Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: Denny Hamlin

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Loudon

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Loudon

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth took advantage of Kevin Harvick’s fuel misfortune to take the Sylvania 300 at Loudon. The win kept Kenseth atop the points standings and guaranteed his spot in the next round of the Chase.

    “Harvick clearly had the best car,” Kenseth said. “To lead 216 of 300 laps and not win? That has to be the ultimate feeling of coming up ‘empty.’”

    2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin backed up his Chicagoland win with a strong second-place finish at New Hampshire, following Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth across the line.

    “These Gibbs cars have speed,” Hamlin said, “and their fuel mileage is so good it borders on the mysterious. With apologies to Kevin Harvick, you could say they’re ‘freaky fast.’

    3. Carl Edwards: Edwards started on the pole at Loudon and finished fifth as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver took three of the top five positions, including Matt Kenseth’s victory.

    “There were no punches to the chest after this race,” Edwards said. “But if Kevin Harvick felt the need to punish someone, he would definitely kick himself.”

    4. Joey Logano: Logano finished third in the Sylvania 300 and now sits third in the Sprint Cup points standings.

    “I’m in great position to advance to the next round of the Chase,” Logano said. “There’s only one driver that needs to drive like a maniac at Dover, and that’s Kevin Harvick. But he put himself in this position. Of all people, Harvick should know how to ‘baby’ a gas pedal.”

    5. Jimmie Johnson: Jimmie rallied from a flat tire, which left him a lap down, to finish a solid sixth at Loudon.

    “I went to see Kevin Harvick’s gas tank after the race. Instead of emerging calmly from its hauler, it ‘ran out.’

    “Jeff Gordon broke the NASCAR record for consecutive starts. That makes him the sport’s ‘Iron Man,’ but it sure as heck doesn’t make him the most hard-headed.”

    6. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski was penalized for jumping a restart and dropped to 25th before rallying to finish 12th.

    “Usually,” Keselowski said, “when somebody says ‘punch it,’ I duck instead of getting on the gas.

    “Jumping a restart is something that Matt Kenseth can do and get away with. Apparently, Matt is sneaky. You saw it last year – he attacked me in between our team transporters before I even knew it. And even when Matt punches you, you don’t even know it.”

    7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt ran out of gas on the final lap and finished 25th at New Hampshire. He is 12th in the points standings, one point ahead of Kyle Busch.

    “The race at Dover is an elimination race,” Earnhardt said. “And you can’t spell ‘elimination’ without ‘E Nation.’ Of course, the Chase isn’t a spelling bee. Hopefully, I can maintain my spot of 12th or improve on it. Otherwise, I’ll be like an Earnhardt fan in a spelling bee—I won’t make it out of the first round.”

    8. Kyle Busch: Busch blew a tire on lap 159 and slammed the wall, leading to a 37th-place finish. He is 13th in the points standings, one point behind Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 12th place.

    “I’ve got my work cut out for me,” Busch said. “I’ve been behind the Eight-Ball before, which is usually because there’s a state trooper behind me.”

    9. Ryan Newman: Newman finished 10th at Loudon, posting his 14th top-10 of the year. Newman is sixth in the points standings, 25 behind Matt Kenseth.

    “I’m the Chase driver no one’s talking about,” Newman said. “That’s because I drive for the team no one’s talking about. That would be Richard Childress Racing. Unless I advance to the next round, RCR will have no chance to win the Cup, so our four teams will figuratively pack it in for the season. That’s when ‘RCR’ becomes ‘RCR & R.’”

    10. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started second in the Sylvania 300 and led 216 of 300 laps, but ran out of gas with three laps remaining, losing the lead and finishing 21st.

    “Our calculations said we had plenty of gas to finish the race,” Harvick said. “Am I in serious danger of not advancing to the next round? Well, you do the math, because you’re probably better at it than we are.”

  • The Final Word – Kenseth joins Hamlin at Loudon, leaving the rest to scramble at Dover

    The Final Word – Kenseth joins Hamlin at Loudon, leaving the rest to scramble at Dover

    Dammit. Other than for Matt Kenseth, that was probably the most used term from Sunday’s action at New Hampshire. Kenseth led three times at Loudon, but it was those final three laps that really mattered as the former champ locked his way into the next round of the Chase. Along with runner-up Denny Hamlin, the winner at Chicago, Dover is a walk in the clover. However, it has meaning for a few others.

    Dammit. That, or something like that, might have escaped from the lips of Kevin Harvick. His was the dominant car, but he did not have enough fuel in his tank at the end. That forced him to surrender the lead to Kenseth and hit the pits, finishing 21st. On a night when a finish at or near the front was the goal, he now finds himself 23 points out of the final transfer spot for the next round of the Chase. He has just one more opportunity to turn that around.

    Dammit. Clint Bowyer had a disaster at Chicago, losing all the points gained there for a tech violation. Last Sunday, he was better than nothing but still bad as 26th leaves him 39 points out of the hunt. It is either win or bust for MWR’s final title hopeful next week.

    Dammit. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a Top Five coming his way. All he needed was fuel. That stop left him in 25th on the day, and just a point to the good going into next Sunday. He is tied with Jamie McMurray, with Paul Menard a point back.

    Dammit. Kyle Busch is also one behind, tied for 13th in the standings. He lost a tire, found a wall, and that left him 37th. With so much on the line, and some so close or so desperate, Dover might be a place where angels fear to tread.

    Next Sunday, Kenseth and Hamlin are locked in to continue on. Carl Edwards and Joey Logano hold a 33 point advantage over the nearest have nots and just need to avoid very bad tidings. Jimmie Johnson sits 27 points to the good, with Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, and Ryan Newman holding a cushion between a dozen and 18 points.

