Analysis of HScott Motorsports, Clint Bowyer, Michael Annett, and Justin Allgaier

Two things determine success in NASCAR: money and talent. Recently, money has become the ultimate source for achieving a solid NASCAR career and while talent is required, proficient young drivers find themselves without rides because sponsors aren’t there. Honestly, it is a sad change for NASCAR when considering all the talented drivers like Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Sr., and other legends who used talent and determination to become historic drivers. However, talent is still available to fill seats in NASCAR’s top three national series. Erik Jones, who was discovered by Kyle Busch thanks to racing against him at the Snowball Derby, now finds himself in NASCAR’s highest series for 2017 with a reputable Furniture Row Racing ride in addition to a Joe Gibbs Racing connection. Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, and other drivers find themselves in similar situations where their talent superseded the money available. What does all this mean for this research article? With the increasing focus of money on NASCAR’s smallest organizations, teams like Germain Racing are forced to sign drivers with little talent, but money and reputation behind them. This leads to the specific case of HScott Motorsports. 

In the fall of 2013, Harry Scott Jr. purchased Phoenix Racing from James Finch, who had started the team in 1990s and visited victory lane with Brad Keselowski at Talladega in 2009 (“About HSM”). Scott quickly rebranded his team to HScott Motorsports at the start of 2014 and his team has used drivers like Justin Allgaier, Michael Annett, Clint Bowyer, and Bobby Labonte to guide the team through three full seasons in NASCAR’s highest series (“Harry Scott Jr.”). However, things have drastically changed for the team heading in 2017. Firstly, HScott Motorsports will not field a Cup team in 2017 after selling the team’s owned charter to Premium Motorsports and returning the leased #46 charter to Premium Motorsports, which was ultimately sold to Erik Jones’ start-up Furniture Row Racing team. In addition to that, the driver lineup from the team’s tenure in the sport has been completely shaken up. Clint Bowyer, as announced last year, will be running the #14 for retiring Tony Stewart while Michael Annett will fill a full-time seat at JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with former teammate, Justin Allgaier. Finally, HScott Motorsports’ difficulties don’t just center around not running next year. Bowyer sued the team for unpaid earnings and for no returns on sponsorship brought to the team. The case was settled shortly after it was announced, but it continues to show a black mark for the once promising Cup team. With all that in mind, here is my purpose for this article. I want to provide evidence that HScott Motorsports was successful in the Cup Series throughout its tenure. Most people see Allgaier’s Brandt sponsorship, Annett’s Pilot/Flying J sponsorship, and Bowyer’s 5-Hour Energy sponsorship and assume the team’s little success was centered on money, but it has something to do with talent. However, there were some flaws in the team’s building strategy and we will look at that. Also, I want to analyze Clint Bowyer, Michael Annett, and Justin Allgaier in terms of talent and money to conclude whether they are truly deserving of their 2017 rides and how they performed for HScott Motorsports. While statistics aren’t the ultimate determining factors of success in NASCAR, this data will be checked for biases and the conclusions will decide whether HScott Motorsports positively impacted the sport and if its drivers truly highlight talent over money.

Before hopping into the analysis, I want to explain the detailed tables of statistics. I decided to record starting position, finishing position, average running position, total laps, status at the end of the event, and driver rating for all drivers mentioned in the article. I chose these group of statistics because they are the best indicator of a successful season, team, and driver. I didn’t want to just look at just starting and finishing position because unpredictable things happen in racing that can bias simple statistics. In addition to that, I calculated these values over thirty-one races and determined the total averages of each number to that point in the season. I used thirty-one races because I planned to do this article following the Charlotte race and into the Kansas event, but time slipped away from me. However, thirty-one races are the most appropriate time period for this article because each of the three drivers had trouble towards the end of the year at some point in the years documented. For example, Justin Allgaier missed the Talladega race in 2014 right after Charlotte and Clint Bowyer had a miserable end to his 2015 lame duck season with Michael Waltrip Racing. With that in mind, let’s begin the analysis of HScott Motorsports as an organization.

To start the analysis of HSM, it is important to begin where the organization started: Justin Allgaier’s 2014 rookie season. For a rookie season with a brand-new owner, the season was exceptionally impressive for Scott and Allgaier, who we will address later. In terms of numbers, Allgaier finished the first thirty-one races of the 2014 season without any top 5’s or top 10’s, but he had an average finish of 26.4 and an average running position of 25.4 (“Justin Allgaier”). These numbers couldn’t take the top rookie honors from Kyle Larson, but Allgaier and the team finished third in the rookie battle. For deeper analysis, here is a table with the team’s 2014 statistics through thirty-one races:

Justin Allgaier’s 2014 Rookie Season with HScott Motorsports

Race	Track	Start	Finish	Average Position	Status Total Laps	Driver Rating
1	Daytona	40	27	21	Crash 193/200	60.8
2	Phoenix	43	30	29	Running 309/312	46.3
3	Las Vegas	37	31	33	Running 264/267	42.1
4	Bristol	30	17	21	Running 502/503	62.7
5	Auto Club	28	28	30	Running 205/206	49.4
6	Martinsville	25	23	25	Running 500/500	57.1
7	Texas	22	24	23	Running 339/340	62.4
8	Darlington	24	23	24	Running 372/374	61.0
9	Richmond	31	21	20	Running 400/400	68.2
10	Talladega	38	27	27	Running 188/188	53.4
11	Kansas	18	36	21	Crash 186/267	64.5
12	Charlotte	17	37	30	Running 378/400	60.5
13	Dover	30	26	29	Running 395/400	46.0
14	Pocono	24	27	21	Running 160/160	65.0
15	Michigan	17	16	14	Running 200/200	79.6
16	Sonoma	35	33	35	Running 109/110	39.6
17	Kentucky	28	24	26	Running 266/267	51.4
18	Daytona	31	25	19	Crash 98/112	72.5
19	New Hampshire	25	37	27	Crash 296/305	49.7
20	Indianapolis	31	27	23	Crash 159/160	58.2
21	Pocono	22	16	18	Running 160/160	76.5
22	Watkins Glen	15	17	25	Running 90/90	60.9
23	Michigan	17	42	38	Crash 97/200	39.4
24	Bristol	19	19	17	Running 497/500	71.9
25	Atlanta	31	26	29	Running 332/335	53.4
26	Richmond	27	28	26	Running 395/400	55.1
27	Chicagoland	26	27	28	Running 264/267	54.0
28	New Hampshire	24	20	24	Running 303/303	61.1
29	Dover	23	29	31	Running 395/400	52.8
30	Kansas	21	41	34	Crash 84/267	51.4
31	Charlotte	16	15	19	Running 334/334	72.2

Average Start: 26.3

Average Finish: 26.4

                                Average Running Position: 25.4

Average Driver Rating: 58.0

Top 5’s: 0

Top 10’s: 0

(Bold and Italicized #’s: Indicate two highest and lowest statistical values throughout the season.)

