Jeff Gordon Wrecks His Way To Win
Jeff Gordon Wrecks Matt Kenseth, Mayfield is unhappy
The debate of the week will be whether the bump was intentional or not.
A lot of fans think that I may have been too harsh in my blog concerning the Jeff Gordon vs. Matt Kenseth skirmish. But I stand by every word. Gordon won the race, his first ever at the 1.5-mile facility located in Joliet, Illinois. It was Gordon's 75th career victory, which we are going to hear all about how he is one win shy of the late Dale Earnhardt's win total. But the win will be remembered by the bump, run, and win method given by the four-time NASCAR champion.
The debate of the week will be whether the bump was intentional or not. Some fans and writers say it was an accident, and Jeff Gordon inadvertently got into the back of Kenseth, while others feel that payback was delivered from an incident that occurred at Bristol three months ago. Obviously, I fall into the latter category. Gordon saw an opportunity and ceased the moment.
"I drove right in the back of him," Gordon said. "I didn't mean to wreck him, but I didn't mind moving him out of the way. If we can get the win, we are going to go really hard to get that win."
That's fine and dandy, but people would view things differently if Gordon didn't complain any time another driver races him with any kind of intensity.
Gordon's win moves him back into tenth place in the NASCAR Nextel Cup standings.
Matt Kenseth's day only got worse after Gordon dumped him. He would run out of gas, and then get tangled up with David Stremme while battling for 20th spot.
"I know for sure it was intentional, but that is OK," Kenseth said. "We didn't have the car to win. I just could not get it pulled off. We would have run out of fuel anyway."
Matt Kenseth finished the race in 22nd position.
I am having a tough time trying to figure out Ryan Newman's 2006 season. Just when it seems that the #12 team has turned the corner, they have a day like they had on Sunday. It appears that Newman will not qualify for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Chase for the Championship for the third straight year.
Chip Ganassi Racing signed Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya to drive the #42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge in 2007. I question this decision for obvious reasons. To my knowledge, Montoya has very limited experience in stock cars. Ganassi gambled when he signed Casey Mears in 2003. Mears had never won any NASCAR sanctioned event, and was just stepping onto NASCAR turf after years of racing open-wheels. And then he gambled again when he brought up David Stremme from the Busch Series. Stremme never won NASCAR Busch Series event, and is clearly not ready for the jump to Nextel Cup. Somehow, I see the Montoya deal playing out the same way as the Mears and Stremme deals.
If I were Ganassi, I believe I would have waited before I signed another rookie. Chip Ganassi Racing could have used a veteran like Jeremy Mayfield, who is apparently melancholic with his present situation. Mayfield would have fit in well with Reed Sorenson and Stremme. Instead, Ganassi will employ his fifth rookie driver in four years.
Speaking of Jeremy Mayfield, he seems a little embittered towards his car owner Ray Evernham. Can you blame him? Mayfield has won a race in each other last two years, and qualified for both Nextel Cup Chase for the Championship showdowns- and now he is mired back in the 30's in the Nextel Cup standings. Something is amiss with the #19 team, and I do not believe it is all Mayfield.
I believe that Mayfield will have a new ride in 2007, possibly with Robert Yates Racing or Red Bull Racing. Either way, it will be a better situation than playing third fiddle at Evernham Motorsports.
Quote of the week:
The ever-blunt Jeff Burton on the Gordon/Kenseth confrontation.
"Matt's a hard-nosed racer, and there'll be retribution for that, I'm sure...If NASCAR doesn't handle it, then we need to handle it. And that's OK.'
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