NASCAR: Kentucky Preview and Predictions

   

THIS...IS...SPARTA!!!! Sparta, Kentucky that is. Yes, NASCAR's best travel to the blue grass state to engage in battle at 180 miles per hour. Kentucky Speedway is certainly very new to the Sprint Cup series, having only 2 races, but the Nationwide and Camping World Truck series have been racing there since the dawn of the new millennium. Given the fact that there have only been two races with two different winners, it's hard to accurately predict a winner, but here's a small list of drivers you should look out for:

Jimmie Johnson:

While five-time has never won a race at Kentucky, his track record is pretty stellar. His average finish of 4.5 is second only to Brad Keselowski, and he has 2 top 10s in both races. Also consider that he has 10 top 10s in 16 races this season, the most out of any driver, and he is tied with Kyle Busch for the most top 5s with 7. Love him or hate him, don't act surprised when the 48 Chevrolet SS is the one in Victory Lane.

Kyle Busch:

Last year, Brad Keselowski would have been in this position, but the fact of the matter is, that team has some work to do. Therefore, I have chosen Kyle Busch to be another solid contender for the trophy on race day. Like Johnson, Busch has a very solid average finish at 5.5, and he has finished both races in the top 10. He's also led the most laps at Kentucky Speedway by far, 243 out of the 534 that have been run. Couple that with a solid 2013 season (2 wins, 7 top 5, 9 top 10s) and you're looking at a very solid contender for the trophy.

Matt Kenseth:

I know, Matt Kenseth has never led a single lap at Kentucky Speedway, but don't let that fool you. He does have an average finish of 6.5 there, and like the two aforementioned drivers, he also scored in the top 10 in both races. But the real success lies within the current season. If both drivers play their cards right, Johnson and Kenseth will have an epic battle for the title during the chase. The driver of the number 20 Toyota Camry has 3 wins under his belt in 2013, and he has the potential for a 4th win this weekend.

Picking a Winner:

The three drivers I have listed above should all run very well during the race, but obviously only one can be victorious. As much as we all love to hate the guy, I just cannot see why Jimmie Johnson cannot win this race. The momentum this guy has is unprecedented, and we all know how good the five time champion is on 1.5 mile tracks. I believe Kenseth will be a strong rival, since he won at Kansas, a similar track with 4 degrees more banking. But overall, Jimmie Johnson is the man to beat.

NASCAR: Why A Sport Once So Popular Is Falling Quickly. What Would You Change?

               

There is a saying that goes, “Don’t fix it unless it’s broke.” While the grammar of the statement may be well off the message behind remains strong today. The last seven years in NASCAR have had a really dormant appearance on growth. The sport simply isn’t attracting new fans to the race track and the people running the sport don’t either which is really making the situation consistently poor.

            The first two generations of NASCAR race cars combined were on the race track for over 31 years. The first generation was on the track from 1948-1966, and the second generation was on the track from 1967-1980. The third generation lasted until 1991 and the best car ever made (in my opinion) started in 1992 and officially left the sport at the end of the 2007 season.

            NASCAR made the decision that both the 4^th generation car and the COT would split the schedule in 2007 with the COT taking over the entire schedule in 2008. Initially, NASCAR wanted to wait until 2009 for the entire schedule to be taken over by the new car. Now, do you notice one of the problems with this? We now run the Gen-6. While the Car of Tomorrow certainly made the racing lackluster, I think that the rush to get the Gen-6 on the race track will end up hurting NASCAR. We didn’t give the Car of Tomorrow the same amount of time like the previous generations of race cars. Maybe the product was such a complete bomb that the change needed to be made. I know that many drivers were very unhappy with the Gen-5, but learning an entirely new product takes time and that takes time away from actually racing.

            The move to the Generation 5 car has changed NASCAR racing forever and in a very bad way. I will continue to love and cherish this sport the same way because I just love racing, but this isn’t the same racing that I grew up with. NASCAR wants to make the competition as tight as possible to level the playing field. NASCAR shouldn’t have to do that if they had a good racing product. The Generation 6 car is an improvement from the Generation 5 doesn’t get me wrong. We are seeing faster speeds than ever before, but that doesn’t define good races from bad ones. We have seen Camping World Truck Series races that were much more exciting than what the Sprint Cup Series has to offer and they don’t go as fast. Sometimes, I watch Indy Car and they have boring races. They go really fast.

