 |
 |
 |
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. |
||
 |
Find tons of cheap tickets to 2012 speedway races like Talladega NASCAR schedule, Brickyard 400 at Indy Motor Speedway, Coca Cola 600 Charlotte Motor Speedway tickets plus the full 2012 Monster Jam schedule
Don't miss this week's edition!
Frontstretch Podcast: November 18th Edition
Check in with Matt and Jay on their site at CareyandCoffey.com.
 |
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
|
| Subscribe to The Frontstretch Newsletter |
Matt McLaughlin · Monday June 11, 2012
The Key Moment – With under four laps to go, race leader Mark Martin bobbled just enough that second place Joey Logano was able to execute a perfect bump and run to retake the lead.
Joey Logano made a textbook bump and run on Mark Martin and ended up celebrating the win in Pocono.
In a Nutshell – A new track surface, a new race distance, and the youngest and oldest Cup drivers competing hammer and tongs for a win.
Dramatic Moment – The final ten laps featured some of the best racing of the season. It sure did look like Martin (who isn’t competing for a title) and Logano (who only had an outside chance of making it to the Chase prior to his win) were actually battling for the victory, not just willing to settle for a good points day.
What They’ll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week
OK, less is more. The 400-mile race Sunday was better than most of the recent 500-mile ones held at Pocono, especially in the middle stages. This year’s event took just three hours, three minutes; but wouldn’t 300-mile races here be even better still?
Zone 10, the final timed segment on pit lane became something of a Twilight Zone on Sunday afternoon. 22 penalties were issued for speeding and nineteen of them occurred in that single segment. Something had to be amiss. (Or perhaps NASCAR hired the East Brandywine police department to enforce the speeding rules. I’m told today there was no speed trap on Horseshoe Pike for the first time since Christmas Day.)
Editor’s Note: That final segment was part of an expansion of timing lines at Pocono, from nine to ten that occurred during the repaving this offseason. Crew chiefs confirmed they were notified of the changes, given a detailed diagram and several mapped out pit road for their drivers. Speculation on the incident from NASCAR teams, at press time ranged from faulty wiring to the “pit out” line drawn in the wrong place (some teams speculated by as much as ten feet) or even straight-up driver error. However, NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton vehemently denied there were any problems, telling Jeff Gluck of SB Nation and others, “There’s nothing wrong with the loops. There’s a time to pass over them, [they] calculate the speed and that’s the end of it. Pretty simple.”
Anyone else notice with the speeds at Pocono a lot of the teams had their cars dog-tracking again? (In other words, the body is skewed off-center from the chassis.) At Michigan next week, you’ll probably be able to read the numbers off the door standing dead straight ahead of those cars.
Why do the caution periods have to be so long at Pocono? It takes two and a half minutes for the pace car to circuit the track with the field in tow. That ought to be plenty of time to grab an errant piece of debris; instead, three cautions to clean it all up took an average of about five laps apiece. Oh, and whatever brand of oil dry they use at Pocono, it’s time to switch to something else.
Good manners “refrains” me from dwelling too long on this week’s one-race suspension Kurt Busch earned for his postrace comments to the press after the Nationwide race at Dover. I’ve watched a lot of “fans” pile on the reporter involved, but here’s the deal. If a driver feels a question is inappropriate or leading, how difficult is it to simply reply, “I have no comment on that?” It’s a lot more social than expressing a wish to do somebody bodily harm. Secondly, I hate this notion that Busch isn’t hurting anyone but himself. Busch’s attitude is keeping the No. 51 team from signing a sponsor and that puts the jobs of those hard-working guys and gals at James Finch’s shop at risk. My guess on how this one plays out tomorrow (Tuesday) when Finch and Busch have their “come to Jesus” meeting to discuss what happens going forward? Busch will keep the ride but he’ll lose it before August for mouthing off on the radio yet again. The former Cup champion’s career has suffered a fatal, self-inflicted wound; it’s just going to take a few weeks to bleed out.
Speaking of self-inflicted wounds… why the hell was qualifying allowed to start on Saturday with the track so covered with Speedy-Dry that clouds were forming behind the cars as they entered Turn 1 (and started a sideways trip towards the outside wall.) C’mon, really, NASCAR is supposed to be a professional sport, right? If nothing else, they could have learned a lesson from the Daytona 500 and soaked the offending parts of Pocono with Tide.
