Race 6 - Martinsville

Race 6 - Martinsville

Pole Winner: #78 Martin Truex Jr.

Race Winner: #14 Clint Bowyer

Majority Pick: #11 Denny Hamlin

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Pool Standings: 

1. CheckersorWreckers -16
2. Hot Rod -26
3. Asleep at the wheel -32
4. Bigwood -33
4. Kat - 33

What a crazy weekend in Martinsville! All of the scheduled events for the week were on schedule until Saturday. They started the truck race but the rain just wouldn't wait. Shortly after the rain started to fall, it turned to snow and dumped over 6" on the track! Despite efforts by the crews working at the track, they could not get conditions favorable to race on Sunday. That did not kill the spirits of the drivers or fans. There was lots of fun had at the track and in the camp grounds; sledding, snowball fights, and some interesting structures to stay warm outside.

As for the race...they raced the truck race and big race on Monday. It was a big day for Stewart/Hass Racing and Clint Bowyer. Clint won his first race in 190 starts and now SHR has won 4 of the first 6 races. Kyle Busch finished runner up again and has proven to be very consistent this year. He will be one to watch as we keep going. Ryan Blaney also had an impressive showing at Martinsville, showing that he's got a pretty good handle on the track. The majority pick, Denny Hamlin, seemed to struggle some at the end and finished 12th.

NASCAR gets the weekend off this weekend for Easter, then it's on to Texas and then one of my favorites, Bristol baby! I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Easter weekend!

Next Race: Texas on April 8, 2018

Race 5 - California

Race 5 - California

Pole Winner: #78 Martin Truex Jr.

Race Winner:#78 Martin Truex Jr.

Majority Pick: #42 Kyle Larson

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Pool Standings: 

1. Hot Rod -14
2. CheckersorWreckers -15
2. Asleep at the wheel - 17
3. Bigwood - 25
3. J & J Gilbert - 27

Not much for me to talk about on this one because I didn't see the first lap of the race. Looking at the race stats and recap, Martin Truex Jr returned to full domination on Sunday at California. He won the pole, each stage, and the race. I heard Harvick tried to wreck Larson, and ended up taking his self out of the race haha. Hate I missed that. And Rowdy Busch had another strong run, but pit issues may have kept him from contending for the win. Chevrolet's finally got a few cars in the top 10, so maybe that's a step for them in figuring out their new aero package.

It's my home turf this week at Martinsville and of course the forecast looks cold and rainy. We'll see what the weekend brings as it gets closer. Time for some short track racing. I love the competition and intensity that Martinsville brings. Get the coolers ready!

Next Race: Martinsville on March 25, 2018

Race 4 - Phoenix

Race 4 - Phoenix

Pole Winner: #78 Martin Truex Jr.

Race Winner:#4 Kevin Harvick

Majority Pick: #4 Kevin Harvick

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Pool Standings: 

1. CheckersorWreckers -10
2. Asleep at the wheel - 13
3. Hot Rod -13
3. g-unit -20
5. Bigwood - 23

When Harvick passed Chase Elliott toward the end of the race, I knew that was the pass for the win. Kyle Busch had a good car, but dropping jack early cost him several seconds in the pits. That several seconds he lost on pit road ultimately lost him the race. Harvick didn't lead the most laps, but he led the one counted. He had a chip on his shoulder from the penalty last week, so he felt he had something to prove. In the pre-race show, they talked a lot about Hendrick and how that if they had been at an aerodynamic disadvantage, this track would throw that out the window and even things up. They did not stand out at all this week, so it looks like there is more going on than just an aero package.

These guys will be on the West Coast for another week as they head on over to California. Can someone finally beat Harvick? Or will SHR dominate once again?

Next Race: California on March 18, 2018

Race 3 - Las Vegas

Race 3 -Las Vegas

Pole Winner: #12 Ryan Blaney

Race Winner:#4 Kevin Harvick

Majority Pick: #41 Kurt Busch

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Pool Standings: 

1. Hot Rod -7
2. June bug 88 - 8
3. CheckersorWreckers - 9
3. g-unit - 9
5. Asleep at the wheel - 12

Well, the race didn't go to well for the majority pick holders. Kurt Busch was the majority pick last week, and it didn't end well for him, finishing 35th. Kevin Harvick dominated the race, leading over 200 laps and winning his second race in a row. He'll carry all the momentum into Phoenix this week where he'll try to win three in a row. I'd really like to see the Chevrolet's step it up this week as they should be getting a better feel of this new body package.

Let's get ready for another West Coast race this week. Will Harvick do it again? Or will someone else step up and steal a win to lock themselves into the Chase?

Next Race: Phoenix on March 11, 2018