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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.
What To Watch In NASCAR: Tuesday 4/23/13
posted by Thomas Bowles
Tuesday April 23, 2013
- As usual, it’s penalty day in NASCAR and the biggest bulls-eye lies on the No. 98 Truck driven by Johnny Sauter. The current series point leader, Sauter’s fuel cell was confiscated following pre-race inspection in Kansas, a move that’s led to fines, penalties, and crew chief suspensions in the past. Sauter is currently 12 points in front of teammate Matt Crafton in the championship chase. - Clint Bowyer of Michael Waltrip Racing will hold a national teleconference with reporters. Bowyer, ninth in the series standings has gotten his 2013 season back together after a rough start. Fifth at Kansas, his hometown track he’s now got three top-5 results in his last five Sprint Cup events. - Denny Hamlin is expected to meet with doctors, following X-Rays to determine if he has medical clearance to race at Richmond. Hamlin has been out for about a month, since a last-lap crash into a non-SAFER, inside wall at Fontana resulted in an L1 Compression Fracture of his lower back March 24th. - Charlotte Motor Speedway will have a series of announcements concerning the Coca-Cola 600 race the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. Among the items on the docket: a special set of pre-race ceremonies, plans for a unique “Welcome Home” presentation for U.S. Military returning from overseas and additional news regarding partner Coca-Cola. Joey Logano and Charlotte Motor Speedway President Marcus Smith will be among those on hand for reporters. |
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Matt McLaughlin · Monday July 30, 2012
The Key Moment – On the final restart with two fresh tires, Greg Biffle got to battling with Kyle Busch (on four fresh tires) for second. By the time Busch prevailed, leader Jimmie Johnson was in a different area code.
Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 sailed to his fourth win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
In a Nutshell – The Brickyard 400… the ultimate example of sizzle over steak.
Dramatic Moment – One lazy evening this week, I painted a model car body for a project I’m working on. Watching the paint dry was more exciting than Sunday’s “race.”
What They’ll Be Talking About Around the Water Cooler This Week
They’ll likely be talking about the Olympics, not Sunday’s farce of a race. How bad was this event? By lap 18, there was a 17-second gap between the leader and the tenth-place driver.
It might not have been a great race, but Indy certainly earned the award for the most ridiculous name of a race this year. The event was officially The 19th Annual Crown Royal Presents the Curtis Shaver 400 at The Brickyard Powered by Big Machine Records. Oh, and if you watched at home, thanks to our buds at ESPN they were showing the 19th Annual Crown Royal Presents the Curtis Shaver 400 at The Brickyard Powered by Big Machine Records telecast presented by Golden Corral.
Any more questions why I just call races like this “The Brickyard?” I wear out two keyboards a season as it is. (No disrespect intended towards Mr. Shaver, who is a local hero, not a brand of electric razors. Don’t know why, but the title Big Machine Records also gives me the shakes. She’s out there somewhere.)
I’ve seen more passes made at an Amish ice cream church social.
Attendance at the Brickyard 400 is officially listed as 125,000 souls. Cue up the Foreigner because I think whoever is issuing these counts has Double Vision.
Who says the drivers were more manly and tough back in the days of yore? Well anyway, who watched the No. 48 team lay pillows down for Jimmie Johnson (and others) for them to kneel on when they kissed the bricks after Sunday’s victory lest they scrape their dainty knees. C’mon, seriously?
Editor’s Note: The pillows were part of a Crown Royal promotion. But still…
Jeff Gordon was one of several Hendrick Motorsports’ chassis noticeably “dog-walking” on Sunday.
Wasn’t the new “parallel” sway bar links rule supposed to eliminate the cars “dog walking” around the track? Johnson’s No. 48 car looked like a bloodhound hot on the trail of an escaped convict.
Talk about a one-groove track! Having to restart the race in the outside lane was basically a death sentence for a driver’s chance at winning or even advancing.
Does the Brickyard 400 still matter? In this writer’s opinion, it doesn’t and frankly never has. The Indy 500 was and still is a big deal, but the track configuration has never lent itself to stock car racing. Attendance is way off at a place where the 400-miler once sold out and I’d guess that’s because of the tire debacle in 2008. The Formula One series had a similar tire-related disaster, one that saw most of the field pull off after the parade lap, but at least they were wise enough to know the red was done licked all off their candy and they never returned.
