The Chaser #3: Camping World RV 400 presented by Coleman

Each week Ridebuyer delves deep into the misunderstood, oft terrifying, world of American saloon-car racing known as NASCAR.

This week: Camping World RV 400 presented by Coleman (Chase round #3)

TV: ABC 1:00pm EST (Sunday)

Location: Kansas Speedway (Kansas City, KS)

Distance: 267 laps/400 miles

Past winner: G. Biffle (9/07).

*Ode to Kyle Busch's season, upsets and underdogs*

- Kyle Busch led the points for 17 consecutive weeks before the Chase. Since the "playoffs" began, he has not finished inside the top-30 and has effectively ended his chances of becoming champion. He currently sits p12, 210 points adrift of Carl Edwards in p1. His title run is over. A valiant effort. But, as Lou Holtz would say, close only counts in horseshoes. Maybe sexual assault too. Yup, only sexual assault and horseshoes, definitely not NASCAR.

Busch's title was lost not solely by Busch, but was truly a team effort. His dismal "playoff" finishes to date were caused by mechanical failures. There is no indication that Busch played any role in causing those failures. Although, he could have been speaking to the mechanic who was supposed to be tightening the anti-sway bar in New Hampshire, thus distracting him, causing the cross-thread to end all cross-threads. Not likely, but possible. Barring that unlikely scenario, Busch's crew (the engine department not excluded) probably feels pretty damn shitty. Alas, those are the breaks of a cruel and fickle sport. Sorry Kyle and co. Perhaps next season.

When thinking about Busch's overall performance in stock cars this year, it's hard to fathom that not a single championship will be awarded to ridiculous-sunglass laden racer. It's like his season forcibly ended, not allowing its natural progression to play out. Sad really. (Unless you hate Kyle Busch, his team, Joe Gibbs, - those who saw him speak at the RNC should passionately hate him- Toyota, or some combination of all four. Then it's quite funny.)

Kyle Busch's 2008 NASCAR season.

3-1-08

-

9-21-08

RIP

-The biggest upset in the young college football season took place last Thursday night in Corvallis, OR. It illustrates the (kinda) longstanding rule in college football that no team is safe against a fired-up underdog and point spreads mean nothing. The Oregon State Beavers were 25-point dogs to the USC. 25 fucking points! Any team can beat any team at any time. It's what makes college football great. Motor racing certainly has some parallels to this. See: Joe Nemechek, Kansas Speedway, 2004. The habitual underdog scored a weekend trifecta when he won the Cup pole, the Nationwide race and the Cup race on the intermediate track. He is obviously looking for some luck this weekend at the track where beasted the competition four years ago. Check out Tom Jensen's notebook (speedtv.com) for more information on Front-Row Joe's baller Kansas weekend. It may not have happened this season, but NASCAR underdogs can-and routinely do-best the Hendrick Motorsports and Gibbs Racings of the world.

About this race:

*What to know:

One race/year? Not a problem: Kansas Speedway is part of a minority of tracks on the NASCAR schedule with only one Cup race date. This puts the track in the company of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the bastard step children of NASCAR circuits (that would be the road courses at Watkins Glen and Sonoma), Chicagoland, and Las Vegas. Everywhere else gets two Cup dates and thus have double the chances to cash on the NASCAR money gravy train. Good for them. For the racers, one would think visiting a track only once a year would be a tricky proposition for race car setups. Especially with the added pressure of this being a Chase event. However this a non-issue. All 1.5-mile tracks are the same. Really they are. There are tons of 1.5- mile tracks that Cup teams can draw information from. For a while, it seemed like a new intermediate track popped up every six months across the country. And NASCAR made it a point to put them all on the schedule. Every last one of them. Teams will have no problem setting their cars up for this event.