            The past is done, but we can learn from our mistakes. What would I do if I ran NASCAR? There is going to be a whole list of things here that include: 1. Do what you have to do to make your car go fasts. Do whatever you want to the car and see what happens. 2. Race back to the caution unless track conditions are deemed too dangerous by NASCAR, then the field will be frozen. 3. No more lucky dog or wave around rule. 4. Restarts will be single file unless there are lapped cars, then you will have lapped cars starting on the inside lane. 5. No more yellow line rule. If you think it’ll help you, then race there. 6. No more Chase. The man or woman with the most points will be crowned champion. 7. Boys Have At It!! TV conduct will be regulated though. Drivers will be fined for cursing. We have children that tune into the broadcasts and that to me is detrimental to the sport. We are adults and we need to at like it.

            Do I like the Generation 6 car? I do. There are pros and cons about this new car and it will take a while to get used to the car and determine what changes need to be made, but we need to use this car for at least 10 years. We can’t be switching designs every 5 years, but there are some things to the car that I would welcome a change to. Imagine if Ford wanted to change from the Fusion to the Escape design. I would allow that. If Dodge were to come back into the sport and wanted the Avenger instead of the Charger, then I would accommodate that change as well. What would you change to NASCAR?

Jason Leffler Dies in Tragic Accident

NASCAR driver Jason Leffler perished after an accident this evening at a dirt car event at the Bridgeport Speedway in Bridgeport, New Jersey.

Leffler was just 37. A two-time winner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Leffler was pronounced dead at appoximately 9:02 PM ET., New Jersey police said.

Leffler was an incredibly gifted driver who as fearless as they could come. He was a fierce driver who always put out 110% when he got behind the wheel of the race car. I grew up watching Jason Leffler and I was certainly a huge fan. There are certainly many people across this nation that are feeling pain and right now and we share that pain with you.

Nothing we can do can replace Jason Leffler's life, but the fighting and the insensitive comments need to stop. Leffler has left behind a small boy and the fact that many people in our field are arguing and saying derogatory comments to one another over this tragic event disgusts me. We are better than this.

In the racing community, we are not just fans, drivers, crew chiefs, or even car owners. We are all a family and it is important that we stick together. That is what the entire racing family should be doing right now. If you are out today, go hug someone in your family, or a hug a friend because it could all be gone in the blink of an eye.

The one we really need to be here for in this time is Charlie Dean. He was Leffler's 5-year old son. When we look at Leffler's instagram page, his love for his son was undeniable. Just three short weeks ago, Charlie graduated from kindergarten. It puts my stomach to knots when I think of what must be going through Charlie's mind right now. His father was a tremendous individual. He loved racing, but his son was his blood. He loved his son.

Life is a precious gift and we unfortunately take it for granted often times and it's a sad thing. I took time off from covering the Blackhawks-Bruins game to cover what would indeed be the passing of Jason Leffler. As we reflect, the family will stay together, but Jason Leffler will never be forgotten.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Leffler family, his friends, and relatives tonight. The best thing we can do as a community is to stick together and pray. That is really all we can do. We are all a family and that is what families do. Tomorrow will be different for many people, but Jason Leffler wouldn't want us to stop. He is now an angel in Heaven watching over us as we continue to go about our daily lives. We'll miss you on the track, Jason. Till we meet again, may God bless us all.

Quicken Loans 400 Preview: Who Will Prevail in the Irish Hills?

Coming off perhaps the most vapid race of the 2013 season, NASCAR heads to the Irish Hills at the Michigan International Speedway for the Quicken Loans 400.

Last season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. broke his 4-year winless streak, leading 95 of the 200 laps and picking up his 19th career win. Will he be a contender on Sunday? He absolutely will be. Earnhardt and Steve Letarte are on a roll after finishing 3rd in Pocono this past Sunday, but I do not see Earnhardt Jr. visiting victory lane for the second consecutive year here. Letarte knows how to get the car in position for a possible win, but the 88 team has problems finishing the job. We saw this with Jeff Gordon back in 2010 as well despite their very successful 2007 season, but Gordon went winless in two of those seasons and won just one race in 2009.

I know I have been very critical of this race team this entire season, but Tony Stewart is my pick for Sunday. That team is officially on a roll. Stewart finished fourth at Pocono to make that their 3rd consecutive top 10 finish after their horrendous start to the season, but also keep in mind that Stewart won at Dover. His last win there before that event was in 2000. We are heading to Michigan. Stewart has not won here since 2000. I think Stewart will visit victory lane for the second time in 2013 at the Quicken Loans 400. And with that second win, Stewart will make it into the Chase either as a wild card, or he'll make it safely into the top 10 in points.

