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$700B Bailout Gives A Tax Break To NASCAR Tracks

By: Keith Bloemendaal

Yes, you heard right. The Government decided to include NASCAR in it's plan to "rescue" the country from the economic  crisis we are facing.

Under the terms of the financial “rescue plan,” motor sports facilities will be allowed to depreciate their capital investments over a 7 year period rather than the previously stated 15 year time frame. That means less of the earnings from each of those seven years will go towards taxes, helping the track owners achieve a higher annual profit in the short term. The new provision will provide incentives for track owners to invest in their facilities on improvements such as repaving tracks, new concession stands, parking lots and more.

Normally, I would be screaming "FOUL" at this point, but I gave it more thought and you should too.

This not only helps NASCAR track owners make upgrades to the facilities that have earned them millions, but jobs get created through it. When the tracks contract the repaving of the racing surface so Kyle Busch can get put in the wall by someone paying him back for an earlier race incident, this creates jobs for the contractors involved in the paving. Or when the owners of these facilities repave the parking lots, so drunken fans can pass out on a smooth piece of concrete, this creates jobs and revenues for construction workers (who are suffering through this housing crisis tremendously, I know because I am in construction as well).

In the past, owners used this tax break to install the safer barrier walls on many tracks, which could have saved lives had it been on the tracks sooner (lives like Dale Earnhardt Sr).

In closing of this short post, before you cry foul because the government gave a tax break to track owners, essentially, this will boost economic growth by providing revenues to many companies and the folks who work for them. This creates revenues for all the businesses that these workers do business with, from grocery stores, to restaurants, to landlords, to mortgage companies, gas stations, retail shops (Christmas is soon!) and many more. I though about what the average construction worker makes, maybe $500 a week. Do you think he gets to keep any of it under his pillow? No, it all gets spent somewhere. So, every job created, in a sense, helps the rest of us who luckily still are working.

Popularity: 26% [?]

FavoriteTeamWear asks: Would the Points Race Be Different Without Chase Points?

After watching Kyle Busch fall to 12th in Sprint Cup Chase points over the last 2 weeks, I can't help but wonder where the chasers would be without the Chase setup. I did some research on this, and found that the points race would be different.

Chase Points After Dover:

Rank	Driver	Points	Behind Leader
1	Carl Edwards	5390	-------
2	Jimmie Johnson	5380	-10
3	Greg Biffle	5380	-10
4	Jeff Burton	5308	-82
5	Kevin Harvick	5289	-101
6	Clint Bowyer	5284	-106
7	Tony Stewart	5277	-113
8	Jeff Gordon	5272	-118
9	Dale Earnhardt Jr	5261	-129
10	Matt Kenseth	5123	-167
11	Denny Hamlin	5197	-193
12	Kyle Busch	5180	-210

While I believe everyone in the Chase still has a chance to win the Championship, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin really need to get their acts together to get there.

Dale Earnhardt Jr has fallen significantly, but still has a chance if he can win Talledega and Texas, which he historically runs well at for both.

All in all, the Sprint Chase For The Cup is still up for grabs, and any of the teams still have a chance to win it, or to throw it away.

In contrast, let us look at the points if there was no Chase Points:

Rank	Driver	Points	Behind Leader
1	Carl Edwards	4011	----
2	Kyle Busch	3978	-33
3	Jimmie Johnson	3916	-95
4	Dale Earnhardt Jr	3739	-272
5	Jeff Burton	3682	-329
6	Greg Biffle	3660	-351
7	Kevin Harvick	3572	-439
8	Tony Stewart	3562	-449
9	Jeff Gordon	3493	-518
10	Denny Hamlin	3422	-589
11	Clint Bowyer	3390	-621
12	Matt Kenseth	3355	-656

As you can see, this would be a much different chase, had the points not been realigned with 10 races to go. It would only be a 3 car race at this point, a Ford, a Toyota, and a Chevrolet. Also, three teams: Rousch, Gibbs, and Hendrick.

Kyle Busch would obviously be in better shape.

Looking at the top three, Jimmie Johnson would have more work to do to win a historical Championship for him (3 in a row). Kyle Busch would only be 33 points behind leader Carl Edwards, showing the benefits of having such a strong season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr, and everyone behind him could almost be counted out, making it a three car race.

I can't help but wonder, is the Chase For The Cup really more exciting, or is it unfair to those having raced so well all season, only to fall back from 1st to 12th after 2 races.

What do you think? Is the Chase setup better?

Popularity: 51% [?]

NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon Spins The Fastest Lap For The Dover Race

By Keith Bloemendaal

Jeff Gordon spins the fast lap in qualifying today at Dover International Speedway for the Camping World RV 400 with a time of 22.921 and a speed of 157.061mph.

Earlier this year, Gordon started 7th at the Monster and finished 5th. Over the last 2 years he has finished in the top 12 at Dover for every race. Over Jeff Gordon's career, he has 4 wins, and 14 top 5's at the Monster Mile.

Coming into this race Jeff Gordon is 11th in Chase points, 99 points behind leaders Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson. Interesting facts to ponder:

no winner of the Dover Chase race has gone on to win the Cup Series championship during the Chase era,

and perhaps even more importantly, no Chase leader has entered Dover with the points lead and held it after the checkered flag.

