No Hall Ya'll but Smoke had a ball

What an amazing job Tony Stewart and crew chief Darian Grubb did last week at California.

You also have to tip your hat to track President Gillian Zucker and all the folks at Auto Club Speedway. As you know, it’s been announced they will only have one race there next year, but I think we’ve already seen positive results from it. It was a really nice crowd at the track last weekend. They shortened the race 100 miles which I believe was a benefit. That’s the best California race I’ve ever seen. The racing was phenomenal. It was some of the best side-by-side racing I’ve seen produced on that track ever.

Impact zone

There’s even more action from Auto Club Speedway. PHOTOS.

I know the television ratings are down, but the racing is good though. You have to admit that Sunday’s race was good. It was very competitive with different folks fighting for the lead. You had a suspenseful ending.

You also had Clint Bowyer making a loud statement that the infraction they found on his race car wasn’t the reason why he has been running so well. Sure, that No. 33 team had a couple bad weeks, but man did they overcome it this week. You have to also pat replacement crew chief Scott Miller on the back for stepping in, leading the team and making great calls up on the pit box that brought that car home in second place.

That’s a great recovery for a team that got zapped the way it did by the NASCAR penalty. At one point I thought Clint was going to win the race. He was pulling away when a garbage bag of all things up against the wall on the back straightaway created one of those debris cautions and tightened up the field. I think Clint will agree that it cost him the race.

One of the questions going into last weekend was whether Jimmie Johnson was going to dominate at California. The man has owned the joint. He didn’t win but finished third. He padded his points lead though.

Jeff Gordon had a miraculous recovery. He was stuck back in 24th position before that last caution. Crew chief Steve LaTarte made a great call in the pits and Jeff was able to come home with a top 10. Denny Hamlin was another that made a pretty good recovery Sunday.

Tony Stewart, your race winner, was amazing with what he was able to do with his car. They weren’t the best car at the start of the race, but they worked on it all day and ended up in victory circle.

What happened?

How did Jimmie Johnson claim his fifth-straight title? DEFINING MOMENTS OF THE CHASE

Here’s something to consider – Tony Stewart is probably one lap away from being our 2010 Chase points leader. If he doesn’t run out of gas on the last lap at New Hampshire, then he would have won three of the five Chase races. He’d be doing a Jimmie Johnson on the Chase field right now.

Sure you can’t deal with the “What If’s” because you have to deal with what you got. They made a decision at New Hampshire but unfortunately it didn’t work out for them. It is possible the Loudon call might cost them the championship. Jimmie Johnson has taught them you have to win races in the Chase to win the Chase and the No. 14 has bought into that. They are doing everything right except the hiccup at Loudon.

We have five races to go. Tony runs great at Charlotte. He also runs great at Martinsville so that’s a positive coming up for him. Now on the downside for Tony is that those same two tracks are bread and butter tracks for Jimmie as well. With his point lead, Jimmie has the luxury of being able to afford a little issue here or there and it still wouldn’t necessarily cost him the point lead.

Now for the guys farther back in the field, like seventh on back, the climb becomes a little steeper. If someone can overcome something like 160 points it will be only the second time in the history of the Chase it has happened. I think it was 2005 when Jimmie made up 156 points after the first four races. He did it by winning or finishing second the rest of the way. That sure is exceptional but you wouldn’t want to have to depend on that every year.

Based on performance, resources and experience - if someone is going to threaten to dethrone Jimmie Johnson in 2010, it will be Smoke.

The 2011 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame was announced and I was disappointed to not be selected.

I do want to thank you fans for your votes because I did receive one of the five fan votes.

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Last year we saw David Pearson, who everyone thought was a shoe-in for a spot, not get selected. I had even walked up to David and congratulated him minutes before the voters came out of the room last year. I, like everyone else, was confident he was an automatic pick. Sadly he wasn’t. He left the Hall disappointed and angry. I felt sorry for David.

I had a lot of folks tell me this year I was a lock. Everyone was saying it was David, me, Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough and then a wild card pick for fifth. Some folks said the fifth slot was going to be Dale Inman, Lee Petty or maybe Ned Jarrett.

Just like I did to Pearson last year, I had all kinds of folks shaking my hand, patting me on the back and congratulating me down at the Hall of Fame on voting day. When they started announcing the names, it was like a flashback to last year. I was up on the SPEED stage with Mike Joy, Kyle Petty and Ken Squier. Those three were voting members and their jaws dropped just like mine.

Was I disappointed? You betcha – I was very disappointed. By the same token, take a look at the five that were chosen and you can’t fault any of them. They all have Hall of Fame credentials.

People don’t realize that before the on-track rivalry, Bobby Allison and I were great friends. We traveled up and down the highways together towing race cars to the tracks. He taught me so much about not only how to build race cars but actually how to race. There is zero animosity that Bobby was chosen ahead of me.

Meet the 2011 HOF class

 

David Pearson

The Silver Fox was one wily competitor at the track.

Bobby Allison

Bobby Allison's NASCAR legacy goes beyond his wins.

Lee Petty

Lee Petty laid groundwork for sport’s success, growth.

Ned Jarrett

Ned Jarrett is a class act, both on and off the track.

Bud Moore

Moore took NASCAR team concept to a new level.

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For a short period of time, I actually drove for Bud Moore in 1973. To be honest, it was a complete disaster and didn’t work out. I know the man. He is a World War II hero. He was not only a championship car owner but also a championship winning crew chief.

When it comes to Ned Jarrett, well that is simple – I love Ned Jarrett. He’s the kind of dad every son would dream of having. It was so special that his son Dale was able to be there at the Hall to share in his dad’s moment. Ned has been a great role model for me and a true ambassador of our sport. I simply couldn’t be happier for Ned to be voted in.

Now I never had the privilege of knowing Lee Petty. Obviously I drove against Richard and Kyle, plus I know Richard’s brother Maurice. Next to the France’s, the Pettys are our first family of racing.

David Pearson was my idol. I love him. When I came into the sport, my crew chief was Jake Elder. Now Jake used to be the crew chief for David. He would tell me that I reminded him of David. There was no bigger compliment at the time you could give me. I even went to Holman-Moody and bought the rights to the No. 17 they controlled because Pearson used to race that number. That’s how much I idolized Pearson.

David Pearson in my eyes is the greatest stock car driver of all time. Last year he was devastated not getting in and I was in shock. So what a thrill it was to be there with him and interview him after the announcement. He was the best to race with and he taught me so much. Richard Petty will easily tell you that David was the best person he ever raced against. To me, David was the best driver I’ve ever seen.

Every one of the five guys that were selected into the second class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame deserves to be there. Is it disappointing? Sure it is. I was very fortunate to have a long and successful career. Do I think I belong in the Hall? Yes I do. I think I have put up the numbers to justify it.

It didn’t happen this year. Maybe it will next year. Cale Yarborough, I and others will just have to wait and see. There are no guarantees – the last two years have proven that. It’s going to be hard to predict. All I can do is hope I receive another nomination and then be selected. That would be the pinnacle of my racing career – being called a Hall of Famer.

The bottom line is the 10 members will be in the Hall of Fame by next May are the foundation of our sport. If you look at the 10 that are in right now, you would say those are the 10 that helped build the sport.