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Jimmie Johnson wins the Sprint All-Star race.....again
posted by Mike Neff
Sunday May 19, 2013
Five-time is now four-time when it comes to the Sprint All-Star race. Coming into Saturday night’s race, Johnson was tied with Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt for most wins in the annual event with three wins. Johnson bided his time, restarted the last segment in the second spot, dueled Kasey Kahne for two laps to secure the lead and pulled away to a convincing win. Joey Logano started the last segment in the seventh position, took advantage of a slip up by Kyle Busch on the start of the final segment, and ultimately came home in the runner-up spot. Kyle Busch rebounded from his slip up to muscle his way back to third. Kahne started the final segment on the pole but couldn’t hold off Johnson on the first few laps of the restart and ended up fourth. Kurt Busch won two segments, was the first on pit road for the money pit stop, but finished the event in fifth place. Jimmie Johnson summed up his results in two words, “we’re lucky”. It was tongue in cheek but Johnson was poking fun at the people who continue to accuse the No. 48 of preferential treatment, fixed races, and a blind eye to cheating. Johnson has one of the highest winning percentages in NASCAR history and it comes from natural talent and chemistry with his crew. This race also now ties Johnson with Davey Allison as the only two drivers to win the race in back-to-back years. Logano and Busch visited with the media after the race to speak about their runs. Logano was understandably upbeat about his second while Busch was quite dejected, having another All-Star race slip out of his grasp. Kahne spoke about the elephant in the room that is the length of the segments in the race during his post race availability on pit road. He noted that the inherent problem with the format is that the car is designed with downforce, on a track that is cool and has a bunch of grip. The only way to make the races exciting after the first couple of laps of racing would be to extend the segments to the The first 20 lap segment was won by Kurt Busch. Segment two went to his brother Kyle. That segment win allowed Bruton Smith to breathe more easily since he put up a $1,000,000 bonus to anyone who won all four of the segments. Segment three also went to the younger Busch, while the fourth segment win was tallied in brother Kurt’ s account.
Kyle Busch wins the North Carolina Education Lottery 200
posted by Mike Neff
Friday May 17, 2013
‘Rowdy’ Busch was back in his familiar No. 51 truck at his favorite track on the Truck schedule. Busch led 80 laps and thought he should have led more but had a fuel issue on pit road that resulted in him having to battle back through the field. The race was slowed by eight cautions that helped him work his way back through the field. Busch beat Brendan Gaughan to the finish by .488 seconds, while Max Gresham chased them both to the line for his first top three finish of his Truck career. Matt Crafton came home in fourth place after having to battle through a couple of tire mishaps during the event. Ty Dillon rounded out the top 5 for his first finish that high this season. Busch led the race three times for his 80 laps. Miguel Paludo was second on the laps led board with 33. Gaughan, Gresham and Dillon also scored bonus points for leading laps. There were two cautions in the first 72 laps of the race while 29 of the last 62 laps were completed under the yellow flag. Jeb Burton started the race on the pole but did not lead a lap. He did however end the race as the Rookie of the Race for his 13th place finish. Matt Crafton leads Burton by 22 points in the season standings after five races this season.
Matt Kenseth Snatches Victory from the Jaws of Defeat at Darlington
posted by Mike Neff
Sunday May 12, 2013
Kyle Busch appeared to be headed for another weekend sweep after winning the Nationwide race at Darlington on Friday night. However, a funny thing happened as they were bringing out the dustpan. Matt Kenseth chased down the dominant car of the night, passed him with relative ease and then strolled away to a 3.165 second victory. Kenseth led the final 13 laps after Busch had held the point for 265 of the 354 laps leading up to Kenseth’s race winning pass. After Kenseth worked around Busch, the No. 18 slid rapidly backwards over the final eight laps to fall from second to sixth place. Joe Gibbs Racing did manage a 1-2 finish after sweeping the podium in Friday night’s Nationwide tilt. Denny Hamlin, in his first full race back in the car since his vertebrae fracture at California, soldiered through the pain of his arms, neck and shoulders more than his recovered back to wrestle a second place finish away from the Lady in Black. Coming home in third was Jeff Gordon, who turned his 700th career start into a top 3 finish. Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top 5 in the Bojangles Southern 500. Kurt Busch started the race on the pole and led the first 51 laps before coming to the pits for a green flag stop. After the stops cycled through Busch was back at the point for 18 more laps before his brother began his domination. The race went green for the first 302 laps save a seven lap caution stint from lap 125 to lap 131. The final 65 laps saw four more cautions that flew for accidents involving Regan Smith, Brad Keselowski, Casey Mears, Kurt Busch, Josh Wise, David Reutimann and Kasey Kahne. The race saw four leaders including Jeff Gordon in addition to the Busch brothers and Kenseth. The win is Kenseth’s 27th of his career and breaks a tie between himself and his teammate Kyle Busch. The win is Kenseth’s third this season which is the most among all of the competitors in the Cup series. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the Rookie of the Race. Jeff Gordon’s top 5 finish was his 300th of his career. He joins Richard Petty, David Pearson and Bobby Allison as the only four drivers in the history of the sport to accomplish such a feat.
