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Tag: 2011

  • Day of Records: Kyle Busch Takes Sprint Cup Pole at The Glen

    Day of Records: Kyle Busch Takes Sprint Cup Pole at The Glen

    [media-credit name=”Matt LaFlair” align=”alignright” width=”166″][/media-credit]Kyle Busch took pole position for tomorrow’s (or Tuesday’s) 26th Annual Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen in commanding style. After the two Richard Petty Motorsports drivers, Marcos Ambrose and A.J. Allmendinger decided to lay down laps fast enough to take the pole (for the time) Kyle Busch, who qualified last because of his first practice speed, decided to add to the drama that was Sprint Cup qualifying here at The Glen.

    The #43 car of A.J. Allmendinger became the first Sprint Cup car to break the 70-second mark in qualifying around the 2.45-mile short course here at Watkins Glen International with his lap time of 1:09.997.

    Not to be outdone, Kyle Busch’s lap of 1:09.767, the fastest qualifying speed ever here at The Glen, was good enough to take pole position for the 220-mile race slated to go tomorrow at 1PM. His pole here at Watkins Glen marks his 8th of his career, and the first for him this season. Also with the pole today, Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have taken both pole positions this season at the two road courses after Joey Logano took the pole earlier this season at Infineon Raceway.

    Busch’s lap time was just a hair off of where Marcos Ambrose’s fast lap was yesterday in Final Practice. Ambrose ran a lap just one-tenth quicker than Busch’s qualifying lap today. Ambrose will start just behind Busch in third tomorrow, and it will be interesting to see how fast he will make a charge to the front following the green-flag around 1PM.

    Stay tuned for more here from The Glen…

     

    Starting Lineup
    Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen, Watkins Glen International
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/qual.php?race=22
    ===========================================
    Pos. No. Driver Make Speed Time
    ===========================================
    1 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 126.421 69.767
    2 43 A.J. Allmendinger Ford 126.041 69.977
    3 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 125.984 70.009
    4 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 125.662 70.188
    5 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 125.654 70.193
    6 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 125.314 70.383
    7 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 125.238 70.426
    8 99 Carl Edwards Ford 125.202 70.446
    9 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 124.968 70.578
    10 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 124.94 70.594
    11 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 124.915 70.608
    12 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 124.908 70.612
    13 20 Joey Logano Toyota 124.904 70.614
    14 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 124.791 70.678
    15 51 Boris Said Chevrolet 124.701 70.729
    16 6 David Ragan Ford 124.55 70.815
    17 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 124.451 70.871
    18 4 Kasey Kahne Toyota 123.998 71.13
    19 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 123.854 71.213
    20 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 123.682 71.312
    21 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 123.663 71.323
    22 5 Mark Martin Chevrolet 123.635 71.339
    23 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 123.517 71.407
    24 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 123.507 71.413
    25 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 123.476 71.431
    26 13 Casey Mears Toyota 123.455 71.443
    27 22 Kurt Busch Dodge 123.436 71.454
    28 16 Greg Biffle Ford 123.433 71.456
    29 37 Scott Speed Ford 123.379 71.487
    30 55 J.J. Yeley Ford 123.283 71.543
    31 7 Robby Gordon Dodge 123.176 71.605
    32 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 122.956 71.733
    33 66 Michael McDowell Toyota 122.956 71.733
    34 150 T.J. Bell* Chevrolet 122.928 71.749
    35 32 Andrew Ranger Ford 122.372 72.075
    36 71 Andy Lally* Ford 122.196 72.179
    37 60 Mike Skinner Toyota 122.13 72.218
    38 36 Ron Fellows Chevrolet 121.993 72.299
    39 0 David Reutimann Toyota 121.66 72.497
    40 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 121.419 72.641
    41 34 David Gilliland Ford 120.339 73.293
    42 11 Denny Hamlin+ Toyota – –
    43 38 Terry Labonte Ford Champion’s Provisional 0
  • Matty’s Picks – Vol. 1 – DOVER – May 15, 2011

    Matty’s Picks – Vol. 1 – DOVER – May 15, 2011

    With the discontinuation of the Speedway Media Pick’Um Challenge, I have decided that I like picking drivers so much that I would start my own column each week dedicated to who I think will win the race come Sunday afternoon.

    [media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Now I am not claiming to know everything there is to know about motorsports, but I like to think that I might be a little more knowledgeable about racing than your average fan. I’m not saying to re-mortgage your house on my picks (my apartment is way too small for another guest to move in), but at least you will have something to laugh at following the checkered flag on Sunday.

    I seem to have fairly poor luck with picking the driver who I actually think will win on Sunday. If you have a favorite driver that is hurting in the points standings, you may want to let me know before my column is published on Friday, as many of my picks have been seen exiting the track on the back of a wrecker rather than in Victory Lane. My luck has been in my Dark Horse picks as of late (excluding not picking Trevor Bayne at Daytona).

    With all this said, I have decided to stick with two picks per week; ‘Who I actually think will win’, and a “Dark-Horse” pick. The Dark Horse may not always be a team that is fighting for the 35th spot in Owner’s Points, but it might be a driver that is due for a win, starting a race for the first time, or it might be a driver that makes people say “not a chance he will have a top-10, what is he thinking?”

    I have also decided to include a brief recap of how my picks faired during the prior week, and what my stats have been like up to that point.

    Who I really think will win

    For my first column, I have decided to pick my mother’s least favorite driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He must behave himself this week as he was placed on probation Tuesday for his incident with Kevin Harvick last week at the conclusion of the Southern 500 at Darlington. Kyle Busch is my pick for this week at Dover because of his recent stats at The Monster Mile. I have completely overlooked his less than impressive average finish of 20.8 at Dover, to examine the fact that he has two wins in the last five Sprint Cup races there. I think that Busch really had the car to beat last week and will flex his muscles this week and end up in Victory Lane on Sunday afternoon.

    Dark Horse Pick

    I have picked this next driver a few times this year, and each time he has impressed. Paul Menard is having a decent year for Richard Childress Racing, with two Top-5’s and 3 Top-10’s so far in 2011. Dover is Menard’s second-best track with respect to average finish (20.43 in 7 starts). He has yet to register a Top 5 but does have a Top 10 at the Monster Mile in the Sprint Cup Series. Menard has become familiar with running in the Top 10 this year, so look for a strong finish for him this week.

    Be sure to stop by next week for a preview of both the Sprint Showdown Race as well as my picks for the All-Star Race Saturday night. If you have any insight or would like to help me pick for next week, you may send comments to riotwvu@yahoo.com.

    Until next week, you stay classy NASCAR Nation!