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Chase Elliott Wins the ARCA 200 at Pocono
posted by Tony Lumbis
Saturday June 8, 2013
Chase Elliott became the youngest superspeedway winner in ARCA history when he took home the checkered flag at Pocono Raceway, the same track where his father, Bill, won 5 times in the Sprint Cup Series. Frank Kimmel, the early favorite, lead the first 22 laps from the pole as he looked to capture his 79th career ARCA win, which would have put him in a tie with Iggy Katona for all time wins in the series. However, Erik Jones took command of the leaderboard on lap 23 and stayed there for 20 circuits unitl his ToyotaCare Camry ran out of fuel. Elliott, who started 32nd as the field was set by owner’s points due to qualifying being rained out, wasted no time moving up through the field. He grabbed the lead on lap 60 and would never look back, fending off a hard charging Jones in the final laps. Kimmel finished third followed by Tom Hessert and Mason Mitchell.
Kurt Busch Wins Happy Hour at Pocono
posted by Tony Lumbis
Saturday June 8, 2013
Kurt Busch and his Furniture Row Racing team lead final practice at Pocono, followed by Jimmie Johnson who lead first practice, Carl Edwards, last week’s winner Tony Stewart and his SHR teammate Ryan Newman. Rounding out the top 10 were Kasey Kahne, Paul Menard, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Michael McDowell and Kyle Busch. Other notables: Kevin Harvick was 12th, Denny Hamlin was 13th, Brad Keselowski was 16th, Matt Kenseth was 18th, Jeff Gordon was 20th, Clint Bowyer was 23rd and Danica Patrick was 29th.
Rain Puts Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards on the Front Row at Pocono
posted by Tony Lumbis
Friday June 7, 2013
The remnants of topical storm Andrea has soaked Pocono Raceway on Friday. Not a single lap was turned at the Tricky Triangle due to the consistent wet weather which cancelled all on-track activities. As a result, the lineup for Sunday’s Party in the Poconos 400 will be set by owner’s points, putting Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards on the front row. Since only 43 cars entered the race, nobody went home.
Ten Fans Injured By Falling Rope at Charlotte
posted by Amy Henderson
Sunday May 26, 2013
Ten fans were injured during the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Guide ropes for a television camera fell onto the race track, damaging several cars and bringing out a lengthy red flag, and pieces of that rope also injured the fans, who were in the in the Turn 4 grandstand. The Speedway issued the following statement: “Ten fans were injured when a nylon rope fell over the grandstands in Turn 4 on lap 121 of tonight’s race. Seven fans were treated for minor cuts and scrapes at on-site care centers and released. Three people were transported to an area hospital for further evaluation. The rope was a guide for the network television CamCat overhead camera system.” We will update with more details as they become available. 10:00 PM UPDATE: So far, officials have not been able to determine the cause of the failure. According to an official release, the system consists of three ropes, including a drive rope which moves the camera back and forth, and two guide ropes. The drive rope failed and fell onto the racing surface. The camera itself did not fall. FOX plans to suspend use of this camera system, which was used during the Daytona 500 and All-Star race, until they complete an investigation of the failure. Fox issued the following in their statement: “We certainly regret that the system failure affected tonight’s event; we apologize to the racers whose cars were damaged, and our immediate concern is for the race fans. We also offer a sincere ‘thank you’ to the staff at CMS for attending to the injuries and keeping us informed on this developing situation.” 12:40 AM UPDATE: Though pravacy laws prevent officials from discussing the specific nature of any injuries, it was reported that the three fans who were transported to a local hospital have all been treated and released.
