Trucks ----

Former Cup drivers Todd Bodine and Ted Musgrave are having a good season in the Craftsman Truck Series. Bodine won at Texas Friday night, culminating his third victory of the season and the fifth of his two year Truck Series career. Musgrave is once again battling for the Truck Series Championship, this time he's leading the hunt with a mere 63 point lead over last season's bridesmaid, Dennis Setzer. Musgrave and Setzer were both at the top last season behind championship winner Bobby Hamilton. This season, Hamilton is out of the picture in sixth, 297 points down from leader Musgrave. Bodine is only 192 points down and could end up with second place if certain scenarios result.

The Craftsman Truck Series has become a haven for former Cup and Busch Series drivers, as well as an entry point for young developmental drivers working their way up into the NASCAR ranks. Twelve of the top twenty five drivers in the Truck Series championship standings are former Cup drivers, and five of those are in the top ten, with three former cup drivers and a former Busch driver (Ron Hornaday) in the top five. When the new blood makes its way into the Cup Series, drivers who aren't producing have to make way for them. Just to mention a few; Johnny Benson, Robert Pressley, Jimmy Spencer, Jack Sprague, Brendan Gaughan, and Mike Skinner, have all been drivers in the elite Cup Series at one time or another. When a former Cup driver looses his Truck Series ride, he's pretty much washed up in the upper ranks of NASCAR. Such is the case with Steve Park, who was recently released from the driving duties in the #62 Orleans Dodge. Park got a ride for the Texas event, and may also end up with a permanent ride next season; I was just using his misfortune as an example. I've always liked Steve Park, Earnhardt's first choice! Park's departure from the mainstream racing scene was largely due to serious injury and long periods of rehabilitation.

Update 11/13/05… Todd Bodine won the truck event at Phoenix Friday night in the #30 Germain Motors sponsored Toyota, giving him back to back wins in the series. Bodine, who is known for finishing strong as season's wind down, has won three of his last five starts. The rout at Phoenix was his fourth in 2005 and his sixth career Truck Series victory in the last two years.

Ted Musgrave, in the #1 Mopar sponsored Dodge, still has a comfortable point's lead of 58, over challenger Dennis Setzer going into the finale at Homestead next weekend. The veteran driver maintains confidence that he can keep Setzer's #46 Chevy at bay long enough to rack up his first championship in NASCAR's top three elite series.

Busch ----

Bad boy Kevin Harvick didn't look so bad while bawling in Victory Lane in Texas Saturday after winning the Busch Series race. It was one of those emotional times for Richard Childress Racing, as Harvick's father-in-law, a long time associate of RCR, passed away last week after suffering a long illness. The win was Harvick's fourth in the Busch Series this season, and his 17th overall.

As most of you know, with the Busch Series, the drivers don't usually lose their jobs in Cup to race, but a lot of folks think it would be a good idea if they did. The crashing of the Busch Series party by the Cup drivers has been a subject of debate for several years, and it keeps right on brewing. Out of the 33 Busch Series events that have been held this season, 21 of them have been won by active Cup drivers. They take the majority of the money and play havoc with the Busch Series points system.

The battle for the Busch Series Championship has pretty much been a ho-hummer. Last season's winner, Martin Truex Jr. - #8 DEI Chevy, has been at the top of the competition all season, and appears to have this year's crown nearly in the bag. Truex has an 84 point lead over RCR's Clint Bowyer - #2 Chevy. With just the two events remaining, third place Busch Series rookie driver Carl Edwards is too far out of the running to make any difference with a -336 point deficit. It'll be up to Truex and Bowyer in Phoenix and Homestead.

Last season, Truex won with a 230 point lead over second place Kyle Busch, this season he may have to fight a little harder. Truex started last season's event at Phoenix ninth and finished third. In the Homestead finale, he started second and finished ninth. Bowyer only had 17 starts last season, and didn't race in the Phoenix event. He started 23rd at Homestead and finished 39th after an early accident. It looks like Truex may have the upper hand as far as experience and statistics goes, but I wouldn't rule Bowyer out of the running, there's always a chance for a hard charger to succeed!