              

         Now, HScott Motorsports analysis as a team really begins. Since 2014 was the first season for the team, it was hard to have a baseline for success. With 2015, the team now had a second year to show improvement. However, there is another variable in place. Scott expanded the team from one to two cars with Michael Annett, former Tommy Baldwin Racing driver, behind the wheel. While Annett wasn’t a rookie, it was his first season with the team and it would be an adjustment. With that in mind, let’s analyze the numbers. Firstly, Justin Allgaier did lose some of his momentum in his sophomore season. Only his average start increased while his average driver rating dropped by a point, his average running position dropped a tenth, and his average finish dropped by over a point (“Justin Allgaier”). However, he did record a top 10 at Bristol, which is arguably his best Cup track over his two full seasons with HScott. Annett, on the other hand, provided a rather lackluster year for the team. He had an average driver rating of 42.6 with an average finish of 33.1, which are both lower than what he recorded for Tommy Baldwin Racing (“Michael Annett”). Overall, the two teams never seemed to mesh together and HScott Motorsports showed decreased ability to finish races and compete against other middle of the pack Cup teams. While a single reason can’t be given for these 2015 struggles, moving to a two-car operation after a single season with two inexperienced drivers is a strong possibility. The 2016 season would need to be a rebirth year for HScott to grow and work towards being a better contender in NASCAR’s highest series. For deeper analysis, here is a table with the team’s 2015 statistics through thirty-one races:

Justin Allgaier’s 2015 Season and Michael Annett’s 2015 Season with HScott Motorsports

Race	Track	Start Allgaier   Annett		Finish Allgaier  Annett		Average Position Allgaier  Annett		Status Total Laps    Allgaier      Annett		Driver Rating Allgaier  Annett
1	Daytona	18	27	37	13	22	24	Crash 197/203	Running 203/203	61.3	74.4
2	Atlanta	16	32*	20	29*	25	35*	Running 323/325	Running 319/325	63.2	37.0*
3	Las Vegas	26	33	31	39	30	35	Running 263/267	Running 257/267	49.1	43.3
4	Phoenix	28	31	18	42	20	41	Running 312/312	Running 202/312	69.6	33.0
5	Auto Club	31	24	12	38	24	38	Running 209/209	Running 206/209	65.1	33.8
6	Martinsville	21	28	42	39	31	27	Running 328/500	Running 389/500	54.3	46.9
7	Texas	24	28	39	40	29	32	Crash 257/334	Crash 246/334	44.3	39.9
8	Bristol	15	36	8	23	14	24	Running 511/511	Running 507/511	82.3	56.5
9	Richmond	22	38	18	33	17	34	Running 400/400	Running 395/400	72.3	42.4
10	Talladega	35	40	23	29	26	28	Running 188/188	Running 188/188	57.5	50.8
11	Kansas	25	43	30	23	25	27	Running 265/267	Running 266/267	54.0	50.3
12	Charlotte	35	36	43	32	38	36	Crash 135/400	Running 393/400	40.2	37.2
13	Dover	24	34	42	41	37	36	Running 310/405	Running 317/405	42.5	40.4
14	Pocono	30	31	20	34	25	34	Running 160/160	Running 158/160	62.8	38.6
15	Michigan	36	35	27	30	29	30	Running 137/138	Running 137/138	50.0	44.2
16	Sonoma	27	42	35	33	26	36	Running 107/110	Running 109/110	58.6	31.0
17	Daytona	21	18	18	37	20	40	Running 161/161	Running 110/161	65.7	71.3
18	Kentucky	32	29	24	30	26	31	Running 267/267	Running 266/267	55.3	46.3
19	New Hampshire	30	38	40	36	28	36	Running 284/301	Running 296/301	45.8	36.7
20	Indianapolis	21	34	37	30	31	35	Running 161/164	Running 162/164	42.5	42.5
21	Pocono	31	39	24	26	20	26	Running 159/160	Running 159/160	62.2	53.0
22	Watkins Glen	12	40	19	31	19	29	Running 90/90	Running 90/90	70.0	40.2
23	Michigan	28	39	29	35	27	36	Running 197/200	Running 197/200	50.7	35.0
24	Bristol	14	35	12	43	13	43	Running 500/500	Engine 0/500	85.2	26.0
25	Darlington	27	39	33	39	35	39	Running 354/367	Running 300/367	39.6	34.7
26	Richmond	18	27	25	43	21	38	Running 397/400	Crash 145/400	59.2	35.2
27	Chicagoland	31	37	23	34	24	33	Running 265/267	Running 261/267	57.0	38.5
28	New Hampshire	24	38	39	29	22	33	Running 236/300	Running 297/300	60.4	41.7
29	Dover	30	38	27	37	28	37	Running 395/400	Running 387/400	53.0	37.3
30	Charlotte	28	38	40	25	32	28	Running 251/334	Running 331/334	45.2	45.7
31	Kansas	30	37	26	34	25	36	Running 266/269	Running 263/269	54.2	36.2

Allgaier:

Average Driver Rating: 57.2

Average Position: 25.5

Average Start: 25.5

Average Finish: 27.8

Top 5’s: 0

Top 10’s: 1

Annett:

Average Driver Rating: 42.6

Average Position: 33.5

Average Start: 34.3

Average Finish: 33.1

Top 5’s: 0

Top 10’s: 0

(Bold and Italicized #’s: Indicate two highest and lowest statistical values throughout the season.)

(*: Annett ran this race with Joe Falk's #33 team because he DNQ'd in his regular HScott Motorsports ride.)

On paper, HScott Motorsports 2016 season looked promising before it even started. While Justin Allgaier wouldn’t return after moving down to the Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports, the team would still have Michael Annett and one of NASCAR’s most notable drivers: Clint Bowyer. Bowyer signed with the team after his previous organization, Michael Waltrip Racing, folded after the 2015 season and his new ride with Stewart-Haas Racing wouldn’t be available until 2017 following Tony Stewart’s retirement. With Bowyer now on the team, HScott had a capable lead driver with Annett racing alongside. However, the season was beyond sour for Bowyer, Annett, and the entire organization. In thirty-one races, Bowyer’s average driver rating dropped to a career low 51.2 and his average start dipped to 30.2, which is almost five points less than Justin Allgaier’s in 2015. One bright spot on the year was Bowyer’s 23.6 average finish, which topped Allgaier’s in 2015 by over four points. Plus, Bowyer obtained 3 Top 10’s with team, but the argument against two of those finishes is that they occurred at restrictor plate tracks where Bowyer is extremely capable (“Clint Bowyer”). While Annett’s 2015 struggles can be attributed to several factors, his horrible 2016 season can only be ascribed to driver inability. Annett’s average driver rating somehow dropped eight points and his average start fell over two points. However, his average finish increased by over one position and his average running position rose by one. (“Michael Annett”). Not to discredit these increases for Bowyer and Annett, but I want to remind you that the Cup Series field decreased from forty-three drivers to forty drivers for the 2016 season. Because of this, increases in all values for both Annett and Bowyer should be there, but only a few statistical figures rose. Ultimately, the 2016 season led to the demise of HScott Motorsports. When sponsorship is there and experienced leaders are as well, the team is expected to succeed and improve over time. However, it is just incredibly hard to start a Cup team because of the expensive equipment and the necessity to grow fast. These factors culminated in the HScott’s departure from the Cup Series with only a couple of seasons to show for the hard work. For deeper analysis, here is a table with the team’s 2016 statistics through thirty-one races:                  

Clint Bowyer’s 2016 Season and Michael Annett’s 2016 Season with HScott Motorsports