Busch Dominates, Wins History 300 at Charlotte
posted by Amy Henderson
Saturday May 25, 2013
Kyle Busch led 186 laps en route to a dominating victory in the History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday. It was a record seventh CMS win for Busch and his overall in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Busch’s victory was the most dominant in a 200-lap Nationwide Series race at Charlotte since 1986, when Dale Earnhardt led 194 laps en route to the win. Kasey Kahne looked like he might have something for Busch after a series of late cautions set up a dash to the finish, but the No. 5 faded in the final alps while the No. 54 rolled to the win. Joey Logano, rookie Kyle Larson, and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top 5, with Larson the highest finishing Nationwide Series regular in the race. Larson’s charge through the field in the second half of the race, using the high groove to pass several cars, had the young driver closing on the leaders before a string of cautions shuffled the field. The first half of the race was a test of patience for race teams. Austin Dillon started from the pole but quickly faded, leading just one lap and finishing 14th. The caution didn’t fly for the first 39 laps, until debris in turn three brought the yellow flag out of hiding. Close racing on the restart led to a second yellow flag at lap 47 as Robert Richardson, Johanna Long and Reed Sorenson were all involved in a crash that ended Richardson’s day and caused damage to both Long’s and Sorenson’s machines. The third of seven cautions, for debris, flew at lap 88. The field would not see another caution until lap 154. That yellow flag came out on that lap for debris once again. The final 43 laps were punctuated by three more caution periods, starting at lap 166 with a spin by Travis Pastrana, who hit the inside wall on the backstretch hard enough to lift all four wheels off the ground, reminiscent of Denny Hamlin’s hit at Fontana that sidelined Hamlin for more than a month, but unlike that crash, there was a SAFER barrier where Pastrana slammed the wall, and the driver walked away unhurt. John Wes Townley and Joe Nemechek also sustained damage trying to avoid Pastrana and the cars checking up around him. Just seven laps after the race went back to green, Sorenson spun in Turn 2 for caution number six, and the field went back to green for just two laps before the final caution came out on lap 185 for a crash between Dakoda Armstrong and Michael Annett, who was making his first series start since being injured in a crash at Daytona. That incident set up the 13-lap shootout between Busch and Kahne before Busch pulled away for the win, leaving Logano and Larson to duke it out with Harvick for the rest of the top 5. Trevor Bayne finished sixth, and Justin Allgaier, Matt Kenseth, Parker Kligerman, and Regan Smith rounded out the top 10. Busch was quick to credit his team after the victory. “It was a really great race for us,” said Busch in the media center at Charlotte after the race. “We’ve had a lot of fast race cars this year, and it’s a testament to our team and (crew chief) Adam Stevens and the work that the guys put in. They do such a great job for me, and being able to go out there with some good-driving cars and lead a lot of laps and put them in Victory Lane, I think it’s just a true testament to how good our organization is and how hard these guys work. They never forget what they’re supposed to do. We have to have good race cars from practice and qualifying and into the race, and so having those adjustments all set and having things ready to go is what makes us look so good. “ Smith leaves Charlotte with a 29-point advantage over Hornish in Nationwide Series standings. Allgaier moves into third, 40 back of Smith, and Elliott Sadler dropped to fourth after finishing 13th. Sadler’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Brian Vickers, holds on to fifth spot after a pit gamble didn’t pay off, leaving Vickers, who had been racing with the leaders, with an 11th-place result. Kligerman, Dillon, Brian Scott, Larson, and Alex Bowman finish off the top 10 in points.
