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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. |
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Tony Lumbis · Monday August 11, 2008
Rookies in the Starting Lineup: (Due to rain, the starting lineup was determined by car owner points) Aric Almirola (15th), Ron Fellows (32nd), Sam Hornish, Jr. (34th), Michael McDowell (36th), P.J. Jones (38th), Patrick Carpentier (39th), Max Papis (42nd), Marcos Ambrose (43rd)
Unofficial Finishing Positions: Marcos Ambrose (3rd), Ron Fellows (13th), Patrick Carpentier (20th), Michael McDowell (25th), Sam Hornish, Jr. (32nd), Aric Almirola (35th), P.J. Jones (37th), Max Papis (43rd)
Rookie of the Race: Marcos Ambrose. When the green flag was waved for the Centurion at the Glen, Ambrose found himself tasked with having to overtake 42 Sprint Cup drivers at one of the toughest tracks on the circuit to pass — nearly an impossible feat. However, after running near the top of the practice charts and taking home his first career NASCAR victory in the Nationwide Series race the day before, the Australian had a little bit of confidence in his fuel tank; and boy, did it pay off.
Marcos Ambrose rounded off a near perfect weekend at Watkins Glen on Sunday, finishing third in the Cup race after winning the Nationwide race the day before.
The Little Debbie Ford did not stray far from the top of the speed charts throughout the day, as Ambrose methodically worked his way through the field. By the race’s halfway point, he was in the Top 20, picking cars off as if they were standing still. The driver would need a little help from the pit box, however, and that is where crew chief David Hyder — who became the head wrench at the Wood Brothers just two weeks ago — would employ the right pit strategy to place the No. 21 Ford in the Top 5 with twenty laps remaining. Taking fuel only, Ambrose would then quickly dispose of Martin Truex, Jr. and fly by a spinning Ryan Newman to position himself for a Sprint Cup victory with only a handful of laps remaining. That epic run would stop there, however, as the 32-year old began battling brake issues, playing defense against a hungry Juan Pablo Montoya, and attempting to avoid taking out Chase contender Tony Stewart — who was running in second. Still, it was a career day for Ambrose, who finished on the podium and gave the popular Wood Brothers their first Top 5 since the August Bristol race in 2005 with Ricky Rudd behind the wheel.
Note: Patrick Carpentier was the first Rookie of the Year contender to cross the finish line, so he takes home rookie honors for the fifth time this season. It was the fourth consecutive time that the Canadian won the award for races that he entered (he did not start at Pocono last week) and the third Top 20 finish in his last four starts.
Tony’s Take: Marcos Ambrose was downright impressive Sunday at the Glen. There is no other way to put it for a driver whose average finish this weekend was second place. Several times, the rookie mentioned how he wanted to gain the respect of his competitors and not ruffle anyone’s feathers, especially those who are contending for the Chase. This is a hard promise to keep while passing 41 cars on the winding turns of Watkins Glen, yet Ambrose did just that. Using the right balance of aggressiveness and finesse, he worked his way through the field without becoming involved in a single incident, and that says a lot about this future Rookie of the Year contender. With plans to run full-time for JTG Daugherty Racing in 2009, Ambrose is now going to have to try hard to shed the label of road course ringer if he is to be considered a serious contender next year. The first chance to do that will be next week, when the driver from down under will be piloting the No. 21 at Michigan.
Once again, we should not overlook Patrick Carpentier, who has now taken home the top rookie honors in each race he has entered dating back to the Coke Zero 400 on July Fourth weekend. If he continues this streak, it is Carpentier who could become the man to beat for the 2008 Rookie of the Year title.
Rocky Rookie Performance: P.J. Jones. Even though he is technically a rookie due to his lack of starts, P.J. Jones actually has had years of experience on the road courses in the Sprint Cup Series, making spot starts since 1993. However, fifteen years could not prepare Jones — who was subbing in the Hall of Fame Racing Toyota — for what he endured on Sunday afternoon. The trouble started on lap 16, when Jones was trying to fend off the hard-charging Carpentier into turn one. The Canadian got in too hot with the No. 10 car and slid right into the No. 96, catapulting both into the kitty litter. Both would continue on the lead lap — but it was just the first of numerous instances for Jones.
After a fairly quiet middle portion of the race, the final 25 laps become eventful once again for the road course ringer. While battling back in the pack with Jeff Gordon (how many times do we say that?), the No. 96 and the No. 24 car got together going through the chicane on the backstretch. Gordon, appearing to blame Jones for the incident, gave the Camry a bump exiting the chicane to show his displeasure. Just as the road course ringer got his senses back, another Rookie of the Year candidate, Sam Hornish, Jr. would attempt a dive bomb move on the DLP Camry, and it had the same outcome as when Carpentier attempted the same maneuver earlier in the race — sending Jones off course once again. When all was said and done, he found himself in 37th place, one lap down.