Race	Track	Start Bowyer   Annett		Finish Bowyer  Annett		Average Position Bowyer  Annett		Status Total Laps    Bowyer         Annett		Driver Rating Bowyer     Annett
1	Daytona	31	22	33	27	25	28	Running 199/200	Running 200/200	48.2	48.3
2	Atlanta	28	34	35	30	34	30	Running 322/330	Running 325/330	38.4	40.7
3	Las Vegas	35	37	22	30	23	30	Running 267/267	Running 265/267	51.2	35.2
4	Phoenix	35	38	31	33	33	34	Running 307/313	Running 303/313	35.3	30.5
5	Auto Club	29	38	18	29	23	30	Running 205/205	Running 205/205	55.7	34.0
6	Martinsville	30	38	25	35	30	35	Running 497/500	Running 490/500	44.2	32.5
7	Texas	36	35	38	32	31	34	Crash 289/334	Crash 329/334	40.7	34.2
8	Bristol	36	40	8	31	26	34	Running 500/500	Running 492/500	58.2	31.0
9	Richmond	39	40	33	36	32	36	Running 398/400	Running 394/400	39.3	29.9
10	Talladega	34	38	7	38	21	36	Running 188/188	Crash 94/188	68.7	27.0
11	Kansas	33	39	19	32	25	33	Running 265/267	Running 260/267	54.7	33.7
12	Dover	32	37	12	37	23	34	Running 400/400	Crash 223/400	63.6	32.2
13	Charlotte	26	38	23	36	24	35	Running 395/400	Running 390/400	55.7	32.0
14	Pocono	23	36	18	38	19	31	Running 160/160	Crash 102/160	69.5	35.0
15	Michigan	34	39	23	28	24	32	Running 200/200	Running 200/200	50.7	36.8
16	Sonoma	18	40	40	36	38	36	Electrical 5/110	Running 109/110	25.3	27.2
17	Daytona	31	33	9	20	25	25	Running 161/161	Running 161/161	61.4	50.9
18	Kentucky	25	37	23	26	24	26	Running 265/267	Running 264/267	51.5	45.4
19	New Hampshire	32	37	24	33	26	34	Running 301/301	Running 295/301	51.3	31.2
20	Indianapolis	31	38	21	28	26	32	Running 169/170	Running 167/170	54.3	38.5
21	Pocono	28	39	26	29	25	31	Running 138/138	Running 137/138	49.0	37.7
22	Watkins Glen	28	38	18	37	19	38	Running 90/90	Running 74/90	68.9	24.7
23	Bristol	31	DNS*	31	DNS*	31	DNS*	Running 470/500	DNS*	35.8	DNS*
24	Michigan	27	36	40	33	28	29	Running 160/200	Running 195/200	50.8	41.8
25	Darlington	27	37	22	28	28	33	Running 365/367	Running 362/367	50.1	36.2
26	Richmond	33	37	22	31	26	33	Running 407/407	Running 390/407	47.4	36.5
27	Chicagoland	28	37	22	33	21	33	Running 269/270	Running 265/270	61.2	34.2
28	New Hampshire	37	35	22	40	28	36	Running 300/300	Steering 236/300	47.5	29.0
29	Dover	28	37	24	33	26	34	Running 394/400	Running 387/400	49.8	31.5
30	Charlotte	31	37	17	24	18	31	Running 334/334	Running 330/334	61.5	42.0
31	Kansas	31	37	26	32	28	32	Running 266/267	Running 264/267	47.4	35.9

Bowyer:

Average Driver Rating: 51.2

Average Position: 26.1

Average Start: 30.2

Average Finish: 23.6

Top 5’s: 0

Top 10’s: 3

Annett:

Average Driver Rating: 34.2

Average Position: 32.5

Average Start: 36.8

Average Finish: 31.8

Top 5’s: 0

Top 10’s: 0

(Bold and Italicized #’s: Indicate two highest and lowest statistical values throughout the season.)

(*: Annett didn't run the race at Bristol due to flu-like symptoms. Ironically, Justin Allgaier ran the car, but wrecked before the conclusion of the race.)

Now, I want to conclude the analysis of HScott Motorsports through its tenure in the Cup Series before I talk about each driver that has raced full-time with the team. Honestly, HScott Motorsports was poised for success, but expanded too quickly and decided to choose drivers with money over talent. Like I mentioned earlier, Clint Bowyer took the ride with the organization because he had no ride for 2016 and he wanted to race in Cup. Because of his seat filling, the team’s growth slowed and Bowyer’s potential as a leader disappeared. The only reason Bowyer was given the seat in the first place was because he brought 5-Hour Energy, Visine, and Maxwell House sponsorship while also bringing notoriety. The team really did an excellent job getting off the ground in 2014. Justin Allgaier’s rookie season was very respectable for a new team and driver. His 2015 season worked out similarly, but the team added a second car with a driver in Michael Annett, who is the epitome of talent over money in NASCAR. We will get into more of that later. Had the team invested in drivers like Regan Smith or even Elliott Sadler, the organization’s story would have gone much differently than it ended up following 2016. However, it’s important to understand that predictions don’t always work out. With the charter system for 2016 and the amount of sponsorship woes for all teams in NASCAR’s highest series, it is impossible to create a team and become a huge success in racing today. Tommy Baldwin Racing, which has arguably been the example for making a middle of the pack competitor in the new generation of NASCAR, signed Regan Smith for 2016 and the team still folded with a proven driver behind the wheel. Ultimately, HScott Motorsports should have stayed patient and sought growth after proving the team could handle one car on the track. I am not willing to say the team didn’t contribute to the history of NASCAR because it shut down quickly. Harry Scott Jr. proved that a new team can succeed if the right personnel, support, and drivers are there. Unfortunately, the team couldn’t organize these aspects effectively and money over talent closed the doors. Let’s talk about the team’s drivers beginning with Justin Allgaier.

Before Justin Allgaier arrived at HScott Motorsports, the Riverton, Illinois, driver spent several years in lower NASCAR series, among other racing divisions. His major racing career began in the ARCA Racing Series piloting cars for his father, Mike. He ran sporadic races before running his first full ARCA season in 2006. Allgaier continued in the ARCA Series in 2007 and 2008, taking the 2008 ARCA championship away from the legendary Frank Kimmel. His success in ARCA caught the attention of Roger Penske and the historic car owner tapped the Midwest driver to wheel his Verizon Wireless Nationwide Series entry in 2009. His rookie year was successful and he took the Rookie of the Year honors for the series. 2010 was even more successful with Penske as he added some Top 5’s and Top 10’s along with a win at Bristol. After the season, Allgaier moved to Turner Motorsports with Steve Turner, a new full-time owner in the series who had purchased Braun Racing. He maintained his consistency in the series with another win at Chicagoland and a third-place points finish, which is tied for his highest points finish as of 2016. 2012 was the same story for the Illinois driver with a single victory at the road course in Montreal and a consistent run for the championship. While 2013 didn’t hold any wins for Allgaier, the season was another impressive one as he grabbed a fifth-place points finish. With all the consistency, Harry Scott Jr., who was a partner with Steve Turner in the Nationwide Series, tapped Allgaier to drive for his newly acquired Cup team from James Finch (“Justin Allgaier”). After a brief recap of his previous career, let’s analyze the merits of Allgaier’s current ride and tenure with HScott Motorsports.

When most critics analyze Allgaier’s stats, having his dad as an owner at the start of his career and having the same sponsor since 2011 raises some eyebrows. These two things make it appear as if he is a money gifted driver without talent. However, Justin’s career is immersed with talent even with these two misconceptions. And they truly are misconceptions. Mike Allgaier might have owned the car, but the team didn’t have a hefty budget and Justin wasn’t crashing equipment weekly. Brandt, his sponsor since 2011 with Turner Motorsports, is based just a few miles from his hometown of Riverton and Allgaier has been an admirable representative of the company with his performance and demeanor off the track. With that in mind and seeing all the statistics for his time with HScott Motorsports, it is easy to see how much talent Allgaier has. He outperformed Clint Bowyer in the same exact equipment and he has continually battled for championships in the Xfinity Series when he has run full time. However, he only ended up completing two seasons in the Cup Series before moving back to the Xfinity Series with the very capable JR Motorsports team. In 2016, Allgaier ran consistently and even without a win, he finished the year at Homestead in the Championship 4 with a great shot at the title. In 2017, he will remain with the team and he is deserving of the opportunity because statistics show his talent and performance behind the wheel. He worked his way up the ladder and even after losing his Cup ride, he was determined and found a very successful ride in the Xfinity Series Also, he will continue to be a great leader with Elliott Sadler as the two veterans look to help William Byron grow in his first year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In addition to those three drivers, a familiar name will be running the full season at JR Motorsports: Michael Annett. Now, we will look at Annett’s career along with his tenure at HScott and his new opportunity.