OK, let me get this straight. It was OK for Kyle Busch to pass Kasey Kahne at the start of Saturday’s Nationwide race because Kahne buzzed the tires, but it’s not OK for Elliott Sadler to pass Brad Keselowski on a late restart after Keselowski spun his tires. Where’s the logic there? I figured this issue was going to happen after Carl Edwards got black-flagged for jumping a restart at Richmond. This is what you get when the sanctioning body had a rulebook written in pencil. ESPN gave us a taste of things to come, too by hurrying off the air Saturday without as much as a follow-up interview with a clearly dejected Sadler. As for NASCAR officials, it’s one thing to have egg on your face. It’s another to wear a hen as a hat.
Details of AJ Allmendinger’s failed substance test are still emerging. Frankly, I think the PR people on both sides have bungled this one badly, letting things drag on so long. These sorts of secrets used to be easily kept in the insular garage area but the Internet pried that door open a scoosh and social mediums have kicked it wide open.
Here’s what I’ve learned during my brief foray with Twitter. (Follow me at @mcmatt76) Twitter, like nature, abhors a vacuum when it comes to information. In the absence of hard information, speculation and rumor flourish. In this instance, let’s say someone tweeted (Twit?) “Is it possible this was from an energy drink?” As that question hurtles from cell phone, to laptop to PC, someone will eventually say, “It might have been an energy drink,” which then morphs to, “It was probably an energy drink,” and eventually to, “It was just an energy drink.”
A few years ago, AJ Allmendinger looked like one of the most promising raw talents on the Cup circuit. Now? He’ll be lucky to get a ride in 2013 after running afoul of NASCAR’s drug policy.
Fill in “dietary supplement” and repeat and retweet. So eventually, what we have is a “new truth” without a scrap of veracity to back it up. Even the mainstream media gets in on the game by writing things like, “It’s been widely speculated on Twitter that the source of the failed test was a dietary supplement.” Notice they’re not saying it’s a fact, just that some folks are saying that’s the case. So in this instance, Allmendinger would have been better served just fessing up and telling folks what he tested positive for. Supposedly, NASCAR says he was informed of what the substance was the day he was suspended at Daytona. Or, at least I think they did. I read it on Twitter, so it’s got to be so. (As it stands written in the Book of Bruce, “No Re-tweet, and no Re-sender”)
Editor’s Note: Allmendinger has tested positive for amphetamines; we just don’t know the specific type of drug that triggered that test. Could be anything from “meth” to some crazy energy drink Twitter speaks of.
One casualty of the declining attendance at Indy was the short track down the street, Indianapolis Raceway Park. That oval once hosted the Nationwide (nee Busch) and Truck Series races; while the Cup cars typically put on predictable parades at the big track, the racing at IRP was usually hot and heavy on the bullring Fridays and Saturdays. Apparently, NASCAR thought staging three races in one weekend at the home of the 500 would centralize focus and fan interest. Good luck with that. Why buy tickets to three boring races rather than just one? Like they say, “Good seats are still available.” Too bad good racing is not.
Yes, there was a horrific motorhome fire outside of Indy on Friday. No, there is no evidence it was caused by Juan Pablo Montoya hitting the coach while driving too fast in the rain-soaked parking lot trying to get to the infield. Later in the day, JPM was indeed involved in a controversial incident, competing part-time in the Rolex race and just happening to wreck out a Ford that’s a prime competitor to his team’s, Chip Ganassi Racing, overall championship title chase. Let’s just say Montoya’s brief stint in the Rolex Series was about as well received as Mitt Romney’s recent visit to the London Olympics.
Rain at Indy? Well it hasn’t rained there in seven weeks – the Midwest is stuck in a terrible drought that is decimating farmers in the area – but bring NASCAR racing to a city and it surely looks like rain.
Chevy unveiled their new entry for next year’s Nationwide races and it’s the Camaro. So next year, the Camaros will be battling it out with their longtime nemesis the Mustang and hopefully a few Challengers — if teams can be found to run them. While maintaining a lot of the styling cues of the street legal Camaro, I’ll contend that the race car is actually better-looking with an airier greenhouse rather than the gun-turret look of its street counterpart. I’d suggest Chevy follow that lead in redesigning their next Camaro. This first car was built by RCR and they, too, missed a trick. If they’d chosen a little deeper color of blue and added yellow stripes, the Camaro would have looked like a tribute to the Penske/Donahue Trans Am racers that ran with such success from 1967-69.
