Alright, alright. We dragged our feet a little bit to embrace this whole Pokemon Go thing, but we've been hooked since checking out our very own PokeStop. While out catching 'em all, it was hard not to notice a few similarities to some guys we're a little more familiar with...
Carl Edwards - Machoke
It's only logical that NASCAR's preeminent gym rat would draw comparisons to the bodybuilding Pokemon Machoke. Whether he's one-upping Jay Glaser in the gym or speaking for the "Eat Smart, Move More" campaign, a healthy lifestyle has always been important for Edwards. We're not sure who'd win between these two in an arm wrestling competition, but smart money is on Carl when it comes to back flips.
Joey Logano - Jolteon
Starting out as a common Eevee, the right trainer - or team - can quickly evolve this Pokemon into the hardcore Jolteon; one guy you don't want to mess with, if you can help it. Similarly, Joey Logano's work with Team Penske makes him a formidable opponent on the track. While only capturing one (points-eligible) W this year, last year's Chase run was nothing short of intimidating. Bottom line: don't underestimate these two.
Tony Stewart - Charizard
You know what they say, where there's "Smoke" there's fire - so it's easy to see the parallels between Tony Stewart and the fire-breathing Charizard. The future NASCAR Hall of Famer is a legend on and off the track, and well-known for his fiery personality and driving style.
Chase Elliott - Squirtle
One of the most popular rookie drivers, meet one of the most popular "rookie" Pokemon. Aside from Pikachu (don't worry, we'll get to him), Squirtle is a top choice for both new and veteran Pokemon players. Elliott's popularity spans generations, too: NASCAR fans looking for a new driver after Jeff Gordon's retirement were quick choose the new caretaker of the 24 - a strong driver from day one and possibly the best new talent out there.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Pikachu
What better comparison for the 13-time reigning "Most Popular Driver" award winner than the Pokemon that everyone chooses? Pikachu is the face of Pokemon, just like Dale Earnhardt Jr. really is the face of NASCAR. This little guy is lightning-quick, loyal, and is the only Pokemon famous enough to have his own brand. Need we say more?
Any other suggestions? Comment below and let us know what you think!
Heeeeeee's Bacccckkkkkk?
Late last week Hendrick Motorsports announced that should Dale Earnhardt Jr. be forced to miss this weekend's race in Indianapolis, the recently retired Jeff Gordon would suit up behind the wheel of the No. 88 in his stead. "I think a lot of us on the team have worked for Jeff throughout his illustrious career at Hendrick Motorsports," said crew chief Greg Ives. "To be able to be part of that one more time would be pretty cool for those who have worked with him in the past, but also for those who've never worked with him." It'd definitely be a new look for the NASCAR legend, who spent his career tied with the now-iconic 24. But if you saw him in the booth at all this season, you know he can sport a "new suit" pretty well.
Back-to-Back Brad
For the third time this season we've seen a driver make back-to-back trips to Gatorade Victory Lane. Brad Keselowski followed up his Coke Zero 400 victory with a win at Kentucky this season, marking the fourth win in 2016 for the Penske driver. "These cars were tough to drive today, but a good
tough. This was a hard-fought battle, and I'm really proud of everybody
on the 2 crew to get win number four and take that first place." With the victory, the 2014 Federeated Auto Parts winner became the first driver to officially clinch a spot in the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
As the weeks keep ticking away, so do the opportunities for drivers to race their way into The Chase. Only eight races remain in the regular season, and with eleven different winners just five Chase spots open through the point
system. MRN's Pete Pistone takes a look at some drivers who might be feeling a little extra heat under the summer sun.
Richmond-based Estes Express Lines is teaming up with local driver Jeb Burton for two NASCAR XFINITY Series races in 2016. Burton will pilot the No. 98 Estes Ford at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
on July 23 and Richmond International Raceway September 9. Estes President and CEO Rob Estes weighed in on the sponsorship. "We're
proud of our association with this Virginia native who has gone on to
gain national recognition. It's exciting to once again support him as he
takes to the track in the No. 98 Estes Ford in Indianapolis and
Richmond."
It's been a tumultuous season for Matt Kenseth, who has more laps led (431) than four-time race winner Keselowski (329) - but just two top-5 finishes to show for it. It's been a far cry from his 2015 campaign where only Joey Logano had more wins than his five. However, this weekends contest in New Hampshire might be as good an opportunity as any for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver to even the ship. With two wins and an average finish of 12.7, Loudon is one of Kenseth's stronger tracks on the circuit. Look for the reigning Federated Auto Parts 400 champ to find some stability heading into the season's final stretch.
It took him 15 tries, but Brad Keselowski finally raced his way into Daytona's Gatorade Victory Lane in Saturday's Coke Zero 400. The No. 2 Penske Ford driver managed to avoid "The Big One" on Lap 90, which saw over half the field (22 cars) suffer damage, and scored the 100th win for Team Penske. “We
had two great cars here with Team Penske and worked together really
well,” Keselowski said. “Joey (Logano) has won here and he’s really a
pro, especially on that restart. He gave me that push I need to get to
the front and here we are at Daytona in Victory Lane. I don’t care if
it’s not the 500. It’s Daytona. This is huge. I love this place and here
we are in Victory Lane.” Brad's 19 wins for Team Penske trail only Rusty Wallace's 37 for most in the team's history, and his 2014 win in Richmond's Federated Auto Parts 400 marked the most dominating win in Sprint Cup Series competition for the team.
Keselowski wasn't the only one making headlines in Central Florida. We went to the "World Center of Racing" to announce our Fan Appreciation Weekend program for September. It's an entire weekend devoted to showing our gratitude to race fans near and far for the enthusiastic support they have given our sport throughout the regular season, and the NASCAR industry jumped on board the hype train.
Keselowski wasn't the only one making headlines in Central Florida. We went to the "World Center of Racing" to announce our Fan Appreciation Weekend program for September. It's an entire weekend devoted to showing our gratitude to race fans near and far for the enthusiastic support they have given our sport throughout the regular season, and the NASCAR industry jumped on board the hype train.
Through 17 Sprint Cup races, we've seen 11 different drivers in Victory Lane. If history is any indicator, that number might not grow after this weekend's Quaker State 400. Through five Sprint Cup Series events at Kentucky Speedway, only three drivers have won at the 1.5-mile tri-oval: Keselowski (2), Kyle Busch (2) and Matt Kenseth (1). But the speedway underwent a facelift earlier this year - with a repave and reconfiguration in Turns 1 & 2 (increased banking and narrower track), and this weekend marks NASCAR's first crack at the new-look track. Maybe this weekend is the chance for someone like Chase Elliott or Austin Dillon to earn the first win of their promising young careers.
Smoke rises again, y'all. For the first time in 84 races, three-time Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart finds himself back in Victory Lane after a thrilling finish at Sonoma over the weekend. "It's been a tough three years not just for him but
everyone that's close to him," his father, Nelson Stewart, said. "I don't know what to
say. We all needed that bad. He really needed that bad." After missing the first eight races with a back issue, Stewart is hoping to channel his inner Kyle Busch and race his way into the Chase picture. Sunday's W helps that a great deal. "With about eight to go it was the first
time I thought, 'hey, we might actually have a shot to hold onto this,'
and I actually got a little bit emotional thinking about it while I was
driving," Stewart said. "You didn't have time to think about
wine and flowers and ponies and all that stuff. I had to get back to
business. But it was nice." Now his attention turns to racing his way back into the top-30 by the season's end in Richmond. Considering he's only 10 points back from Brian Scott, we think the odds are good.
