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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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Thompson In Turn 5 · Tommy Thompson · Tuesday September 12, 2006
Dubbed the “greatest driver who never won a title,” Mark Martin has once again qualified for a spot in NASCAR's Nextel Cup Chase to the Championship by virtue of his fifth place finish at Richmond last Saturday night. The Arkansas native, along with Roush Racing teammate Matt Kenseth and Hendrick driver Jimmie Johnson, are the only three men to have earned the right to compete for a championship all three years the Chase format has been adopted. But while Kenseth already has a title under his belt and Johnson has a decade or more of competition left to win one, Martin finds himself racing with a different sense of urgency as the season begins to reach its climax.
Having already “retired” in 2005, only to change his mind and return full-time for 2006, rumors abound concerning Martin's driving plans for 2007. Only one thing is known for sure: Martin has ruled out publicly a return to the No. 6 AAA Ford he’s driven exclusively for nineteen years under owner and friend Jack Roush. The hottest rumors have Martin returning on a part-time basis in another Roush ride, or possibly lending his services to the struggling Robert Yates organization for one more full season of driving. Regardless of what opportunity the 47-year-old chooses, this much is clear: neither one will likely provide him with another chance at a Nextel Cup title.
That “…never won a title” label is somewhat of a misnomer when one considers the veteran's storied racing career and accomplishments. Martin paved his way to the elite stock-car racing series in the world by racing in local dirt track bullrings around his Batesville, Arkansas hometown. It was through this level of competition that, at age 15, Martin won the 1974 Arkansas State Championship trophy. That small success was just the beginning; moving up through the ranks, Martin went on to win four American Speed Association (ASA) Championships in 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1986 before moving into the Cup series full-time. Once there, he’s been extended several invitations into the International Race of Champions, rising to the challenge of tough competition to win a record five IROC titles.
That’s not to mention the wins Martin’s racked up through his 25 years of racing in NASCAR’s top series. Not only does Martin have 35 Cup victories, but he’s tacked on an eye-popping 47 wins in NASCAR Busch Series competition. Martin's win total in Busch is a series record, one that will not be equaled or surpassed for a long time to come. Jack Ingram, second on the all-time Busch career wins list, trails Martin by a whopping sixteen victories, and no active driver is even close to approaching the mark. There is also Mark’s thirteen IROC wins to date, as well as a fledgling Craftsman Truck Series career that has reaped four wins in eight races this season and holds great promise for many championship(s) in the coming years. Martin’s past, present, and future in the sport continues to be nothing short of impressive.
Still, the NASCAR Cup Championship has nonetheless eluded Martin. The perennial “bridesmaid” has approached “the altar” numerous times, recording second place finishes in the season ending Cup standings on four different occasions. Martin has also posted final results of third and fourth three times apiece, falling just short of snagging the first place finish he covets.
If Martin fails to add a Cup championship to his illustrious career, will it take away from his standing amongst the stock car greats? Regrettably, the answer is yes. Lost in the memories of future writers and fans will be the total embodiment of Mark Martin's career as both a race car driver and a man.
Just take a look at NASCAR pioneer Junior Johnson, and you’ll see what Martin has to look forward to if he remains without that title trophy. Johnson was a highly respected wheelman of his era, with fifty victories in an impressive Cup career that lasted over a decade. However, since Johnson never won a championship, his name is routinely omitted from consideration as one of stock car's greatest drivers, and more fans remember him more for his ownership role in the sport.
Martin, too, stands to suffer a similar stigma from a historical consideration of his career. The future generations will have no way to know Mark Martin as today's fans perceive him. All they will have is the record books, and in there will be Martin's name, with very respectable statistics including, wins, Top 5s, Top 10s, and more… but no mention of him under that exclusive listing of all-time NASCAR Cup champions.
No, those numbers in the record books won't be able to describe how in 1990 Martin lost the Championship by a scant 26 points, in large part to being penalized for an unapproved part that was of no mechanical advantage. Future race enthusiasts will probably never know that any of his near championship efforts could have resulted in finishing first if not for a “I would rather finish an honest second, than steal a first” code of driving ethics. Statistics also won’t ever able to capture the incredibly high regard for Martin that both fans and drivers that have competed against him hold. How can a record book ever communicate in digits that kind of respect?
Regardless of the immense admiration that he has earned from fans and competitors Mark will, as the years pass, find that his enviable reputation will be overshadowed by the fact that he never was able to win the “Big One.” To assure that Martin's outstanding career is fairly appraised by future stock car enthusiasts, as it should be, he will need to be recognized as a champion. Such an opportunity lies in front of him: with the Chase points reset entering New Hampshire, the crafty veteran finds himself only thirty points behind series point leader Kenseth.
In 2006, the AAA Ford Fusion has been dependable, logging no DNF's in what has been another solid season for the No. 6 bunch. In 26 races, Martin has only finished outside the Top 20 four times, with 19 Top 15, 12 Top 10, and 6 Top 5 results. Such dependability will be a key to winning this year’s title, as the Chase has proven an early exit from a race can be disastrous to a contender's championship hopes. There are just too few races to compensate for such a loss in points under the ten race format.
Martin has yet to win a Cup race this year, with his last victory coming last October at Kansas. However, under the present point system, designed to award consistency, a win is not necessary. In some ways, the current point system for the Chase format favors a driver such as Martin, who is mindful of taking care of his race car and finishing races.
As the Chase for the title gears up, it might be argued that Martin is simply due for luck to go his way. With all the heartbreak years of the past, perhaps it’s fate he snuck into the title Chase after a lackluster August that nearly saw his season go down the drain. Maybe his selfless decision to delay his previously announced retirement to help Jack Roush transition a driver into the No. 6 seat will be rewarded with the long sought after prize he’s long been seeking.
Whatever is destined to happen, Martin makes no promises as to the final result of this, in all likelihood, his last attempt at a championship. He simply claims he’ll “race as hard as I can” over the next ten races. Nor does he agonize on his lack of a Championship title during his career. When asked whether “the greatest driver who never won a title” would be his legacy, he replied in his usual polite and matter-of-fact manner.
“I refuse to judge myself and my career like that,” Martin said, adding later, “You guys in the media can dwell on it if you like, but I’m not going to. I’m very content with where I am and with what I’ve done. I know I’ve done my very best, and I sleep well at night.”
He has no reason to be apologetic about his career. Certainly, Martin's accomplishments are deserving of mention amongst the greats with or without a Cup Championship. But without the title, inevitably future generations will know him as "the guy they said was the greatest driver that never won a title." And that will be a shame. We know he is so much more, both as a race car driver and as a man.
The next ten races hold for Mark Martin both the opportunity and possibility of securing for himself a new legacy. It’s his final shot to establish a new set of buzzwords for when others reflect on his career.
“Mark Martin…Nextel Cup Champion.”
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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