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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 14, 2012
UNOFFICIAL DARLINGTON RESULTS & SPRINT CUP STANDINGS
Rick Hendrick, Jimmie Johnson, and Chad Knaus celebrate after the 200th victory for Hendrick Motorsports on Saturday night.
The Key Moment – During the green-white-checkered restart, Tony Stewart lost fuel pressure allowing Jimmie Johnson to drive on unmolested to score HMS’s 200th Cup win.
In a Nutshell – The last 100 miles of the race weren’t bad but as awful as the first 400 miles were, was anyone left watching? If points racing can make a Darlington race this bland we’re in for a very, very long summer.
Dramatic Moment – All the ingredients were there: a green-white-checkered finish at Darlington, questions about who had the gas to go the extra laps, some drivers who had gambled on fresh rubber late in the top 8, and a notoriously slick race track, but the finish was a bit of an anticlimax.
What They’ll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week
It drives me nuts that they insist on calling this race the Southern 500. Yes, it’s held in a southern state and yes, it’s 500 miles long but it’s not the Southern 500. The Southern 500 is run in the afternoon during Labor Day weekend and once represented perhaps the most cherished trophy in the sport.
Well, I suppose we all knew it was coming… the latest episode of a Busch brother going ballistic. In this instance, Kurt Busch had been enjoying a strong run, spending much of the race inside the top 10. Eventually though, the No. 51 car got out from underneath him and Busch slapped the wall hard enough to cut down a tire. Ryan Newman was hit from behind and also spun trying to avoid Busch. After the incident, Busch went into full meltdown mode on his radio as he coasted to the pits. Following the stop, he did a burnout worthy of John Force leaving his stall and drove through Newman’s pit box, sending members of the No. 39 crew diving for cover. After the race one of those crew members, Andy Rueger, who is gasman for the team, strode down pit road to confront Busch. Busch, in his typical charming manner, then drove into the back of Newman’s car on pit road. (Busch claims he was removing his helmet and couldn’t see in front of him, an explanation Newman labeled, “a lie.”) Out of their cars, both drivers exchanged a few words but the situation seemed defused until the arrival of Rueger and other members of the No. 39 and No. 51 teams. In the ensuing tussle, a NASCAR official wound up sprawled across the hood of the No. 39 car though it did not appear he was shoved. Well, on a brighter note for Busch, at least this time there won’t be any awkward phone calls from sponsors to discuss this latest incident… now or possibly ever again.
NASCAR said if any penalties are warranted for the pit road brouhaha they’ll be announced later this week. I can’t imagine any possible penalty will be too severe though considering the sanctioning body, the Darlington track promoters and the network that televised the race all used extensive footage and still images of last year’s post-race pit road confrontation between Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch to promote the event.
If only NASCAR could show debris like this on camera, fans would buy the three yellow flags that occurred at “convenient times” in Darlington Saturday night.
OK, apparently FOX has decided (perhaps at the bequest of NASCAR’s Robin Pemberton) that us “needy” fans don’t need to be shown the debris that is judged to be dangerous enough to warrant a caution flag. (It was rather odd that the cameras were tight-focused on the No. 24 car as it rolled around the track on a flat tire and it never appeared any debris was thrown from that car.) I wonder how fans of the NFL would react to a major penalty being called but not being able to see a replay of the acts that led to the flag?
Everyone in the broadcast booth seemed stunned when Kenseth appeared as a contender late in the race. Maybe if they hadn’t been so fixated with the 31st-place car running six laps off the pace they’d have seen him creeping up during the second half of the race. DW gave Danica’s Darlington debut an A+. I wish I’d had him as my high school calculus teacher.
Maybe NASCAR is listening after all? A rules change was announced this week in an apparent attempt to leash the dreaded aero-push disadvantage to a driver trying to overtake another driver ahead of them. Starting next week at Charlotte, the sill skirts (those flat metal surfaces below the rocker panels) will be shorter. (And in my book, when it comes to skirts shorter is always better… but I digress). This adjustment might potentially reduce the aero grip of the cars and it addresses a new trend the teams are exploring, trying to streamline the undercarriages of their cars in an area where NASCAR currently doesn’t use templates. (Give ‘em time… give ‘em time.) We’ll see how well it works next week. I’ll give style points to NASCAR for first trying the idea in the All-Star race, which obviously doesn’t affect the team’s chances at a title. If unexpected problems arise, they can undo the change before the 600.
