All Jacked Up

Racing in wine country

Posted by: Jason Randall

Thursday, June 19, 2008 9:52 AM

The fellas in the Sprint Cup series take a few hard right turns this weekend with the Toyota/SaveMart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

It's the first road race of the season, and while a lot of folks really don't care for right turns getting in the way of their speedway racing, I have to say I like the change. There, I said it. I am a fan of the road courses.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I would prefer there to be more road courses than ovals on the Sprint Cup circuit, but the two races we currently have (Infineon and Watkins Glen) offer a nice challenge for the drivers that is fun to watch a couple of times a year.

Yeah, the cars don't go as fast, but really, the racing is pretty darn good at road courses. Track position is so valuable at a place like Infineon, which makes every pass a huge deal. Almost every turn is an opportunity for a guy to outbrake the driver in front of him and make the pass. Or, he might just move him out of the way. Especially in the closing laps, you don't even dare blink while watching a race at a venue like Infineon. It gets pretty wild, even if they aren't hitting 200 mph.

Which leads me to my early pick. I think I like the 24 right now. Jeff Gordon has five wins at Sears Point (yep, that's what it was called before Infineon) and short of some mechanical issues here and there, he's been around the front almost every single season. Gordon has been hanging around in the 8-11 range in the Chase for the Cup standings (he's currently ninth), and I see this as an opportunity for him to make a big jump. Most of the guys ahead of him on the chart absolutely despise road races (and don't run well there, for that matter), and this is where the No. 24 DuPont Chevy can make a move.

Last year's winner, Juan Pablo Montoya, also is a guy who has to be relieved the schedule takes us to a road course this weekend. It has been a complete disaster of a season for Montoya other than his second-place finish at Talladega. This is what's considered a sophomore slump. Everyone expected the former open-wheel great to be leaps and bounds better on ovals this year, and it just hasn't been working. So much so that team owner Chip Ganassi has replaced Montoya's crew chief this season ... twice. So, this should be a place Montoya can feel comfortable and perhaps salvage some good out of what has been a bad five months. He's not a bad guy, as many suggest. He's just frustrated with his results, as any former champion would be with the season he's having.

Well, enough about this weekend, how 'bout Dale Jr. getting to Victory Lane last week at Michigan?

Junior's haters are saying he lucked into the win based on a fuel gamble. I'm not necessarily trying to take sides here, but hey, that's racing. Other drivers could have made the same gamble Earnhardt's crew chief Tony Eury Jr. did, but guess what? They didn't. A fuel mileage win is a win. Period. Those same people who want to discredit Junior's win would have a much different tune if their driver earned the victory in the same manner.

Just like when Tiger Woods wins in golf, just like when Michael Jordan won in basketball, it is good for the sport when its most popular personality wins. Would I have watched the entire U.S. Open playoff on Monday if it was Rocco Mediate and Vijay Singh? Absolutely not. OK, maybe if John Daly was involved ... but that's it.

I don't think Junior is done winning this season either. I think he's going to take the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona on July 5. And of course there are some places like Talladega, Texas and the second Michigan race coming up that the 88 will be strong at. Let's face it, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a very real contender for the Sprint Cup this season. Now wouldn't that send fans into a frenzy?

Until next time, keep hittin' your marks!

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