Busch Dominates at Darlington as JGR Sets Nationwide Series Record
posted by Amy Henderson
Friday May 10, 2013
Kyle Busch dominated the VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 on Friday night en route to his 56th career Nationwide Series victory and fifth series win of 2013. Joe Gibbs Racing in general was the class of the field all night at Darlington Raceway, claiming four of the top 5 finishing spots, with only fourth-place Joey Logano keeping them from sweeping the top four spots. It was a historic night for JGR, as no team has ever before placed four cars in the top 5. Elliott Sadler finished second to Busch and Brian Vickers third, with Logano and Matt Kenseth rounding out the top 5. Busch led 107 of 147 laps on the way to the win. Sadler was the best among the Nationwide Regulars, finishing second despite an early spin in Turn 2, and gained points on leader Regan Smith, who finished seventh. Kyle Larson continued to impress at the Lady in Black, posting a sixth-place finish in his first Darlington start as he runs for rookie honors. Sam Hornish, Jr., who remained second in points, finished eighth while Kasey Kahne and Justin Allgaier filled the top 10. Smith now leads Nationwide Series points by 28 over Hornish. Sadler jumps two spots to third on his second-place run as Justin Allgaier fell one place to fourth. Vickers gained three sports and is now fifth, 49 behind Smith. Austin Dillon, Parker Kligerman, Brian Scott, Alex Bowman, and Kyle Larson round out the top 10.
Joe Gibbs Racing Penalties Reduced Following Appeal
posted by Summer Bedgood
Wednesday May 8, 2013
Joe Gibbs Racing had many of their penalties for the No. 20 team reduced during the appeal process on Wednesday. Driver Matt Kenseth and owner Joe Gibbs had their points penalties reduced from 50 to 12 points. Crew chief Jason Ratcliff’s suspension has also been dropped from seven races to one, though he will still be forced to pay the $200,000 fine. Not all of the penalties were reduced, however. Toyota Racing’s manufacturer points penalty was increased from five points to seven. All other penalties were dropped, including the suspension of Joe Gibbs’ owners license, the loss of bonus points for the Chase earned at Kansas Speedway, and the loss of eligibility into the Sprint Unlimited garnered from the pole at Kansas Speedway. JGR has accepted the penalties and will not appeal further. Following a dominant win at Kansas Speedway a few weeks ago, Kenseth’s car failed post-race inspection when it was found that a connecting rod was 2.7 grams below the minimum weight. Toyota Racing Development accepted the blame for the incident. The reduction moves Kenseth up to fourth in points, 66 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson. JGR has not announced who will replace Ratcliff this weekend in Darlington. The appeal was heard by Mark Arute, Dennis McGlynn, and Jack Housby. NASCAR cannot appeal the revised penalties.