To analyze Michael Annett’s time at HScott Motorsports, it is important to understand where his career began. Annett’s first high level racing opportunity came in the ARCA Racing Series with Kevin Cywinski’s Win-Tron Racing team in 2007 at Iowa. A third place run at his home race track led to Bill Davis Racing taking notice. After two more starts with Win-Tron, Annett ran his first race with Bill Davis in ARCA at Talladega. The decision to race Annett worked out perfectly as the Des Moines driver took a dominating victory in his first race at a superspeedway. He returned to the BDR team for 2008 in select ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races. Annett ultimately won his first start of 2008 at Daytona for his second ARCA win and he took a second-place finish in the Trucks at Kentucky. The Iowa driver grabbed even more attention as Germain Racing put him in their Nationwide car and Craftsman Truck for a single race at the end of the season. The two appearances with Germain impressed as Annett took a full-time Nationwide ride with the team for 2009 with sponsorship from Pilot Travel Centers, who also sponsored him in ARCA and Trucks. Four Top 10’s in 2009 led to his return for the 2010 season with Germain. However, the team wasn’t as strong and only two Top 10’s led to Annett’s departure for Rusty Wallace Racing for the 2011 season. Annett’s stint with RWR started roughly after he was arrested for driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.32 one week before the Nationwide Series season opener at Daytona (Newton). However, Annett didn’t miss a race and he finished the season with a career best 7 Top 10’s. His tenure with Rusty Wallace ended after the season, but he quickly moved to the team of another legend: Richard Petty. Annett was incredibly successful with RPM in 2012 as he grabbed six Top 5 finishes and seventeen Top 10 finishes in addition to a fifth-place points finish. He returned to the Petty team for 2013, but the season came to a halt for Annett as he broke his sternum in a late crash in the season opener at Daytona (Gluck). He returned at Charlotte for his RPM team, but struggled to gain a single Top 5 and only 4 Top 10’s. However, opportunities appeared for the Iowa driver and he moved up to the Cup Series with Tommy Baldwin Racing for a 2014 rookie run. After a rather disappointing year with the team, Annett moved to HScott Motorsports and became one of the central figures of our analysis (“Michael Annett”). 

While most people rightly point out that Annett has no familial connection to his Pilot Travel Centers/Flying J sponsorship, he does have a connection to his career long sponsor. His father, Harrold W. Annett, is the Chief Executive Officer of TMC Transportation, which is one of the United States’ largest trucking and flatbed carrier companies (“Our Company”). Pilot Travel Centers cater to truck drivers and this connection with TMC makes it much more profitable to support Michael Annett and grow closer for business with his father. Plus, TMC has also sponsored Annett in several races in NASCAR and the company has played an active role in his career. Honestly, all this combined with his results on the track prove that Michael Annett’s sustainability in NASCAR is because of the money he brings. Now, I don’t mean any disrespect to Annett. In interviews and other media, Annett seems like a very determined driver and he seems to be very thankful for his opportunity in NASCAR. However, he continues year after year to take rides from capable and deserving drivers while showing virtually no improvement. His 2015 and 2016 seasons for HScott were abysmal. It seemed like race after race he was running behind drivers with no sponsors while his fully sponsored car failed to catch up. I have often questioned why he was in the Cup Series to begin with. His 2012 Nationwide Series run with Richard Petty was indeed impressive, but he had never won in the series and he had never proven any overall consistency. Again, the only discernable reason for his rise to Cup level was because of his secure sponsorship. Ultimately, this pursuit of money over talent to build up HScott Motorsports forced Harry Scott Jr. to close his doors after only three full seasons in the series. Finally, I want to address his 2017 ride with JR Motorsports. The list of drivers more deserving than Annett for a full-time ride with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Xfinity Series team is extremely long. Alex Bowman, Regan Smith, Blake Koch, Ryan Sieg, and many others come to mind as championship contenders who would fit the seat perfectly. Yet, Annett, with his secure sponsorship, filled the ride because no one on that list has a sponsor to match their talent. While Annett will make the Xfinity Chase in 2017 with his three other teammates, the Chase berth will come due to virtually no top tier teams in NASCAR’s secondary series and he will be the worst driver at JR Motorsports. I’m thankful for all drivers in NASCAR for racing hard every week, but Michael Annett’s money has kept real talent out of the sport and has helped push both Tommy Baldwin Racing and HSM out of the sport.

Now, let’s talk about the major reason for this research article: Clint Bowyer. During the Charlotte race in October, I watched as Bowyer’s name clicked by on the ticker in about 28th position. I pondered how Bowyer, who recently came close to winning a Cup title, became the disappointment of 2016. However, I also wondered how a driver could seemingly deserve an opportunity driving for Tony Stewart when he has failed to compete in top rides in recent seasons. Before we get into my conclusions on these thoughts, let’s quickly recap Bowyer’s respectable career in NASCAR. The Emporia, Kansas, driver first appeared on a NASCAR tour with a full season run in the NASCAR Midwest Tour in 2003 where he only mustered a season best ninth place finish. However, he also ran two ARCA Racing Series events with Billy and Bobby Gerhart. In the first race, Bowyer drove the two brothers’ car to an impressive second place finish, which caught the attention of legendary car owner Richard Childress. Childress, who was the owner for six of Dale Earnhardt’s championships, put Bowyer in one of his NASCAR Busch Series entries on a part-time basis in 2004. Bowyer split time in the #21 car while also running for Kevin Harvick’s team in a couple of races. 2005 gave Bowyer an even bigger opportunity as he ran the full year for RCR and took two wins along with a second-place points finish. In 2006, Bowyer’s career continued to rise as he ran the full Busch Series and full Nextel Cup Series schedule. Bowyer remained successful with a Busch Series win and a consistent rookie season in Cup with 11 Top 10’s. He also took a Craftsman Truck Series victory at Texas. In 2007, Bowyer scaled back to a part-time ride in the Busch Series in addition to his full Cup Series ride. He took three total NASCAR wins on the year, including his first Cup Series victory at New Hampshire. The 2008 season was even more successful for the Kansas driver as he took the NASCAR Nationwide Series, which used to be the Busch Series, championship along with another win in the Cup Series while running full-time. The 2009 season led to a fully focused NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season along with two wins in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. While 2009 was winless in the Cup Series, 2010 gave Bowyer two wins later in the year as he continued to succeed driving for Richard Childress. However, 2011 would ultimately be his last with the team as he decided to run with Michael Waltrip Racing beginning in 2012. Bowyer wouldn’t go out winless in 2011, however, as he took a Talladega win from his teammate, Jeff Burton. As successful as Bowyer appeared to be at RCR, 2012 proved how talented Bowyer could truly be with the right opportunity. In his first season with MWR, he ran his best Cup season and took three wins, 10 Top 5’s, and 23 Top 10’s along with a career best second place points finish. While 2012 looked like the launching point for greatness, he was unable to win in 2013 and the notorious Spingate at Richmond where Bowyer spun to put Martin Truex Jr. in the Chase left MWR and the Kansas driver reeling. 2014 and 2015 left Bowyer with little success to brag about except for a 2015 Chase berth. However, he was eliminated in the first round of the Chase after three mediocre runs. (“Clint Bowyer”). Plus, while the 2015 season was going on, Rob Kauffman, who owned part of MWR, announced the team would cease operations after the season due to poor performance for the amount of money spent on the organization (Pockrass). This left Bowyer without a ride, but quickly he was signed to replace the retiring Tony Stewart for the 2017 season. Yet, this left 2016 still without a secure ride for the former Xfinity Series champion. Harry Scott Jr.’s team was quick to solve this problem as they signed the Emporia, Kansas, native to drive the team’s top car for the 2016 season. Now, let’s begin our analysis of Clint Bowyer as a driver and his short tenure with HScott Motorsports. 