Update 11/13/05… It doesn't appear that Carl Edwards will have any problem winning the Busch Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award this season. Edwards drove his heart out and won the Phoenix event after starting at the pole position in the #60 Roush Racing Ford. The 26 year old Missourian had to fight hard to stay ahead of hard charging Clint Bowyer, who is battling Martin Truex Jr. for the championship. Bowyer, driving the #2 Richard Childress Chevy, was unable to get around Edwards; all he could do was to watch him win his fifth event of the season and his subsequent victory celebrating back-flip.

Busch Series point's leader Martin Truex Jr., in the #8 DEI Chevy, lost more than 20 points to Bowyer, but still leads the championship battle by 64 points going into the finale at Homestead. They claim that Truex has to finish 12th or better to take the crown, regardless of whether Bowyer wins or leads the most laps. If Truex has big troubles and ends up wrecked out near the beginning of the event, he will be in big trouble, and may not win his back to back championships.

Last season's Chase for the Championship came down to the final event at Homestead-Miami, with Kurt Busch winning the crown over Jimmy Johnson by a mere eight points. Third place driver Jeff Gordon lost by only 16 points, as the checkered flag denoted the end of 2004 competition.

The same scenario could be on tap for this season's grand finale at Homestead, with just 77 points separating third place from the leader. Jimmy Johnson finds himself back in second place, just 38 points down with two events remaining. Carl Edwards has moved up into third place by winning the last two events, and is only 77 points down from leader Tony Stewart.

Fourth and fifth place Greg Biffle and Mark Martin could move up a spot or two in the final two events, sitting with a -122 and -123 down from the top. Sixth place Matt Kenseth could also better his position in the hunt, presently sitting with a -135.

The beauty of it is, there will be a race for the crown, one driver isn't running away with the prize, like we've seen in the past. These last few weeks echo what the Chase is designed for, paving the way for head to head competition until the last lap of the last race. Gone are the seasons where the championship is celebrated three or four races before the end of the season. The IRL season ended that way this year, taking away the excitement and media coverage of a championship race to the finish, Danica who? There wasn't even much hoopla surrounding Danica Patrick's winning of the IRL Rookie of the Year Award.

While I'm on the rookie award subject, Kyle Busch seems to be on the inside track to take the honors this season in the Cup Series. He and Travis Kvapil, former Truck Series Champion, are the only two participants in the 2005 Cup Series rookie competition.

Busch ended up with Hendrick Motorsports after being courted early by Jack Roush. Roush wanted to enter him in a Craftsman Truck Series event when he was 16, but the new tobacco laws prohibited anyone under the age of 18 from participating in a sport that had a tobacco company for a sponsor. Right about that time, NASCAR stepped in and mandated that a driver had to be a minimum of 18 years old to compete in any of its top three major series. A year or more down the line, Kyle Busch emerges in a Hendrick ARCA car and then later on he's in a Hendrick Motorsports Busch Series car. Busch is winning the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award this season in the #5 Kellogg's sponsored Hendrick Chevrolet.

Kvapil is in the driver's seat of the #77 Kodak/Jasper Engines sponsored Penske Dodge this season, following Brendan Gaughan's footsteps. Gaughan didn't make it with Penske in his rookie year, and Kvapil isn't exactly setting the track on fire either. In 34 starts this season, Kvapil's average starting position is 25.7 and his average finishing position is 26.4. After the Texas event he was listed as 33rd in driver's points. Busch's stats show why he's going to win the award; out of 34 starts, his average starting position is 19 and his average finishing position is 21. He was listed as 20th in driver's points following the Texas event. Only the top 25 driver's point's positions pays off, so Busch will be in the money and Kvapil won't.