Penske Has Suspensions Reduced On Appeal
posted by Thomas Bowles
Wednesday May 8, 2013
Roger Penske’s team got some relief Tuesday from NASCAR’s Chief Appellate Officer John Middlebrook, as he chose to reduce penalties assessed to that organization at Texas Motor Speedway in early April. Middlebrook, after hearing the evidence from both sides Tuesday chose to reduce all suspensions in the case from six to two weeks, plus NASCAR’s All-Star Race on May 18th. That means the final consequences for both teams are the following: No. 2 car No. 22 car Other Middlebrook’s official statement was short, simply stating, “After looking at all the facts, data, and interpretations from the rule book, I have decided to uphold the original fines and points penalties. However, I have decided to reduce the suspensions of the seven team members involved from six points races and the All-Star race to two points races and the All-Star Race.” However, it seemed both sides, after presenting their cases were far more pleased with how the case was handled during this portion of the appeal. “We were able to talk about areas we worked in,” said Roger Penske, referring to the “gray area” of the NASCAR rulebook officials ultimately felt stepped over the line. “I’m very happy with the outcome. This sport has been built on innovation. All of us have tried to innovate in areas not defined in the rulebook. We were in that area.” In conversations with the parties involved, it was clear the controversy surrounded parts designed to increase the rear-end angle at the back of both cars. In past years, with innovation limited through the Car of Tomorrow templates teams have played around with suspension systems designed to make the rear end of the car easier to “move.” The more the car skews in the corner, the easier it can be to handle and gain extra speed. However, NASCAR had made rules designed to curb those types of innovations this year and made the determination Penske parts to build the rear suspension were unapproved. Why they had gone undetected in previous inspections was never addressed, along with claims someone else in the garage had alerted officials to possible inappropriate car construction. One thing Penske did admit, though is had this decision been issued by the initial appeals panel, he would not have pressed his luck with Middlebrook. “All of us,” he said. “Have lost points for certain infractions over the years. The key thing is to have people back at the racetrack operating in full control.” The end results leave Logano 18th in points, 146 behind championship leader Jimmie Johnson and 43 outside a Chase position. Keselowski is far more stable; fifth in points, he’s 69 behind and 45 ahead of 11th-place Matt Kenseth. Neither of the Penske cars have won a race this season. “Moved on from last few weeks,” Keselowski tweeted Wednesday morning. “And ready to focus on @TooToughToTame (Darlington Raceway).” The next round of NASCAR penalty appeals, focusing on Joe Gibbs Racing and Matt Kenseth will be heard on Wednesday morning. Connect with Tom!
Penske Racing LOSES Penalty Case, Will Appeal To NSCRC John Middlebrook
posted by Thomas Bowles
Wednesday May 1, 2013
A three-member panel Wednesday unanimously upheld penalties assessed to Penske Racing after pre-race inspection at Texas Motor Speedway. Comprised of Pocono President Brandon Igdalsky, Bowman-Gray President Dale Pinilis and former NASCAR VP Paul Brooks, the trio determined the sanctioning body’s evidence was enough to “convict” Penske to the tune of points lost, suspensions given and $200,000 in fines. Roger Penske, in response has pledged to send a final appeal to National Stock Car Racing Commissioner John Middlebrook. That hearing will occur Tuesday, May 7th at NASCAR’s Research and Development Center. Here’s a quick list of what penalties are pending (everything but the points deductions will be deferred, pending Middlebrook’s approval until after the final appeal): No. 2 team No. 22 team Both teams NASCAR’s representation included Sprint Cup Director John Darby but not Vice President Robin Pemberton, who was whisked away to Florida on jury duty. Owner Roger Penske was in attendance to defend the allegations along with Team Manager Travis Geisler, Tim Cindric, Walt Czarnecki, Joey Logano’s crew chief Todd Gordon along with several other key principles. UPDATE: The National Stock Car Racing Commission issued a brief statement, reviewing the penalties and then explaining the following. “Upon hearing the testimony and carefully reviewing the facts, it was a unanimous decision by the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel to uphold the original penalties assessed by NASCAR.” “The Appellants have the right under Section 15 of the rule book to appeal this decision to the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer.” Connect with Tom!
Kyle Busch Wins Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown
posted by Thomas Bowles
Friday April 26, 2013
Who says Joe Gibbs Racing teammates don’t get along? Kyle Busch is certainly receiving gifts, from Denny Hamlin in the form of shiny trophies from winning the latter’s annual charity event. Rowdy was romping through the field again at Richmond Thursday night, taking control at the race’s midpoint and cruising during the latter stages to win the Showdown for the third time in the past six years. In a race that benefits the Denny Hamlin Foundation, created to help those with cystic fibrosis Busch had his late model hitting on all cyilnders down the stretch. Pulling away from fellow Cup driver David Ragan, in the final segment of the 75-lap race the outcome was simply never in doubt following a 5-minute break for pit stops prior to Lap 47. Ben Rhodes, Ronnie Bassett, Jr., and Garrett Campbell rounded out the top-5 finishers. Other Cup drivers, including defending race champion Tony Stewart were in the field but never a factor up front. Smoke, actually extending his slumping start to 2013 into this race got wrecked before the halfway point and wound up 28th. Matt Kenseth, still distraught after a midweek penalty virtually negated his win at Kansas was never truly competitive, either; he finished 22nd. Also on Thursday night, African-American driver Ryan Gifford won the first K&N Pro Series East race of his young career. Surviving a five-lap shootout, following a red flag he cruised home over Brandon Gdovic. Connect with Tom!