Prior to the 2013 season, I would have argued that Clint Bowyer was one of the most underrated drivers in NASCAR’s highest series. He finished third in points in 2007 with a Richard Childress Racing team that has declined since his departure and he finished second in points in 2012 in his first year with a new organization. Yet, since that 2012 season, Bowyer has shown his true personality and has made me believe that he is now in the discussion as NASCAR’s most overrated driver. I truly mean that as no disrespect to the Kansas driver. He is one of the throwback drivers in the sport and he has honored previous legends like Benny Parsons throughout his Cup career. However, results on the track and attitude should be important for NASCAR drivers and Bowyer has failed repeatedly in that regard for the past couple of seasons. I have one more chart to look and it is to help with my conclusions about Clint Bowyer. The table details his 2015 statistics with MWR. Now, I know it was arguably his worst Cup season and the parameters of success can’t be used for a terrible season. Plus, most of it was run when the team was closing shop and new opportunities were coming out. To fight off this potential bias, I only included the same thirty-one races for him as previous tables and only seven races are run after the closing announcement. Still, listen to this quote from Rob Kauffmann from an ESPN article: “You can't have a top-10 budget and top-10 resources and not be in the top 10 for a sustained period of time” (Pockrass). Based on this quote from an owner of MWR, the team had all the capabilities and finances to compete for championships and wins year after year, but the results aren’t there. And as Clint Bowyer’s 2015 results convey, Kauffman has a legitimate point. For deeper analysis, here is a table with his 2015 statistics through thirty-one races: 

Clint Bowyer’s 2015 Season with Michael Waltrip Racing

Race	Track	Start	Finish	Average Position	Status Total Laps	Driver Rating
1	Daytona	9	7	17	Running 203/203	88.4
2	Atlanta	25	24	14	Running 321/325	73.9
3	Las Vegas	20	21	23	Running 265/267	62.0
4	Phoenix	30	24	20	Running 312/312	70.5
5	Auto Club	10	30	17	Running 209/209	67.6
6	Martinsville	30	13	12	Running 500/500	86.4
7	Texas	27	22	31	Running 334/334	56.3
8	Bristol	37	12	12	Running 511/511	87.9
9	Richmond	17	9	10	Running 400/400	96.3
10	Talladega	10	30	23	Running 188/188	61.7
11	Kansas	21	21	23	Running 266/267	63.8
12	Charlotte	24	20	22	Running 399/400	61.1
13	Dover	20	9	12	Running 405/405	96.5
14	Pocono	23	22	26	Running 160/160	55.4
15	Michigan	32	10	18	Running 138/138	79.5
16	Sonoma	6	3	8	Running 110/110	112.3
17	Daytona	3	10	20	Running 161/161	69.3
18	Kentucky	30	19	20	Running 267/267	70.5
19	New Hampshire	18	34	27	Running 297/301	49.8
20	Indianapolis	7	6	16	Running 164/164	87.5
21	Pocono	19	8	15	Running 160/160	87.8
22	Watkins Glen	18	6	13	Running 90/90	90.0
23	Michigan	12	41	18	Running 164/200	84.8
24	Bristol	9	5	6	Running 500/500	108.5
25	Darlington	28	17	19	Running 367/367	71.1
26	Richmond	26	10	16	Running 400/400	81.2
27	Chicagoland	26	19	22	Running 265/267	63.2
28	New Hampshire	26	26	21	Running 299/300	65.6
29	Dover	16	14	14	Running 400/400	89.3
30	Charlotte	23	11	17	Running 334/334	79.1
31	Kansas	26	40	25	Crash 170/269	59.5

Average Start: 26.3

Average Finish: 26.4

Average Running Position: 25.4

Average Driver Rating: 58.0

Top 5’s: 0

Top 10’s: 0

(Bold and Italicized #’s: Indicate two highest and lowest statistical values throughout the season.)

I’ll give Bowyer credit. His 2015 season, as dismal as it was, was a Chase year for the Kansas driver. However, he was the last driver to make the Chase field and the grid had been enlarged to sixteen drivers starting in 2014. It has become increasingly easy to make the Chase, but moving on is still a challenge. Chase berth or not, the numbers don’t lie on how rough these thirty-one races were. He had an average driver rating of 75.0, an average start of 19.3, and an average finish of 17.5 with only 2 Top 5’s and 11 Top 10’s. Just for comparison, Allgaier, running in the same 2015 season, started only six spots lower on average with a second-year team without a Top 10 budget. Then, as we discussed previously, Allgaier was more successful in averages than Bowyer was in his time with HScott Motorsports. Yet, Bowyer is considered a championship caliber driver and he is now driving the #14 for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2017, which was previously occupied by a three-time Cup Series champion. I don’t really understand why he is considered such a capable driver with all these statistics and stories surrounding him. Bowyer’s rhetoric when he took the ride with HScott Motorsports was that a “winning team” would be established, but the team has now ceased operations after Bowyer didn’t come close to winning with the team (Scott). Now, that same driver is running for an elite Cup organization that competes and wins titles while his statistics have shown signs of declining. Honestly, he will perform well this year because he always succeeds in his first year with a top-level organization, but he will decline over the next few seasons. Still, fans will forget how he participated, along with Michael Annett, in the ultimate demise of a relatively new Cup team trying to compete. I really wish another championship caliber driver could be in Tony Stewart’s cherished #14 for the next few seasons, but it appears Clint will be behind the wheel and occupying another seat talented drivers would perform year after year in. As much as I love Clint’s throwback style, his numbers and attitude throughout the season with HScott Motorsports leave me questioning his abilities and his deservedness for another top tier ride.

NASCAR is stuck in a bit of a conundrum. The sport and its teams have been forced in recent years to decide whether to invest solely in talent or in money when choosing drivers. While teams like Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing are already stocked with money and talented drivers, smaller and new teams must balance this idea of team formation. If you look at Michael Waltrip Racing, the team had money and only needed to select talented drivers to fill their seats, which they did. However, the team still lost the battle to make it in the sport because the money and results must be consistent, which is impossible for new teams. Then, there is the very interesting case of HScott Motorsports. The team decided to go with sponsor bringing drivers to make money for future seasons. At the same time, the team signed Clint Bowyer, who is full of talent across his Cup Series career. And even Michael Annett has shown flashes of talent. Yet, even with the corporate sponsorships and the debatably talented drivers on board, HScott Motorsports is no longer running in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series. 