Hamlin Snags Coca-Cola 600 Pole With Track Record Time
posted by Amy Henderson
Thursday May 23, 2013
Denny Hamlin shattered the track qualifying record at Charlotte Motor Speedway as he rocketed to the pole for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. Hamlin had a lap time of 27.604 seconds, or 195.624 miles per hour. Several drivers drove past the old record, set by Greg Biffle in 2012, but it was Hamlin who came out at the top of the heap and holds the new record. Kurt Busch will start on the outside of the front row. Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, and Clint Bowyer round out the top 5. Kasey Kahne, Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray, and Ryan Newman hold down sixth through tenth places. The pole is Hamlin’s second of 2013; he also started in front at Fontana before an injury in that race sidelined him for over a month. Hamlin says that his back feels “nearly 100%” and that it doesn’t cause him pain while driving. He added that winning the pole helped solidify for him that he is back at a competitive level, but he wants one more thing before he’ll be satisfied. “I think winning would do that. I think ultimately getting the big trophy on Sunday is the validation that you’re truly back,” said Hamlin after his lap. “For me, it’s going to take some wins and some really good consistency throughout these summer months to put ourselves in position to have a chance at a championship. That’s what we’re here for. Even these small victories though give me that confidence that I’m still capable, and I’m still able to do the job at 100 percent like I should be. Any kind of confidence booster for me — it’s always a plus on Sunday.” The Cup teams are next on track Saturday at 10 AM for the weekend’s second practice. Final practice for Sunday’s race is Saturday afternoon at one o’clock. The Coca-Cola 600 is scheduled to start at 6 PM on Sunday and will air on FOX.
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. |
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Thomas Bowles · Wednesday August 20, 2008
A lot of shorter observations than usual, so I’m calling this the Odds ‘N’ Ends edition of Did You Notice this week…
Did You Notice? … That California Speedway’s date realignment on the 2009 Sprint Cup schedule did nothing to address the quality of racing at that facility. I will say the Labor Day date was always a horrible weekend for them. Not only did people in L.A. have other things to do, but the heat is pretty unbearable that time of year. I worked the race in 2007, and it was agonizingly hot during the entire four days we were out there. With temperatures reaching upwards of 105-110 degrees, there was little if anything air conditioning could do for fans, media, and drivers alike.
It’s not just the track that weeps, often it’s the fans too that have to suffer through the heat and racing at Fontana.
But moving its date from September to October won’t bring people back if the racing remains well, as crappy as it was. I’m really intrigued to see what the attendance in September’s going to be after the “weepers” in February turned a 12-hour rain delay into a debacle of a Sunday half-show. It’s clear the track needs to be torn up and rebuilt, with graduated banking the perfect solution if ISC would only fork out the money to pay for it. For now, Gillian Zucker’s certainly got her work cut out for her, and let’s put it this way: nobody goes to a concert if they don’t like the music – no matter how convenient it is for them or nice a day it is outside.
Did You Notice? … The additional “off week” on the 2009 schedule still doesn’t separate the ten Chase playoff races from the other 26. It’s definitely a help – preparing for 12 straight weeks on the road is certainly better than 17 – but still, why wouldn’t you separate the playoffs to the point you can build up the hype for nearly two straight weeks? It seems the schedule realignment was done more to intensify the participation of Cup drivers during the Nationwide Series race in Montreal; you’ll notice the road course race in Canada now slips right in during the off week on Sunday, August 30th. So much for the Nationwide Series continuing to build its own identity away from the Cup stars – although awarding them a race at Iowa was a great idea, and it’ll definitely be one of the better races of the year for that division.
Did You Notice? … Two more things on the 2009 Cup schedule: no race date for Kentucky Speedway despite rumors to the contrary. What are the chances Bruton Smith still remains in control of that facility? I’d have to say they’re getting lower by the day … and while Martinsville kept its two race dates this year, expect 2009 to be the final season that track will keep its current place on the schedule. With Kansas Speedway on the verge of building an ISC-sponsored casino, the short track’s all but assured to drop from two dates to one in 2010 to compensate for a second date in the Midwest – and with Las Vegas and the aforementioned Kentucky in the mix, there’s no question small town Virginia stands out as the most vulnerable facility right now.
Did You Notice? … Denny Hamlin has a clear pattern of never being afraid to call out his crew – or other drivers — when things aren’t going his way. Sunday’s frustration was just the latest incident in the last eighteen months in which Hamlin’s comments have been directed squarely at the people who prepare his race car. But calling the crew out is always a double-edged sword; if you’re the person preparing that vehicle, how hard would you work if your driver is busy throwing you under the bus on national television? It’s a fine line to follow … and while you love the injection of personality Hamlin brings to the series, you wonder how many more times he can whine to the media before his crew begins to turn against him.
