The First Reid: If only I could have a spotter
By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service
After Sunday’s MyAFibStory.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, the first race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, I have come to one inescapable conclusion: I need to hire a spotter.
My wife, Lee Spencer, and I work at close quarters. I write for the NASCAR Wire Service. She writes for Motorsport.com. We live together, travel together, and work together. On rare occasions, we have differences of opinion, as all couples do.
Similarly, Sprint Cup drivers Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Danica Patrick live together, travel together and work together—on the race track. And on rare occasions, they have differences of opinion on the asphalt. In fact, they had one such “spat” on Sunday, when their cars collided and hit the wall. The difference? Both Patrick and Stenhouse have spotters who can shoulder the blame. On Sunday, Patrick’s spotter, Brandon Benesch, took the fall.
“I heard my spotter say that the 14 (Tony Stewart) was below me on track and I didn’t know the 17 (Stenhouse) was there on the high side of the track,” Patrick said after the race. “My spotter took the blame on that one.”
How nice. And convenient. Having a spotter willing to fall on his sword certainly takes the stress and tension out of the motor coach. And it melts the icy stares that otherwise could make for an uncomfortable ride home.
I wonder if Brandon Benesch would consider moonlighting…
@nascarcasm
In a touching post-race ceremony, Jimmie Johnson graciously passed the “SO SICK OF THAT GUY WINNING ALL THE TIME” torch to Brad Keselowski. Nine races remain. Pretty good chance it gets passed right the hell back.
The other story? An incredible performance by Young Kyle Larson AKA “Young Money” AKA “The ‘Kyle’ We Can All Agree On.”
What do Kyle Larson and his pregnant girlfriend have in common? Both are hauling the mail.
The 4/14 pit-crew swap seemed to pay off. This despite an early-race miscue when Kevin Harvick had to pit twice to take care of a loose wheel, and the #41 pit crew started walking to the #4 pit before they were called off.
(Follow @nascarcasm on Twitter. His unique views on NASCAR are his own – but chances are you have probably figured that out by now.)
NASCAR NUMBERS
By Reid Spencer
109: The number of green-flag passes made by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin in Sunday’s MyAFibStory.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, tied for most in the first Chase race. Busch rallied from a lap down to finish eighth after a pit road spin and commitment violation. Hamlin started 24th and finished sixth after a late-race charge.
5: The number of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories recorded this season by Brad Keselowski, the top seed in the Chase. Keselowski won the final regular-season race at Richmond and doubled up on Sunday at Chicagoland. No other driver in the series has more than three victories thus far.
138: The number of laps led by Brad Keselowski in a dominating NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July. The Magic Mile is host to next Sunday’s second race in the Chase, and Keselowski goes there as a favorite to extend his current winning streak to three races.
17: The finishing position of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway. Even though Stenhouse and girlfriend Danica Patrick collided with 10 laps left, Stenhouse finished ahead of Roush Fenway Racing’s Chase drivers, Carl Edwards (20th) and Greg Biffle (23rd).
3: The number of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories at New Hampshire Motor Speedway recorded by Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart, tied for most among full-time active drivers. Jeff Burton has a track-record four wins at the Magic Mile.
NASCAR NOTES
Brad Keselowski lived up to his No. 1 seed by registering a win in the first race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday, automatically advancing to the Contender Round. The No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion driver hopes the win is a good omen. He last won at Chicagoland in the 2012 Chase-opener, the same year he clinched the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. Keselowski, who also won at Richmond, won consecutive races for the first time in his career. … Thirteen different drivers have taken the checkered flag in the last 13 races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and no one has swept the track since Kurt Busch in 2004 – the same year he won the championship in inaugural Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Brad Keselowski won at the Loudon track in July and will attempt to break out the brooms in Sunday’s Sylvania 300. But some major names are missing from the 13-in-13 streak, notably Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. … After narrowly missing out on a spot in the Chase, Kyle Larson almost played the role of spoiler in the opening race of NASCAR’s postseason at Chicagoland Speedway, finishing third after battling for the lead as late as Lap 252. The 22-year-old Sunoco Rookie of the Year frontrunner will attempt to notch the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory of his career at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this Sunday where he finished third back in July.