I’m not one to blame drivers in arguments and, truly, NASCAR’s issues with new teams and sustainability runs alongside the new stock brokering charter system where the only way into the race is buying a charter. Add on to that the amount of money for Top 10 equipment, which makes owning a NASCAR team look like a financial nightmare for even millionaires like Rob Kauffman. Still, HScott Motorsports and its drivers have to take some of the blame for its failure in the sport. Harry Scott Jr. sought to expand his team too much and by stretching resources on an already limited budget, the team was left running hard to finish in twenty fifth even with a championship caliber Clint Bowyer behind the wheel. Bowyer and Annett aren’t without blame either. Bowyer seemed to want his tenure with HScott Motorsports to end after only a few races when he promised success and seemed excited when he first signed. Annett never really seemed to battle and try like he needed to for his sponsor and especially his team. I believe Justin Allgaier truly wanted the Cup opportunity with Harry Scott Jr. and truly used all his talent to help the organization. Ultimately, I mean no disrespect to Annett, Bowyer, or any of the figures mentioned in this article, except for Rob Kauffman. He deserves all the hammering he gets for his arrogant attitude and his choking of NASCAR’s smaller teams with his large pockets. I might have used one of his good points earlier, but it doesn’t eliminate the fact that he contributed to NASCAR being a money driven sport. I respect any driver and team owner who is willing to race and support my favorite sport. But I won’t sit idle and watch as NASCAR crumbles in the minds of fans all over the world. Our sport needs to move from its reform minded ideas of recent years back to its go hard attitude of the previous eras. If it doesn’t, there will be no new teams for years to come and soon, the amount of charters will go from 36 to even less as teams close and others can’t afford to take those slots. HScott Motorsports provided an excellent example of this development in the sport and I hope my analysis was not only thought provoking about the corporate landscape of NASCAR for smaller teams, but also highlighted the implications of drivers on the future success of a team and how we view those drivers on the race track from race to race. 

Works Cited

“About HSM.” Official Site of HScott Motorsports, HScott Motorsports, www.hscottmotorsports.com/hsm.

“Clint Bowyer.” Clint Bowyer Career Statistics, Racing-Reference.info, racing-reference.info/driver/Clint_Bowyer.

Gluck, Jeff. “Michael Annett Out Indefinitely with Broken Sternum.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 26 Feb. 2013, www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nascar/2013/02/26/michael-annett-nascar-injury-daytona-surgery/1949905/.

“Harry Scott, Jr.” Harry Scott, Jr. Owner Statistics, Racing-Reference.info, racing-reference.info/owner/Harry_Scott_Jr.

“Justin Allgaier.” Justin Allgaier Career Statistics, Racing-Reference.info, racing-reference.info/driver/Justin_Allgaier.

“Michael Annett.” Michael Annett Career Statistics, Racing-Reference.info, racing-reference.info/driver/Michael_Annett.

Newton, David. “Michael Annett Arrested with .32 BAC.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 7 Feb. 2011, www.espn.com/racing/nascar/nationwide/news/story?id=6099490.

“Our Company.” TMC: An Employee-Owned Company, TMC Transportation, www.tmctrans.com/our-company/default.aspx.

Pockrass, Bob. “Michael Waltrip Racing to Cease Operations at Season's End.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 22 Aug. 2015, www.espn.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/13482001/rob-kauffman-announces-michael-waltrip-racing-cease-operations-season-end.

Scott, David. “NASCAR: Clint Bowyer Signs with HScott Motorsports for '16 Cup Season.” Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2015, www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nascar-auto-racing/thatsracin/article37389561.html.

Note: I'm sorry a couple of the charts don't remain on the full page of the article. I couldn't get them to shrink so I just left the last couple of columns hanging off.

My Thoughts: Why I Will Never Use “Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series”

       

       Following the end of the 2016 NASCAR season, a lot of news came out about Jimmie Johnson’s record tying seventh national series championship, Daniel Suarez’s historic Xfinity Series championship for Latin America, and Johnny Sauter’s long awaited first NASCAR title. In addition to that, details were emerging daily about each team’s line-up for 2017 as the offseason entered full swing. However, one of the most important details for 2017 was yet to be announced: a title sponsor. At the end of 2014, Sprint revealed that the company would not renew its sponsorship deal with NASCAR following the 2016 calendar, creating an extended search for a new Cup Series sponsor. As 2016 ended, though, the long-discussed negotiations were still underway with many fans wondering if a company would ultimately step forward. Finally, on December 1st during Champions Week in Las Vegas, NASCAR officially announced that Monster Energy drink would become the third title sponsor for the series highest division (“NASCAR”). As a longtime fan of NASCAR, I was excited about the Monster Energy news because a title sponsor ensures publicity for the sport and money to keep the series going. However, I was skeptical about Monster Energy as that outlet due to Monster’s sponsorship of many sports entities and the brand’s lack of connection to the history of our sport. Nonetheless, I was supportive of the new title sponsor. Unfortunately, Monday’s announcement of the series logo and name have completely changed my optimism. NASCAR released a brand new premier series logo and NASCAR’s highest division will now be called the “Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series,” which will “represent a new era in NASCAR” (“NASCAR”). As I read the press release for the first time, I was completely disgusted, to say the least. Seeing Monster Energy placed before NASCAR is not only disrespectful for such a historic sport, but it is reflective of an attitude in which NASCAR is viewed lesser than all other major North American sports. Because of that, I will not only abstain from saying Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but I will always say NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series.

       To most, the difference in word choice appears to be inconsequential and not much of a change. However, I have a much different opinion with specific reasons as to why I place NASCAR before any sponsor, including any future sponsors. This isn’t about Monster Energy, but American commercialism itself. Firstly, placing a sponsor before the sanctioning body’s acronym displays money over history for NASCAR. I will admit NASCAR is a sport with a lot of ties to money in recent years, but this takes it a bit too far. A contract for a title sponsor should never supersede the value and recognition the word “NASCAR” gives to the sport. Winston and Sprint both signed on for more money, but the notoriety of the sport and the power of men like Bill France Sr. kept the title sponsors in line. To Winston and Sprint, sponsorship was more about broadcasting the history and appeal of NASCAR to the world, but Monster Energy is concerned with their brand being put everywhere, which is utterly disrespectful to pioneers and legends who fought hard to make NASCAR reputable in the first place. Secondly, placing Monster Energy in front of NASCAR makes the historic sport appear like all other sports and teams Monster Energy supports. Just think about Monster Energy Supercross. While I will admit dirt bike racing is popular and fans do enjoy watching Supercross travel to stadiums across the country, it isn’t a nationally recognized sporting event. By virtually pushing the American Motorcyclist Association, or AMA, out of the name for the sporting division, Monster Energy killed any chance of making the association nationally known. Even more importantly than that, Monster Energy’s focus on tons of sporting series and events promotes the idea that NASCAR won’t receive a huge boost in audience awareness like Brian France is promising. As NASCAR has been hurt more and more recently with low car counts and a stock brokering charter system centered on money, a sponsor needs to focus attention on the sport and build it back to where more people watch. An audience discussion leads to my third point.

       As a third point, let’s discuss this new audience NASCAR is seeking with a Monster Energy sponsorship. There are many old-school NASCAR fans from the 1980s, 1990s, and early who were turned off by the corporate landscape of the Sprint days in NASCAR, but Monster Energy adds another wrinkle to that. As I see it, the energy drink appeal is focused on teenagers like myself and even young adult fans reaching their late twenties. While this is important for building the future of the sport, it is important not to push away older fans. NASCAR has thoroughly chased away old-school fans while at the same time failing to attract young fans due to not understanding the new generation of social media and technology. Ultimately, no change is going to solve all issues NASCAR faces, but giving Monster Energy the opportunity to chase away old-school fans and struggle to bring in new fans doesn’t help at all. Finally, Monster Energy tosses around their brand like it is so iconic as I mentioned earlier, but they aren’t willing to pay. Per SPORTSBUSINESS DAILY, the Monster Energy deal is “a two-year deal with a two-year option worth about $20M annually in rights” (Sources). For those not knowledgeable of Sprint’s sponsorship investment, it was upwards of $75 million and the deal was for ten years beginning in 2004 before it was picked up for three more years following the conclusion of the 2013 season. In case you aren’t a math expert, that is a difference of $55 million when the new deal should be worth more than the old one. To me, this indicates that even though Monster Energy has a lot of rhetoric about building up the sport and adding a new generation of fans, the money is not there at all and the length of the contract isn’t either. For sports, an extended period is needed to bring continued awareness Honestly, it appears as if Monster Energy sees the sponsorship of NASCAR’s PREMIER series as a portfolio addition for future sponsorship while the company doesn’t have to do much. I would hope not, but the lack of a long-term investment or financial support seems unsure. As Monster Energy looks to attract a new audience without spending much money or effort in the sport I love, the brand proves that using Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will be something I never do.

