By Josh Sabo
The blog is back in a slightly more abbreviated format..More on that in the weeks to come as I get ready to head to Michigan for the Sprint Cup weekend.
Sprint Cup What To Know: Denny Hamlin won the Cheez-It 355 at the Glen in a race that actually was enjoyable to watch. That is more than I can say about the majority of races this summer including the snoozer of a Brickyard 400. More on this later.
As we stand with just four races until the Chase, I find it hard to see how anyone beats the Gibbs or Penske drivers for the championship. Hamlin got his 2nd win of the season to go along with teammate Kyle Busch’s four victories and Carl Edwards’ two. So that’s eight total wins for Joe Gibbs Racing and five for Penske (Brad Keselowski 4, Joey Logano 1).
Credit: Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International on August 7, 2016 in Watkins Glen, New York.
There was the annual big crash at The Glen on lap 53 when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got loose, bounced off the guardrail and got drilled by Jimmie Johnson. Greg Biffle and Austin Dillon were also collected in the accident that brought out the red flag with Joey Logano leading. This race had just about everything including multiple pit penalties for contenders, Martin Truex going after Brad Keselowski after Brad spun him out on the final corner, and even Danica Patrick leading the race!
Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images Damage is seen on the #88 Axalta Chevrolet, driven by Jeff Gordon, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International on August 7, 2016 in Watkins Glen, New York.
Jeff Gordon had another rough day filling in for Dale Earnhardt Jr. when he crushed the right front end of his Chevrolet hitting Austin Dillon in the opening laps of the race. The Hendrick team tried to fix the damage, but it really affected the handling on the car and Jeff placed 14th. Hendrick has got some issues to figure out. The only one of their cars that looks remotely fast right now is that of rookie Chase Elliott, but even he is not in the Chase for sure just yet.
Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Furniture Row Toyota, leads Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International on August 7, 2016 in Watkins Glen, New York.
Quick Thought: There are no shortages of great road courses in the United States. I think NASCAR should add another one to their schedule since both the races at Sonoma and Watkins Glen are usually very interesting and competitive. The races also look great on television and provide a fine backdrop for the multiple camera angles and the comprehensive coverage that is provided (Yes even by your NBC…at times). I’ve been saying for years that the Chase needs a road course race to act as a second wild card, but Brian France is just too stubborn to change anything in the Sprint Cup’s final ten playoff races and that is why the series disapears behind football after September. The Xfinity Series has races at Road America and Mid-Ohio and the giant track in Austin, Texas is also a world-class venue that could easily host a Cup race. More and more it seems every NASCAR series is willing to step outside the box and offer us something unique and exciting except the Sprint Cup. That needs to change for the sport to come back from the rough spot it’s in right now.
Credit: Josh Hedges/Getty Images Erik Jones (R), Martin Truex Jr. (C), driver of the #78 Furniture Row Toyota, and team owner Barney Visser(2L) pose with the #77 5-hour Energy Toyota that Jones will drive in 2017 for Furniture Row Racing, prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International on August 7, 2016 in Watkins Glen, New York.
Newsworthy: Defending Truck Series champion Erik Jones is on his way to the Sprint Cup Series. Next season, Jones will drive a second Toyota fielded by Furniture Row Motorsports and sponsored by 5-hour Energy. Martin Truex Jr. previously announced a two-year extension with this small team from Denver, Colorado which has become increasingly competitive each and every week. You might remember Truex put on an absolute clinic at the Coke 600 in Charlotte back in May. Jones has won three times this year in the Xfinity Series.
Next Race: Bristol Night Race, Saturday Night, August 20th
Speed For Thought 