The difference between Championship Caliber teams

[TennesseeFan07]

Todd Berrier and Tony Eury JR aren't the level of a Chad Knaus, Steve Letarde, Zippy, Reiser(during Kenseth years) etc. If Eury wasn't related to Sr then he would be out wiping tables right now instead of being at Phoenix. The Berrier decision is just flat out stupid. I love a risk taker but good lord every reading those guys had indicated Harvick beeing 10-12 laps short. That's just insane. From 2nd in points to whatever now I'm too disgusted to look. It's hard to overcome an average crew chief. Kevin and Dale aren't quite to the level to do that yet. This is frustrating

[doozer]

Steve Letarte isn't on the same level as a Knaus, Zippy, or Reiser.

[d4ster3]

Knaus is the man, hands down... did you hear him tellin Jimmie he had a 20 sec lead when he only had a 9 sec lead, just to get his driver to save gas?? and why didnt Mark Martin just go for it? hes not racing the full schedule so hes not racing for points... I wouldve went for the win

[checkerboard_charly]

I just want to say this. I still hate JJ and the other Hendrick crap even though JR is there. But Chad Knaus is hands down the greatest Crew Chief in Nascar history. I applaud his guts. He could win a damn Championship with any driver and almost any car in the field. I am just blown away by this guy. Its hard to swallow pride but man that guy is a bad man.

[rbroyles]

Originally Posted by d4ster3

Knaus is the man, hands down... did you hear him tellin Jimmie he had a 20 sec lead when he only had a 9 sec lead, just to get his driver to save gas?? and why didnt Mark Martin just go for it? hes not racing the full schedule so hes not racing for points... I wouldve went for the win

It is normally the Crew Chiefs call, and I have to assume he didn't think they had any chance of making it. The team is concerned over Owner points re the top 35.
I share your opinion if they thought they were in one lap of making it.

[volfanbill]

Originally Posted by rbroyles

It is normally the Crew Chiefs call, and I have to assume he didn't think they had any chance of making it. The team is concerned over Owner points re the top 35.
I share your opinion if they thought they were in one lap of making it.

exactly, while Mark Martin may not drive a full time schedule in that ride, the car itself is fulltime and DEI needs all the help they can get.

[doozer]

Mark Martin is the ultimate team player. his absolute unselfishness has probably cost himself wins and maybe even championships. look no further than to last night for any evidence you may need.

[rbroyles]

Originally Posted by doozer

Mark Martin is the ultimate team player. his absolute unselfishness has probably cost himself wins and maybe even championships. look no further than to last night for any evidence you may need.

No doubt in my mind about both races and championship. I would also add his clean driving style has cost him wins where other drivers would have taken a guy out. Mark doesn't wreck someone to win.

[d4ster3]

yeah mark is a great guy and all but he definitely wrecked Edwards and Kesolowski to win the las vegas nationwide race this year.... maybe not on purpose, but it has happened


BTW the #8 car is 14th in owner points, no where near 35th... only 10 cars finished on the lead lap so he wasnt in danger of a terrible finish, plus he had 5 bonus points for leading a lap.. Im going for the win in that situation

[rbroyles]

Exerpt from NASCAR.com

The view from the pit box: "At the time we had two conflicting stories on fuel mileage, and I'm in the middle," Gibson said. "My engineer is telling me this; my fuel man is telling me this. I thought, if I fill up, I'm going to finish in the top five. I went with the sure bet. If I'd ran out, I would have finished 20th. So I just took the sure bet. The company got two cars in the top 10, we led a lot of laps, so it's a plus for us. It's sad, but the bright side is, DEI is strong and we're getting better."

But in the immediate, emotional aftermath of Saturday's race, those plusses were difficult to find. "I believe we should have stayed out to try to win the race. I saved so much fricking gas, you don't know," Martin said over the radio after taking the checkered flag. But then, he softened. "I probably would have run out with two to go, so I'm sorry. But I want to win, you guys. Thanks for giving me such a great car."

Was Martin angry? "I threw my little fit," he said afterward. "We're all upset. We all were upset. I'm over it. I'm just proud of this team. They gave me the goods to do it with, and we let it slip through out fingers."

Should he have come in? "I thought I saved plenty," he said. "I really thought I saved plenty. But I don't know how much short. They first told me I was one lap short. I saved probably five laps' worth. And then they told me the 29 [car of Kevin Harvick, also powered by an Earnhardt-Childress engine] ran out with eight laps to go. So I don't know. I can't tell you. It's over with. I did my part to the best of my ability, they did their part to the best of their ability. I back them up when they have a bad day, and they back me up when I drive it into the wall."

Long after the race was over, while Martin's No. 8 car was being pushed through the inspection shed, Gibson still wrestled with the decision. "You don't know," he said. "The 29 saved, and he ran out. How slow do you run? If everybody makes it, and you slow down and you still lose, it, you're mad because you didn't [stop]. We didn't do a very good job tonight, figuring that, and we've got to get better at it. We failed him. Good driver, good car, and we just didn't do the strategy right."

And Martin, a driver forced to deal with more than his share of on-track heartbreak, was left to rue another one that got away. "We were really spectacular this weekend," he said. "It's a shame we finished fifth."

[TennFan]

I'm just hoping it's a matter of time that Jeff and Jimmie do 3-4 races in a row where they are in the top 5.
I think Jeff Burton will falter and someone that's in the top 6 will make a run to the top by mid season.

[rbroyles]

Originally Posted by TennFan

I'm just hoping it's a matter of time that Jeff and Jimmie do 3-4 races in a row where they are in the top 5.
I think Jeff Burton will falter and someone that's in the top 6 will make a run to the top by mid season.

Jimmie Johnson should be strong to the Chase, and I think Burton will stay in contention too. J. Gordon on the other hand is an enigma this year. One week, Daytona & martinsville, he is the class of the field, then like at Atlanta & Texas he is the goat.

[doozer]

Gordon will probably win at Talladega because i am going.

[rbroyles]

That would be my kind of luck! For your sake I hope he doesn't, but all the HMS teams will be strong is my guess.

[McLovin]

same here
JJ won the last Daytona 500 I went to and JG won the last Pepsi 400 Daytona race I went to.
Gordon did his victory burnout on the wall right in front of us.