What should the drivers be on the look out for on Sunday? Watch your engine. Last year, there were 4 engine failures in this event and another 5 in the fall event. Both of the events are 400 miles, but the RPMS that we push here at Michigan do put the engines at risk of blowing up. Getting in and out of pit road in a timely manner will also be key. Clint Bowyer had 1 extra stop than most of the lead pack, yet he still spent the least amount of time on pit road compared to the rest of the field. Bowyer ended up finishing in 7th spot. If he didn't have those quality pit stops, Bowyer could have easily finished outside the top 10.

Who are you picking? Please comment and tell me why you think the driver you pick will win the Quicken Loans 400 on Sunday! We certainly will see amazing speeds coming this weekend. I hope the actual racing can mix into that as well.

Edward Snowden Is a Hero

The former CIA employee who leaked information about the NSA's snooping of phone records and other data-mining activities, spoke to the South China Morning Post earlier today.

Snowden told the newspaper that he's "neither a traitor nor hero. I'm an American."

Snowden has no immediate plans to leave Hong Kong unless he is asked to leave, but it is his intention to fight the United States government in the courts there because he has faith in Hong Kong's rule of law. As long as Snowden doesn't get in any sort of trouble criminally over there, he should be okay. As of today, Hong Kong has yet to comment on the case.

There are many people that are going to disagree with me on this issue, but I see Edward Snowden as a hero. He did the right thing. What the NSA has done is a blatant violation of the 4th amendment. How many of you seriously believe that this spying program actually prevented a terrorist attack? Keep in mind, this has been going on for a while and the White House has provided no examples of how this program foiled a terrorist attack. I can think of a couple of examples of foiled terrorist, but do we know if it was because of this program? No. However; I do have plenty of examples of how terrorists could have potentially killed hundreds of people here in the United States, but we were lucky to get away unscathed. What would those be? The Boston Marathon, the Underwear Bomber, and the Times Square bomber.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell believes that Snowden should be "prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." What about James Clapper? He lied under oath. Should we prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law? Eric Holder clearly lied and yet he's still our Attorney General. And yet, we have politicians like McConnell who want to prosecute a man who revealed the truth about what our government has been doing for the past several years.

President Obama was just flat out insulting in his last speech. "Lets have a national debate on this issue." Okay, no. There isn't going to be a "national" debate. I have no intention in taking part in such rubbish. This so-called "national debate" wouldn't have even come to light if someone didn't leak out the information. No one was put in danger from this leak. The United States government put their own people in danger and the politicians currently in office who supported this data mining operation are in "danger" of losing their jobs. That is all they care about.

Isn't this just ironic? Do you remember the Democrats that were just outraged by The Patriot Act? President Obama was one of those Democrats. What does he do? Not only does he extend The Patriot Act, but he adds even more to it. That's not change. That's more of the same with extra cream and sugar. Government programs try to put a happy face on everything, but it's a mirage. In reality
that cream and sugar is not cream and sugar. It's a rotten onion. Remove one stinking layer and there is an even smellier one beneath.

Immigration Bill Will Not Solve Problem. Is Rubio In Trouble?

The Senate passed preliminary votes today in its march for immigration reform, but final passage has remained uncertain as Republicans continue to push for tighter border-security provisions and tougher rules for those seeking legal status.

As a Conservative, I'm continuously frustrated with the GOP. This is a reason why I'm a registered independent. Many Republican supporters of this so-called "Gang of Eight" legislation are putting politics before party when it comes to this issue. Republicans are letting their desire to win over Hispanic voters completely blind them to what is actually in this bill. This bill has some serious flaws.

The ironic fact about all of this is that the only requirement for creating a pathway to citizenship for immigrants that are here illegally is that DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano is required to submit a plan to "achieve and maintain effective control in high risk border sectors along the Southern Border?" Are you kidding me?

I have been a resident of Arizona for the past 15 years and in 6 of those years, Janet Napolitano was the Governor of Arizona. Under her tutelage, we had more illegals come across our border than at any point in history. How in the world could President Obama appoint Napolitano as the head of such a department?

The bill also says there would be a 90% apprehension rate at three out of nine total border sectors, but Secretary Napolitano said that determining the apprehension rate is not possible because there is no reliable way to measure the total number of illegal border crossings. Napolitano said that they would focus more on the "trend" of illegal border crossings. That is just utter garbage.

What also really gets me is the fact that this bill allows the secretary to develop a fencing strategy for border security.  However; there is nothing in the bill that requires the actual construction of any new fencing, so instead they will use drone surveillance.

If the initial DHS plan does not work, then there is a Plan B. Plan B is the creation of the "Southern Border Security Commission." The only thing this commission can do is make recommendations. In other words, this bill gives Napolitano sole discretion to determine whether this legislation has been successfully implemented and completed. This bill is a joke.