Every now and then, it comes to pass that the price of arrogance has to be paid. There are a lot of reasons for a Cup Champion to act arrogant, and over the years we've seen some championship caliber driver's act much more arrogant than others. This makes it evident that there are levels of arrogance, ranging from swaggeringly blatant to pleasantly coy, depending on the personality. There isn't anything coy about Kurt Busch; although I'm sure he can be pleasant, just like anyone else.

Kurt Busch was arrogant before he won the championship, just making it into NASCAR's top series brought out the arrogance in him, winning last season's championship just made it worse. I remember reading an article he wrote last year, about his thoughts and fears as he was preparing for the championship banquet, and about how much he claimed he was in awe of where he was, and the goals he had achieved. Apparently, he managed to get all of that into prospective during the off-season.

Usually the report card of a champion's reign doesn't come out before the end of season, but in Busch's case, it will be continually recorded until the curtains close on the stage of this season's Cup Series banquet at New York Cities' Waldorf Astoria. I don't have to tell you that Busch's card won't be anything to write home to mother about.

I've heard speculation on whether Busch will show up for the banquet. The top ten drivers are usually called to the podium and presented their point fund checks by NASCAR's president. Busch has been suspended from Roush Racing, the racing organization he is contracted to until the end of the 2005 season. Does that mean that he is also suspended from attending the banquet? It will be interesting to see just how this particular deal will play out.

The reigning champion is a major part of the hoopla that surrounds the finale at Homestead-Miami. The season ending event usually begins with a party at Homestead during the middle of the week hosted by the reigning champion. I've heard reports that Greg Biffle is standing in for Busch, and it's been reported that the Homestead officials have decided not to unfurl Busch's championship banner for the weekend's festivities.

If polls are any gauge of people's real feelings, most of those who were polled claim that Busch got exactly what he deserved by being taken out of the driver's seat for the final two events. Others are saying that Busch was dealt with too severely; he hasn't been convicted of anything, and is due his day in court. Jack Roush took the opportunity to stick it to Busch, and also to stick it to NASCAR by unseating its champion just when he was needed to preside over the season ending festivities. Some are saying that Roush did the only thing he could have done, and others are referring to Roush as a mean little man with just as big a chip on his shoulder as Kurt Busch ever had. Roush is guilty of a knee-jerk reaction, by just wanting to reach out and hurt someone who had hurt him by leaving his organization. Busch's action by leaving had told Roush that he wasn't a good enough owner, and he wanted to drive for better! Pro wrestling was considered the "Pay-Back" sport, now NASCAR has edged it into the sidelines.

Roush is at odds with NASCAR, he didn't seek their advice and look at the whole picture that surrounds a reigning Cup Champion. It appears that Roush took the stand that NASCAR doesn't ask for his advice when they make up their stringent rules and regulations, so why should he confer with them about punishing one of his drivers? Busch has been punished for a citation, not a conviction, and one that was indeed blown way out of proportion by the media and a county sheriff's department. It has been recorded that the county sheriff is famous for grandstanding and getting his name into the lights. What better vehicle to use for publicity than a reigning NASCAR Cup Champion? It makes one wonder if there were any actual witnesses to the red light running and reckless driving that Busch is reported to have been accosted for?

Busch ----

I'm sure most of you aren't surprised to see that Martin Truex Jr. won the 2005 Busch Series Championship. It was a good run for the #8 Chance II Motorsports team, which we all know is co-owned by Teresa Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. They were all on the championship celebration stage at Homestead, reveling in their rewards.

The sad part about the Busch Series championship race is that it was a continuation of the Cup driver's rout. Ryan Newman won the event, and is listed with six victories in Busch, tying Truex in victories for the season. It's no secret that Cup Series drivers won 2/3 of Busch Series events this season, as in any other season. Busch Series drivers won 11 out of the 34 events in 2005, the rest were taken by you know who.

