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CUP: SPEED Crew Gets Ready For Short-Track Racing
A question-and-answer session with SPEED’s NASCAR writers and analysts prior to the Richmond race.
Short-track racing gets under way at Richmond International Raceway this weekend.(Photo: LAT Photographic)
After Bristol Motor Speedway occupied the spotlight Wednesday with announced changes to the track’s surface, attention now turns to the next short track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule – Richmond International Raceway. Below, the SPEED crew catches you up on the latest news in advance of this weekend’s stop:
Q: To what do you contribute the turnaround at Michael Waltrip Racing this season?
“For 2012, MWR hired some guys with experience at successful teams, such as Scott Miller and Brian Pattie. Miller came from a strong program at RCR, and when you come from a successful team, it’s easier to implement that background and its characteristics into your new team. Additionally, Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin have raised the level of the MWR operation.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
“Multi-car operations need someone to tie all the teams together, and new competition director Scott Miller has done that. Martin Truex is on fire, and in the last 10 races, he has scored the second-most points of any driver next to Tony Stewart. So, this turnaround started at the end of 2011.”
--Larry McReynolds, SPEED analyst
“Michael Waltrip, Ty Norris and Rob Kauffman were swimming with the big boys, but they wanted more. So, they stepped up and hired great people. Folks at that race team will tell you Scott Miller was a huge 'get' as competition director. Mark Martin and Clint Bowyer bring experience and leadership, and Martin Truex is proving what he can do if given the right resources. This season finally is the year an MWR car makes the Chase.”
--Danielle Trotta, NASCAR Race Hub co-host
“It’s ironic that when Clint Bowyer left RCR for Michael Waltrip’s team, everyone said Clint was taking a step back because RCR was the better team. But MWR has put together an incredible effort and hired top people. Right now, Bowyer is with the better team.”
--Kenny Wallace, NASCAR Nationwide Series driver and SPEED analyst
Q: What do you think of the changes Bruton Smith announced will be made to Bristol?
“I prefer the side-by-side racing we've seen at Bristol in recent years, but fans drive the ship, so I applaud Bruton for being willing to make a change. Time will tell if the quality of the racing improves or not. The anticipation for a night race at Bristol is always high, and it's safe to say it will ratchet up a couple of notches this summer.”
--Adam Alexander, SPEED Center host
“These changes certainly don’t restore the track to the ‘old’ Bristol, but they likely will narrow the racing line. However, no one knows what real effect these changes will have until we race with them in August.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
Q: Greg Biffle and the No. 16 team have been so strong so early in the season. Does peaking early tend to help or hurt a team?
“There are dangers teams can run into if they peak too early. The conventional wisdom is that with a victory and a safe points position, teams can start experimenting for the Chase. But when they do that, they also can lose their way. Technology changes so often that setups can be very different from the spring to the fall race, so teams have to be mindful they don’t get too far out there.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
“We saw Greg Biffle peak too early a few years ago. He dominated the first 10 or 12 races and then was nowhere to be seen. So, yes you can peak too early.”
--Kyle Petty, SPEED analyst
Q: Is Richmond Kyle Busch’s best chance yet this year of breaking out of the slump he has been in?
“This is an extremely critical weekend for Busch. He won the last three spring races at Richmond, but hasn’t run nearly as well in 2012 as his teammate Denny Hamlin.
“If Busch has just another ‘okay’ week at Richmond and finishes ninth or 10th, but Hamlin wins, I think management will be taking a hard look at the No. 18 team. But if Busch blows the field away and wins, that might be what he needs to get that team going in the right direction.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
“Kyle and Carl Edwards are the biggest head scratchers this year for me. We’ve heard Kyle say so many times this year that ‘I can’t drive this car. I am wrecking.’ Right now, they barely are a top-10 car and have only three top-10 finishes this season. He doesn’t look that close to winning a race, but we are headed to Richmond, where Busch runs awfully well.”
--Larry McReynolds, SPEED analyst
Q: To what do you contribute the turnaround at Michael Waltrip Racing this season?
“For 2012, MWR hired some guys with experience at successful teams, such as Scott Miller and Brian Pattie. Miller came from a strong program at RCR, and when you come from a successful team, it’s easier to implement that background and its characteristics into your new team. Additionally, Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin have raised the level of the MWR operation.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
“Multi-car operations need someone to tie all the teams together, and new competition director Scott Miller has done that. Martin Truex is on fire, and in the last 10 races, he has scored the second-most points of any driver next to Tony Stewart. So, this turnaround started at the end of 2011.”
--Larry McReynolds, SPEED analyst
“Michael Waltrip, Ty Norris and Rob Kauffman were swimming with the big boys, but they wanted more. So, they stepped up and hired great people. Folks at that race team will tell you Scott Miller was a huge 'get' as competition director. Mark Martin and Clint Bowyer bring experience and leadership, and Martin Truex is proving what he can do if given the right resources. This season finally is the year an MWR car makes the Chase.”
--Danielle Trotta, NASCAR Race Hub co-host
“It’s ironic that when Clint Bowyer left RCR for Michael Waltrip’s team, everyone said Clint was taking a step back because RCR was the better team. But MWR has put together an incredible effort and hired top people. Right now, Bowyer is with the better team.”
--Kenny Wallace, NASCAR Nationwide Series driver and SPEED analyst
Q: What do you think of the changes Bruton Smith announced will be made to Bristol?
“I prefer the side-by-side racing we've seen at Bristol in recent years, but fans drive the ship, so I applaud Bruton for being willing to make a change. Time will tell if the quality of the racing improves or not. The anticipation for a night race at Bristol is always high, and it's safe to say it will ratchet up a couple of notches this summer.”
--Adam Alexander, SPEED Center host
“These changes certainly don’t restore the track to the ‘old’ Bristol, but they likely will narrow the racing line. However, no one knows what real effect these changes will have until we race with them in August.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
Q: Greg Biffle and the No. 16 team have been so strong so early in the season. Does peaking early tend to help or hurt a team?
“There are dangers teams can run into if they peak too early. The conventional wisdom is that with a victory and a safe points position, teams can start experimenting for the Chase. But when they do that, they also can lose their way. Technology changes so often that setups can be very different from the spring to the fall race, so teams have to be mindful they don’t get too far out there.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
“We saw Greg Biffle peak too early a few years ago. He dominated the first 10 or 12 races and then was nowhere to be seen. So, yes you can peak too early.”
--Kyle Petty, SPEED analyst
Q: Is Richmond Kyle Busch’s best chance yet this year of breaking out of the slump he has been in?
“This is an extremely critical weekend for Busch. He won the last three spring races at Richmond, but hasn’t run nearly as well in 2012 as his teammate Denny Hamlin.
“If Busch has just another ‘okay’ week at Richmond and finishes ninth or 10th, but Hamlin wins, I think management will be taking a hard look at the No. 18 team. But if Busch blows the field away and wins, that might be what he needs to get that team going in the right direction.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief
“Kyle and Carl Edwards are the biggest head scratchers this year for me. We’ve heard Kyle say so many times this year that ‘I can’t drive this car. I am wrecking.’ Right now, they barely are a top-10 car and have only three top-10 finishes this season. He doesn’t look that close to winning a race, but we are headed to Richmond, where Busch runs awfully well.”
--Larry McReynolds, SPEED analyst
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