Tune-In: NASCAR On Television, September 15-21
Monday, September 15
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
7 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
Tuesday, September 16
10:00 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Chicagoland (re-air), FOX Sports 1
12:30 p.m, The 10 Greatest Truck Series Moments
(re-air), FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
Wednesday, September 17
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
Thursday, September 18
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
Friday, September 19
11 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Special (re-air), FOX Sports 1
Noon, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice, FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Practice, FOX Sports 1
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Live, FOX Sports 1
3 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Final Practice, FOX Sports 1
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
6 p.m., NASCAR Live, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Final Practice,
FOX Sports 1
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Live, FOX Sports 1
4 a.m. (Sat.), The 10 NASCAR;s Millennium Moments
(re-air), FOX Sports 1
4:30 a.m. (Sat.), NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Coors Light Pole Qualifying (re-air), FOX Sports 1
Saturday, September 20
9 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice, FOX Sports 1
10 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
11:30 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice,
FOX Sports 1
12:30 p.m., NCWTS SetUp, FOX Sports 1
12:30 p.m., TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Race at Austin, FOX Sports 2
1 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at New Hampshire, FOX Sports 1
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Kentucky, ESPNEWS
12:30 a.m. (Sun.), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at New Hampshire (re-air), FOX Sports 2
Sunday, September 21
Noon, NASCAR RaceDay, FOX Sports 1
1 p.m., NSCS Countdown, ESPN
2 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at
New Hampshire, ESPN
7 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lane, FOX Sports 1
12:30 a.m. (Mon.), NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at
New Hampshire (re-air), ESPN 2
3 a.m. (Mon.), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at New Hampshire (re-air), FOX Sports 1
5:30 a.m. (Mon.), NASCAR Victory Lane (re-air),
FOX Sports 1
(The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Race at Austin will re-air on Sunday on FOX. Check your local listings for the time in your area.)
National Series Schedule
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
The Next Race: Sylvania 300
The Place: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
The Date/Time:Sunday, Sept. 21, 2 p.m. (ET)
TV: ESPN
Radio: PRN, Sirius XM Channel 90
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES
The Next Race: VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300
The Place: Kentucky Speedway
The Date/Time:Saturday, Sept. 20, 7:30 p.m. (ET)
TV: ESPN News
Radio: PRN, Sirius XM Channel 90
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
The Next Race: UNOH 175
The Place: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 20, 1 p.m. (ET)
TV: FOX Sports 1
Radio: MRN, Sirius XM Channel 90
NASCAR National Series Standings
This year, wins matter more than in any season in the 65-year history of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
In the regular season, a win essentially locked a driver into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and gave him three bonus points to start the first round. During the Chase, a driver can automatically advance to the subsequent round with a victory.
At the start of the Challenger Round, driver points were reset to 2,000 with their bonus points added. The four winless drivers with the least points following the third Chase race at Dover will be eliminated from championship contention.
*Advanced to Challenger Round with win
Chase Standings
Pos Driver Points
1 Brad Keselowski* 2,059
2 Jeff Gordon 2,052
3 Joey Logano 2,049
4 Kevin Harvick 2,047
5 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2,042
6 Denny Hamlin 2,041
7 Kyle Busch 2,041
8 Jimmie Johnson 2,041
9 Kurt Busch 2,039
10 Matt Kenseth 2,034
11 Kasey Kahne 2,034
12 Carl Edwards 2,030
13 Ryan Newman 2,029
14 AJ Allmendinger 2,025
15 Greg Biffle 2,021
16 Aric Almirola 2,007
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Pos Driver Points
1 Chase Elliott # 951
2 Regan Smith 933
3 Ty Dillon # 911
4 Elliott Sadler 900
5 Brian Scott 895
6 Trevor Bayne 871
7 Chris Buescher # 780
8 Brendan Gaughan 751
9 Ryan Reed # 706
10 James Buescher 697
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Pos Driver Points
1 Matt Crafton 560
2 Johnny Sauter 555
3 Ryan Blaney 544
4 Darrell Wallace Jr. 525
5 German Quiroga 501
6 Joey Coulter 492
7 Ben Kennedy # 478
8 Timothy Peters 475
9 Ron Hornaday Jr. 460
10 Jeb Burton 459
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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