Sportsman of the Week Ending 11/7/2021

The 2021 NASCAR season ended in dramatic fashion with four top teams vying for the Championship.  Unlike other motor sports like Formula 1, the NASCAR playoff format ensures four teams compete for the Season Championship in the last race.  Some argue that it's not fair to the best team or two in that they may have been the best over the full season but not win a title.  But frankly, that's the way it is in most sports in which one game or series decides the winner no matter the regular season records.  Well this year, the top regular season driver won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship.  Kyle Larson and his number 5 team of Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) had won 9 races over the season entering the championship race in Phoenix.  Make it ten.  It was not a foregone conclusion over the mile track, as each of the Playoff 4 teams led or would even be considered favorites at any point.  But a clutch final pit stop and restart after a yellow thrust Larson's number 5 HMS team out front and he would not be caught.  He didn't have to win the race to win the championship, but he did.  In his first year in the 5 car, Larson brought his team the title.  Fitting end to a great season.  Larson is the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 8/5/2018

Ninety nine races to find Victory Lane, but here's betting it won't be the last time.  NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series phenom (by blood and skill) Chase Elliott was constantly hounded by "when are you going to win a race).  And it was legit, since his debut in 2016, the 24 year old had 28 Top 5 finishes and over 1000 laps led.  But none of the Top 10 finishes were first.  And none of the 1000 laps led were the last lap.  But Elliott looked both aggressive but smart at Watkins Glen, NY, as he constantly pressured the leaders until finally, they were looking at his tailpipe.  Elliott finished the race holding off 2017 Cup Series Champion Martin Truex Jr. who was the only other competitor who could give him a run.  And he got the run, but ran out of gas, as Elliott accelerated through the finish line for his first victory. 

NASCAR Chat 3/24/2018

Check out our new feature in combination with the Ladies in Black Blog, called NASCAR Chat.  In this week's episode, LiB Lexie (who you have seen featured in my Blog for football picks) and I talk about Kevin Harvick's wreck in Fontana, California.  We also discuss how we would improve the tracks used during the playoffs as well as Lowe's no longer sponsoring Hendrick Motorsports #48 car currently driven by Jimmie Johnson.  Finally, we talk about new drivers Will Byron, Bubba Wallace, and Erik Jones.  Here is the full episode:



Prior Episodes
NASCAR Chat 03/10/2018
NASCAR Chat 03/03/2018

Sportsman of the Week Ending 11/20/2016

The end of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season provided drama to the very end, and a living legend rose to the occasion.  Hendrick Motorsports 48 car Jimmie Johnson set history on a number of fronts, but we'll get to that in a minute.  He outright won the final race of the Sprint Cup Series at Homestead-Miami, FL, by holding off all the other Cup competitors, plus one or two that were just in it for the race payday.  He came from behind against the other three finalists to take the lead at the end, including the extra laps resulting from a yellow in a green/white/checkered finish.  With it, his 80th Series victory (seventh to reach that plateau).  But most importantly, seventh Sprint Cup Championship, only matched by NASCAR legends Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt.  And the 41-year-old isn't slowing down.  And like other sports, you could argue that the field is much deeper and the edges are much more slight than the eras of Petty and Earnhardt.