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Ryan Blaney Overcomes All Odds to Reach Phoenix
Nov 4, 2024 | Edition #93
👋 Dear Motorheads,
The Lucky Dog could not spend even a second away from all the on-track action on Sunday. But so much more happened in The Old Dominion throughout the weekend. For starters, maybe Rick Hendrick’s phone call with Ross Chastain tempered the Melon Man to root for Hendrick drivers at Martinsville this time...
🏆 Final 2024 Championship Contenders
After losing Bell (-4), Larson (-7), Hamlin (-24), and Elliott (-44), we have our final four, folks!
📝 Martinsville Writes The Most Chaotic NASCAR Stories
💪 Ryan Blaney All Set to Repeat His Greatest Feat
🕊 Farewell, ‘Candy Man’: NASCAR Mourns Fallen ‘Modified’ Mainstay
🎬 Tom Cruise Teases a New Lap for NASCAR Classic
🔮 Lucky Dog’s Perspective
Martinsville Is Not for the Timid
Martinsville Speedway lived up to its reputation as a hotbed for post-race confrontations and fistfights yet again.
The chaos kicked off with Friday’s Truck race, where Taylor Gray stormed into Victory Lane to confront Christian Eckes. After a controversial bump that shipped Gray and his championship hopes up the racetrack, the pair had a heated exchange. Visibly upset, Gray even ended up threatening the No 19 driver, saying, “The only thing [Eckes] did was put a target on his back.” Here is the altercation that almost got physical.
As Taylor’s dust-up made the headlines, his younger brother, Tanner, also collided, literally and emotionally, with Tricon teammate Dean Thompson. The latter mindlessly wrecked the former while trying to make an audacious mid-pack pass. It was a rough night for the Grays, as Brett Griffin hinted that “Tanner got his a** whooped.”
And if you think that’s chaotic, we haven’t even talked to you about the main event of Saturday: Chandler Smith vs. Cole Custer. After a season of trading paint, these two finally came to blows… literally.
Entering Martinsville with bad blood, Smith was -4 to the elimination line, while Custer sat at +4. The battle turned ugly when Custer pushed Smith away from potentially contending for the win. The JGR driver, who was in a must-win situation, saw red, and let his anger fly with a swing at Custer on pit road. Custer, however, laughed at the attempt, calling it a "soft" punch. Here is the altercation that did, in fact, get physical.
This type of mayhem at Martinsville is not unusual, though. Don’t believe us? Just take a look at this incident from 2022 between Ty Gibbs and Sam Mayer, which turned into a full-blown fight. Video: Ty Gibbs and Sam Mayer exchanged punches on pit road.
As veterans like Mark Martin, Kenny Wallace, and Denny Hamlin would say, it’s a warning that NASCAR’s moral compass is fading. Some even argue that the entitlement of younger drivers has contributed to this trend. Perhaps the sport needs to tighten its reins. Or do you think this chaos is what makes Martinsville the rough-and-tumble heart of NASCAR?
🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Poll 🏁
With the Field Now Set, Who Is Your Pick for the 2024 Championship? |
Last Poll’s Result: As we asked, ‘Who’s Got the Best Nickname in NASCAR History?’, dominating the pack was 'The Intimidator,' winning 51.2% of all the votes. The rest of the field was surprisingly tight, with Rowdy and Smoke coming in at second with 14.7% votes.
🏁 Sunday’s Race Report
Bell’s Wall-Ride To Phoenix Denied!
Sunday’s Showstoppers:
Ryan Blaney has done it once again! For the second year in a row, the Team Penske driver secured his ticket to Phoenix with an 11th-hour win at the Paperclip. Now, the question arises: can he become the first driver since Jimmie Johnson to win back-to-back Cup championships?
Brad Keselowski won his first stage of the year in the second 130-lap segment of the race and led the most laps out of everyone else overall. In doing that, he snapped a three-race points skid and ultimately finished P9—his first top-10 finish in nearly a month.
William Byron’s tandem with crew chief Rudy Fugle was a sight to behold the entire race. For half an hour, Byron wasn’t even sure if he’d made it through. But Christopher Bell’s wall-ride violation opened the door for Willy B’s transfer, who ended his race 6th. A nod must go to Chevy teammates, Ross Chastain & Austin Dillon, who helped Byron hold off any approaching threats in the final laps.
The Also-Rans:
Christopher Bell would’ve been a hero at Martinsville… two years ago! The #20 driver pulled off a ‘Hail Melon’ on the last lap after contact with Bubba Wallace. That tied Bell & Byron in the Playoff picture for a moment. But NASCAR issued a safety violation against Bell, which cost him 4 spots, and those 4 crucial championship points against Byron. Here is the clip of Christopher Bell’s wall ride at Martinsville.
