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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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Matt McLaughlin · Monday May 17, 2010
The Key Moment: Jimmie Johnson had a dominant car, but a rare unforced error by the four time champ (speeding on pit road) handed the win to Kyle Busch.
In a Nutshell: Once Johnson was penalized Kyle Busch put an old fashioned butt-whooping on the field.
Dramatic Moment: There were damn few of them, huh?
For one brief period, the Nos. 18 and 48 cars ran each other hard around lap 350.
What They’ll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week
Boring. There’s no other way to describe Sunday’s race. But I’m glad NASCAR didn’t toss another unnecessary debris caution there at the end to spice things up. That’s a good first step to restoring some credibility to the organization.
For those of you who experienced the race at your computer, while sitting in your leather office chairs and listening to the pit crew or watching your favorite racers, you probably had a better, personalized experience than just watching the race on TV.
Would Johnson have been able to beat Busch minus the speeding penalty? We’ll never know but my suspicion is the 48 car and driver had the advantage. It’s pretty hard to attribute this loss for Johnson to the new rear spoiler.
Jimmie Johnson may have dominated Sunday’s Autism Speaks 400, but it was Kyle Busch who visited victory lane for the second time in three races.
Dover could be considered the local Cup track here at Eyesore Acres. As such my neighbors, friends, acquaintances, and other locals, former and current race fans, could have planted their butts in some of those numerous empty seats this weekend with the weather having been so nice Saturday and Sunday. When I talk to folks the main reason they’ve never gone there or will never go back is traffic which is Biblical after the Cup race. Dover track management really needs to strike a deal with DelDot to pay them some money and have them leave the tollgate heading north away from the track left open for a couple hours after the race. And maybe a few words with the Delaware State police might help as well. Let’s just say that I’m certain Jimmie Johnson and A.J. Allmendinger weren’t the only poor souls nailed for speeding Sunday. The DSP takes the occasion of Cup race weekends to saturate the route from Philly with radar traps.
I could get used to these Cup races ending before 5 ET while there’s still several hours of daylight left.
NASCAR famously said prior to this season that they were going to “let boys be boys” to return a little friction to the racing. But after the Dover race are they going to let “Bowyer” be “boys?” Bowyer got turned by Denny Hamlin on a late restart when his car didn’t come back up to speed. He headed to pit road for repairs then returned to the track to purposely take out Hamlin, who was running second, under caution which is pretty low-rent. Kudos to Hamlin for being incredibly gracious after the incident but jeers to ABC/ESPN for missing the whole incident unfold live.
Eraser-gate Part Duex? Remember the uproar following FOX’s initial broadcast of Cup qualifying in 2001 when they electronically removed the sponsor logos of firms not advertising during the race from their graphics? It seemed peculiar to me that during SPEED’s broadcast of Friday qualifying there were no Bud (or any other logos) on the uniform of outside pole-sitter Kasey Kahne. What’s up with that?
A minor point but one that irritates me to no end during truck races….Aaron’s does not give the first driver a lap or more down a lap back. NASCAR does. The day we start allowing corporate sponsors to give any driver a competitive advantage is the day I quit watching.
A few weeks back I wrote that I’d love to see drivers attempting the Memorial Day weekend double at Indy and Charlotte again. Apparently Speedway Motorsports chairman Bruton Smith loves that idea even more. He really, really, loves it to the extent he’s willing to post a twenty million dollar bounty for any driver able to win both races. Even in today’s high buck world of racing, twenty mill is some serious coin, two thirds of what it costs to sponsor a top notch Cup team for the entire season. According to Smith, Indy officials are willing to accommodate the idea by starting the 500 at 11 AM ET. Something tells me this is going to be a big story next May. Remember the boost in interest Bill Elliott gave the sport winning a million bucks at Darlington in 1985 courtesy of Winston? Mr. Stewart, are you up for the challenge?
