Monster Musings after the Dodge Dealers 400 at Dover International Speedway
The car of Kevin "Happy" Harvick, who now sits 9th in Nextel Cup points behind leader Jeff Gordon. Gordon has a two point advantage on Tony Stewart and three (for the moment) on race winner Carl Edwards. Edwards will likely lose some points and cash to the lash of NASCAR Justice; his right rear fender was found to be too low after the crashfest, and after Greg Biffle (who finished 2nd and is a Roush-Fenway Racing teammate) gave him a tap in the rear after Edwards' win at the Monster Mile. Edwards will likely lose 25 points and some cash. Gordon, Stewart, Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and Clint Bowyer are separated by 18 points from first to sixth. Taking a monster hit were Harvick, who finished 20th, 4 laps down, Matt Kenseth, who finished 35th after an engine failure after leading the most laps, and Denny Hamlin, who tried to run over Kyle Petty, wrecked himself and Petty, and finished 38th. Hamlin now has a 158 point deficit to make up; Kenseth trails Gordon by 116, and "Happy Harvick" is behind by 115. The Monster Mile could be the "mulligan" for Messrs. Harvick, Kenseth and Hamlin, and NEEDS to be. Kansas (next Sunday) is a "home game" for chasers Bowyer and Edwards.
John Force survived a wild crash with Kenny Bernstein in the NHRA funny car eliminations at Dallas...Force broke some bones and is out (for the moment)...so #15 will have to wait until 2008.
Dario Franchitti will make a stock car debut at Talledega in October for Chip Ganassi Racing...so this begs the question: The IRL may not have a defending champion for 2008...and there may be more past Indianapolis 500 winners in NASCAR races, than in IndyCar events. Why is that?
It's about the Benjamins.
