 |
 |
 |
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.
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. |
||
 |
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 |
To the Point: On the race’s final restart, Kasey Kahne took off like a rocket ship, leaving the rest of the field in his dust and coasting to victory in Sunday’s Samsung/Radio Shack 500 at Texas. Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, and Kevin Harvick rounded out the Top 5.
Who Should Have Won: Greg Biffle. Speaking of taking off like a rocket ship, that analogy may not have adequately described how good Biffle’s car was this day. Starting 5th, Biffle’s 16 car roared towards the front, taking the lead by lap 12 and immediately stretching out an advantage of over 7 seconds on the rest of the field by the 50-lap mark. Although the race remained in its early stages, one was beginning to wonder not IF Biffle was going to win, but by how much. Then, the first caution of the race for a spring rubber on Lap 65 changed everything. With the field just having made green flag pit stops, several cars chose to stay out on five-lap old tires, and Biffle found himself back in the pack for the restart. No longer in clean air, Biffle’s car took a little more time working its way through the field, but clearly remained the best car. However, on lap 82, while attempting to maneuver past Kurt Busch on the back straightaway, Biffle’s car turned to the right to finish his pass"¦except the 16 car found the front bumper of Busch’s vehicle still in its way. Five seconds later, Biffle’s car was in the wall and totaled, the front of Busch’s car was ruined, and for the 3rd time this year, a possible win for the Biff resulted in a DNF instead.
Five Questions You Should be Asking After the Race Weekend:
1) Are you SURE this is the same Kurt Busch that was employed at Roush Racing for seven years?
If there were any lingering friendships from Busch’s seven years at Roush, he’s doing everything he possibly can to rip them to shreds. First, Busch bumps Matt Kenseth out of the way at Bristol, now he’s involved in an incident with Greg Biffle at Texas that takes out what may have been the best car in the field. Let’s not even mention the Kevin Harvick fiasco"¦while this week’s incident may not have been 100% his fault, if I were Kurt, I’d be working on an assumed name and a fake moustache for Phoenix, because several drivers will be gunning for him.
2) Who would have won in a "catfight," Kurt Busch’s fiancée Eva or Greg Biffle’s girlfriend Nicole?
Things never got quite that far"¦but you’d better believe most male TV watchers on Sunday (and many females as well) were thinking about the answer to that question when Nicole strolled over to "talk" to Eva atop Kurt Busch’s pit box on Sunday. Those drivers may not be able to say what’s on their minds all the time"¦but their girls apparently have no problem speaking the truth!
3) How can NASCAR not determine what type of debris is on the race track?
OK"¦so you’re telling me there are electronic scoring loops set up all over the track, some of the best technology out there to help freeze the field during a caution flag"¦and NASCAR can’t invest in a few cameras to zoom in and find out whether debris on the track necessitates a caution? Worst case scenario, they can’t borrow the FOX feed to figure it out? Come on.
4) Is this year’s crop of rookies something, or what?
After a rough two weeks at Bristol at Martinsville that resulted in zero Top 10s for the rookies, two of them cracked the Top 10 at Texas, with Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex, Jr. both having the best points finishes of their seasons in 4th and 8th. Not only that, but Reed Sorenson, J.J. Yeley, and Clint Bowyer all found themselves in the Top 5 at one point before suffering a variety of late-race problems. While this group may not be ready yet to win a points race"¦I’m no longer so sure that will be the case for the entire season. What a talented group.
5) How must Jeremy Mayfield feel right about now?
Poor Mayfield lost his Nextel Cup Team Director with whom he was working so well, Kenny Francis, to Kasey Kahne’s team this offseason in a restructuring move to bring the 9 team back to the front. Since then, Kahne’s made it to Victory Lane twice, while Mayfield has only one Top 20 finish, with his 31st place run on Sunday putting his team 36th in owner points and forcing him to qualify on speed April 22nd at Phoenix. Can you say ouch?
Solid Runs
Matt Kenseth: Early on, it looked like Kenseth’s day would be a disaster after running into the back of Scott Riggs car on pit road. For once, though, the luck pendulum swung the 17 team’s way, and the damage to the car wasn’t serious"¦Kenseth rallied and carved his way through the field and back to a 2nd place finish, closing the gap on points leader Jimmie Johnson.
Kevin Harvick: Harvick soldiered on to a 5th place finish at Texas, using late pit strategy to work his way up towards the front when it counted. Most importantly, it was his first Top 5 on a superspeedway since Las Vegas LAST March, proving the 29 team is moving back towards being a weekly contender at any type of track. Three straight Top 10s and 9th in points certainly beefs up Harvick’s status heading into contract negotiations with RCR during the next few weeks.
Jeff Burton: After the bad luck bug bit one of this season’s biggest surprises, Burton recovered from three straight finishes outside the Top 20 with a 6th place run on Sunday to get him right back in the thick of the race for the Chase.