       I am a lifelong NASCAR fan and there are only two things that could completely end my fandom: driverless cars and Darlington’s only NASCAR date given away to some track built in the 1990s. I say this because I remain optimistic about the future of our sport even with Monster Energy’s belief that their brand is more recognizable and important than NASCAR, which is ridiculous. I truly support Monster Energy as NASCAR’s premier series sponsor because I believe the brand will use some unorthodox advertising tools to attract more fans to the sport and Monster will provide the sport new avenues. While some fans will always be chased away, which isn’t NASCAR’s fault, I hope double the fans are added for every one lost. Still, though, I will never use Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in any of my conversations about the sport’s highest series or in articles. In fact, nothing can change this belief in my mind. NASCAR needs to be put first because the sanctioning body is iconic and without the formation of NASCAR, none of this would be possible. Because of that, I will always put NASCAR first due to its history, recognition, and positive future. In 2017, I am positive that Monster Energy will make a positive impact on NASCAR and the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series will be bigger, bolder, and faster in its first season with the brand-new title sponsor.  

Works Cited

“Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Logo.” NASCAR Inc.,           19 Nov. 2016, www.nascar.com/en_us/news-                               media/articles/2016/12/19/monster-energy-nascar-cup-               series-unveiled-premier-series-name.html.

“NASCAR Reveals New Brand Identity, Premier Series Name           and Logo.” NASCAR.com, 19 Dec. 2016,                                   www.nascar.com/en_us/news-                                                       media/articles/2016/12/19/nascar-reveals-brand-identity-             premier-series-name-logo.html. 

“Sources: Monster Energy's NASCAR Deal a Two-Year Pact             with Two-Year Option.” SPORTSBUSINESS DAILY, 12           Dec. 2016, www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues

        /2016/12/12/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Monster.aspx.

My Thoughts: Matt Kenseth vs. Joey Logano at Martinsville

         It's been a while since I've wrote about NASCAR on my website. It has been hard to find the time to write about the sport of NASCAR that I love and I have missed the opportunity to write about a good many things this year. Today, though, I'm going to change that. I hope to take advantage of writing some more to end this year and throughout the 2016 season. The reason I'm writing today is because of what happened in Martinsville, Virginia Sunday afternoon. So far, we have been through two rounds of the Chase: the Challenger Round and the Contender Round. The Challenger Round was filled with action as Denny Hamlin went on to win and advance at Chicagoland after spinning early in the race. At New Hampshire, Matt Kenseth punched his ticket to the Contender Round with a victory. More on Kenseth here shortly. In the final race of the Challenger Round at Dover, Kevin Harvick, who blew a tire and crashed at Chicagoland after contact with Jimmie Johnson, won a must win race to make his way into the Contender Round and keep his drive for a second consecutive championship alive. The Contender Round had a single winner in three races: Joey Logano. Logano won at Charlotte, then at Kansas, and then he closed out the round sweep at the massive Talladega Superspeedway. It wasn't all easy for him, though. At Kansas, Logano was running second behind the driver who had led the most laps in the race, Kenseth, with five laps to go. Kenseth desperately tried to hold off the Charlotte winner with a few blocks, but Logano was having none of it. He bumped the leader with five laps to go and the driver of the Dollar General Toyota found himself spinning and without a win in order to move to the Eliminator Round with a deep hole heading to Talladega. Let's just say Kenseth was not a happy man. At Talladega the next week, Logano battled hard all day with the present day King of Talladega, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnhardt absolutely dominated at Talladega, but on the only green-white-checker restart because of NASCAR's rule change before the race which stated the race would only have one of those restarts instead of the usual three, Kevin Harvick caused a questionable wreck and ended the race just as it restarted. At the time, Logano was barely ahead of Earnhardt and the 2015 Daytona 500 winner was in victory lane for the third straight time and the 2014 Daytona 500 winner did not move on to the next round of the Chase. That brought the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to the Martinsville Speedway for the first round of the Eliminator Round where eight drivers were now left to battle for a spot in the Final 4 to battle for the championship at Homestead. What happened at Martinsville Sunday was something we have come to expect from the tight half mile track, but no one could have predicted how the wrecking and crashing and payback would affect the future of the sport.

        Joey Logano came into the Eliminator Round with three straight wins and he quickly proved he would be a formidable force by taking the pole for the Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 at the famed Martinsville Speedway. He was the early and often leader of the race. Drivers like Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, and others all made their way to the lead before the halfway point of the race, but Logano still continued to pass these drivers and lead the race at different points. Around lap 400, Logano was still a big figure in the race as he continued to work with his teammate, Brad Keselowski, to keep the two Team Penske drivers at the top of the running order. On lap 436, all of that quickly took a turn. On the restart following the fourteenth caution, Logano chose the outside line while his teammate lined up to his inside. Matt Kenseth, who had stayed pretty quiet all day, lined up behind Logano for the restart. As soon as the green flag dropped, Logano crossed over in front of his teammate heading into turn 1. Keselowski allowed him in and the two looked to run away, but Kenseth had other plans. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver slid his car to the outside of Keselowski and the two began to battle. Coming off turn two, Keselowski slid up into Kenseth and the two beat and banged exiting the turn when Keselowski had enough and spun Kenseth around. The spinning Dollar General Toyota spun down the track and Kurt Busch slammed into his nose, ending both driver's chances for a win. Keselowski did not get away without damage either as he had a flat tire and some suspension damage to his Ford. With that, three Chase drivers were involved in an accident, but the worst was yet to come for one.

        In all of that, Joey Logano was able to drive away and not be a part of the big accident. He was pleased with that one the radio and he prepared for the restart once again. On this restart, he checked out on Jeff Gordon and looked to pull away for the win, depending on if a caution did not wave. About ten laps after the restart, Logano saw something in front of him that he did not want to see: Matt Kenseth. Kenseth's crew had managed to fix his damaged race car and he was back on track running a few laps to gain points, but still nine laps down. The tension was obvious for most of the field as the leader approached his recently made enemy. Going to complete lap 454, Logano passed Kenseth to the outside as the injured Toyota ran way slower compared to the blazing fast Ford. Kenseth, though, gained a lot of speed very quickly. Kenseth started bumping Logano heading into turn 1 and the Toyota driver did not even mash the brakes as he pushed the leader straight towards the wall. Both drivers plowed into the wall hard and both came to a stop on the race track, cars steaming and tempers steaming even more. To sum it up, Kenseth, the lapped driver, had just wrecked Logano, the leader of the race and competitor in the championship battle. The crowd roared at Martinsville as both drivers stayed in their cars in order to follow NASCAR rules about leaving crashed vehicles. Once the ambulances arrived, both drivers hopped out of their cars and entered the ambulances without a fight or any altercation. Still, Logano was mad and it was obvious based on his attitude outside of the car and on the radio. He had not only been cost a win, but he had been cost a chance at insuring he moved on to the final four at Hometead. This left both drivers certainly out of the race and Jeff Gordon inherited the lead. Gordon walked away with his first win of the season in his last season, but the story I want to talk about today is between Logano and Kenseth. Before I give my opinion, I want to discuss what I think both Logano and Kenseth were thinking during the race and previously to. First, we will start off with Logano.

