There’s no telling who’s going to come out on top this weekend. We’ve seen almost everything. Still, I think you can suspect the usual suspects to have an impact and I hope we start seeing some life out of Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. They are two drivers who need some good things to happen to them right now.
Adam Niemeyer: I enjoy Richmond because its close-quarters racing and tempers can flare (Dale Jr. and Kyle Busch a few years back comes to mind). Also, everyone I’ve ever talked to in the NASCAR world has raved about how awesome the track is and how much fun it is to watch a race there.
I’m putting my eyes squarely on Clint Bowyer. Last September he won at Richmond and I think he and Brian Pattie have some momentum after a good finish on Sunday at Kansas, and they’ll take some confidence to Richmond where they’ve won before.
AnnMarie Strawhand: Well I will be there working and I look forward to seeing everyone there and also it can always get heated with some tough battles at Richmond. I think it’s a perfect track to bring out the best of the guys that came from late model short track racing for some reason and I am always happy to see the Virginia racers do well – there is so much history and tradition there.
Lori Tyler: Well, I was off base with a Hendrick machine in Victory Lane last week. That’s for sure. I do love Richmond. It has always been one of my favorite tracks. Seeing a race at this venue reminds me of growing up as a child in the grandstands of Corona Raceway. I predict whomever takes the checkers will have worked their tail off for it, and will have to survive the intense competition that occurs on short tracks. No wonder we love them!
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series:
• ThorSport Racing has dominated the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series tour with another win this past weekend at Kansas Speedway. This time it was Matt Crafton behind the wheel. Thoughts on the race? Thoughts on Crafton?
Erin Crocker Evernham: I thought it was a good race. Some good lead changes. I was happy to see Matt get back to victory lane. He seems to run up front a lot so it was nice to see him get win #2.
Chris Knight: Other than the wrecks, I thought the race was great. New pavement provided with a great deal of side-by-side racing and even some drafting.
ThorSport Racing has come out of the box swinging this year and Kansas was no different. Joey Coulter driving for Kyle Busch tried to spoil the party, but wasn’t able to shake the soon-to-be father. The only player from ThorSport Racing that really hasn’t been a huge factor is Todd Bodine. And that’s surprising. The two-time champion knows his stuff, but hasn’t been able to provide the results we all would come to expect.
Of course, Kansas was the end of a four-race deal with ThorSport Racing and “The Onion” has some time to put something together for Charlotte next month. Hope he does, he’s a huge fixture to the series, whether you like him or not.
Adam Niemeyer: I thought the race was full of action all around the track. I couldn’t look down at my computer because I would invariably miss a wreck or someone making a daring move on a restart. I love the truck series because of the competitiveness of the youngsters and some of the veterans in the series. Matt Crafton is a guy I’ve kept my eye on just because he’s been around for a long time in the Series. It’s hard to believe this was only his third career win in the Truck Series.
AnnMarie Strawhand: Again I like to see that a team outside of Charlotte can do so well with ThorSport being from Sandusky, OH (one of my former racing towns). I think Matt is a heads-up racer and shows calm confidence and consistency that can make him a champion for sure.
Lori Tyler: Always great racing. I was happy to see Matt Crafton grab the win. Looking forward to seeing if ThorSport Racing can continue their overall performance throughout the rest of the season.
• This summer, the series will invade Eldora Speedway and compete on the dirt for the very first time. The race is still a while, but it’s generating some hype now. What are your thoughts about the trucks racing on dirt? Will this be a memorable moment for the tour?
