So why am I here?

  To outsiders, it appears that only certain drivers work well with the Car Of Tomorrow. Therefore when Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 DeWalt Ford was asked why Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch each seem to dominate their teams while the rest of NASCAR’s drivers do not appear to be capable to doing anything with the COT, he answered with sarcasm on behalf of the rest of the field. “Sounds like we all should have stayed home,” he said. “Just let those three race.”

Winner and losers

  Even though driver David Ragan came into the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 on the cusp of making this year’s Chase, he said winning the Cup championship was not a reality for his team. “We’re not a championship caliber team now no matter good we run tonight and if we make the Chase no matter how excited we are,” he said. “At the bottom line, at the end of the day, you can’t win the championship without winning some races and you can’t win without getting a lot of top five and leading a lot of laps and we’re not quite there yet and we know that. We’ve still got a ways to go and I think that is the mentality we’d take in the Chase. We wouldn’t necessarily be looking at championship role because we’re not there yet and I think it’s a little far fetched from where we stand today.”

Call me Mr. Dangerous

  While Busch and Edwards have dominated wins throughout the season, Chesterfield’s Denny Hamlin said it was too early to rule out someone else winning the championship.

  “It’s hard for the 99 and the 18 to get much better than what they were,” Hamlin said. “We’ve seen it in the sport, there’s always peaks and valleys. Guys always seem to really peak just before the Chase or after the Chase. It’s hard to see someone stay on top for an entire year simply because when someone goes out there and dominates it just forces everyone else to go to work. So, I think there’s 10 other guys in the Chase, nine other guys in the Chase thinking, ‘well we have something to prove, so lets go test it and lets figure out what it takes to beat these guys.’ And it’s those guys, the dark horses, that are probably more dangerous than the guys who are expected to go out there and do good.”

  Therefore when asked if he was a dangerous driver, Hamlin’s response was quick. “Absolutely,” he said. 

Forces of nature

  Nineteen year old rookie driver Joey Logano came to Richmond planning to run his first ever Sprint Cup Race, however to enter the race he needed to do it through qualification. So, if Tropical Storm Hanna washed out qualification Logano would not be allowed to enter the race. When asked about the possibility of weather putting a halt to his dream, Logano responded with a quote characteristic of his age.  “I really hope it don’t rain,” he said. “That would suck a lot.”

Born for speed

  After practice laps in a Sprint Cup car, Logano indicated he preferred it over the Nationwide vehicles he normally drives. “The Cup car seems to suit my driving style more than the Nationwide car,” he said. However, Logano’s reasoning was far from technical. “I seem to like the Cup car a little more, probably because it has more horsepower and it’s more fun to me,” he said.

Richmond provides a defining moment for Kyle Busch…literally

  During interviews in the media center on Friday, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson were asked if the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 had grown into such an important race that the excitement had surpassed nearly every other race in the series. However, problems arose as the reporter used the word ‘crescendo’ to describe the peak of anticipation.

  As the reporter continued to speak, Busch leaned over and whispered something into Edwards’ ear. A moment later, Johnson relayed the discussion to the media present. “I think Kyle’s trying to figure out what crescendo means,” Johnson said. “The build up,” he explained to his fellow driver.

  Edwards saw problems with Johnson’s definition. “That could apply to a lot of things,” he said.

  Busch absorbed the information then turned back to the media present. “What was the question again?” he asked. 

Hey, I’m just a duh…river

  After a season-long discussion on NASCAR’s gradual improvements on the COT, Jeff Gordon responded with sarcasm when asked if drivers should have input on how the car should be changed. “You’re going to have to ask them that,” Gordon said. “I don’t have an answer for that. I’m just a dumb driver, put my helmet on, get behind the wheel, drive the race car. That’s what I’ve been told and that’s what I’m living by.”

Bad decisions

  While multiple drivers were set to compete in both the Nationwide and Cup series races over the weekend in Richmond, Gordon said he wanted no part of it. However, that did not stop reporters from asking him why some drivers would do such a thing while on the bubble, fighting to get into the Chase. “It’s called commitment,” Gordon said. “They made a commitment that they all wish they could get out of. They’re needing to buy a new bus or they’re needing a little nicer airplane…I can’t tell you. All I can tell you is that not one driver I’ve talked to this year said they enjoyed running the Nationwide races. With that spacer on them they say they’re terrible and they cannot compare the cars at all to the Cup cars. Why they do it, you’d have to ask them.”

Let me repeat myself

  After such a response from Gordon, one reporter continued to ask if he would ever consider running in both races. “Did I not speak clearly,” Gordon said. “I’m sorry, let me say it louder. Absolutely, I have no desire to run back and forth.”

I’m not a song and dance man

  It was the Rock & Roll 400 but at least one driver was singing his own tune. Following Friday’s practice runs, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was not in a mood to tap dance around his responses when reporters asked questions that had little to do with racing.
  Question: What’s the connection between rock ‘n’ roll and the race event.
  Earnhardt: I don’t know.
  Q: You’ve been jamming with Kid Rock, though right?
  E:: I don’t play with him. He’s got his own band.
  Q: Do you listen to rock ‘n’ roll before you head out on the track?
  E: No, I’ve got sh—to do.

Dirty tactics run skin deep

  Some drivers will try anything to intimidate their competition, but according to Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson sunk to a new low in the early running of the Chevy Rock & Roll 400. “Sometimes during driver runarounds, people will flash their t-shirts up at you,” Edwards said. “I noticed that Jimmie brought his buddy Nick Lachey, this week and that was the only bare chest I saw this whole runaround. So that was his strategy, I think to kind of shock us and it worked. It had me distracted – that hairy chest – and I didn’t need that before the race started. So, Jimmie is working his magic from all angles. I just couldn’t believe it. I was like ‘Oh look, there’s Nick Lachey! Ohhhh.”