Is this situation going to change? It's not likely to change anytime soon. In a TV show on the SPEED channel, NASCAR CEO Brian France alluded that there were no plans in the making to change the status quo in the near future. We all know that this is a sponsor driven sport. The sponsors are footing the bill and putting out the big advertising bucks to support the owners and teams. The sponsors want the best and most popular drivers available to represent their products. This is what brings the Cup owners and drivers to the Busch Series. Everything revolves around the money, all's fair in love and war, NASCAR racing seems to fit somewhere in between.

Trucks ----

The Craftsman Truck Series championship battle went down to the final event as did the rest of NASCAR's top series. A long awaited championship was finally earned by NASCAR veteran Ted Musgrave. You may remember that he was involved in a controversy a couple of years ago and should have won the championship. NASCAR made a call regarding a questionable restart, and Musgrave didn't get the nod, Travis Kvapil did.

At any rate, Musgrave, the 49 year old driver of the #1 Mopar Dodge, now has a championship trophy to spice up his mantle. I've always thought of Musgrave as a class act, even back when he was unsuccessfully competing in the Cup Series.

Dennis Setzer, driver of the #46 Chevy Silverado, Ted Musgrave's main championship rival this season, ended up 55 points down at the end of the final event. This was Setzer's third season in the bridesmaid roll. This summer Setzer was leading the championship battle by 227 points. After winning at Indy Raceway Park, his season fell by the wayside, methodically losing points nearly every event until stabilizing near the season's end at an average of 50 points down from Musgrave. Setzer was never able to gain any more momentum, and like a lot of the rest of the competitors, he says he'll just have to try harder next season.

Todd Bodine, driver of the #30 Toyota, won the event, along with the distinction of winning the last three events in the season. Bodine won a series high five events in 2005 and has seven career wins in the Truck Series. Bodine finished third behind Setzer, just 73 points down from Musgrave.

A lot has been said this season about the "changed" Tony Stewart. Did he change? Or did others around him change in order to escape his wrath? A. J. Foyt, one of Stewart's main boyhood heroes, has stated that Stewart can't get too calm or he'll loose his edge on the track. Stewart may not have changed that much, what may have changed is the way the media is approaching Stewart. At any rate, Stewart is our Cup Champion; let's hope he doesn't end up like Kurt Busch!

It was interesting to hear what Roger Penske had to say on TV this past weekend concerning the mess that defending Cup Champion Kurt Busch ended up in the middle of. Penske is a high class act; he made an appearance on one of the SPEED channel shows and had a lot of interesting things to say. Penske claims he wouldn't have handled the situation the way Roush did. He alluded that in his opinion, Roush was too severe in handling Busch. He also claimed that he wasn't trying to second guess Roush, he has no idea what the contractual obligations are in Roush's business dealings.

I have to agree with Penske on the one account, I too believe that Roush was way too severe on Busch. It was payback time; Roush made no effort to hide the fact that he is still furious with Busch for leaving Roush Racing for Penske. Busch won the championship last season, and as my son put it, he probably asked Roush for an upgrade on his contract. You can just about imagine what Roush would have said if that were the case. Hence, Busch either went looking for another situation, or else he made himself available to discuss options with other owners. The latter is the most likely scenario, as he ended up driving for Penske.

If I were Jack Roush I'd have kept my mouth shut and wouldn't have let people know that I was still upset with Busch. All he did was to let people know that he is nothing but a mean little man with a giant chip on his shoulder.