Matt Kenseth, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Penalized As Engine Fails Kansas Post-Race Inspection
posted by Thomas Bowles
Wednesday April 24, 2013
Until the end of time, Matt Kenseth can say he crossed the finish line first at Kansas Sunday. NASCAR Record Books will say the same. But after a harsh series of penalties announced on Wednesday, should they stand that’s about the only thing Kenseth can hang his hat on after a successful weekend turned sour. According to multiple reports, officials at the NASCAR R & D Center in North Carolina discovered a connecting rod on Kenseth’s engine, brought in for Kansas post-race inspection weighed three grams less than the minimum weight of 525g. The consequences, announced today are crippling for both driver and team. Kenseth, along with car owner Joe Gibbs have been docked 50 driver and owner points, actually reducing their overall totals heading into Kansas even though the No. 20 car won the race. That lost chunk of points drops Kenseth from eighth to 14th in the standings. More importantly, the win “won’t count” for either bonus points in the Chase or determine postseason eligibility; that means the driver, now in “Wild Card” position is considered to have one win so far this season instead of two. That’s just the tip of the iceberg on these consequences. Crew chief Jason Radcliffe, fined $200,000 based on the infraction has also been suspended for the next six Sprint Cup points events, along with the All-Star Race. Toyota, whose TRD engine department ultimately supplies the JGR powerplants has had five points deducted from its total in the manufacturer’s championship. And finally, Joe Gibbs himself, already docked 50 owner points has had his license suspended by NASCAR, which means he’s ineligible to accrue owner points for the No. 20 until the next six Sprint Cup Series points races are completed. Gibbs, NASCAR has clarified will still be able to travel to the racetrack despite a suspended license. In a tersely worded statement, the owner says he’ll appeal the ruling, which violated three parts of the series rulebook. The one most pertinent is Section 20-5.5.3(E) which states only magnetic steel connecting rods, with a minimum weight of 525.0 grams will be permitted. Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4J, which gives officials the right to penalize for parts they claim do not conform to NASCAR rules were also cited in the sport’s official release. Toyota Racing Development’s Lee White, in a statement released early this afternoon took responsibility for the violation. During NASCAR’s routine post-race tear down of Matt Kenseth’s race-winning car and engine from Kansas Speedway,” he stated, “One of our engine connecting rods weighed in approximately three grams under the legal minimum weight of 525 grams. None of the other seven connecting rods were found to be under the minimum weight. We take full responsibility for this issue with the engine used by the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) team this past Sunday in Kansas — JGR is not involved in the process of selecting parts or assembling the Cup Series engines. It was a simple oversight on TRD’s part and there was no intent to deceive, or to gain any type of competitive advantage. Toyota is a company that was built on integrity, and that remains one of the guiding principles of the company. The goal of TRD has always been — and will continue to be — to build high-performance engines that are reliable, durable and powerful, and within the guidelines established by NASCAR.” Kenseth, who has led 482 laps this season, two higher than his total last year has been one of the strongest competitiors on the Sprint Cup track in 2013. His engines have also passed several previous inspections.