The Hindenburg Award For Foul Fortune
It was a tough weekend for former points leader Matt Kenseth. He hit the wall in practice and qualifying, then got wrecked out of the main event on Sunday en route to 35th. I’m not sure about the wisdom of tossing an expensive crash helmet into a burning car, though.
Kurt Busch actually ran within the top 10 early in the event but a botched pit stop cost him a lap. In the end, it didn’t matter much because later in the day he lost an engine.
Carl Edwards qualified for the outside pole under the watchful eye of new crew chief Chad Norris. But early in the event, the No. 99 car began losing power leaving Edwards to endure a long afternoon finishing four laps off the pace in 29th.
Brad Keselowski and his team were playing a strategy game in the pits, but it all went awry when Keselowski was consigned to that outside line for a restart and he slid up the track and out of contention. The No. 2 car wound up ninth, while Regan Smith (who was on the inside line for said restart) earned a one-on-one conversation filled with choice words for sometime this week.
The “Seven Come Fore Eleven” Award For Fine Fortune
With his first top-5 finish in over two months, Kyle Busch is hoping Indy rights the ship during a rollercoaster season driving Joe Gibbs’ No. 18 Toyota.
Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch made hard contact on a restart but the No. 48 car ran on undaunted – to another country.
It looked like Kyle Busch’s car had suffered day-ending failure when the No. 18 car slowed leaving pit road, belching heavy black smoke out the tailpipes. But whatever gremlin had infected the car at that point never reared its ugly head again for the rest of the race allowing Busch to finish second… though he’d have needed to find a set of binoculars to see Johnson take the checkers.
As bad as Tony Stewart’s No. 14 car ran for much of the race, he’ll probably leave Indy counting a tenth-place finish as a gift. Racers also learned that blocking doesn’t get you on Stewart’s good side.
Worth Noting
- The No. 48 team’s win was the tenth straight for Chevrolet at the Brickyard.
- The top-10 finishers at Indy drove five Chevys, three Toyotas, a Ford and a Dodge.
- Kyle Busch’s second-place finish was his first top-5 result in eight Cup races.
- Biffle’s third-place finish was his best since he won at Texas. Biffle also finished third in the first three Cup races this season.
- Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has finished fourth in three of the last four races.
- Gordon (fifth) hasn’t finished worse than twelfth in the last six races.
- Ryan Newman (seventh) has strung together three top-10 finishes for the first time this year.
- Keselowski (ninth) has four consecutive top-10 results.
- Kasey Kahne (12th) has only led laps in two of the last eight races. In both instances he did lead laps, he won.
- Harvick (13th) hasn’t enjoyed a top-5 finish since Dover.
- Kenseth (35th) suffered through his worst result of the season and his first DNF.
- Johnson joins Keselowski and Stewart as this season’s three-time winners. Johnson also has the most top-5 finishes this year with ten such results. Earnhardt, Kenseth, Biffle and Hamlin have nine apiece.
- Johnson is also tied with Earnhardt for the most top-10 runs this year. They have each posted 15 top-10 results in this season’s 20 points-paying races.
What’s the Points?
For the first time since 2004, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. holds the points lead. Kenseth is down one spot to second and fourteen points out of the top spot. Biffle, Johnson, Hamlin and Harvick hold serve in positions three through six, respectively.
Martin Truex, Jr. sits seventh, while Tony Stewart hangs tough in eighth. Keselowski and Bowyer swapped ninth and tenth spots, with the Dodge driver now having the advantage.
Further back, Kyle Busch advanced two spots to 11th, albeit 55 points behind Bowyer. More importantly, he retains one of the Wild Card spots with a win earlier this year.
Carl Edwards fell a spot to twelfth in the standings. If the Chase field were set on Sunday, he’d find himself on the outside looking in. I wonder if that notion scares him more than racing a car full of clowns? (Is that thing Mel Gibson’s old ride from the Mad Max movies?)
Kahne fell a spot to thirteenth in the points but would still get a Wild Card spot based on having won twice this season. Jeff Gordon jockeyed his way up two spots to fifteenth, but his winless streak has him on the outside looking in at any possible title hopes.
Of note: Harvick and Martin Truex, Jr. are the only drivers inside the top 10 in points who haven’t won a race 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) — Zero cans for a race enjoyed by zero fans.
Next Up – The circuit heads back to the Keystone State for Poc-o-two, the second 400-mile version of the summer races at the track. With any luck, it might be another good race there as well.
Connect with Matt!
Contact Matt McLaughlin
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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