Rookie Wreck of the Weekend: (Michael McDowell, Max Papis, Sam Hornish, Jr.)
The “Big One” does not often happen at a road course event, but that was certainly not the case on Sunday afternoon. In the late stages of the race, Michael McDowell, the rookie star of the first road course event of the season, gained notoriety for an entirely different reason at The Glen. McDowell drove into the final corner hard trying to gain a position from David Gilliland and slid into the No. 38 Ford, sending both cars into the wall. The incident was far from over, however, as Gilliland bounced back into traffic and collected a slew of cars, sending Sam Hornish, Jr. into the barrels at the end of pit road as well as collecting a heartbroken Max Papis. Papis was done for the day following the event, but McDowell and — even more impressive — Hornish were able to continue, demonstrating how the new car is able to withstand even the worst of impacts.
Who Wasn’t Here?: Brian Simo
Road racing specialist Brian Simo was attempting his second race of the season in the Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet (Simo qualified the No. 34 car in 43rd position at Sonoma), but the rain kept the California native from even attempting a qualifying lap, as he was one of two drivers forced to go home due to a poor position in owner’s points.
Rookie Quotes of the Week:
There was a lot of action that involved the rookie drivers this past Sunday, for better or worse, translating into several quote machines for this segment. Marcos Ambrose talks about the final laps in his charge to the front and how proud he is of the opportunity to drive the Wood Brothers Ford. Michael McDowell explains his view of what happened in his incident with David Gilliland, which set up a multi-car wreck on the frontstretch; and finally, P.J. Jones offers his opinion on the run-in he had with Jeff Gordon.
Marcos Ambrose
“It’s just a great weekend all around. I thought yesterday was great, but when I wound up there on that red flag, I realized where I was. I was behind Tony and in front of all those other great drivers. We came up out of the truck so well yesterday, in practice we were too scared to change anything, and the car was flopping around a lot during the race. It had a lot of grip… it was just real tough to drive. So, I just tried to stay clean as best I could there and pass cars cleanly, and just pick away at it. You know, I really had no idea where we were at until the last pit stops. We cycled through about sixth place, so it’s just a great day all along. I’m just so proud of the Wood Brothers for giving me a piece that I could get out there and give it my best, and Little Debbie and the McKee family for giving me the chance to go Cup racing. I don’t want to be labeled a road racer, by the way, too. I am 10th in the Nationwide series points, so I’m trying to make it as a NASCAR driver full stop, not just a road racer. I’m just really excited that I’ve been given an opportunity and I’m able to be making the most of it. You know, you don’t get many chances in life to do something special like this, and today I’m going to look back at very fondly – the whole weekend, to be honest with you. I’m just really proud of both my times, and I hope it can give the Wood Brothers a shot in the arm that they need to really get the momentum to move forward.”
Michael McDowell
“I’m going to have to go back and look at [the wreck]. I had a run and I went underneath [Gilliland] and he just didn’t give me a whole lot of room. Maybe I shouldn’t have been in there, but we’re racing hard to stay in the Top 35 in owner points and try to get back into the Top 35 — that’s what we needed to do with our Champion Mortgage Toyota. It’s unfortunate, and I’m sorry for the fans and all the cars that got wrecked there and had to wait through that red flag. I was just racing hard, and really, it doesn’t look much different than how it was with Kyle Busch and Jeff Burton yesterday — but I’m sure they’ll make a big deal out of it.”
P.J. Jones
“We were held up in a little traffic and we were racing for position toward the end and he got beside me. I gave him room on the outside, but he didn’t give me any room coming back to the left. I was already in the dirt, but I wasn’t trying to bounce off of him — that was the only choice I had. Then he got his feathers all ruffled up and decided he wanted to play. At that point, I just let him go. We just didn’t have a great car, and that’s just how it goes.”
UNOFFICIAL Raybestos Rookie standings:
Smith 176
Hornish, Jr. 173
Carpentier 167
McDowell 156
Franchitti 97 (DNS)
UNOFFICIAL Driver Points Standings
Sam Hornish Jr.: 33rd (0)
Regan Smith: 34th (0, DNS)
Patrick Carpentier 36th (+1)
Michael McDowell 40th (-1)
Dario Franchitti: 43rd (0, DNS)
Aric Almirola 46th (+1)
Qualifying Next Week: Sam Hornish, Jr.’s efforts to soldier on in a wounded race car following a vicious wreck helped to keep his team in a locked in position for next week’s event in Michigan. On the other hand, Michael McDowell fell further outside the Top 35 due to his aggressive attempt to pass Gilliland with eight laps remaining. Patrick Carpentier and the No. 10 car continue to scratch and claw their way back after a slow start to the 2008 season, but are still on the outside looking in. Marcos Ambrose’s third place finish was not enough to dig the Wood Brothers out of their points hole and he will have to qualify on time as well. Finally, Brad Coleman will be making his first Sprint Cup start this weekend and will be challenged with putting the No. 96 Camry into the field on time.