News broke this week that Brian Vickers wouldn’t be driving the Red Bull car this weekend due to a medical condition later diagnosed as blood clots in his legs and lungs. The scary part of that diagnosis is that one of those clots could have broken free and caused Vickers a heart attack or stroke at such a young age. Unfortunately in my aging social circle I’ve had way too much experience with friends and family members facing similar challenges. Treatment protocol usually involves Coumadin or other similar blood thinners which dissolve the clots. But blood thinners have frightening side effects I have witnessed first hand. Even a simple stumble or incidental contact can cause massive bruising. Patients have to be monitored bi-weekly or even more frequently to make sure the drugs haven’t thinned the blood to a dangerous degree. Obviously for a race car driver who might be involved in a wreck there are serious and even life-threatening consequences from a relatively minor incident. It takes six months for the human body to fully dispose of Coumadin after an initial dose. At 26, Vickers needs to consider he is still a young man with a lot of great years ahead of him in his career. Even in the dog eat dog world of Cup racing where losing a ride can torpedo a young man’s career, right now Vickers, his team, friends and NASCAR if forced to intervene need to put his long term well-being first. Oh, and for the record…
I received some unexpected collateral damage in my email box this week after a column I wrote suggesting who I’d like to see inducted next year into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Certainly no disrespect was meant towards Jimmie Johnson or Jeff Gordon. They have compiled stats to date that certainly ensure their future inclusion into the Hall, and I respect the hell out of what each of them has accomplished. Nor, certainly, did I mean to diminish what Bill Elliott has done during his career. Elliott was my favorite Cup driver after Richard Petty’s fortunes waned and his 1985 season alone will certainly cement his inclusion in the Hall someday. But folks, these are active drivers (though Elliott drives a very limited schedule.) The story of their future successes remains to be written. Nobody watches half a movie and decides the start is so good it deserves Oscar nomination when the ending might be so much better. I’d like to see the Hall adopt an open rule that no driver can even be considered until five years after he’s driven his last race. God willing Gordon, Johnson, Elliott and other current stars in the sport will be able to attend their inductions live and in person grinning ear to ear unlike the late Dale Earnhardt.
Another second generation driver in the wings? Chase Elliott, son of 1988 Cup champion Bill Elliott, won at Rockingham in the Sunoco National Tour (Basically the old ASA series) event. Making the victory that much more remarkable is the fact Chase was competing in his first ever race on a track longer than a half mile. Maybe this time Ford can find a way to keep a rising young talent from defecting to GM or Dodge?
In a story related to the above, Brandon Mc (or is that “Mac”? ) Reynolds won the companion UARA Stars 75 event at Rockingham this weekend. Brandon is of course son of FOX broadcaster and former Cup crew chief Larry McReynolds. They’re racing at Rockingham again. It’s all good.
Michael Waltrip incessantly plugs on-line tire retailer “Tire Monkey” during truck races and SPEED programming where he’s a panelist. Tire Monkey now decides to back one of Waltrip’s , the race owner not the broadcaster, teams. Anyone else seeing a conflict of interest here? Anyone want to bet that Mario Gosselin’s truck team is out a sponsor next? Tires aren’t the only monkey business going on here.
The Hindenburg Award For Foul Fortune
It’s not often you’ll see Johnson give away a race win but it seems he is human after all.
A.J. Allmendinger ran as high as second but a botched pit stop and a pit road speeding penalty ended his chances at a top 5 finish.
Kasey Kahne ran up front early but a broken shifter torpedoed his day. A broken shifter? I’d thought I’d broken every part possible in a car but I’ve never managed that.
Clint Bowyer exited the pits with the jack still beneath his car. Kind of hard to slip that one by the officials.
The 88 car that ran at Dover probably has a date with the crusher back at Mooresville. That dog just wouldn’t hunt. Unexplained steering issues just prolonged the agony.
Chip Ganassi teammates Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray both broke panhard bar mounts within three laps of each other.
Marcos Ambrose and Sam Hornish both got to experience first hand why the proper term is “SAFER barriers” not “Soft Walls” after each slugged the wall a ton not once but twice.