The bill would also give Napolitano a major say on how strictly we should enforce the law in the future. She had that job! Napolitano had that job for 6 years as Governor of Arizona and she was terrible at it. This bill needs to be rejected and if it isn't voted down, then the illegal immigration problem is going to be worse than ever.

I have a question. Who gets to decide who gets legal status? What kind of impact will this have on the taxpayers? It's going to have a horrendous impact. Most of these illegals will become dependent on the government. The bill states explicitly section 212(a), paragraph (4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act "shall not apply." This is regarding the first step on the pathway to citizenship. Ladies and gentleman, this bill is not about securing the border. This bill is amnesty for 11 million illegals currently in the United States. It is simple as that.

What this bill says is basically, "We should let the 11 million illegals who are here already stay in the country, then lets put this new law in place." I don't think so. This bill will come back and bite the taxpayers. MARK MY WORDS. If this bill is passed and it does not work, Democrats like Sen. Dick Durbin and Sen. Chuck Schumer are going to point the finger right at Rubio and he will never be able to run successfully again. His Conservative support is going down as we speak and Democrats don't like him either way. This is why we have lost the past two elections. We put up people to run for office who have no chance of winning. What happened to Chris Cox? He was the former Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under President Bush. Barney Frank threw him under the bus and we haven't heard from him since. Will this happen to Marco Rubio?

Why Are Fords So Slow?

     

In 2011, Ford drivers posted 7 victories, 41 top 5s, and 55 top 10s. Last year, Ford Racing posted 6 wins, 28 top 5s, and 48 top 10s. So, how are they fairing so far in 2013? Not too well, actually. Sure, Carl Edwards may be 2nd in points, but his place in the standings isn't an accurate representation of Ford's struggle to find speed this year. Edward's Roush Fenway teammate Greg Biffle sits 10th in the standings with only 2 top 5s in 14 starts. Defending Sprint Cup Champion switched to Ford as a result of Dodge leaving the team, and he too has been struggling just a little bit. 

     What's even more of a disappointment is Ford's qualifying efforts this year. Last year, Ford had 8 Coors Light Poles. This year? Their best starting spot is 2nd at Auto Club Speedway. So, my question is, what's wrong with Ford? I couldn't possibly tell you that Robert Yates Engines don't make great horsepower and keep a straight face, so what else could be wrong? My opinion is that it isn't just one thing, but a multitude of problems (aerodynamics, chassis, etc) that are setting back the performance of Fords. Whatever the issue is, I know for a fact that Ford teams will eventually overcome the predicament. It just takes time.

     However, their is hope just beyond the horizon. At the Party in the Poconos 400, Greg Biffle finished 2nd. That's wonderful, and it will aid in their momentum going into Michigan International Speedway. Ford has won more races than any manufacturer at Michigan, but it's going to take some digging in the Research and Development centers at Penske, Roush Fenway, and Richard Petty Motorsports to get these amazing looking stock cars back to victory lane again and again. 

Actress Loses 100K Followers For Gun Safety Tweet. Government Out Of Control.

Actress Katie Sackoff said that she lost half of her twitter followers after she tweeted a message about gun safety.

Sackoff was upset after seeing a report about a 4-year old who accidentally shot and killed his father with a loaded gun that had been left unattended at a friend's home.

This is such a sad story to be talking about especially because I live where this incident took place. It has been a somber past couple of days for members of our community here in Prescott and my thoughts and prayers go out to Justin Stanfield Thomas's family and friends, and his children during this tough time. What happened is just a tragedy and it's just a sad incident of carelessness with firearms. There isn't much to say.

Most of the people who unfollowed Ms. Sackoff were gun control advocates. I agree with Ms. Sackoff. Gun safety is a necessity and we should all know that, but gun control is not the answer. As Judge Jeanine Pirro said, "Don't blame all gun owners for the actions of a few." The government has gotten completely out of control. Liberals never let a crisis go to a waste. If there is an instance where a gun was used improperly or someone was simply careless it now all of a sudden becomes imperative that we disarm the entire country. What kind of logic is that? That's a rhetorical question because there is no explanation to why liberals have this type of logic in the first place. I simply cannot answer.

For example, there are many people in this country that are obese. Do we ban spoons? Do we ban forks? People can get fat without silverware. They can stuff the whole plate in their face and gain just as much weight, but make a huge mess in the process. In other words, if guns are banned then I can easily cause harm with a knife or my fists. How will the government regulate the use of my fists or my knife? I like steak. So, what? What are you going to do about that?