Next Up: The series returns to the Irish Hills of Michigan for the final time this season for the 3M Performance 400. Back in June, Sam Hornish, Jr. stole the show while battling for the lead with defending Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson and overcoming a late race spin to take home top rookie honors. Look for the Ohio native to make another strong run next week, but don’t expect the other rookies to let him run away from the field — they’ll return with notes from their June experience.
Tony’s Top Finishing Rookie Pick: Patrick Carpentier had overcame an early incident with P.J. Jones to finish 20th; however, it wasn’t near enough to overcome the strong run of Marcos Ambrose, who was virtually unbeatable for the entire weekend.
You Make The Pick: After a week off, you were right back on the Patrick Carpentier wagon, going with the tried and true rookie over the past month over some of the road course specialists at The Glen. While Carpentier had yet another solid run, it was not enough to capture our rookie of the race honors this week — but you still remain up by four points.
Tony’s Pick for Next Week’s Top Finishing Rookie: Marco Ambrose has a chance to continue his momentum, as he has a second consecutive start in the Wood Brothers Ford at Michigan. However, the last time Ambrose was in this situation, he followed up a strong run at Sonoma with a DNQ at New Hampshire the following week. So until he is more consistent, I’m going to stay away from him and go with Sam Hornish, Jr. to keep the nose of his Charger pointed in the right direction — finishing best among his rookie counterparts at Michigan.
2008 Rookie Prediction Table
| Event | Track | Tony’s Pick | Finish | Reader’s Pick | Finish | Top Finishing Rookie | Finish |
| Daytona 500 | Daytona | Regan Smith | 37th | Dario Franchitti | 33rd | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 15th |
| Auto Club 500 | California | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 43rd | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 43rd | Regan Smith | 31st |
| UAW-Dodge 400 | Las Vegas | Patrick Carpentier | 40th | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 41st | Dario Franchitti | 33rd |
| Kobalt Tools 500 | Atlanta | Dario Franchitti | 33rd | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 25th | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 25th |
| Food City 500 | Bristol | Regan Smith | 26th | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 29th | Aric Almirola | 8th |
| Goody’s Cool Orange 500 | Martinsville | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 28th | Aric Almirola | 42nd | Regan Smith | 14th |
| Samsung 500 | Texas | Regan Smith | 35th | Michael McDowell / Regan Smith | 33rd / 35th | Patrick Carpentier | 28th |
| Subway Fresh Fit 500K | Phoenix | Michael McDowell | 34th | Michael McDowell | 34th | Sam Hornish Jr. | 20th |
| Aaron’s 499 | Talladega | Aric Almirola | 33rd | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 35th | Regan Smith | 21st |
| Crown Royal 400 | Richmond | Patrick Carpentier | 43rd | Patrick Carpentier | 43rd | Regan Smith | 21st |
| Dodge Challenger 500 | Darlington | Regan Smith | 29th | Regan Smith | 29th | Michael McDowell | 28th |
| Coca-Cola 600 | Lowe’s | Michael McDowell | 32nd | Michael McDowell | 32nd | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 13th |
| Best Buy 400 | Dover | Regan Smith | 21st | Michael McDowell | 30th | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 18th |
| Pocono 500 | Pocono | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 42nd | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 42nd | Michael McDowell | 27th |
| LifeLock 400 | Michigan | Regan Smith | 32nd | Michael McDowell | 37th | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 22nd |
| Save Mart 350K | Infineon | Patrick Carpentier | 23rd | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 31st | Michael McDowell | 21st |
| Lenox Industrial Tools 301 | New Hampshire | Regan Smith | 27th | Marcos Ambrose | DNQ | Aric Almirola | 23rd |
| Coke Zero 400 | Daytona | Michael McDowell | 25th | Patrick Carpentier | 14th | Patrick Carpentier | 14th |
| LifeLock 400 | Chicagoland | Michael McDowell | 25th | Patrick Carpentier | 30th | Patrick Carpentier | 30th |
| Allstate 400 | Indianapolis | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 37th | Patrick Carpentier | 18th | Patrick Carpentier | 18th |
| Sunoco Red Cross 500 | Pocono | Regan Smith | 25th | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 26th | Chad McCumbee | 17th |
| Centurion Boats At The Glen | Watkins Glen | Patrick Carpentier | 20th | Patrick Carpentier | 20th | Marcos Ambrose | 3rd |
2008 Score: Readers 4, Tony 0.
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
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