Johnny Sauter Penalized For Fuel Cell Infraction At Kansas
posted by Thomas Bowles
Wednesday April 24, 2013
Thorsport Racing, along with former Truck Series point leader Johnny Sauter are reeling this Wednesday after a major penalty involving their No. 98 Toyota. On Wednesday, NASCAR announced the team was fined $10,000, crew chief Joel Shear has been suspended for four races and 25 owner points were taken away as a result of a faulty fuel cell, confiscated during pre-race inspection at Kansas. Driver Sauter was also hit was a loss of 25 points, completely reshaping the championship Chase heading into the next race of the season at Charlotte May 17th. According to NASCAR officials, the team violated multiple sections of the rulebook. The key ones involve Section 20B-16 and 20B-16.1B, regarding the proper size and functioning of fuel cells. “Once a fuel cell or fuel cell components have been certified,” the rules say, “Modifications of any kind will not be permitted.” The 16.1B portion refers to black safety foam, with a minimum height of eight inches that must be used as a safety mechanism when putting together the fuel cell itself. By violating that rule, NASCAR is insinuating the team modified or enhanced the cell in some way by cutting back / replacing that foam. Section 12-1, actions detrimental to stock car racing was also listed as a rules violation along with 12-4K, which gives NASCAR Officials the leeway to penalize teams when they feel previously legal equipment was modified, in any manner after being initially inspected. Thorsport, as of yet has not said whether they plan to appeal. The penalties mean Matt Crafton becomes the new Truck Series point leader, by 13 over Jeb Burton while Sauter gets pushed back into a tie for second place. |
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Brock Beard · Monday October 11, 2010
Last week, Scott Speed finally had luck go his way in Kansas with his first top-20 finish in twelve races, securing him 57 valuable points of cushion on 35th. Behind him, the other nine Bubble contenders finished no better than 26th-place Regan Smith, who was disappointed following one of his best qualifying runs of the season. Meanwhile, the No. 71, this time driven by Tony Raines, still ended up parking after 87 laps, while an engine failure K.O.’d Kevin Conway for the fifth time in as many races.
Now, just 63 points separated Conway from 36th, thanks in part to a qualifying run by Dave Blaney that was just barely good enough to get the No. 38 into the final starting spot. But Latitude 43 Motorsports made a bold statement in the race itself, leading ten laps during a pit sequence after Patrick Carpentier ended the No. 26’s DNQ streak at two. Could one of the season’s few successful underdog stories continue a miraculous comeback towards the top 35?
Read on to find out what happened to each, hidden within Fontana’s edition of the Bubble Breakdown!
LOCKED-IN AT CHARLOTTE
No. 77 – Sam Hornish, Jr. (Penske Racing)
Incoming Owner Points Ranking: 29th (+533 points ahead of 35th)
Sunday’s Finish: 15th
Current Owner Points Ranking: 28th (+581 points ahead of 35th)
Hornish picked up his second top-15 finish in the last four races on Sunday, a day that saw an impressive four Bubble contenders finish inside the top 20. For the Ohio native, the Fontana weekend began on a low note with a sluggish 37th-place qualifying run. From there, the No. 77 did a workmanlike job moving up the scoring pylon, climbing to 28th by lap 10 and to 20th just 60 circuits later. He hit a glass ceiling at that point and fought to stay in the top 25 until he finally broke through inside the final ten laps. Although Hornish remains a distant 132 points from 27th-ranked Reed Sorenson in the No. 83, Fontana was another positive step in his team’s search for 2011 sponsorship.
Elliott Sadler surprised us all with an outside pole qualifying run, followed up by a solid day on track.
No. 19 – Elliott Sadler (Richard Petty Motorsports)
Incoming Owner Points Ranking: 30th (+526)
Sunday’s Finish: 13th
Current Owner Points Ranking: 29th (+580)
Now just one point short of taking the 28th spot from Hornish is the No. 19 team, whose veteran driver enjoyed what was easily his best all-around weekend of the 2010 Cup season. The brand-new Reynolds Wrap Ford was fast right out of the box, scoring the 10th-best time in Friday’s opening practice session. A few hours later, he became the biggest surprise in qualifying, scoring his first front row start since he qualified 2nd at Phoenix in the spring of 2008. He never led a lap on race day, but stayed in the Top 10 through the first forty laps. Even after falling outside the top 20 around the halfway mark, he still managed to work his way back up to 14th at lap 120, at which point he became a fixture in the top 20 until the finish.
No. 82 – Scott Speed (Team Red Bull)
Incoming Owner Points Ranking: 28th (+535)
Sunday’s Finish: 24th
Current Owner Points Ranking: 30th (+556)
The fifth-largest gain of 21 points was earned by Scott Speed, who could have gained more had he finished where he ran for much of the day. Though he qualified back in 29th, he joined the top 20 by lap 60 and hovered between 14th and 20th for the 80 circuits that followed. He tumbled back to 29th soon after the race restarted with 41 laps to go, then returned to the 21st spot before giving a few spots back in the final few trips around the track.