Jimmie loves Juan: Jimmie Johnson should send a big thing of flowers over to Juan Montoya and the entire Ganassi Racing team as they are the reason the defending champ will start from the pole on Sunday. Montoya ran the fastest lap in qualifying, but was ultimately disqualified for a technical infraction. That promoted Johnson to the top starting spot. The starting grid is a bit of cluster-eff with only one other Chase driver starting in the top-10 (Kenseth, p3). Carl Edwards , Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Tony Stewart will all start outside of the top-30. (Starting grid)

"Hot" Carl from the rear: The point leader and consensus best-looking stockcar driver since Harry Gant will have a difficult task come Sunday. "Hot" Carl will take the green flag in 34th position after a qualifying run which was more than .5 sec. adrift of Johnson's pole speed. Relegated with the habitual backmarkers are Harvick and Stewart as well. Look for them to try

to hookup with Edwards and pick their ways frontward.


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Who to watch:

Greg Biffle: The winner of the previous two Chase events is also the defending race winner at KS. He will start Sunday's event in 18th, and should he win, that would be the third worst starting position for a Kansas winner in the event's brief tenure on circuit. The worst starting spot to win at KS belongs to Stewart, who rolled off p21 before rolling into victory lane in 2006. Biffle has three top-5's at Kansas and an average finishing spot of 11th.

Mark Martin: Martin was only .044 sec. off of the pole speed for this race. In the last four starts he's made this season, his worst finish was 8th in Pocono. He finished forth last week and has an average KS finish of 12.4 with one win (2005). Martin is a good value bet at 15/1 to win or even at 9/2 to place in top-3.

Jeff Gordon: The honor of most wins by a driver at KS belongs to Gordon. He won in 2001 and 2002. He has 40-career wins on intermediate circuits. 40 is a big number. He did not stumble as much as other Chasers in qualifying and will roll off in 13th.

*For those heading to the track:

Pertinent tailgating information is here. The following sentence from the track's website outlines the potential for lameness during the race:

Outside food or drinks, ice, coolers of any type and drink containers are not permitted through the grandstand gates.

Sorry folks, your drunkenness will have to be confined to the parking lots before the race.

The Ridebuyer cocktail of the race is the Singapore Sling. We are

not sure why. Remember to bring you Tom Collins glasses to the race. The umbrellas are an absolute must.

Points:

1 Carl Edwards

2 Jimmie Johnson

3 Greg Biffle

4 Jeff Burton

5 Kevin Harvick

6 Clint Bowyer

7 Tony Stewart

8 Jeff Gordon

9 Dale Earnhardt Jr.

10. Matt Kenseth

11. Denny Hamlin

12. Kyle Busch

Next race: Amp Energy 500 (Talladega Superspeedway). Final plate track of the season. One last chance to play wreck 'em. Tailgaters already in route.

The Chaser #2: Camping World RV 400 presented by AAA

Each week Ridebuyer delves deep into the misunderstood, oft terrifying, world of American saloon-car racing known as NASCAR.

This week: Camping World RV 400 presented by AAA (Chase round #2)
TV: ABC 1:00pm EST (Sunday)
Location: Dover International Speedway (Dover, DE)
Distance: 400 laps/400 miles
Past winners: M. Truex (6/07); C. Edwards (9/07); Ky. Busch (6/08).

*Crappy starts, sporting meltdowns and mistakes *

-It seems like Kyle Busch was the points leader for the entire season. Until now. Now he sits in eighth place and has back against the proverbial title wall. After one Chase race, his entire cushion has been eradicated to the brink of no return. Sure, Busch can still win the championship. It could happen. But he's used up his only Chase mulligan. Should the young Busch (hehe) stumble again, his title hopes will be over faster than Steve Wiebe can jump a plumber past a barrel. This would be a historic collapse. Taking into account Busch's performance in all of the NASCAR series' this season, not winning a single championship would be quite the fold up. Remember, at one time, Busch held the points lead in all three major NASCAR touring series. Sure, he ran truncated schedules outside of Cup, but damn, 18 NASCAR-sanctioned wins this year and not a single title. That would be rather bunk.