Bobby Labonte: 10th place may not mean much to Nextel Cup’s weekly frontrunners, but to a team like Petty Enterprises, it means the world, especially when its the second Top 10 in three races for the 43 team, backing up Labonte’s 10th place qualifying effort with a solid finish. More importantly, Labonte moved the 43 back to 30th place in owner points and locked the team back into the starting field"¦for now.
Tough Days
Greg Biffle: See above. Biffle finished 42nd, and dropped to 23rd in driver points, 406 behind Jimmie Johnson and currently out of the Chase.
Carl Edwards: Every time the 99 team seems to right the ship, Edwards appears to be shooting himself in the foot in what is becoming a very up and down sophomore season. A contender to win, Edwards led 3 times on the day for 50 laps"¦but then got himself in the high groove and spun himself out while running 2nd, nearly taking out Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon in a long, lonely spin into the inside wall on the backstretch. Edwards finished 36th.
Jeff Gordon: Speaking of Jeff Gordon, he’s never won at Texas, and Sunday reminded all of us why"¦his luck and his car are never good here. Gordon’s car handled terribly, and he had a rear tire go down late in the race, putting him two laps behind. Then he found himself the victim of a hard knock from Carl Edwards"¦a disappointed Gordon finished 22nd.
Jamie McMurray: It’s one thing to have a car handle so bad you have to pull it behind the wall because you can’t drive it"¦it’s another for that car to belong to Roush Racing. McMurray’s season clearly hit a low point Sunday, as the race became a test session for one of Roush’s five teams at a track where they’ve clearly had good setups and good race cars through the years. McMurray’s 37th place finish dropped him to 21st in points and raised questions about just how well that team is clicking, if at all.
Points Shuffle:
For the first time in a few weeks, the points leader remained unchanged after Sunday, as Jimmie Johnson held onto the lead by 13 over Matt Kenseth despite a ho-hum 11th place run that saw him go a lap down at one point. Although Kahne’s two wins technically put him third in points, he and Mark Martin find themselves tied, 46 points back, with Tony Stewart rounding out the Top 5.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. moved up to sixth in the standings, with Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, and Casey Mears finishing out the Top 10. Mears has a 17 point advantage on Dale Jarrett for that 10th spot, currently 218 points behind Jimmie Johnson.
Seven races in, there are now just 21 drivers within that Chase magic number of 400 points, with Jamie McMurray being the last driver "in" the Chase if the regular season ended today. Among those drivers who would currently miss the cut: Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Joe Nemechek, and Robby Gordon.
Quotable:
"We had a really great racecar. The Dodge Charger was awesome. We started out really loose and fell back to sixth or seventh. We just kind of let the car come to me. We were just fortunate enough to hit the adjustments right late in the race and made "˜em better on that final stop, and had a great racecar those final 20 laps." Kasey Kahne
"Awesome race for us"¦it was so much fun racing Kasey (Kahne). I’m glad he won. My congratulations to him, (owner) Ray Evernham, and their guys. We had nothing for them there at the end. We put on a set of tires at the end of the race in an effort to be a little bit tighter so that we could run harder, but ended up being freer." Tony Stewart
"I don’t know what he (Greg Biffle) was doing. I was a lapped car trying to get out of the way. He had trouble passing the 21, and he checked up down the straightaway. I tried not to get into him. I had nowhere to go. He had a fast racecar. He caught me from like 20 car lengths back in like a lap, so I don’t know why he couldn’t pass the 21. I was just trying to get out of the way." Kurt Busch
"(Kurt Busch) just ran into the back of me and turned me into the fence. It was clear that we had a winning car"¦you’ve got to have a little bit of respect for the other drivers you’re racing with and Kurt hasn’t shown respect, or that surely wasn’t showing respect." Greg Biffle
"Something happened in front of us. I saw Casey Mears get sideways, but I’m pretty sure Sterling Marlin’s hair piece just got in his eyes and he couldn’t see what was going on." Ryan Newman, after being turned by Sterling Marlin and wrecked in Turns 1 & 2. Newman finished 40th.
Next Up:
The Nextel Cup series takes its first week off in over a month to celebrate the Easter holiday. They’ll be back in full force April 22nd at Phoenix for a Saturday night race under the lights at the one-mile track. The Subway Fresh 500 will be held at 8 P.M. EST LIVE on FOX.
Friday on the Frontstretch:
Charlotte’s Four Burning Questions: Translating Success And McMurray’s Time To Shine
Frontstretch Foto Funnies: Cleaning Out The Vintage Vault
Brendan Gaughan Driver Diary: Race Day, Sharks, And A Fast Fix
That Sound You Heard? Hall Of Fame Standards Dropping A Notch
IndyCar In-Depth: Indianapolis 500
Formula 1 Friday: Two Questions
Voices From the Cheapseats: Discussing The Need For Diversity’
Nuts for Nationwide: Jack Ingram’s Moment To Shine
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 Thomas Bowles and Frontstetch.com. Thanks for visiting the Frontstretch!
