THE LEFT TURN
NASCAR heads to the Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend
Jul 9, 2021, 12:49 pm
Keep an eye on Denny Hamlin this Sunday. Photo via: Wiki Commons.
The NASCAR Cup Series heads for Atlanta Motor Speedway this week for the Quaker State 400. This will be the final race that NASCAR will run on this configuration before a massive repave and reconfiguration takes place after the race. This race will feature four-hundred miles of slipping and sliding and tire management. The surface for this racetrack is one of the roughest on the schedule, as it hasn't been repaved since 1997. More than likely, the driver who does the best at saving his tires will win the race. Much like we saw earlier here in the season, Lap traffic will also come into play as well. When Kyle Larson had a massive lead on Ryan Blaney, he approached the lapped car of Joey Logano who promptly held him up, allowing his teammate of Blaney to catch up and take the win. Look for that to be a point of contingency come Sunday.
Last week at Road America, Chase Elliott did what he does best and took his seventh career victory on a road course. This is his second victory of 2021. This was another excellent run as he continues to put down solid runs as we get closer to the playoffs. He will be one to watch to tack on more wins as there are four more road courses left this season.
The big story off the track this week have been the rumors about next year's new car and its safety record. The reaction to the crash testing has been mixed, as there have been some reports that the crash test dummies used in the simulations were fatally impacted. This is a very troubling sign for the sport as safety has been NASCAR's strongest attribute since 2001 when Dale Earnhardt was killed. It is important to note that these are rumors and have not been confirmed, but there has been a lot of smoke around these claims. Former Crew-Chief Steve Hmeil claimed on Twitter that the car was "too stiff" and there weren't enough crush zones around the car. And even though he hasn't been in the sport for a while he is certainly a reputable source. I have talked to a few people around the garage and the reaction that I have heard has been mixed. Some have been positive, some have been negative but overall on the bright side, the sectioning body has some time to figure out all the kinks. This will be quite the storyline to follow in the coming months.
A driver who continues to impress this season has been sophomore driver Tyler Reddick. He has been continuing to impress each and every week and continued this by winning stage two at Road America. The Richard Childress Racing team is going through a lot of turmoil right now and there are a lot of questions surrounding this team. If there is one thing this team has really perfected, it's been their ability to stay around the top fifteen for the whole race, as his average running position is 15.8. This team is getting closer and closer to that elusive first career win and is knocking on the door of a playoff berth. Look for Tyler Reddick to continue to improve each week as the season continues.
The driver that I have winning this week is Denny Hamlin. What a year it has been for this team. Overall, Hamlin's 8.4 average finish is the highest of anyone. He has done everything but win this season but that is going to change this week. Atlanta is a track that has treated him well, he has a victory here along with six top fives and four hundred and nineteen laps led, (second only to Kyle Larson among active drivers). He will greatly benefit from a third place starting spot as well, with how much this high downforce package makes it difficult to pass at these types of racetracks. If Hamlin can minimize his mistakes and put a whole race together, this will be the week he gets that elusive first win of 2021. Look for the #11 FedEx Toyota to go to victory lane on Sunday.
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The Chicago Cubs acquired All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker in a trade with the Houston Astros on Friday, paying a big price for one of baseball's best hitters.
The Cubs sent third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and Cam Smith, one of their top infield prospects, to the Astros for Tucker, who is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.
Be sure to watch the video below as the crew from Stone Cold 'Stros reacts to the trade and lays out what the future holds for the new-look Astros.
Tucker was limited to 78 games this year because of a fractured right shin, but he hit .289 with 23 homers and 49 RBIs for the AL West champions. He batted .284 with 29 homers, an AL-best 112 RBIs and 30 steals for Houston in 2023.
Tucker, who turns 28 on Jan. 17, joins a crowded situation in Chicago's outfield, but the Cubs are reportedly looking to trade Cody Bellinger, who also can play first base. They also have talked to Seiya Suzuki's agent about the outfielder's no-trade clause.
The Cubs have finished second in the NL Central with an 83-79 record in each of the past two years, and there is increased pressure on president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer to get the team back into the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
The Cubs announced later in the day that they had agreed to an $11.5 million, two-year contract with catcher Carson Kelly, a Chicago native. He played for Detroit and Texas this year, batting .238 with nine homers and 37 RBIs in 91 games.
The New York Yankees also were in the mix for Tucker before the trade was completed.
“We certainly had many conversations with the Astros.” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “At the end of the day I’m glad that Mr. Tucker is not in the American League East or the American League at all. But it’s a big get for the Chicago Cubs.”
Paredes is an option for Houston at third base if Alex Bregman departs in free agency. The 25-year-old Paredes hit .238 with 19 homers and 80 RBIs in 153 games this year. He made the AL All-Star team with Tampa Bay and then was traded to Chicago in July.
Paredes, who bats from the right side and is known for his pull power, chuckled as he talked about taking aim at the Crawford Boxes in left field at Minute Maid Park.
“I feel very happy. It's not only a beautiful stadium, but it's a stadium that benefits my hitting,” he said through a translator.
Even with the acquisition of Paredes, who also can play first, Astros general manager Dana Brown did not close the door on a reunion with Bregman.
“Pretty much Alex Bregman's status is still the way it is,” Brown said. “Nothing has changed since the last time I've talked to you guys.”
Wesneski, a Houston native who played college ball for Sam Houston State, will compete for a spot in the Astros’ rotation.
The right-hander, who turned 27 on Dec. 5, went 3-6 with a 3.86 ERA over 21 relief appearances and seven starts this year. He was on the injured list from July 20 to Sept. 20 with a right forearm strain.
“It’s just a dream-come-true kind of thing,” Wesneski said. “I am excited to be an Astro.”
Houston is hoping the addition of Paredes and Wesneski will help the team continue its impressive run as one of baseball's best teams. It has made the playoffs for eight straight years, winning the World Series in 2017 and 2022. It was swept by Detroit in the wild-card round this year.
“Look, make no mistake. We're still going to compete,” Brown said, “and this is probably one of those moves that I think in the future people will see and understand like, yeah, wow, I understand it now, I get it. ... I would say that this is more to strengthen our opportunities down the road without losing any footage in the current year.”
While Paredes and Wesneski could have an immediate impact, Smith also was a key component of the deal.
Smith, 21, was selected by Chicago with the No. 14 pick in this year's draft out of Florida State University. He hit .313 with seven homers and 24 RBIs in 32 games over three minor league stops, finishing the year with Double-A Knoxville.
“It's a really good first-round college bat with power, with a chance to hit, and he's pretty athletic as well,” Brown said. “So we're really excited about Cam Smith.”
Tucker was Houston's first-round pick in 2015, taken No. 5 overall. He made his big league debut with the Astros in 2018.
Tucker had a breakout performance three years after his debut, hitting a career-best .294 with 30 homers and 92 RBIs in 140 games in 2021. He won a Gold Glove the following year.
The Tampa, Florida, native is a .274 hitter with 125 homers, 417 RBIs and an .869 OPS in 633 career games — all with Houston. He also has appeared in 64 postseason games, batting .229 with eight homers and 28 RBIs.
Kelly gets $5 million in each of the next two seasons, and his deal with Chicago includes a $7.5 million mutual option for 2027 with a $1.5 million buyout. He can earn $500,000 in performance bonuses during each of the three seasons; $250,000 each for 81 and 91 games started.
The Cubs were in need of more depth behind the plate. They also have Miguel Amaya, who played in a career-high 117 games this year, and Matt Thaiss, who was acquired in a trade with the Angels on Nov. 20.