The rest of the top 10 Qualifiers (bold indicates chase drivers):

1. Jeff Gordon
2. Mark Martin
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Kurt Busch
5. Greg Biffle
6. Clint Bowyer
7. David Gilliland
8. Matt Kenseth
9. Jamie McMurray
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr

Other Chase Drivers Qualified:

• Kyle Busch 11th
• Jimmie Johnson 20th
• Jeff Burton 21st
• Carl Edwards 22nd
• Kevin Harvick 24th
• Tony Stewart 33rd

Looking at these qualifying positions, Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards will be working hard to get to the front if they want to protect the shared lead they have now.

In June of this year, Kyle Busch won the Best Buy 400 with Carl Edwards and who else but, GREG BIFFLE running 3rd! Make sure you watch this race, I am sure there will be some action, points position changes, and who knows, maybe Kyle Busch will end up in the wall or put someone in the wall!

Popularity: 34% [?]

Don’t Count Kyle Busch Out Of Sprint Cup Chase Yet!

By: Keith Bloemendaal

Kyle Busch finished 34th at New Hampshire last week due to a bad setup on his M&M's Joe Gibbs Toyota Camry, dropping his points lead to a deficit of 74 points and an 8th place ranking.

This trial of patience and maturity will test the younger Busch brother, as he fights to regain the points lead he had worked so hard to keep all season.

We cannot count him out yet. As much as I personally would like to count him out of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase, he has proved us all wrong this season, as he dominated in veteran like fashion.

Most of us have predicted the immaturity would reign supreme when the going got tough for Kyle Busch. Amazingly, this kid keeps getting back on his horse when he get bucked off.

Maybe it's time to give him credit for running one of the best seasons we have been able to witness in years. I know, to those of you who just simply hate him, well, because he is sometimes out of control, mouthy, will do anything to win attitude (sounds like the way some of the greats used to be criticized) it will be difficult to give the young Busch any credit.

A look at the rest of the Chase says we can't count him out yet. Kyle won at Dover, Talladega,  and Atlanta earlier this year, and finished 3rd at Charlotte and Texas.

Looking at the year he has had, it would be tough to count him out. We can surely hope though!

Popularity: 25% [?]

Dale Earnhardt Jr Upset About Tires, More Security Needed:

By: Keith Bloemendaal

Dale Jr lead 79 Laps at Louden, New Hampshire during the 1st Race in the chase for the Sprint Cup on Sunday. It wasn't enough to get his National Guard/Amp Energy Chevy to Victory Lane. The Culprit: Tires.

Earnhardt was heard on the radio demanding more security for the tires. Saying he needed to "find a series that runs half distance races".

We have witnessed this phenomenon of Jr leading a good amount of laps, then just loosing the handle on the Hendrick owned Chevy towards the end. Usually falling back out of contention.

One such incident actually caused Kyle Busch to run into him during the Richmond race, and the tires couldn't hold up to keep Dale from spinning out!

Rick Hendrick came over the radio to try and calm the situation, and now the rest of the media are saying Jr had a hissy fit. Yes, I did join the chastising of Tony Stewart last week for his comments over the radio. The difference here, I believe, is that Dale Earhardt Jr praised his team for speedy pit stops and making passes in the pits. Obviously, the two incidents are completely different.

I think Dale Jr has a point, and should address the problem with why this phenomenon happens late in the race for the National Guard/Amp Energy Hendrick Motorsports team.

It is well known to most fans that Jr can get testy on the radio, as many drivers do. He simply blamed the tires, in his own way. Maybe some bodyguards are needed in the garage area, maybe Kyle Busch is paying someone to sabotage Dale's tires! Maybe not.

Either way, action is needed to figure out the problem, and getting to victory lane during this chase (maybe multiple times) will be necessary for any driver wishing to have a chance for the Sprint Cup Championship.

Popularity: 33% [?]

Jimmie Johnson 3Peat – Is it Sprint Cup History in the Making?

By: Keith Bloemendaal

For some reason, I had been thinking this was going to be Kyle Busch or Carl Edwards year to win the Cup. It is easy to wrapped up in what is happening now, and forget about the other 12 drivers in the Chase for the Cup. How can we rule out Jimmie Johnson?

Johnson repeated his championship run last year, putting his name up there with a handful of GREAT drivers including Dale Earnhardt Sr, David Pearson, Richard Petty, and Jeff Gordon just to name a few who repeated championship seasons.

This alone is an accomplishment which makes him a driver to be remembered in NASCAR history.  Repeating a Sprint Cup Championship is no easy feat, especially in this era of racing, when the competition has never been more intense. NASCAR drivers are getting younger, faster and more clever. Some people think once a driver reaches 30 he has past his prime.

Sprint Cup drivers like Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne are emerging at very young ages while just next season 18 year old Joey Legano will drive the #20 Home Depot Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing.

So, if Jimmie Johnson were to 3peat his name would only be mentioned with one other driver, Cale Yarborough. Can he do it? We will find out over the next 11 races, but I can guarantee you Johnson thinks he can, I think he can, thousands of other fans think he can, even a handful of so called NASCAR experts think he can. But, that doesn't mean it will happen.

Just in case you forgot, Johnson was 6th in points after the California race last year. It was his unbelievable 4 wins in a row out of the last 5 races in the Chase that earned him his championship last year. He won at Martinsville, then Atlanta, then Texas, then Phoenix and finished 7th at Miami-Homestead to beat Jeff Gordon by 77 points. Yes, 4 races in a row! If Jimmie Johnson can come on that strong for the finish this year, he WILL 3peat!

What do you think, can anyone beat Kyle Busch, or Carl Edwards? Can Jimmie Johnson 3peat? What about one of the other 9 drivers that will be in the chase? Leave a comment to let us know your opinion.

Popularity: 54% [?]

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