The humorous part of the mess is that Roush doesn't have a leg to stand on being upset with Busch, it was he who started the mess by dealing with Jamie McMurray to fill the seat of the #6 car after Mark martin's departure. Roush got it shoved right back in his face, so he should know how Chip Ganassi felt! Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch may be Championship caliber drivers, but it's a given fact that Jack Roush is lacking when it comes to being a championship caliber owner. Having a lot of money and knowing how to dictate doesn't cut it when personal flaws override success. Jack Roush has given the whole NASCAR community a black eye…

You're fighting desperately for a championship. Everything is on the line. You're at the halfway point in the event, you're on the lead lap, and the next thing you know your racecar goes south. The car seems to need immediate attention, but your crew chief tells you to hang in there, track position is paramount. The next thing you know, BANG, a tire blows up and you're in the wall. Your car is damaged beyond repair and your day is done. Your championship fight is over; you are a loser once again.

Does this scenario sound familiar to anyone? I assume that Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus are very familiar with it. I also assume that as soon as Johnson's car met the wall in the championship event at Homestead, Knaus was looking for a hole to crawl into, like he wasn't already at the bottom of one. If a crew chief was prone to making a bad call, that certainly wasn't the time to do it.

Racing for the championship with more than 100 laps to go, he should have brought that car in and changed tires, ASAP. There would have been plenty of time to make up for a two lap deficit. He probably knows that now, what I can't understand is why he didn't know it then? Maybe that's why Johnson hasn't won a championship?

Johnson ended up in the fifth point's position at the end of the event; he would have had plenty of time to get back up to second place, where he was when he started the event. We've seen it happen dozen's of times. Top notch drivers don't seem to have a problem working their way up through the field. Who knows, he may have even won the championship, but not with a wrecked car in the back of the team hauler.

How much money did that faux pas cost him? With champion Stewart winning more than 5.8 million, I'm sure the difference between fifth and second in points payoff money is more than a million dollars. It would be fitting to call it "Chad Knaus's million dollar mistake!"

Of course, Gordon/Johnson fans will say that hind sight is 20-20, and they'll spout off a lot of other fan orientated rhetoric, but that won't change what has happened. Is Jimmy Johnson championship material? Yes he is - there's no doubt about that! With 18 wins in four years and championship point's finishes of fifth – second – second – fifth, he is definitely a championship caliber race driver. So is Mark Martin, but the brass ring has eluded him over the years. It makes one wonder if Johnson is slated to take up the bridesmaid gauntlet as Martin seeks retirement? Time will tell…

11/30/05…. It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that Todd Parrott made his way back to Robert Yates Racing (RYR) to once again take the reins of the #88 Ford crew with driver Dale Jarrett. I remember something about Parrott being related to Jarrett as maybe a brother-in-law from one side or the other. They've worked good together in the past and won a championship. Then something went sour and they parted ways. Now they have parted ways again.

It's no secret around the NASCAR community that Jarrett is hard to get along with, and is easily overcome by frustration. That within itself poses a major problem for RYR; to find someone of high enough caliber to crew chief the team, who is also able to get along with Jarrett. Let's face it, Jarrett's no spring chicken, and he can definitely drive a race car. Apparently, Yates sees another championship in him.

Richard "Slugger" Labbe has found his way back to RYR and will be directing the #88 Ford crew in 2006. Labbe worked with RYR several years ago and most of us are aware that he has served as a winning crew chief for Michael Waltrip on the #15 DEI Chevy. He and Waltrip parted ways last season, and this past season he served as crew chief on the #19 Dodge for Jeremy Mayfield at Ray Evernham Motorsports.

Tommy Baldwin Jr. has also left Evernham Motorsports and will also be a crew chief for RYR. Baldwin was guiding the reins for the #9 Dodge driven by Kasey Kahne for the last couple of seasons. Baldwin will be calling the shots in 2006 for Elliott Saddler in the #38 Ford. I can't say that this is the first time two crew chiefs have left one organization, with both securing employment at the same place, but I can say that I think it's really odd – to say the least!

There's a lot to be said for this bait and switch. The two crew chiefs have been used to working together in a sense, sharing information on set-ups and other crew chief issues within the same organization. This rapport will carry on with their new teams, and may just be a part of the chemistry needed to get one or both of the RYR teams into the 2006 Chase for the Championship.