That got us thinking about famous bed-shitting moments across the world of sports and where the potential title-less Busch would fit in. Should this fold-up happen, we'd place it in sporting disasters, tier three. Here's how it plays out in our minds.

Tier #1. The bed, thoroughly shat.

2007 Mets: Lost 12 of their last 17 games. Seven game lead on September 12th gone by season's end. No postseason. South Philadelphia has never been the same.

1992 AFC wild-card, Oilers v. Bills: Frank Reich becomes a quarterback. Enough said.

1999 British Open, Van de Velde: VdV needed a double-bogey on 18 for the win. He triple-bogeyed, then lost in a four-hole playoff to Paul Lawrie. Think Roy McAvoy, but without the guidance of Cheech.

Tier #2. Trace amounts of poo on sheets.

2000 Western Conference Finals, game seven: Portland has a 15-point lead over the Lakers with 10 minutes to go in the fourth. The Blazers then saw Shaq and Kobe go crazy in a 15-0 run, which led the Lakers to win the series.

1986 World Series, game six: Bill Buckner, Sox lose in seven. Would be in tier #1, but Buckner is not solely responsible. He had plenty of help losing that game and the series.

Tier #3. Pants shat upon, bed safe and dry.

1996 Masters, Greg Norman: The Shark had a six-stroke lead going into the final round. He shot a six-over 78, tanking to Nick "don't call me Waldo" Faldo.

2008? NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Kyle Busch holds point lead for vast majority of "regular" season, only to finish the first Chase event in 34th, never to recover he finishes the season in 12th place, last of all the Chasers. Maybe.

Some might argue with the above list (go fuck yourself), but there's no question that should Busch not win the Cup title, his season would become a contemporary of the aforementioned disasters. Not the biggest meltdown, but list worthy no less.

About this race:

*What to know:


Where/what the hell is Dover? Dover is a high-banked mile track that is located halfway between Philadelphia and Washington DC. The track surface is concrete (which, for those not up with track construction materials, is not the norm). The track has the nickname the Monster Mile, which will be used extensively during the broadcast. ABC may even show the world-famous Dover monster statue which is terrifying as shit.

Gordon is the boss: Jeff Gordon has four career wins and four poles at Dover. He's pretty much a beast at DIS. He captured the pole for Sunday's race (race lineup) and has been competitive since the first practice session of the weekend. He also has an added incentive to perform at Dover. DuPont, Gordon's longtime sponsor, has their world headquarters just up the road in Wilmington, DE. Tax dodgers.

Avoid the little 'big one': Everyone knows that big restrictor plate tracks produce close racing and the inevitable huge wreck. Dover is not a big track and plates aren't used, but the chance for a multi-car accident is almost as high as it is at Daytona or Talladaga. Why? Because it's small and fast. You just don't have the time to get away from an accident. The field is so close, and going so fast you're on top of the accident before you can move from it. Just ask Kevin Harvick about that. He started in the back for the June race at DIS, got into the little 'big one' early on and finished 38th.


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Who to watch:

Jeff Gordon: 19 top-10 finishes for Gordon at Dover. That is a staggering number. 19. Jesus. He starts from the pole and is clearly the favorite to win. He finished fifth at Dover during the June race and is looking to impress those DuPont bigwigs who are traveling to Dover to see their guy. Sleazy sports betting sites have him 8/1 to win. Gotta say, we'd take that.

Greg Biffle: No one expected this guy to do much in The Chase. He made it in, good for him, he'd probably wind up eighth or ninth in the final standings and should be happy about that. Well, Biffle won last week and vaulted himself into third place, only 30-points outside of the lead. He has not finished outside of the top-10 at DIS since 2005 and finished p3 last time NASCAR was in DE. Momentum is a crazy thing.

Kyle Busch: The defending race winner is in dire need of a good run. Should he falter on Sunday his hopes of a title will likely be gone. He is historically good at DIS with five top-10 finishes. He starts 11th.