No. 78 – Regan Smith (Furniture Row Racing)
Incoming Owner Points Ranking: 31st (+431)
Sunday’s Finish: 12th
Current Owner Points Ranking: 31st (+493)
Regan Smith parlayed a fast car and timely pit strategy into his best career Cup finish, padding his cushion on the Bubble by a week-high 62 points. Smith qualified 19th, then proved his run was no fluke the next day by timing in 16th in Happy Hour. Just 20 laps into Sunday’s race, the No. 78 had worked its way up to the 13th spot, after which his Chevrolet remained inside the top 20 for more than 70 laps. A pair of pit road speeding penalties on laps 94 and 115 dropped him outside the top 30, however, and the Furniture Row Racing team had to fight its way back into contention.
Smith lost a lap, received the Lucky Dog with 65 to go, and had returned to the 23rd spot with 20 remaining when the team decided to take two tires on their final stop. This moved Smith all the way up to the second spot for the restart with 13 remaining, and when the No. 78 had a faster restart than Menard, it gave Smith the lead entering the backstretch. Tony Stewart disposed of him the next lap, but the New York driver was still eighth when the final caution set up the last two-lap sprint to the finish. The three and four-wide racing that followed cost Smith a top-10 finish, but just barely, fulfilling the promise of his strong runs at Fontana and Michigan earlier this year.
No. 37 – Dave Blaney (Front Row Motorsports)
Incoming Owner Points Ranking: 32nd (+104)
Sunday’s Finish: 29th
Current Owner Points Ranking: 32nd (+110)
The “Luckiest Dog” on Sunday had to be Dave Blaney, who made up the three laps he lost early in the event by scoring the final three Lucky Dogs of the race. Although the sheer number of lead-lap cars at the finish kept the A&W machine back in 29th, the No. 37 and its veteran driver moved another six points away from the Bubble as the team strengthened its position in the standings.
Travis Kvapil isn’t flashy, but continues to post consistent finishes in his Front Row Motorsports car that leave his team in position to lock the No. 34 Ford inside the top 35 for the first five races of 2011.
No. 34 – Travis Kvapil (Front Row Motorsports)
Incoming Owner Points Ranking: 33rd (+93)
Sunday’s Finish: 28th
Current Owner Points Ranking: 33rd (+107)
Kvapil once again finished nose-to-tail with a Front Row Motorsports teammate, but in addition to the Lucky Dog for Carl Edwards’ stall in Turn 4, he managed to lead a lap and thus gained 14 points on the Bubble. The Long John Silver’s colors led the way on lap 138 while crewmen picked up sheet metal debris from Marcos Ambrose’s No. 47 in Turns 3 and 4. Like Blaney, Kvapil finished on the lead lap in the lower segment of the running order, making the verdict on the success of FRM’s crew chief changes for the Nos. 34 and 37 inconclusive as of yet. Still, both drivers were able to cheer on their third teammate in the No. 38 as the laps wound down.
No. 71 – Andy Lally (TRG Motorsports)
Incoming Owner Points Ranking: 34th (+33)
Sunday’s Finish: 36th
Current Owner Points Ranking: 34th (+18)
TRG Motorsports’ four-race, 59-point slide toward the Bubble continued on Sunday as owner Kevin Buckler ended up parking the No. 71 yet again despite securing a one-race sponsorship deal with faceless company “The Media Barons” on Friday. Road racer Andy Lally returned to the team, but ended up turning the slowest qualifying lap of any driver that started Sunday’s race. Lally pulled behind the wall after 76 laps with “electrical” issues, becoming the sole member of this week’s Bubble drivers to fail to finish the event. The team lost 15 points to the Bubble and now sits just 18 markers away from the spot the team last held after Pocono in August.
No. 7 – Kevin Conway (Robby Gordon Motorsports)
Incoming Owner Points Ranking: 35th (On The Bubble)
Sunday’s Finish: 31st
Current Owner Points Ranking: 35th (On The Bubble)
A 31st-place finish may not look that good on paper, but rookie Kevin Conway took a step forward with the run by finally finishing a race under power for owner Robby Gordon and his No. 7 team. Conway still lost laps to the leaders, finishing three circuits in arrears to winner Tony Stewart, but was actually the highest-finishing driver to finish off the lead lap once Dave Blaney scored his three Lucky Dogs. However, in a frustrating twist, his nearest challenger for the Bubble also had a successful day in the California sun. . .
