NASCAR Camping World Truck Series:
• Johnny Sauter swept both restrictor plate races in 2013 driving for ThorSport Racing after winning a breathtaking fred’s 250 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Your thoughts on the race?
Ross Bynum: I’m going to start buying stock in sheet metal manufacturing before these guys go to Daytona and Talladega every year. Cha-ching!
Erin Crocker Evernham: Happy for Sauter but I hated the end of that race. Personally I am just not a huge fan of superspeedway racing. I hate to see the whole field taken out by one persons mistake.
Chris Knight: I am a Johnny Sauter fan. I had to say that. You cannot help, but just like the guy. Furthermore, he proved (once again) that you don’t need to have the speed in qualifying (Sauter started 24th) to be a factor in the race. That’s the benefit of the draft.
Overall, the race was good, expect for the last lap. Had everyone been able to keep their trucks going in the right direction, it would have been a hell of a finish, but it didn’t happen. I don’t blame anyone, I’m just glad everyone is okay. It’s part of the song at Talladega.
Kyle Busch, Justin Lofton, Miguel Paludo and Darrell Wallace Jr. in particular. They took very hard shots as part of the last-lap wreck. I don’t know if there’s an actual solution to avoid the carnage, but ….This is Talladega.
I will say this though, NASCAR and the tracks really need to confer and see what it will take to put SAFER barriers EVERYWHERE where impact COULD happen. That though will be remained to be seen.
Adam Niemeyer: I listened to the end of the race on the radio and it sounded like mayhem. Multiple people sent me text messages saying I needed to see it once I got to a TV. So when I had the chance to see it on TV I was amazed at the carnage. I’m glad everyone got out OK. The trucks seem to put on an entertaining show almost wherever they go.
Lori Tyler: Wow! It was good to see him in Victory Lane. NCWTS Racing is always a sight to behold and Talladega was no different. This series, in my opinion, offers some of the best racing NASCAR has to offer.
• Talladega offered a lot of opportunity for some of the “underdogs” to shine last Saturday afternoon. Was there anyone in particular that stood out for you? Dakoda Armstrong, Norm Benning, Chris Fontaine, Clay Greenfield, Bryan Silas or David Starr?
Erin Crocker Evernham: Chris Fontaine comes to mind. He ran up front for a lot of the race.
Chris Knight: Obviously, I’m happy for all the underdogs, I like the underdogs. I just hope that Chris Fontaine will really be able to eventually get a finish that he deserves on a superspeedway. He runs VERY strong and Kyle Busch always seems to latch onto him. Unfortunately, Fontaine once again ended up in a wreck (not of his doing), because of the repercussions of plate racing.
It was also great to see David Starr, a longtime competitor in the trucks put SS Green Light Racing back on the map with a runner-up finish. Starr is a good person and Bobby Dotter (co-owner of SS Green Light Racing) is resilient.
Kudos to Dakoda Armstrong, Norm Benning, Clay Greenfield and Bryan Silas for flexing their muscle in the fred’s 250. They may not have had the finish they wanted, but they still enjoyed their moment in the spotlight too.
Adam Niemeyer: When I saw Norm got the Lucky Dog and then was charging to the front in the outside line I was rooting like heck for him. It would have been cool to see him get up there. I was impressed with Dakoda Armstrong because he’s been a quiet improver in the past few years in both the trucks and Nationwide Series. It will be fun to see if he keeps improving.
Lori Tyler: All of the above! Talladega is the great equalizer and it was good to see some not-so-familiar names racing alongside our cagey veterans.
• The Kroger 200 is on deck at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on Saturday. What do you expect this weekend and drivers like Daniel Hemric, Ben Kennedy and John Hunter Nemechek will look to make their Martinsville debut. Thoughts?
Ross Bynum: I expect short tempers, crunched sheet metal, and dented egos. That’s what makes short track racing entertaining.
Erin Crocker Evernham: I think it will be a great race, I love seeing all the young talent in these truck races. Most of them have a lot of short track experience so it gives them a real shot at a track like Martinsville.
Chris Knight: The Kroger 200 should be a great race. Some veterans like Ron Hornaday Jr and Denny Hamlin will be in the field and young-guns like Jeb Burton, Daniel Hemric and John Hunter Nemechek will be ones we must keep our eye on.
Like what I expect for the Cup race, the race has the potential for some bruised friendships. It’s getting near the end of the season, so these drivers are fighting for a lot. The fans may be the real winners on Saturday afternoon with a memorable race.
Adam Niemeyer: I was impressed in April when Darrell Wallace Jr. was running up front all day. He will be the guy I have my eyes on this weekend at Martinsville.
Lori Tyler: Love this track. Love this series. Must see television, enjoy the race!
Thanks for reading, until next week!