        To Joey Logano, everything that happened at Kansas was fair and in the past. When he bumped Kenseth with five laps to go at Kansas, it was strictly fair. Kenseth had blocked him on several occasions while leading, even putting him in the wall at one point. Logano got frustrated, bumped him with five laps to go, and took his second win of the Contender Round. It was something pretty much everybody had done before. Dale Earnhardt Sr. had done it plenty of times to “rattle his cage” and it was just racing. Because of that, Logano moved on and came into the Eliminator Round having won three straight races and it looked like Martinsville would be his fourth. He qualified on the pole and he led 207 laps when lap 455 came around. Now, at this position, he knew Kenseth had been wrecked. He knew his teammate had been taken out in it, but that still left his major road block and enemy out of the race. He felt safe. He felt like now he had no competition for this race and he would be moving on to race for the championship at Homestead. Then, he saw Kenseth out his front windshield. I believe the panic set in for Logano. He knew this was the place for a little payback. Martinsville is the slowest track on the circuit and Kenseth could bump him, wreck him, and pretty much do anything he wanted without a real problem. But Kenseth was nine laps down and there was just no way he would wreck the leader and mess up the championship. After he convinced himself of this fact, he went to Kenseth's outside and made the pass down the frontstretch. The pass was no big deal and he could see the driver of the Toyota enter his rear-view mirror. Then, he felt a little contact. Then, he felt a hard shove in the corner. Finally, he felt his race dominating car slam into the wall and he rolled it to the bottom of the track. Logano was livid. Not only had something that was past and gone completely hurt him, but he had missed out on winning a race and insuring he would be racing for the championship at Homestead. He handled it very well. He climbed out of his car, entered the ambulance, went to the infield care center, handled the media interviews about the incident, and returned to his car, hoping to run some more laps. But, I can promise you with certain fact, he put that incident in the memory bank and Matt Kenseth will certainly feel retribution for his actions sooner rather than later. Now, what was Kenseth's mindset after Kansas and then at Martinsville?

       Kenseth started his narrative livid. He was leading the race at Kansas with five laps to go. This was his chance. He had a terrible Charlotte and finished next to last with only a win saving his Chase at either Kansas or Talladega. If he won this race, he knew he would be moving onto the Eliminator Round and would surely be battling for the championship after surviving that round. He did everything he could to keep that lead in the last few laps. He blocked Joey Logano fairly and held onto his lead without wrecking him. Plus, there was no reason for Logano to risk a car because he had won the previous week at Charlotte and was guaranteed to move onto the Eliminator Round. Logano wouldn't push it, would he? Kenseth felt like he wouldn't, but then he felt a bump going into turn 1. Then, he felt his car spin around. Then, he felt his race slip away. He didn't hit anything, but he needed fresh rubber and he would have to start at the back of the lead lap following the incident with only a couple laps to catch back up and win. Kenseth was livid. Logano had just wrecked him while he was leading for no reason and now, he was in a huge hold heading to Talladega, where everything was unpredictable. He finished fourteenth, but he now needed a win at Talladega to move on to the Eliminator Round and it was quite hard. In the end, he didn't win at Talladega and his championship was finished. It was all Logano's fault. This made him even more upset, but here came his chance: Martinsville. He had been running better there in the past few years and he could race Logano for position and show his displeasure. Throughout the race, Kenseth had been doing that. He was right near the front racing around Logano and just waiting for his chance. The restart after the fourteenth caution looked perfect. He got to Brad Keselowski's outside with only one driver in front of him: Logano. He saw his chance coming for some nice payback. He would be right there to battle Logano and, possibly, wreck him if he was afforded the opportunity. Then, he felt a bump. And then another bump. Finally, for the second time in three weeks, he felt himself spinning and getting slammed by another driver. This wreck was caused by Brad Keselowski this time, Logano's teammate. Now, he went from battling for second to having a very damaged race car. He was again livid. Logano caused this. Logano and Keselowski had been rigging the restarts all day and they had finally wrecked the guy they wanted to. Finally, Kenseth had enough. His crew got the car fixed and he had only one goal by returning to the track: find Logano and deal with him. He was very slow riding around the track and then he looked up in his mirror and saw his enemy coming behind. He finally had his chance. Logano passed him on his outside heading down the frontstretch to complete lap 454 and he made the most of his opportunity. Kenseth bumped him heading into turn 1, didn't touch the brakes, and plowed Logano straight into the wall, destroying both of their cars. He didn't care. A destroyed car or not, he had accomplished his goal: wreck Logano. Kenseth climbed from his car guilty for wrecking the leader, but so happy for unleashing payback and gaining a legion of cheering fans. In his mind, Kenseth had done the right thing and proved not to mess with him once again, which was what he wanted to do no matter what. After looking at both sides, I want to quickly discuss my side and conclude today's entry.

         I believe Kenseth did the right thing in getting payback. What happened at Kansas on Logano's part was uncalled for. Matt Kenseth led that race fair and square and Logano never made a move to pass him. He just dumped the leader of the race and drove away like nothing happened. I truly think Logano was scared to see Kenseth win because he knew that the experienced veteran would be a challenge for the championship. So he just drove into turn 1 at Kansas, bumped Kenseth, and drove away for the win. To me, that is not how we should be racing. We should battle side by side and if the other guy is faster, try as hard as you can to work his inside or outside and make the pass. Drivers have to prove that they should win the race and they should do it fairly. Still, Kenseth picked the wrong time to get paybck. If the two were on the same lap and battling for position, he could easily bump him and it would be no big deal. Instead, he took the opportunity when Logano was leading and he was nine laps down with crash damage. No matter how angry you are, you can't wreck the leader if you are laps down. That isn't fair and isn't one of those racing deals. To conclude, I agree with Kenseth giving payback, but not the time he gave the payback. Today, though, NASCAR handed down a bogus penalty for Kenseth. I knew he would get one. I figured it would be the same thing as Jeff Gordon got for wrecking championship contender, Clint Bowyer, in 2012 at Phoenix, which was a $100,000 fine and a loss of 25 points. But, instead, NASCAR suspended Kenseth two races. That is complete and utter nonsense, really. Crazier and worse things have happened like Carl Edwards wrecking Bard Keselowski at Atlanta in 2010 where Keselowski almost flew into the fence and landed on the other side with the fans. Plus, Kyle Busch wrecked Ron Hornaday Jr. under a caution in the NCWTS race at Texas in 2011 and only received a one race suspension. Busch risked the lives of track workers going full speed under caution and he didn't get anything near what Kenseth got. NASCAR really needs to work on setting fair precedents, in my opinion. In reality, the only reason Gordon didn't get more of a punishment in 2012 is because of the name above his door and the amount of exposure he brings to the sport, but that is a discussion for another day. I hope you guys enjoyed this new idea I'm trying. I'm going to try and continue this for the race weekends to end 2015 and continue it in 2016. I'll pick a topic to discuss from the previos race weekend and you guys can expect to see it on either Monday or Tuesday, depending on time. I also have a couple other ideas floating around so watch out for those. Thanks for reading and you guys will hear from me again soon.




Credits:
-Videos of Brad Keselowski/Matt Kenseth Restart Crash and Matt Kenseth/Joey Logano Crash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6K_Wjexick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn5uBJXKtm0
-Race Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2015_Goodys_Headache_Relief_Shot_500/W
-Image:
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/1ed8c84a15c8b805c0083e6e818fdb8e58e9ac68/c=170-0-3829-2751&r=x513&c=680x510/local/-/media/2015/11/01/USATODAY/USATODAY/635820022867169351-kenseth-logano.jpg