Chase Elliott: How He Will Do In His Cup Series Debut At Martinsville

By @GucciardoJoey

PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT I AM NOT A NASCAR EXPERT AND I AM ONLY EXPRESSING MY OPINION AND MY OPINION ONLY. MY OPINION IS NOT NECESSARILY SHARED WITH OTHER WRITERS ON THIS BLOG.

Since he will be replacing Jeff Gordon in the No. 24 car at the start of the 2016 season when Gordon retires, Chase Elliott will be running a few races this season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

His first race is at Martinsville Speedway on March 29th, 2015.

Our 5/24 shop is temporarily a 5/24/25 shop as @chaseelliott's Chevy SS is being built for the @MartinsvilleSwy race. pic.twitter.com/LKj3jD68L9
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) March 18, 2015

But Elliott has never made a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start in his career. But here's why I think he will do well.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~
1.) Elliott has plenty of talent. Elliott won the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship in 2014 in his ROOKIE year in the series! I predict that Elliott qualifies in the Top-20, and finishes within the Top-15, which is not to bad for your debut in NASCAR's premier series (Sprint Cup).

2.) Elliott has a great mentor. Elliott is learning from two of NASCAR's most popular drivers, Bill Elliott (his father), and Dale Earnhardt JR., who is the owner of the NASCAR XFINITY Series team JR. Motorsports, which is Elliott's XFINITY Series team.

3.) Elliott must be ready for the Sprint Cup. We all know that rick Hendrick would want a driver that he knows can win behind the wheel of a Chevy, so he must have picked Elliott because he KNEW that Elliott could win. I personally believe that Elliott is the wisest choice to drive the No. 24 car starting in 2016.
~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~

Kevin Harvick wins at Auto Club

By @GucciardoJoey

Follow UNB! On Twitter

Kevin Harvick in victory lane at Auto Club Speedway
after winning the Drive4Clots.com 300
(Photo: Alex Gallardo)

Happy Harvick can't stop winning.

Today, Kevin Harvick got his second XFINITY Series win of this season at Auto Club Speedway.

He led 100 of today's 150 laps.

"We've been close to winning here before, but today was a day that was pretty much flawless from start-to-finish. Everything is clicking right now and you just gotta keep riding the wave." Harvick said, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Brendan Gaughan finished 2nd.

Erik Jones, who rolled off the starting gird in 1st (pole position), finished 3rd, Chase Elliott finished 4th, and Chris Buescher finished 5th.

Kyle Larson, who finished 7th, won this race last year, and he actually HELD OFF Harvick for the win in that race.

[:POINTS UPDATE:]

Due to finishing 5nd today, Chris Buescher sits second in XFINITY Series points behind Ty Dillon, current XFINITY Series points leader, who finished 14th today.

Harvick Dominating?

By @GucciardoJoey

Follow UNB! On Twitter!

Kevin Harvick in victory lane after winning
the CampingWorld.com 500 this past
weekend at Phoenix International
Raceway.
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Kevin Harvick is on a roll right now.

Harvick has won two races this season, and we're only four races into the season.

Harvick just won this past weekend at Phoenix International Raceway, officially locking himself into the Chase.

Notice how I said "officially" locked in.

Truth is, a win doesn't OFFICIALLY lock you into the Chase. TWO wins locks you in. Let's say you win a race. But 26 different drivers win a race (There's only 26 races before the Chase), only 16 can get in. Two wins locks you in.

Harvick is now locked in.

Harvick went into 2015 coming off his first ever career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in November of 2014.

I'll put it to you this way, Harvick has won 4 of the last 6 points races.

The first of those four, was at Phoenix in November of 2014, where Harvick guaranteed himself a spot in the final four of the Chase for the Cup.

He won the race, beating fellow Final Four member Ryan Newman to the Checkered Flag to win the championship.

Kevin Harvick is an amazing driver with amazing talent.

Isn't that why his fans call him "Freaky Fast?"

The NASCAR On FOX broadcasters call him "Mr. Where Did He Come From." because of his late race moves where he suddenly passes the first place car for the lead.

Will Kevin Harvick win the 2015 NSCS Championship, or will someone stop him?

Joey Logano wins at Phoenix

By @GucciardoJoey

Follow Us On Twitter!

Well, he started on the pole (1st Place), and Joey Logano has won at Phoenix International Raceway.

Victory Lane tastes so good for @joeylogano! Your #XFINITYSeries #Axalta200 champion! pic.twitter.com/GWitcMW0cD
— XFINITY Racing (@XFINITYRacing) March 14, 2015

(Photo: NASCAR.com)

He led 176 of the 200 laps in today's race.

After a late restart on lap 143/200, Logano had to hold off Matt Kenseth, who finished 2nd in today's race. Kevin Harvick, who started second, finished 3rd, Austin Dillon finished 4th, and Erik Jones, filling in for the injured Kyle Busch, finished 5th.

Matt Kenneth led the first 14 laps, NASCAR XFINITY Series rookie Brennan Poole led 6, and Austin Dillon led four.

Chase Elliott started seventh in today's race. But on lap 138, he spun with Ty Dillon, and spun in Turn 2, but would finish where he started, in seventh.

Logano hadn't won in the XFINITY Series since September of 2013, so he really made his mark in this series today.

Congratulations to Joey Logano on winning today's Axalta Faster. Tougher. Brighter. 200!

Eldora Speedway website hacked by Islamic State

By @GucciardoJoey

Well, Rossburg, Ohio got a little taste of the Islamic State.

The small dirt-track called Eldora Speedway located in the small town of Rossburg has been hacked by ISIS, or the Islamic State.

Or at least, an Islamic message.

The hack happened this past Saturday.