Ryan Newman said he was surprised that NASCAR didn’t fine Tony Stewart for his snaky post-Talladega rant last week. (Newman himself was fined for a somewhat milder condemnation of plate track racing in 2010.) No, I don’t think the man wanted his team owner fined. I think he was applying for a refund of that penalty.
Carroll Shelby, seen here with Elliott Sadler at Las Vegas in 2010 was a hero for muscle car enthusiasts everywhere. The famous designer died Thursday at the age of 89.
Yes, this column is supposed to be about stock car racing but longtime readers will know I’m a lifetime devotee of classic muscle cars. If I could have any two muscle cars sitting side by side in my garage, they’d be a ‘67 Shelby 427 Cobra and a black on black with a white roof ‘68 Shelby GT500KR convertible. As such, I must note with a great deal of grief the passing last week of one of my personal heroes, Carroll Shelby, the man behind the legend of the baddest-ass cars ever sold to the public. Shelby’s legacy includes a lifetime of charitable works, particularly for organ transplants. (Shelby himself was the longest surviving heart-transplant recipient. Those extra decades he survived allowed him to continue producing some of the most coveted muscle cars of the modern era.) In my case, I think it was my first glimpse of a green ‘66 GT350 with white stripes Mustang a neighbor owned in Huntington, NY that ignited my lifetime passion for fast, loud cars even though I was seven at the time. If nothing else, if certainly made me a Mustang guy for life and I’ve owned over twenty of them in my time though only one of them was actually a Shelby. ( A ‘67 GT350 I traded a Boss 303 for.) If any good can come of Shelby’s tragic death, let it be an increased awareness of the need for donated organs to save peoples’ lives. Take a moment and consider becoming a donor; I hear you can even do it on that Facebook thing now. We all want to go to Heaven, but we don’t want to die. Well, consider for a moment that your organs can live on in another human being even after you leave this life for the next.
It’s a little off my normal beat but there were some frightening moments in the garage area (I think they call it a paddock) after Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix. A fire broke out in the garage stall assigned to the Williams team which had ironically just scored their first race win since 2004. Thick clouds of toxic black smoke quickly filled the area, as initial speculation is that the fire was caused by an explosion in the KERS unit’s battery which is located beneath the fuel tank. (KERS systems store electricity generated while the car is braking or coasting, a very higher-tech version of the regenerative brakes found in most street hybrid cars.) Normally after a race, that battery is grounded to dissipate the electricity stored in the unit, but for whatever reason it appears it wasn’t. I’m told the race-winning car was still in F1’s equivalent of our Victory Lane so it wasn’t damaged; at press time, the report is 16 hurt, one seriously from the fire but thankfully no one dead.
The Hindenburg Award For Foul Fortune
Jeff Gordon cut down not one but three left-rear tires and even after he went to the garage area to have the car looked over, the team wasn’t able to determine why. A 35th-place finish was just the icing on the cake for Gordon’s start to the season which you’d have to be kind to label merely “horrific.”
Jeff Gordon and Martin Truex, Jr. both had reasons to shake their had after disppointing ends to their Darlington races on Saturday night.
Martin Truex, Jr.’s team made an extremely questionable call to pit their driver under the fifth caution period, handing the lead to Johnson. After that, Truex was unable to get back into the same zip code as the rear bumper of the No. 48 car and was clearly irritated. Barking at his crew, he then apparently decided to take out additional frustration on Darlington’s outside wall. The wall won, just as it always has over decades of racing at Lady In Black while capping his comeback at fifth place.
Elliott Sadler looked poised to win another Nationwide race Friday night until Joey Logano got into the back of him on a late restart and sent Sadler into the wall. While he gave a classy post-wreck interview, it was clear Sadler was clearly worried about the points implications of his disappointing finish.
Greg Biffle had the car to beat early but as the track cooled, the No. 16 team seemed unable to adapt to the changing conditions. At one point, they called their driver to the pits so suddenly he nearly wrecked trying to make his entrance. A 12th-place finish isn’t bad, considering the circumstances but it had to leave everyone in the organization wondering what could have been.