Kyle Larson did not make the Phoenix cut. That will certainly sting for the winningest driver this season, who came so close to notching the seventh Victory Lane visit of his year. The #5 team had picked up points in both stages and was just 7 points away from the cutline when the dust finally settled.
Denny Hamlin once again failed to make the final 4 in the Next-Gen car. The #11 team’s woes began even before the field took to green since Hamlin started his race in a backup car after wrecking his primary during practice. He scored a top-5 finish but ended his race 24 points below the elimination line.
📊 Notable Stats From the Weekend:
Michael McDowell ran his 500th Cup race on Sunday!
With a 12th-place finish, Shane van Gisbergen earned his first top-15 result on a non-superspeedway oval at Martinsville.
The 170 laps that Brad Keselowski led are the most he has ever led in a single race for RFK Racing.
Christopher Bell became the third driver in NASCAR's Modern Era to be knocked out of the championship hunt by a single penalty, following Martin Truex Jr (2013) and Austin Dillon from earlier this year.
All eyes will now be on Phoenix, as the lucky quartet duke it out for the grand prize in The Valley. So keep your eyes peeled for Sunday’s race set to go green at 3 PM ET.
📈 Trending News
Terrible Loss At The Whelen Tour Grand Finale
The roar of the engines at the Martinsville usually calls for a day of high-octane excitement. But that was hardly the case with this year’s Whelen Modified Tour season finale. While Justin Bonsignore dramatically clinched his fourth series championship over Ron Silk, tragedy hung heavy over the entire event.
Wayne Anastasia, a beloved crew member of Russell Goodale’s No. 46 team, lost his life in a devastating accident. In a tragic misstep, Wayne suffered a severe head injury when he accidentally walked into the side of Carson Loftin’s Modified in the garage area during practice. After a courageous week-long battle for his life, he passed away on November 2nd, aged 65.
NASCAR released a heartfelt statement, honoring Wayne as a “racer” at heart, through and through, “a fixture in the garage," while long-time friend Sheree Gaughan lovingly remembered him as “The Candy Man,” who always knew how to make the kids smile at the tracks. The outpouring of love and support from the racing community reminded us that Wayne had lived quite a wholesome life.
As his wife Kathy and family fight through these difficult times, we send our prayers and gratitude for a kind soul. Rest easy, Wayne—you were truly one of a kind.
🎡 Roulette of Rumors
Paramount Again ‘Drafts’ Tom Cruise for Days of Thunder 2
Cole Trickle, pardon us, Tom Cruise might be revving up for a comeback in the #51 Mello Yello Chevy! Yes, the three-time Golden Globe winner is mulling a return to his iconic role in the 1990 NASCAR drama, Days of Thunder. While the idea is still in its early days, the mere whisper of a sequel has sent ripples through the NASCAR nation.
Paramount Pictures is reportedly looking for scriptwriters to develop the sequel, although everything’s contingent on how packed Cruise’s schedule remains in the coming months.
NASCAR itself is excited about the prospect. COO Steve O'Donnell had expressed enthusiasm about the possibility of a ‘Days of Thunder 2’ earlier, stating, "The more places we can expose NASCAR to with a broader audience, the better..."
So let’s say Cruise does step back into Trickle's shoes, the story can’t simply be just another remake of the original. At 62, he should return either as a mentor, a team owner, or a veteran racer still itching to compete. Much like those NASCAR icons he interacted with in 1990 during filming for the first movie, who kept racing into their 50s.
In case you didn’t know, the team had worked closely with Hendrick Motorsports and consulted with drivers like Dale Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace to grab a hold of the real deal. In fact, Cruise’s portrayal of Cole Trickle took inspiration from the vibrant Tim Richmond. While his grizzled crew chief, Harry Hogge (portrayed by Robert Duvall), echoed NASCAR pit legend Harry Hyde.
The movie left such a mark that Long-time fans like Kyle Busch still quote lines and draw inspiration from characters like Rowdy Burns – the namesake for Busch's own "Rowdy" moniker! And while the movie wasn't necessarily a commercial blockbuster, it undoubtedly brought the sport to a much wider audience. We’re talking about people who wouldn’t even tune into a NASCAR race on a Sunday.
Continue Reading: Tom Cruise Set to Rejuvenate NASCAR in Hollywood?
📰 More Stories to Check Out
William Byron Points Fingers at Bubba Wallace Amid Race Manipulation Accusations - Full Story
Ross Chastain Involved in Another Martinsville Controversy - Full Story
Fans Displeased With Ryan Blaney's Expletive-Laden Threat - Full Story
“Looks Like Dale, Drives Like Teresa”- Fans Crack Down on the Intimidator’s Grandson - Full Story
Martinsville Controversy Leaves Mark Martin in Disgust - Full Story
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