NOT LOCKED-IN AT CHARLOTTE
No. 38 – David Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports)
Incoming Owner Points Ranking: 36th (-63)
Sunday’s Finish: 20th
Current Owner Points Ranking: 36th (-25)
Somehow, someway, David Gilliland rallied from 28th to 20th in the final ten laps and thrust the No. 38 within a tantalizing 25 points of knocking Robby Gordon’s team out of the Top 35. It’s been a long, tough road since the infamous penalty at Pocono, but Gilliland’s run at his home track put the team 38 points closer to overcoming that 150-point hit. Like that of his two teammates at FRM, Gilliland’s success was due to being in the right place at the right time. He earned two Lucky Dogs on laps 40 and 113, and the latter came not long after he stayed out to lead the 97th circuit during an exchange of green-flag pit stops. During a pit stop under the first caution, ESPN’s pit crew helmet cam also revealed the No. 38 was overheating badly, making the Californian’s late rally to the top 20 all the more incredible. Gilliland credited fresh rubber during the last segment of stops for helping his cause, pushing him up eight spots in what became his best performance since Atlanta in early September.
No. 26 – Patrick Carpentier (Latitude 43 Motorsports)
Incoming Owner Points Ranking: 37th (-128)
Sunday’s Finish: DNQ
Current Owner Points Ranking: 37th (-170)
While FRM’s hopes looked brighter when the checkered flag fell, the top 35 hopes of Latitude 43 Motorsports became a little dimmer on Friday when the No. 26 failed to make its third race out of the last four events. The DNQ, Carpentier’s first while driving for the team, came after the Canadian made contact with the outside wall off Turn 4 during his first timed lap. Ironically, he actually gained nine-thousandths of a second on his second lap, but was unable to run any faster than Mike Bliss’ No. 55, driver of the only other car that missed Sunday’s race. In all, the DNQ cost the team another 42 points, dropping them more than a full race’s worth of markers outside the top 35.
2010 Bubble Chart After Kansas:
| Pos | Owner | Car # | Driver | Points | Points +/- of 35th Place |
| 28 | Penske Racing | 77 | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 2,693 | +581 |
| 29 | Richard Petty Motorsports | 19 | Elliott Sadler | 2,692 | +580 |
| 30 | Red Bull Racing | 82 | Scott Speed | 2,668 | +556 |
| 31 | Furniture Row Racing | 78 | Regan Smith | 2,605 | +493 |
| 32 | Front Row Motorsports | 37 | David Gilliland | 2,222 | +110 |
| 33 | Front Row Motorsports | 34 | Travis Kvapil | 2,219 | +107 |
| 34 | TRG Motorsports | 71 | Various | 2,130 | +18 |
| 35 | Robby Gordon Motorsports | 7 | Kevin Conway | 2,112 | 0 |
| 36 | Front Row Motorsports | 38 | Dave Blaney | 2,087 | -25 |
| 37 | Latitude 43 Motorsports | 26 | Patrick Carpentier | 1,942 | -170 |
| 38 | Germain Racing | 13 | Casey Mears | 1,582 | -530 |
| 39 | Phoenix Racing | 09 | Bobby Labonte | 1,521 | -591 |
| 40 | Tommy Baldwin Racing | 36 | J.J. Yeley | 1,486 | -626 |
| 41 | NEMCO Motorsports | 87 | Joe Nemechek | 1,250 | -862 |
| 42 | Whitney Motorsports | 46 | Michael McDowell | 1,222 | -890 |
| 43 | PRISM Motorsports | 55 | Various | 1,101 | -1,011 |
| 44 | PRISM Motorsports | 66 | Various | 1,056 | -1,056 |
Monday on the Frontstretch:
FREE NEWSLETTER! BREAKING NEWS ON JEREMY MAYFIELD AND BRIAN FRANCE! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
Matt McLaughlin’s Thinkin’ Out Loud: Fontana Fall Finale Race Recap
Fact or Fiction: Did Blown Engines Blow Championship Hopes For Each Driver?
The Cool-Down Lap: Johnson’s Biggest Title Threat… Jeff Gordon?
Running Their Mouth: Pepsi Max 400
Nationwide Series Breakdown: CampingWorld.com 300
Rockingham Business As Usual For Sheltra in Winning 2010 ARCA Crown
Tuesday on the Frontstretch:
Five Points to Ponder: Jimmie vs. Matt And The Best Day In Motorsports
Who’s Hot / Who’s Not in NASCAR: All-Star – Charlotte Edition
The Art Of Closing The Deal In NASCAR’s Longest Race
Racing To The Point: A Radical Idea For The All-Star Race
Couch Potato Tuesday: SPEED’s Last-Gasp Sprint Cup Hurrah
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