Ryan Newman's Race Team Does Hype Video for Sprint Cup Final

((ht: foxsports.com))

Nice...haven't seen a lot of hype videos in the NASCAR world. Maybe they are catching on to this whole social media thing.

Or maybe not.

Anyway, check out this cool video done for Ryan Newman by the folks at his Richard Childress Racing team.

Newman is one of the 4 drivers left in the Elimination challenge. We'll find out who wins the whole shebangie this weekend when the Chase makes it's final stop at Homestead.

All Newman has to do....finish ahead of Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick. He doesn't have to win the race, just has to beat all 3 of the other guys to the finish line.

May the best driver win...

((NOTE---We have no idea why this was produced in the ancient 4x3 video format instead of HD, it's not like Childress can't afford the whole modern technology thing))

Morning Wrap: Harvick Wins Chase Eliminator; Final Four Set

((ht: foxsports.com))

If you aren't paying attention--and many football fans aren't, NASCAR is in the midst of it's first "Eliminator" chase for the Sprint Cup title.

Each week for the past several, drivers have been eliminated from the chase based up their point totals and finish in races.

Sunday's race at Phoenix was the one to determine your finalists.

And it was won, in dominant fashion by Kevin Harvick

No, there were no fights, though late in the race, Ryan Newman, who also made the final 4, drove Kyle Larson into the wall and managed to move up to 11th place in the race. Which got him the extra point he needed to bump 2nd place finisher Jeff Gordon from the final four.

Confused? We sure are.

Your other finalists: Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano.

The racing season ends this coming week at Homestead Speedway in South Miami. Whomever among the final four places the highest, gets the Cup title--

Here are your Phoenix Highlights:

This Week's NASCAR Fight With Brad Keselowski Where Jeff Gordon Cusses

((HT: NASCAR on ESPN))

And, instead of involving Matt Kenseth, it involves Jeff Gordon with a possible cameo from Kevin Harvick...


The lowdown this time...

Gordon and Jimmie Johnson were going at it and the Blue Deuce wedged his way in between them to make it three wide in a green-white-checkered situation. Gordon ended up a lap down with the damage and in 29th at the restart.

Needless to say, #24 was not happy about it and did you notice that Jamie Little ended up in the middle of it...???

We imagine that everyone involved will be involved in a visit to the Big Red Truck.

PM UPDATE: When asked about Keselowski's behavior, Gordon cussed on live TV
((HT: Jay Busbee's Vine))


Yahoo!Sports Jay Busbee brings up a good point: Will Gordon get fined for his outburst...???

From the Column:

Gordon is about to head into one of the most critical races of his career. If NASCAR were to deduct points from a driver in the midst of a championship hunt for a minor, inconsequential violation, hurled just after a fight, well ... the criticism would be unrelenting. NASCAR is loving the extra press now, but a hammer on Gordon for language would turn every bit of that attention to the negative.

NASCAR Fun: Hamlin Throws Car Part at Harvick After Crash

Oh those angry boys of NASCAR...

Saturday night at Bristol showed yet again why race car drivers need to learn somehow to control their tempers.

Racing under the lights with the lead, Denny Hamlin slowed slightly coming off a corner. Kevin Harvick, just behind Hamlin tries to get behind him, but misjudges Hamlin's move, hits the back of Hamlin's car and sends him spinning.

Hamlin's car tags Dale Earnhardt Jr, taking out his door and side panels and for a brief moment, chaos ensues.

Hamlin eventually gets out of the car and in a fit of anger, grabs the Hans device (neck restraint) and throws it at Harvick's car when it passes by again under caution.

It didn't do any damage, but the point being, why throw something at him? And then the post wreck interview?

Yeah, we get it, racing is intense and nobody wants to back down. But when you are driving that fast in a tight pack of cars, accidents happen.  They always will.

For what it's worth, Joey Logano would go on to take the checkered flag and get the win.

Video of the crash, Hamlin's interview and shot of him throwing stuff at Harvick are all on this clip from NASCAR.com:

Tire Issues Cloud Fontana All Race Long

((HT: NASCAR on FOX))

The HQ will maintain that if it walks like a duck and quacks like same, then...

Well, you know...

We'll show you what happened all day at the NASCAR event in Fontana...

The ending...


Kevin Harvick on Lap 20


Roush-Fenway drivers driving


And Jimmie Johnson


But NASCAR is not hearing that Goodyear is at any kind of fault...

From Twitter:

Motor Racing Network ‏@MRNRadio 22m
#NASCAR's Robin Pemberton says tire issues not a @GoodyearRacing problem. "I think Goodyear has done a pretty good job with it"

Obviously, the drivers were going way too fast...

The Big One Only Waits 42 Laps At Talladega (UPDATED: With Another Big One With 6 To Go And David Ragan Wins)

Kyle Busch gets a push from Marcus Ambrose... He goes into the back of Kasey Kahne to send him around and all hell breaks loose at Talladega... Busch admitted on his in-car communications that it was his fault...

Your victims- Kyle, Kahne, Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, Brian Vickers, Casey Mears, Ambrose, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, David Stremme, Martin Truex, Junior, and Jeff Burton all either got damage of some sort or are out for the day... 14 of 43...

Not a bad percentage for the haunted speedway to take another chunk out of the sport... a full one-third of the field...

Here's a little bit of it from nascarcrashesmore...


More when we know more...

UPDATE: With 6 laps to go, it all happened again...

It looked like Ricky Stenhouse squeezed JJ Yeley as the cars went four wide and it caused another chain reaction involving Kurt Busch (who was looking to win the race). Ryan Newman ended up with the 78 on top of him. Bowyer, both Labontes, David Stremme, Danica Patrick, Jamie McMurray, and Jeff Gordon were all involved.

Stenhouse called out Yeley in his own in-car communication...
Here's the other big one...


NASCAR, much like Saturday's Nationwide race, only allowed one pass for a green-white-checkered finish. Seven hours after the official start, David Ragan got a big push from his teammate David Gilliand and beat out Johnson, Edwards, and Kenseth.
((HT: NASCAR))


Huzzahs to everyone at Front Row Motorsports for their finish...

Kevin Harvick Doesn't Dig Amber Cope's Driving

((HT: NASCAR Media/ESPN))

Amber Cope is one of the twin nieces of Daytona race winner Derrike Cope. She was driving in her second Nationwide Series race and got caught up in the battle between eventual race-winner Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick Saturday at Loudon.

Harvick was leading with 22 laps to go when he got stuck behind Cope allowing Keselowski to pass...

Here's Harvick's thoughts on Cope's driving skills once the race was done...


Amber didn't back down, as seen on her and her sister's Twitter feed...

"Way to go tough guy. I bet if u take a moment in your arrogance u will realize your fault @keselowski figured it out."

She even went as far as calling Harvick an "ass." The HQ thinks this may not be over at all... there's plenty of season left...