In Friday practice, Stephen Leicht hit a woodland mammal out on the track he told his team he thought might have been a beaver. Fortunately, the car wasn’t too extensively damaged but Ward, I think there’s something wrong with the Beaver. Run-ins with wildlife aren’t uncommon at Pocono, with everything from squirrels and rabbits right up to whitetail deer having wandered onto the track during races. I’d say the most bizarre instance of “wild life” intruding on the track was a drunken fan, back in 1993 who decided to sprint across the speedway directly in the path of race leaders Kyle Petty and Davey Allison. Ward, I think there was something wrong with that fool as well. (Said rocket scientist then hopped over the wall and got lost in the woods. Seeking help, he set a signal fire which allowed State Police troopers to find him and place him under arrest.)
Anyone hear a rumor that Twitter and NASCAR have formed some sort of alliance? Yeah, talk about it has been so incessant this week even I figured out how to go look at the #NASCAR page. I felt like an adult attention deficit disorder sufferer at a really bad cocktail party. There were tons of people talking incessantly without saying much of anything. Though it’s still lost on me, I’m told one of the charms of this whole Twitter thing is the egalitarian nature of the medium. But with this #NASCAR tag, a Twitter team decides whose comments get posted and which don’t make the cut. They say they are “curating” the comments. I guess “curate” is French for “censoring.” Editor’s Note: NASCAR has maintained there is no censoring involved, as an algorithm goes into selecting the Tweets. No NASCAR employee was reportedly part of the actual Twitter selection process so as to maintain a sense of independence.
Vanilla Ice at a NASCAR race? Really? Vanilla Ice driving a late ’80s 5.0 Mustang convertible replete with the ugly ass “GT” batmobile body cladding and chromed wheels? I think I felt a little vomit in my throat. (But for the record, Mr. Ice was once a championship-caliber motocross racer.) I’m fearful Meatloaf might be the Grand Marshal at Michigan.
I guess I’ve never understood NASCAR, which bills itself as a family sport (and it is if you happen to be a member of the France family) being used to promote an R-Rated movie. That’s just me. I don’t understand domestic violence being used to sell fried chicken, either.
Ten teams employed a start-and-park strategy at Pocono, the most ever. Ever wonder why NASCAR doesn’t limit the field to 33 competitive entries to end this foolishness?
Even though he finished eighth, most of the email I’ve gotten so far about Pocono has been about Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s incredibly awkward post-race interview. According to USA Today’s Nate Ryan, Junior thought the interview was taped, not live and an unruly fan looking for autographs distracted him to the point that he wanted to start over.
Yes, I heard the rumor that Jerry Springer is considering sponsoring the No. 51 team and Kurt Busch. Sounds to me like an adept marketing ploy by both Springer, to get his name out there and the Phoenix Racing team to remind folks they are looking for sponsorship. Sure, Kurt Busch in the Jerry Springer Chevy… with Lindsay Lohan filling in on weeks Busch is suspended.
The Hindenburg Award For Foul Fortune
For the second straight weekend, Kyle Busch’s efforts were derailed by engine failure. Busch was 30th in line when the pay window opened.
Greg Biffle led a lot of laps and clearly had a fast car before losing a cylinder and falling off the pace en route to a 24th-place finish.
Kasey Kahne charged into the top 10 late in the race only to slide sideways into Denny Hamlin. That apparently bent up the No. 5 car badly enough that eventually, Kahne lost a tire and slapped the wall hard. He wound up 29th in the final tally.
To finish first, first you have to finish. This obvious lesson was apparently lost on Aleks Gregory, who managed to wreck out on the pace laps in Saturday’s ARCA race.
Carl Edwards qualified for the outside pole but on the first lap got hit by Denny Hamlin from behind. That shoved a fender into his tire, though fortunately for the No. 99 team, a caution flew that same lap. Edwards then got nailed for speeding on pit road and an additional penalty for failing to line up where NASCAR directed him to do so for a restart. After that type of beginning, maybe an 11th-place finish wasn’t a complete disaster?
A questionable “fuel only” call by his crew chief late in the event sent Jeff Gordon back onto the track deep in the field. He eventually finished 19th. Yep, passing was difficult at Pocono but his teammate Earnhardt employed the same strategy and emerged from the pits just one position ahead of Gordon; in that case, the No. 88 went on to finish eighth.
AJ Allmendinger emerged from his car shaken and sore after a hard impact with the Turn 2 wall. He wound up 31st.