Did You Notice? … That every year, Jamie McMurray goes through a short stretch at Roush where you think he’s on the verge of making some noise with the No. 26 car. Then, just when he’s got you fooled, he turns around and slumps all over again. With three Top 10 finishes in his last four races, McMurray’s up to 18th in points – just one spot below where he finished 2007 with this team. But in his third full season at the helm of that car, you’ve got to wonder if it’s too little, too late …
Did You Notice? … The clear separation between Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, and the rest of the field? Tony Stewart still seems in perfect position to play Chase spoiler, but other than that it’s hard to argue a case for any of the other eight drivers to challenge for the title. Among the ones looking completely lost right now: Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Burton, and Jeff Gordon. And doesn’t Gordon’s recent slide eerily represent what happened in 2005, when he fell like a rock during the summer and missed the Chase? It’s hard to imagine it happening three years later with the cushion he’d built up in the standings … entering Indy, Gordon was nearly 200 points ahead of 13th place. But then again, it was hard to imagine Gordon dropping out when he was second in points ten races into the ’05 Cup season… and it happened anyways. I can tell you this much: what’s got to be troubling for Steve LeTarte is that the last collapse coincided with Robbie Loomis getting the ax and him getting the job as crew chief. Could the same thing happen to him three years later?
Did You Notice? … At Michigan, how badly was Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s car was handling before it hit the wall? If that team didn’t have the track position, it was hardly a Top 10 car by the ¾ point of the race. You wonder how the relationship with Tony Eury, Jr. is working behind the scenes; and as we mentioned last week, Junior’s already in that phase where he’s acting as depressed as his buddy Matt Kenseth. This is definitely the worst the No. 88 has looked all year.
Did You Notice? … That the U.S. Army – another former full-time sponsor – is likely reduced to part-time status in 2009 due to their inability to keep up with rising costs. What was once a decent sponsorship for a mid-level team – around $8 – $10 million – now isn’t enough to get you through more than a third of a season on Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 99. With organizations like Chip Ganassi Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, and others looking for funding, that inevitable question remains – where are they going to find those companies to sign on the dotted line? And why the heck did AFLAC sign a deal for $26 million if they were going to sell off inventory anyways? That just doesn’t make sense to me. If you’re going to pony up for 18 races, pony up for 18 races … not 36.
Did You Notice? … That with Michael McDowell’s “temporary” removal from the No. 00 Toyota, there’s just one rookie guaranteed to finish out the season – Sam Hornish, Jr. in the No. 77 Dodge. And in February of 2009, he’s looking like the only pledged candidate left who’ll be sitting in the driver’s seat. Patrick Carpentier is still awaiting word on renewal of his contract from Gillett Evernham Motorsports, and there’s no news on sponsorship that’s needed for Regan Smith to continue on with DEI. So, it’s all up to Hornish. If he changes his tune and decides to bolt back to the IRL at the end of this year, that could mean none of the candidates will return for a full-time sophomore season (Aric Almirola is signed to drive the No. 8, but remember, he isn’t competing for the award).
Wondering when the last time was so many rookies’ careers went so far south? You’d have to go back to 1992, when none of the candidates (including ROTY Jimmy Hensley) started the following season with a full-time ride. Only Hensley ended up surviving, taking over the No. 7 car for part of 1993 following the death of Alan Kulwicki.
And even if some of the current rookies survive the cut and make it into 2009, one thing is clear at this point: the open-wheel experiment is officially over.
Tuesday on the Frontstretch:
Five Points to Ponder: NASCAR’s Midwestern Malaise, Manufacturer Malfunctions And More
Going By the Numbers: Need a Road Course Ringer? Here’s Who Not to Call
Couch Potato Tuesday: Michigan Meant Progress, Not Perfection For TNT
Who’s Hot / Who’s Not in Sprint Cup: Michigan-Sonoma Edition
Death Visits NASCAR Less Often Now, But Still Is Present At Local Tracks
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