*For those heading to the track: Pertinent tailgating information is here. FYI, the real party takes place in the nearby Dover Downs Hotel and Casino. You should really hit it up after the race. We'd recommend renting a suite until at least October 10th, when the Dionne Warwick and Friends concert happens. We don't know who the "friends" are, but imagine they'd be special.

The Ridebuyer cocktail of the race is a case of Dogfish Head. Sure, it's a craft beer, and drinking it at a race will surely get your ass beat, but it's from DE! Tell us if it's worth the black eye.

Points:

1 Carl Edwards
2 Jimmie Johnson
3 Greg Biffle
4 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5 Jeff Burton
6 Denny Hamlin
7 Tony Stewart
8 Kyle Busch
9 Clint Bowyer
10 Kevin Harvick
11 Jeff Gordon
12 Matt Kenseth

Next race: Camping World RV 400 presented by Coleman (Kansas Speedway). This is not to be confused with the Camping World RV 400 presented by AAA. That would be Sunday's race from Dover.

The Chaser #1: Sylvania 300

Each week Ridebuyer delves deep into the misunderstood, oft terrifying, world of American saloon-car racing known as NASCAR.

This week: Sylvania 300 (Chase round #1)
TV: ABC 1:00pm EST (Sunday)
Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Loudon, NH)
Distance: 300 laps/317 miles
Past winners: D. Hamlin (7/07); C. Bowyer (9/07); Ku. Busch (6/08).

*How to handle the make-believe playoffs, why Tom Brady made the Loudon crowd tolerable and why we're not watching Sunday's race*

-The next ten weeks will decide who becomes the NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion for the Lord's calender year 2008. Christened the "playoffs" by decision makers inside of the shadowy fortress know as NASCAR headquarters, the new(ish) system was clearly implemented to compete against stick and ball sports in terms of relevancy. A ten week "playoff" during the autumn months generates buzz (whatever the hell that means) for the sport and keeps it on the media radar during a time when professional and collegiate football gets rolling and baseball becomes entertaining. Or so the theory goes.

Whichever one of the France's came up with this idea is really off base.

Save the die hard base of the sport, there is too much competition for viewers and spectators to jump aboard the racing "playoff" train.

The casual sports fan, hell, even the casual racing fan, is far more likely to watch a Sunday afternoon NFL game than a "Chase" race. Right? We say yes.

A valid argument could be made that stock car racing fans and stick and ball types are two completely exclusive sects of folks who will never, under any circumstance, follow a sport that is not what they currently follow. A guy who watches baseball, takes his scorebook to games and understands what the hell OPS is, is not going to split his time in October to watch a saloon car race from Martinsville.

It's all a matter of competition. NASCAR should not compete with the NFL or (to a lesser extent) MLB. That's a fight that cannot be won. NFL games are the big dicks of TV ratings, and MLB

games, with their mostly tepid ratings, are still a cash cow for game attendance. It is a crowded marketplace and America's racing series is, if not careful, going to fall through the cracks.

Knocking ten races off of the Sprint Cup calender solves this issue. The season is far too long to begin with, straining teams and making people lose track of the sport. Who remembers this season's Daytona 500? It was in fucking February. The is season is still going. That's ridiculous. It has become a full time job to follow the damn series. In case you didn't know: jobs suck.

If the NASCAR brass want to keep the "playoffs," fine. Just have The Chase end this weekend, instead of start. That way we can crown a champ, and be done with it by the time NFL week three rolls around.

But for now, we'll just have to wait and pretend to care until the end of goddamn November. Don't fear, will be with you each race of the way. If this is your first Chase, our only advice is to have a healthy supple of booze on hand for the races and don't, under any circumstances, change the channel. If you stumble across a football game, you may not be able to flip back. The horror.

Note: 40-oz cozy = race necessity.