The “Seven Come Fore Eleven” Award For Fine Fortune
Kyle Busch led nearly 500 laps in this weekend’s three Dover races, won two of them and would have won the truck race as well if not for a lack of fuel. He also had to overcome early radio problems on Sunday that left him unable to hear his spotter at one of the circuit’s most treacherous tracks.
Points leader Kevin Harvick had to overcome a 30th place qualifying run to claw his way back to a seventh place finish. As such he leaves Dover still leading the points.
Aric Almirola stepped in a heaping, steaming pile of dog stuff early in the Dover truck race, blowing a tire and losing two laps in the pits. Using both the Lucky Dog and wave-around rules, Almirola was able to get back on the lead lap and that’s when things got bizarre. Outside pole-sitter Elliott Sadler in the owners’ points leading KHI truck blew a tire and hit the wall. Kyle Busch, who had led more than 170 laps in the event, ran out of gas under caution. Ron Hornaday and Johnny Sauter couldn’t get back up to speed. Almirola was probably as surprised as anyone watching to win the race.
Jack Roush had to enjoy watching three of his drivers post top 10 finishes in the same event after the way this season has started for his organization.
Worth Noting
- Matt Kenseth’s third place finish was the best result scored by any Ford driver since Atlanta, where Kenseth finished second.
- Kyle Busch scored his sixth consecutive top 10 finish on Sunday.
- Jeff Burton’s second place finish was his best result of 2010.
- Matt Kenseth (third) scored his first top 5 result since Bristol.
- David Ruetimann’s fifth place finish matches his best of the year. The 00 team also finished fifth in the Daytona 500.
- Greg Biffle (sixth) also enjoyed his best result since Bristol.
- Tony Stewart (ninth) managed his first top 10 result since Bristol.
- Joey Logano’s tenth place finish ends a skid of four straight races without a top 10 result.
- Mark Martin (fifteenth) has now gone three straight races without a top 10 result.
- Jimmie Johnson is averaging around a 26th place finish in his last four Cup outings.
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed a top 10 result for the fourth straight Cup race. You know “Changes” isn’t just a David Bowie song.
- The top 10 at Dover drove four Toyotas, three Chevys and three Fords. Brad Keselowski’s eighteenth place finish was the best for a Dodge.
- Two team owner’s, Rick Hendrick and Joe Gibbs, have combined to win eight of this season’s twelve Cup races. In the Hendrick camp only Jimmie Johnson has rung the bell this year.
What’s the Points?
As noted above, Kevin Harvick leaves Dover stilling leading the points. His second win of the season moves Kyle Busch up a spot to second in the standings, 69 points out of the lead.
Matt Kenseth moved up two spots to third in the standings.
The Wonder-Bread Twins, Johnson and Gordon, each lost two spots in the standings. They are now fourth and sixth respectively.
Denny Hamlin advanced another spot in the standings to fifth.
Jeff Burton and Kurt Busch swapped eighth spot with Burton now having the advantage. Carl Edwards wrested tenth spot from Mark Martin.
Martin Truex advanced a spot and took over the coveted twelfth points position.
Outside looking in, Ryan Newman advanced a spot to thirteenth in the standings and is just 30 points out of the top 12. Tony Stewart moved up four spots to fourteenth and is just seven points behind Newman.
Dale Earnhardt dropped four spots to sixteenth in the standings.
Overall Rating (On a scale of one to six beer cans with one being a stinker and a six pack an instant classic) We’ll give this one a single can of warm generic stuff. Dover might be my home track but I’ll call a clinker a clinker. Dover without drama? Strange days indeed.
Next Up: It’s off to Charlotte for the All-Star race, an increasingly silly event that really ought to be run on the Saturday night before the 600 to allow a track like Rockingham to rejoin the schedule.
Friday on the Frontstretch:
Four Burning Questions: All-Star Analysis and The New Kyle Busch
Has NASCAR’s All-Star Night Lost Its Shine?
Frontstretch Foto Funnies: Get Me A Bunny
Voices From the Cheap Seats: It’s Not Nice To Fool Mother NASCAR!
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