a.m. OK, gas up the pod and point Laps 312 to 344, determined the outcome of and 1:30 p.m.), qualifying (NBC us to Indianapolis! the Southern 500. Keselowski should send Sports Network, 6 p.m.). Sunday, Jeffrey Earnhardt (Dale Jr.’s nephew) a race (NBC Sports Network, cover- Tune in online at thank-you note for spinning on Lap 344 and Brad Keselowski led only 24 laps to Kyle age begins at noon; green flag, www.news-journalonline.com/ bringing out the final and decisive caution Larson’s 284 but got to Victory Lane thanks 2:15 p.m.) daytonamotormouths period and restart. to a series of quick late-race caution periods. [AP/TERRY RENNA] XFINITY: Lilly Diabetes 250 3. 11th-hour sponsor SITE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway and STP struck their first sponsorship deal in SCHEDULE: Friday, practice (NBC- Richard Petty Motorsports started slapping 1972 and have enjoyed a fruitful relationship. Sports.com, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.). STP decals on the No. 43 Sunday morning Saturday, qualifying (NBC Sports after STP decided to sponsor the car in an — Godwin Kelly, godwin.kelly@news-jrnl. Network, 11:30 a.m.), race (NBC 11th-hour agreement with “The King.” Petty com Sports Network, 3 p.m.) 2018 SCHEDULE AND WINNERS April 29: Geico 500 at Talladega (Joey Logano) Aug. 5: 355 at the Glen, at Watkins Glen (Chase Elliott) May 6: AAA 400 at Dover (Kevin Harvick) Aug. 12: Pure Michigan 400 (Kevin Harvick) Feb. 11: Clash at Daytona (Brad Keselowski) May 12: Go Bowling 400 at Kansas (Kevin Harvick) Aug. 18: Night Race at Bristol (Kurt Busch) Feb. 15: Can-Am Duel at Daytona (Ryan Blaney and Chase May 19: All Star Race at Charlotte (Kevin Harvick) Sept. 2: Southern 500 at Darlington (Brad Keselowski) Elliott) May 27: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (Kyle Busch) Sept. 9: Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Feb. 18: Daytona 500 (Austin Dillon) June 3: Pocono 400 (Martin Truex Jr.) Sept. 16: Las Vegas 400 Feb. 25: Folds of Honor 500 at Atlanta (Kevin Harvick) June 10: FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan (Clint Sept. 22: Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond March 4: Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas (Kevin Harvick) Bowyer) Sept. 30: Bank of America 500(k) at Charlotte road course March 11: Camping World 500(k) at Phoenix (Kevin June 24: Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma (Martin Truex Oct. 7: Delaware 400 at Dover Harvick) Jr.) Oct. 14: Alabama 500 at Talladega March 18: Auto Club 400 at Fontana (Martin Truex Jr.) July 1: Chicago 400 at Chicagoland (Kyle Busch) Oct. 21: Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas March 26: STP 500 at Martinsville (Clint Bowyer) July 7: Coke Zero 400 at Daytona (Erik Jones) Oct. 28: First Data 500 at Martinsville April 8: O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas (Kyle Busch) July 14: Quaker State 400 at Kentucky (Martin Truex Jr.) Nov. 4: Texas 500 April 15: Food City 500 at Bristol (Kyle Busch) July 22: New Hampshire 301 (Kevin Harvick) Nov. 11: Can-Am 500(k) at Phoenix April 21: Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond (Kyle Busch) July 29: Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono (Kyle Busch) Nov. 18: Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead OVER Lower 200 prices VEHicles HUMES TRi-state Used VEHICLE SUperstore 2010 FORD FUSION SE 2012 FORD FOCUS SEL 2006 FORD ECONOLINE 2013 CHRYSLER 200 LX 2009 HONDA ACCORD 2008 HONDA CR-V EX Jeep Cherokee E150 XLT CLUB WAGON LX-P 4WD summer 18 clearance 22 $6,947 $7,977 $8,477 $8,900 $8,900 $8,900 TO CHOOSE KEN WILLIS’ TOP 10 NASCAR DRIVER RANKINGS From! 2010 NISSAN MAXIMA 2011 CHEVY CRUZE LTZ 2010 DODGE JOURNEY 2014 RAM CV TRADESMAN 2008 DODGE RAM 1500 2014 DODGE AVENGER SE 3.5 SV PREMIUM ONLY 50,137 MILES AWD SXT SHORT BOX REG CAB 4X4 ONLY 18,424 MILES! 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