Again, not asking for any sympathy. I signed up for this gig. But writing something interesting about an uninteresting race is the worst part of the job. And besides T… oh, never mind.
The “Seven Come Fore Eleven” Award For Fine Fortune
In a race where most of the passing was in the pits Johnson overcame a botched stop to win in the end.
Stewart appeared to have issues with his clutch during a late pit stop and spent an agonizingly long time in his pit box before being pushed by his team to return to the track. The mechanical problem didn’t seem to be an issue for Smoke on subsequent restarts on his way to a third-place finish.
It was a pretty fair weekend for Denny Hamlin, with second-place finishes in both Darlington races.
Worth Noting
- The win was the first by Johnson since Kansas last fall. As you might have heard casual mention of it, that also marked the 200th Cup victory for HMS.
- Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. now lead all drivers with eight top-10 results in this season’s eleven points races. Kenseth and Biffle lead all drivers with six top-5 finishes in those eleven races.
- The top-10 finishers at Darlington drove three Chevys, three Fords and four Toyotas. The top finishing Dodge was Brad Keselowski in 15th.
- Kyle Busch (fourth) earned his fourth straight top-10 finish.
- Kenseth hasn’t finished lower than 11th in his last six Cup starts.
- Kahne now has five consecutive top-10 results.
- Marcos Ambrose’s ninth-place finish was his best of the season to date.
- Joey Logano (tenth) drove to his first top-10 result since Phoenix.
- Harvick hasn’t had a top-10 finish in the last three races. Paul Menard hasn’t been able to score a top 10 since Bristol. Jeff Burton has just one top-5 all year and that was at Daytona. Yes, it appears RCR is in a bit of disarray right now, at least on the Cup side of the shop.
- Earnhardt’s seventeenth-place result was his worst of the season.
- Gordon has been listed outside the top 20 in the last four races. He’s failed to lead a lap in all four of those events. The last time Gordon went four consecutive races outside the top 20 was in the summer of 2004, a drought that stretched from Watkins Glen to Bristol that season.
What’s the Points?
Greg Biffle still maintains his points lead but he’s now just two ahead of his teammate Matt Kenseth. Earnhardt and Hamlin remain third and fourth in the standings, now 14 and 17 points out of the lead, respectively.
His win propels Johnson forward three spots to fifth in the standings. Truex, Stewart, Harvick (-3), Kyle Busch, and Carl Edwards (+1) round out the top 10 in that order.
Clint Bowyer is currently shown eleventh in points but the two drivers directly behind him, Keselowski and Newman, have each won races this season so they’d supplant him if the Chase were to start now. Others on the outside looking in include Menard (13th) and Logano (15th). Further back, Kasey Kahne keeps chipping away at a potential playoff berth after a terrible start to the season. This week, he’s up three spots to sixteenth.
It doesn’t look good for either Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing driver to make it into the Chase. Montoya is down two spots this week to 19th in the standings and McMurray is down four spots to twentieth.
Gordon slipped another spot to 24th (subtly ironic?) in the standings. He’s a point behind Mark Martin, who has only run eight of this season’s eleven races. Maybe they should change the decals on the car to read “The Drive to End Futility?”
Overall Rating (On a scale of one to six beer cans, with one being a stinker and a six pack an instant classic) — The first two-thirds of the race were as bad as it gets and it pains me to say that about Darlington, my favorite track. The end of the race was a bit more intriguing but still not up to the standards I expect of the Track Too Tough To Tame. As such, Saturday night earns just three cans, possibly the lowest rating I’ve ever given a race at Darlington.
Next Up – The series heads off to Charlotte for the annual All-Star shenanigans. Hopefully, with no points towards the Chase on the line we’ll see some actual racing on a 1.5-mile track… what a concept.
Wednesday on the Frontstretch:
Did You Notice? … The Evolution Of An Ending, Double Duty’s Drought And Charlotte Controversy
Side by Side: Daytona Or Indy — Which Race Is More Important?
Life at the 55: How Engineering and Technology Brought Billy Scott into NASCAR
Top Ten Ways Drivers Entertain Themselves During A 600-Mile Race
Open-Wheel Wednesday: The History of the Indianapolis 500
A Good Friend Mourns: Dick Trickle Remembered
Happiness Is… Racing, Racing, Racing
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