-Hopefully the Tom Brady injury will shut the droves of smug New Englanders who travel to NASCAR's northernmost race the fuck up. NHMS is the only foray for the Sprint Cup into the great north wilderness and that's almost certainly because of the general douchebagery of the population. Everybody not from New England hates New England and anything to knock those 'r' dropping bastards down a few pegs is awesome. Take that Tom. Any Bostonians thinking of driving up to see the race, you may want to b.y.o. as they don't sell Sam Adams track side.

-We hope Sunday's race sucks, because we're not going to see it. That's because RB is going on a roadtrip. Destination? The brand new New Jersey Motorsports Park. We'll be slumming the Jersey turnpike to catch the Atlantic and Star Mazda events on Sunday. Hopefully these broads will swing by after their weekend in Seaside Heights. Bada. Bing.

About this race:

*What to know:

Line 'em up on points: Rain has washed away the qualifying session for Sunday's race. That means the field is set by owner points. The top-12 is all Chase drivers, so the people who actually matter will start up front. Not, that starting position is all to critical at NHMS, as Kurt Busch won the last event starting in 26th. Starting Grid.

Christ in a stock car makes first start: Joey Logano is making his first career Cup start on Sunday and will roll off the grid in 40th. If you haven't heard of Logano you clearly don't give a shit about stock car racing and the future of the sport. He is touted as the most talented driver to come thorough the ranks in years, if not ever. Mark Martin said he could be a competitive Cup driver when Logano was in karts. In 12 Nationwide Series starts this season, he has nine top-10s and one win. Sunday, he will be driving the Hall of Fame Racing No. 96 Toyota as one of six Cup races this season planned for the teenager. Logano will be a 2009 rookie next season when he takes over Tony Stewart's No. 20 Toyota at JGR. Does the youngster fold under the pressure and return to the life of a normal 18-year old wrought with smoking cigarettes, reading The Catcher in the Rye and constantly masturbating? Probably not.

"Hot" Carl v. Busch, (Chase) round one: The biggest storyline of late has been the arrival of "Hot" Carl Edwards as a legit contender for the championship. Kyle Busch looked to have a lock on the title just six weeks ago, but Edwards and crew have opened things up right in time for the "playoffs." It also helps the interest factor because both guys appear to hate each other. Nothing says NASCAR like a good old fashion rivalry. Yee Haw.

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Who to watch:

The Chasers: Starting The Chase off in a hole is not the way to find success come November. Being behind the eightball after race #1 is an easy way to quell championship aspirations. So, watch the top-12 and see how many (if any) fuck this race up. Refresher. Here's the playoff guys: 1 Kyle Busch 2 Carl Edwards 3 Jimmie Johnson 4 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 5 Clint Bowyer 6 Denny Hamlin 7 Jeff Burton 8 Tony Stewart 9 Greg Biffle 10 Jeff Gordon 11 Kevin Harvick 12 Matt Kenseth.

The Field: See if anyone can play spoiler come Sunday. Yes, look for the Washington Nationals of NASCAR. Ryan Newman, Brian Vickers and Kasey Kahne could all toss a wrench into the well placed plans of Chase teams. Also, watch the aforementioned Logano, plus Kurt Busch has had success at NHMS in the past.

*For those heading to the track: Pertinent tailgating information is here. The 14 inch or less cooler restrictions will enforced with an iron fist.

The Ridebuyer cocktail of the race the queer craft beer of your choice. You must drink it while looking down on others who are enjoying lesser brews.

Points:

1 Kyle Busch
2 Carl Edwards
3 Jimmie Johnson
4 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5 Clint Bowyer
6 Denny Hamlin
7 Jeff Burton
8 Tony Stewart
9 Greg Biffle
10 Jeff Gordon
11 Kevin Harvick
12 Matt Kenseth

Next race: Camping World RV 400 presented by AAA (Dover International Speedway). A NASCAR race with an on site casino? God Bless you.