The “Seven Come Fore Eleven” Award For Fine Fortune
Jimmie Johnson was hit twice with pit road speeding penalties, then had his car get out from under him on a late restart, surrendering about a dozen positions. Still, he soldiered on and surged back to a fourth-place finish.
Despite hitting Edwards on the first lap and getting hit by Kahne late in the going, Hamlin still managed to finish fifth at one of his best tracks.
Clint Bowyer was yet another unfortunate recipient of a speeding penalty but he managed to drive on to a sixth-place result. It’s a lot easier when a third of the field has the same problem…
Worth Noting
- Logano’s win was the first Cup victory for him since a rain-shortened event at New Hampshire in June of 2009.
- Martin remains winless at Pocono over a career spanning 30 years despite now having finished second here seven times.
- Logano was the first pole winner to win a Cup race since Ryan Newman at New Hampshire last July, a span of 31 races.
- Four drivers: Kenseth, Hamlin, Biffle and Johnson lead the pack with seven top-5 finishes in this season’s 14 Cup points races. Earnhardt continues to lead all drivers with eleven top-10 results in those events.
- The top-10 finishers at Pocono Sunday drove four Toyotas, five Chevys and a Ford. Keselwoski way back in 18th was the best-finishing Dodge driver.
- Mark Martin’s second-place result was his best since he was also runner-up at Dover last Spring. Martin’s last Cup victory occurred at New Hampshire in the fall of 2009.
- In the last six races, Stewart has finished third three times and 24th or worse in the other three races.
- Hamlin (fifth) has managed three top-5 results in the last four Cup races.
- Bowyer (sixth) hasn’t led a lap since Martinsville.
- Kenseth (seventh) has strung together a streak of nine straight finishes of 11th or better.
- Paul Menard’s ninth-place finish was his best since Las Vegas.
- In ten consecutive races, Earnhardt (eighth) has missed the top 10 just once, at Darlington.
- McMurray’s tenth-place result was his best since Bristol.
- Ryan Newman’s 12th-place run marks his eighth straight race without a top-10 result.
- Kahne’s 29th-place disaster ends a streak of seven straight top-10 finishes.
- Juan Pablo Montoya (17th) hasn’t managed a top-10 finish since Bristol.
- Biffle’s 24th-place drive was easily his worst of the season, eclipsing an 18th-place result at Richmond.
What’s the Points?
Kenseth takes over the championship lead after Pocono and is now ten points ahead of second-place Earnhardt. Former points leader Biffle slides down two spots to third after his engine woes. Hamlin and Johnson hold station in fourth and fifth places, respectively, with more than a full race’s cushion on eleventh-place Carl Edwards.
Kevin Harvick (+1), Martin Truex, Jr. (-1), Stewart, Bowyer (+1) and Keselowski (+1) round out the top 10 in the standings. Kyle Busch, whose mechanical problems had him tumbling three spots now moves to the first “wild card” position in 12th place. Paul Menard leapfrogs up three spots to 13th in the standings, still winless and would miss the Chase if the season ended now along with Edwards. The second “wild card” position is actually a tie; Ryan Newman and Logano have the same number of points, but Newman’s extra top-5 finish is enough to give him the edge.
Further back, Kahne’s wreck dropped him two spots to 16th. Teammate Gordon’s still mired at 22nd in the standings (down a spot from last week), just ten points ahead of Martin who has sat out three races this season.
Overall Rating (On a scale of one to six beer cans, with one being a stinker and a six-pack an instant classic) — I’ll give this one four icy cold bottles of Corona with a Gentleman JD chaser added for the final ten laps.
Next Up – The Cup series heads off for a Father’s Day weekend stop in the Irish Hills of Michigan. It’s the second straight visit to a track that’s been newly repaved.
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
FREE NEWSLETTER! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
NEW YEAR? NEW NEWSLETTER. LOOKING FOR THE INFO YOU NEED ABOUT NASCAR IN 2013 – SENT RIGHT TO YOUR EMAIL INBOX?
Well, you’ve come to the right place. The Frontstretch Newsletter gives you more of the daily news, commentary, and racing features from your favorite writers you know and love. Don’t waste another minute – click here to sign up and get all the information you need. We’re here to make sure you stay informed … so make sure you jump on for the ride!
©2000 - 2008 Matt McLaughlin and Frontstetch.com. Thanks for visiting the Frontstretch!
