NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: SPEED Crew Heads To Irish Hills Of Michigan
The SPEED crew recaps the week in NASCAR and looks ahead to this weekend’s event at Michigan...
SPEED Staff  |  Posted June 14, 2012   Charlotte, NC
Joey Logano will be driving for Joe Gibbs Racing for the final time Sunday. (Photo: Getty Images)
For the second consecutive week, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races on a newly-repaved track. This weekend’s stop is Michigan International Speedway, where teams tested Thursday in preparation for Sunday’s race.

Below, the SPEED crew recaps the week and looks ahead to this weekend’s event at Michigan:

Q: Joey Logano earned the second Cup Series victory of his career last weekend at Pocono. With all the talk of him potentially losing his ride at Joe Gibbs Racing next season, is one win enough to save his job?

“JD Gibbs has said all along Joey has to make the Chase, so we’ll see what happens. There are some good free agents out there – Ryan Newman comes to mind first – so the jury still is out on Joey’s future with JGR, but I think he’ll have to do more.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief

“I don’t think one race changes everything, but it is a great start. Logano’s performance the past month has been strong, so I think he’ll be okay. This will be a sponsor call as much as a Joe Gibbs Racing one, and the sponsors must feel comfortable that Logano can get the job done.”
--Larry McReynolds, SPEED analyst

“He isn’t out of the hot seat just yet because the hot seat covers his overall performance in the No. 20 car. The Home Depot has watched the Lowe’s car kick its ass the past few years, and I’m sure corporate pressure is being felt. He doesn’t have to win all the time, but you must be consistent at the Cup level.”
--Jimmy Spencer, SPEED analyst

“Yes, 100-percent, because Dale Jr. hasn’t won in four years and Carl Edwards has had only one win since Homestead in 2010. There are a lot of drivers out there with no wins who are still driving.”
--Kenny Wallace, NASCAR Nationwide Series driver and SPEED analyst

“It took a couple of years for the uncertainty to get to this point, so it’s going to take more than one win to get past it. But I see a driver more focused and committed than he has been in the past. He’s talented but it takes effort, not just behind the wheel, but a good mental attitude and a daily commitment, to be successful in Cup.”
--Darrell Waltrip, NASCAR on FOX and SPEED analyst

Q: Speeds in Thursday’s test at Michigan were blistering fast. Are they too fast?

“At Pocono (newly repaved), they went into the corner and had to lift. They were shifting and were on and off the brakes. With this repave at Michigan and as fast as it’s going to be, there’s no doubt drivers are concerned about the speeds.”
--Matt Clark, SPEED analyst

“Drivers say they’re comfortable at these speeds and I think if they felt unsafe, we’d be hearing about it. The fact that we’re not suggests these speeds probably are okay.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief

Q: After this week’s test at Bristol, it sounds like the top groove now is too slick to run. How much will this create more of the “old Bristol” racing fans say they want?

“From everything I’m hearing, the top groove is out of play. We’ll see if that was money well spent by Bruton Smith if we get back to two-groove racing. The majority of folks think it definitely is back to two grooves. Maybe the ‘new Bristol’ will be back to the ‘old Bristol.’”
--Matt Clark, SPEED analyst

“I think the consensus is fans will be happier and drivers won’t be.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief

Q: Does blame for the outbreak of pit road speeding penalties at Pocono lie at the feet of the crew chiefs for not confirming the specifics of pit road timing lines?

“It clearly was crew chief error because nearly half the violations came from just a handful of drivers. Those were the teams that didn’t do their homework.”
--Tom Jensen, SPEED.com Editor-in-Chief

“If everybody had the same problem, it wouldn’t be a problem, but only half the field had that speeding problem. That tells you someone outworked someone and some didn’t do their due diligence in preparation. I can guarantee you that won’t happen again.”
--John Roberts, host of NASCAR RaceDay
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