[Bob Tanner]

Here is week seven, after Texas. The disparity in the top ten and laps led stat continues to grow and grow and grow. A season record for laps led by the LT Class this week - 40! David "The Franchise" Reutimann had 38 of them!

I came up with some more information which surprised me. With this week the number of LT laps led is 64. In doing some research I found out that 40 of those laps led were actually led under green flag conditions. I would have guessed less.

Top Ten Finishes:
MT 10 YTD 62
LT 0 YTD 8

Laps Led:
MT 294 YTD 2165
LT 40 YTD 64

Note: 64 laps led out of a possible 2229. LT cars have led 2.87% of all laps so far this season.

Note: It's been 122 races a driver not currently in the MT Class has won a race (10/2/05 - Dale Jarrett at Talladega)

With latest word that #71 (Gilliland) and #8 (Almirola) will possibly not be at Phoenix and appearing that the cars of Bliss, Blaney and Nemechek are there just until the first pit stop, the number of LT car which can be counted on to try and run the entire race is getting slimmer and slimmer.


MT Class
1. Jeff Gordon 598
2. Jimmy Johnson 488
3. Kurt Busch 468
4. Tony Stewart 442
5. Clint Bowyer 441
6. Kyle Busch 440
7. Denny Hamlin 439
8. Matt Kenseth 417
9. Carl Edwards 384
10. Kasey Kahne 368
11. Jeff Burton 362
12. Kevin Harvick 351
13. Juan Pablo Montoya 340
14. Greg Biffle 338 (Back in the top 15)
13. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 322

LT Class
1. David Reutimann 610 (Back on top)
2. A.J. Allmendinger 559
3. Michael Waltrip 524
4. Elliott Sadler 486
5. Marcos Ambrose 478
6. Bobby Labonte 452
7. Reed Sorenson 440
8. Sam Hornish Jr. 427
9. John Andretti 410
10. Paul Menard 400
11. Robby Gordon 398
12. David Gilliland 369
13. Aric Almirola 252
14 Scott Speed 286
15. Travis Kvapil 226

[wingkey1]

Bit too early to pretend any thoughts have value here, but the groggy mind keeps asking itself ---

With Hornish and Kurt Busch both in the Penske stable (at least I think - dangerous I know - that is so), what is it that splits them in the list above? Similar/same question for Kahne and Sadler.

Back to sleep.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by wingkey1

Bit too early to pretend any thoughts have value here, but the groggy mind keeps asking itself ---

With Hornish and Kurt Busch both in the Penske stable (at least I think - dangerous I know - that is so), what is it that splits them in the list above? Similar/same question for Kahne and Sadler.

Back to sleep.

Good question, Wing. The same feeling applies to Red Bull; two-car team with little "cooperation" between itself and other teams, yet Speed is in LT and Vickers is in MT?

Bottom line was that it was a "gut" decision because I've never been one who feels "One-size-fits-all." I try and take each problem on its own merits.

So, here was my thinking on the two you question plus the one I offered:
Kurt Busch/Hornish: Both part of a MegaTeam operation. Kurt has a championship and some proven success. Hornish, OTOH, is second year and floundered the first year. I put Stremme in MT because of the team's history, not his record.

Kahne/Sadler: Both part of a MegTeam operation (Gillette/Petty) but Kahne has consistently run pretty good while Sadler, though he has been in the playoffs, has a spotty record, as in inconsistent. I literally decided which group Elliott would be in by a flip of a coin.

Vickers/Speed: This was a mistake. I should have placed Vickers in LT. But we (your mouse germane here) all know hindsight is usually close to 20/20.

Also, before you ask, I placed Master Joey in MT because of the team, not his pre-season hype. Another mistake.

Bobby Labonte was another problem. A good driver with a past championship and good record. But he is driving for...? Hell, I don't have any idea how to break down who the #96 is. Is it HOF? Is it Yates or is it Roush? I put Bobby in LT solely based on the HOF record. So far it looks as though I got that one right.

FYI: Starting the second half of the season I will do some realignment and have a second half . Right now (but this might change) it looks as though Reutimann is performing on an MT level AND is actually on a three-car team so he could move up. Master Joey might move down in class but we should wait and see.

Thanks for the questions. I'm sure the few who actually look at these stats have many of the same thoughts. I'm glad to have the opportunity to explain my position.

[wingkey1]

"Gut" 'tis good/works.

Like any rating/measurement system/approach, its strength is in the mind behind it. Not that thar oughtta give ya some fuel.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by wingkey1

"Gut" 'tis good/works.

Like any rating/measurement system/approach, its strength is in the mind behind it. Not that thar oughtta give ya some fuel.

Thank you. That was a kind thing to say.

I look at my Two Class Standings like of like NA__AR looks at the new race car; it's a work in progress. The major difference in the ideological comparison is that my Two Class Standings does nothing to hinder the competition. In fact, I believe that it actually increases it, on paper anyway. The same can't be said for the new race car.

Thanks again for the question and for the nice words.

[BringBackWilkesboro]

I gotta say, even knowing the astronomical disparity between the classes, the laps led stat is just unbelievable. Not only does it show disparity, but if you think further it fuels the generic racing argument (gettingincreasingly one sided) and explains why a growing number of people are simply getting bored. It's always the same few at the front and you feel like you've seen it before, even though it's live.

On a positive note however, The Franchise continues his rise, and he's what, 38 years old? Could we have a modern day Harry Gant?

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by BringBackWilkesboro

I gotta say, even knowing the astronomical disparity between the classes, the laps led stat is just unbelievable. Not only does it show disparity, but if you think further it fuels the generic racing argument (gettingincreasingly one sided) and explains why a growing number of people are simply getting bored. It's always the same few at the front and you feel like you've seen it before, even though it's live.

On a positive note however, The Franchise continues his rise, and he's what, 38 years old? Could we have a modern day Harry Gant?

Let's hope he wins four straight in October.

The Laps Led stat is kind of telling, isn't it. What you say about the people getting bored rings true. Think about all the negatives said back in the 90's when Jeffie-Pooh was winning a lot of races and seemingly finishing in the top five every race. It's the same thing now, except it's now spread among 14-16 drivers. I've said it here until I've been advised to either like it or just quit watching but I'll say it one more time; this mega-team concept that Bill France Jr and Rick Hendrick began is killing NA__AR. <<SOAPBOX MODE: OFF>>

[BringBackWilkesboro]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Let's hope he wins four straight in October.

The Laps Led stat is kind of telling, isn't it. What you say about the people getting bored rings true. Think about all the negatives said back in the 90's when Jeffie-Pooh was winning a lot of races and seemingly finishing in the top five every race. It's the same thing now, except it's now spread among 14-16 drivers. I've said it here until I've been advised to either like it or just quit watching but I'll say it one more time; this mega-team concept that Bill France Jr and Rick Hendrick began is killing NA__AR. <<SOAPBOX MODE: OFF>>

I remember hollering even more in '97 and '98 (or was it '98 and '99... heck maybe all 3). Every race was either Gordon of Jeff Burton. I had the same feeling last year with Johnson and Edwards. There's just something about those Hendrick cars and Roush's 99 I guess.

However, even in '98 and '99, we had Andretti suprise us, and Ricky Rudd and Joe Nemechek snuck in to victory lane a couple times. That sort of thing is simply out of the question now, even with the added emphasis on strategy taking 70% of the race off the racetrack.

[disco stu]

Just a quick note to thank you for keeping this going Bob.

Apart from being genuinely interesting, it's generating some good (and, for me, informative) dialogue.