The government needs to focus on what is important in our society today. What is important in society? Our economy is still in the toilet and yet we're spying on our own people to find terrorists. Not only has the government violated the 4th amendment, but the whole program is a joke. You really think that the people are going to believe a terrorist attack was prevented? Where is the proof? I have proof that it hasn't worked. The Boston Marathon would be a perfect example.

I understand The Patriot Act. I like some things about it, but I do dislike things about it. I understand about keeping our country safe, but this act gives the government too much power. When you give the government too much power, you will always get some form of abuse. It doesn't matter whether it's large or minimal, there will be abuse. Our country is in bad shape and there are politicians on both the right and the left that couldn't care less about your safety and your well-being. It is up to us to elect the right leaders and to encourage others to become more involved in political debates. The fight starts now and it won't end until we're back on top again.

Party In The Poconos 400: Rough Race For The Gen-6. Where did NASCAR Go Wrong?

The Gen-6 car did not put on the show that most of us fans thought it was going to put on this past Sunday. Many fans described the race as "boring", and I will admit that I actually had trouble staying awake during some portions of the event. Unlike most fans, I actually enjoyed the Daytona 500. The racing was at least tight and the cars had incredible speed going around the race track, but the racing we saw at Pocono was far from exciting.

Carl Edwards led the first 9 laps of the race that also saw Kasey Kahne's day get off to a rough start with a drive train issue on the very first lap. Kahne would come back to finish 36th thanks to drivers like Scott Riggs, J.J. Yeley for example who are driving for start and park teams.

While Johnson continued to dominate the race the real racing was taking place in the garage area on Lap 105. Which start and park hauler can make it out of the track first?? The winner was Michael McDowell's #98 hauler after dropping out on the 33rd lap of the race. McDowell drives for Phil Parsons Racing.

Ryan Newman has been famous throughout his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career for gambling with two tires or pitting off sequence, but Jimmie Johnson reeled him in rather quickly on Lap 113 to retake the lead. Newman led for 19 laps which accounted for the most other than Jimmie Johnson.

A caution came out for possible fluid from Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Newman was able to take the lead because he was still on a different sequence than the leaders, but Johnson took the lead back from him on the restart as the race hit 130 laps. We then proceeded to have 4 more yellow flags drop. Juan Montoya got loose in the tunnel turn and spun he and Matt Kenseth around. Montoya rebounded for a top 15, but Kenseth was relegated to 25th after starting in 4th.

Dave Blaney brought the yellow twice and A.J. Allmendinger shredded his left-front tire to bring out a yellow, but nothing was going to change the outcome. No matter how many questionable caution flags were called by NASCAR Jimmie Johnson was not going to be stopped on Sunday. The man led 80% of the laps. NASCAR did whatever it could to make this a close finish, but they didn't do the job. The Gen-6 was a disappointment on Sunday.

And ladies and gentleman, I want to be completely honest with you. The quality of NASCAR racing started going south in 2008. It wasn't so much in 2007 because the COT was not entirely in use and despite the fact that half of the races were won by one team that being Hendrick Motorsports, but the Generation 5 car should have never been made. It was the worst thing ever to be put on a track. It was just boxy and ugly from my view. What NASCAR should have done is kept the Generation 4 car and added more safety modifications. That is what they did initially. Did we see anybody get severely injured from 2002-2006? No. Have we with the Gen-6 car? Yes.

The Generation 5 car was only on the track for 5 seasons. Why? It sucked and it certainly wasn't because it matched the 5 on the Gen-5. Generation 1 and 2 combined were on the track for 31 years. Why? They were amazing products. The product that we have had since 2007 has failed to deliver. Until NASCAR gives the fans what they want, you'll never see NASCAR regain the fame it once had.

Welcome to The O'Hara Report!

Hello, everyone! I'm Ryan O'Hara and I'm the creator of The O'Hara Report. First, I would like to thank Bucky Birt for helping me choose the name. I was feeling very unoriginal at the time.

Secondly, I would like to welcome everyone to the website. The O'Hara Report will not just be about NASCAR, but I will be adding political opinions and other things I deem worthy to the site as well.

Thirdly, we will have people contributing to the website at their own leisure and I appreciate their support. We welcome political views of all kinds at this website, but we discourage profanity from our comments. Any comments with such language will see their comments disappear from our website.

Conservatives and liberals, I also give you the permission to debate on here. That is what I love about this country. Unfortunately it looks like our government doesn't understand that we don't need to pass a media shield law because we already have something called the 1st Amendment.

Well, I don't want to waste your time. Welcome to the website!