Tony Stewart, part-owner of the track, was very confused.

"Seriously? I guess we're a big enough blip on the radar now if we've gotten their attention. Maybe we can give them season passes." Stewart said to USA Today.

Jimmie Johnson and the Current Success of Team #48

By @GucciardoJoey
Follow UNB! On Twitter

Photo: Goodyear Racing on Twitter
Jimmie Johnson in the garage at Las Vegas
Motor Speedway

Look at 2014 for Team #48. They had four wins, and finished a career-low 11th in final Sprint Cup Series points.

It took them 11 races last season to get their first win. The first win was the first of three in the next four races.

They won four races total in 2014, but like I said, they had their career-lowest points standings finish.

But I really think this team has turned over a new leaf since 2014.

They qualified 2nd for the 2015 DAYTONA 500, then won a Budweiser Duel (They won Duel #1/2) and finished fifth in the DAYTONA 500. He led the first 13 laps, and led a few near the end of the race but racing grooves were formed on late restarts that plagued Johnson and stole the win from him. He still managed to finish 5th in the race.

Then they went from 37th to first to win the second race of this season this past Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the Folds of Honor Quick Trip 500.

This team is off to one of their greatest seasons yet in 2015.

Their best season was in 2007, where they won 10 races, and won the championship to go along with it.

I really think this team is at the point where they are performing at their best, and that effort is really paying off. They are always on the same page with each other, and they work as a team. If Jimmie Johnson has any complaints about his car during a race, the team is ready to fix it nice and quickly. This team is at it's best right now, and if not that, then things will get better.

If you really remember well I wrote articles on Team #48's struggles in 2014. I always mentioned the paint scheme changes, how Team #48 got rid of their white paint scheme because they thought it was bad luck, and how they switched over to the Blue car that they won the 2013 championship with, and almost won the 2012 championship with.

But only believe that if you are a superstitious person.

I really think that Team #48 has turned over a new leaf, and is ready to compete and compete well in 2015 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Austin Dillon wins Boyd Gaming 300

By @GucciardoJoey

Austin Dillon managed to win an amazing Boyd Gaming 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Dillon started on the pole (1st Place)

Ryan Blaney came in second, followed by Regan Smith, then Denny Hamlin filling in for the injured Kyle Busch in the No. 54 Toyota. Then it was Chase Elliott in 5th to round out the Top-5.

Brendan Gaughan, Darrell Wallace JR., Ty Dillon, Brennan Poole, and Daniel Suarez rounded out the Top-10.

Brian Scott had engine troubles the MOMENT of the first drop of the green flag. He instantly fell to the back of the pack, but no caution was thrown.

The first caution, which came on Lap 13, Scott had no hesitation in taking the car behind the pit-road wall.

Scott would finish 38/40. The only two drivers behind him were Mike Bliss, who brought out that first caution for hitting the wall, and Jeff Green in 40th.

The top-3 in the NASCAR XFINITY Series standings after today's race ARE:

(1) Ty Dillon (#3)

(2) Chris Buescher (#90)

(3) Ryan Reed (#16)

Erik Jones was wrecked in a late-race incident.

Ryan Blaney was really mad at himself for wrecking Jones, but Jones was mad too.

Jones's car was mangled on the front only, and he also went on an ambulance ride to the infield care center.

"I hate to see him wreck" said Blaney, who finished 2nd.

Blaney's car got EXTREMELY loose on the backstretch and directly hit Jones, which sent Jones into a spin.

"The 22 just lost it, obviously." said Jones.

Jones would go on to say that he basically saved the 22 (of Blaney) from wrecking, and how he wrecked instead.

Jones finished 29th.

But congratulations to Austin Dillon and we wish the best of luck to Erik Jones.

Matt Crafton wins truck series race at Atlanta

By @GucciardoJoey

(Photo: John Amis/AP)

Hampton, GA--- Kevin Harvick had won the NASCAR XFINITY Series race earlier in the day before this race, but Matt Crafton won right after that.

MORE: Harvick Wins Hisense 250

Crafton is coming off winning his second consecutive NCTWS championship in 2014 (first one in 2013).

Crafton took the lead on lap 59, and led the rest of the race from there. Crafton started fifteenth in his No. 88 Toyota. This was his 6th career win in the NCTWS.

Grafton finished 8th in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

"I was really, really disappointed with qualifying. But I knew once the green flag dropped and we ran three laps, these boys are in trouble." Grafton said.

"It was a great day." Ty Dillon, who finished 2nd to Crafton, said.

Crafton also started in the Daytona 500 the same weekend as the NCTWS season opener at Daytona International Speedway, filling in for the injured Kyle Busch.

The battle for third between Ben Kennedy and Daniel Suarez was exciting, as Kennedy held off Suarez by 0.696 seconds, Tyler Reddick, who won the season opener, was 5th.

Kevin Harvick wins Hisense 250

By @GucciardoJoey

(AP Photo/John Amis)

Hampton, GA--- This race was just another XFINITY Series race won by a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star.

This was Harvick's third straight win at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, his fourth win there overall in the series.

Logan finished 2nd the past two years. He led early in the race. "it seems like I finish 2nd here all the time." said Logano after qualifying on the pole for this race. He will also start first in today's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the same track.

"He's a great talent. Kevin has got a knack at this place. When it comes to Atlanta, he's hard to beat." said Dale Earnhardt JR. owner of the no. 88 car that Harvick drove for JR. Motorsports.

Jeffery Earnhardt spun on lap 9, bringing out the first caution.

@BlogNascar Either Harvick or Logano
— Avery Hage (@AveryHage) February 28, 2015

Harvick won a race off of pit road with 27 laps to go under caution. "That pit stop was what won the race." said Harvick.