    In short, two are locked in, 10 inside remain vulnerable, and four others still have a shot. Nine of those 14 have won on the Monster Mile before. Johnson has 10 wins there, 15 Top Fives, and 20 Top 10s in 27 attempts, taking three of the past four at the track. Anyone have an idea who the favorite might be?

    However, even Miles the Monster was on hand to feast on the six-time champion. In 2004, Johnson was in one of 19 cars taken out in what became known as the Little Big One. So, in the end, we can be sure of nothing, other than Kenseth and Hamlin will transfer, 10 others will join them, and four will not. Let the fun begin.

  • Hot 20 – Harvick feels bad heading to New Hampshire, but I bet Bowyer feels even worse

    Hot 20 – Harvick feels bad heading to New Hampshire, but I bet Bowyer feels even worse

    There is hot, and there is hot. Hot could be winning the opening race of the Chase, securing a berth in the next round, and allowing two races to tinker and prepare for Charlotte. However, after a spin on just the second lap in Chicago, the result was as much a credit to the performance of crew chief Dave Rogers as it was to the driver, Denny Hamlin.

    Hot could be showcasing a dominant performance. Kyle Busch led much of the race, only to melt like an M&M Crispy sitting in the back window over the summer, to come home in ninth. Not good enough to win, but surely good enough to garner some notice that the best for him might be yet to come.

    Hot could be sitting behind the wheel of a good car, one that was near the front. At least, it was until Jimmie Johnson tried to force his way up off the apron after Joey Logano had put him there, only to find an unyielding Kevin Harvick. What did yield was Harvick’s rear tire after the two entries came in contact, sending the defending champ into the wall. Hot was what Harvick was when Johnson tried to explain what happened after the race. A win this week or next might now be Harvick’s best bet to advance.

    Hot could be being part of a team that had controversy leading up to its first ever race, having your own reputation smeared along the way, and then we had last Sunday. Clint Bowyer’s hopes of bringing a title to MWR in its final go round dipped deeper than Harvick’s mood when he got stripped of all 25 points he gained last week. This latest drama began when it was discovered prior to the race that some parts were not properly installed on his car. Crew chief Billy Scott’s wallet is $75,000 lighter and he is gone for the next three races. Time to find some new friends, Mr. Bowyer.

    For those still allowed to show up at the track, Loudon, New Hampshire is next on the dance card. Harvick won there once, back in 2006. Half the time he finishes in the Top Ten. That might not be good enough to get out of the hole he finds himself in. As far as Bowyer goes, I think it is time to break out the shovels.

    The last four to win there have all been Chasers; Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Logano, and Rowdy. It is a good bet one of them could do it again this Sunday. The Hot 20 heading to New Hampshire includes…

    1. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 CHASE WIN
    An early spin, a lap down, but Mr. Roger’s got this trolley back on the rails.

    2. MATT KENSETH – 2052 POINTS
    Needs a win. If he wins the title on points alone again, oh what would people say?

    3. KYLE BUSCH – 2049 POINTS (4 Season Wins)
    Chicago was M&M’s biggest heart break since E.T. made Reece’s Pieces his favorite.

    4. CARL EDWARDS – 2049 POINTS (2 Season Wins)
    Track position trumped fresh rubber last week…but not by much.

    5. JOEY LOGANO – 2048 POINTS (3 Season Wins)
    Bump drafting on the re-start sure worked well…for him.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 2048 POINTS (2 Season Wins)
    Pit boss Tony Gibson plans to be in Loudon but is leaving his appendix behind him.

    7. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2045 POINTS
    Got an unwanted push from Logano during the race, got another from Harvick after it.

    8. RYAN NEWMAN – 2040 POINTS
    July 28, 2013. His win column definitely needs a re-boot.

    9. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2039 POINTS
    Oh, just win the damn race on Sunday and get it over with.

    10. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2038 POINTS
    To be part of next season’s XFINITY tour in the only place a Cup guy should be…in the booth.

    11. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2035 POINTS
    Lost his sponsor and his job through no fault of his own in 2013. There is life after MWR.

    12. JEFF GORDON – 2031 POINTS
    Last Loudon win came in the previous century.

    13. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 2028 POINTS
    With a heat seeking sponsor, he will be seeking out some heat of his own.

    14. PAUL MENARD – 2027 POINTS
    At a track that does him no favors, Sunday could be more about surviving than thriving.

    15. KEVIN HARVICK – 2009 POINTS
    At least all his car parts were attached properly until Jimmie tried to remove them.

    16. CLINT BOWYER – 2000 POINTS
    Un-freakin’-believable.

    17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 727 POINTS
    There is speculation that he could be getting a new teammate next year. Might it be Clint?

    18. KASEY KAHNE – 697 POINTS
    Two Top Tens is not exactly what he was signed up for.

    19. KYLE LARSON – 656 POINTS
    Twenty-three years old and stuck at the kiddie’s table. It could be worse. Just ask Austin, Danica, Tony…

    20. GREG BIFFLE – 634 POINTS
    Dear Jack Roush: WTF????

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Chicagoland

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Chicagoland

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin roared back from last place to win the Chase opener at Chicagoland. Hamlin automatically advances to the second round of the Chase, which begins at Dover on October 4.

    “I’m going to happily limp into the second round of the Chase,” Hamlin said. “

    “What does his punch/shove tell us about Kevin Harvick? Well, for one thing, it tells us he’s a right-handed cry baby.”

    2. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth posted a fifth at Chicagoland, recording his 11th top five of the year.

    “I’m amazed by what went on between Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson,” Kenseth said. “Amazed only because of the following reason: between Kevin and DeLana Harvick, it’s Kevin that got his panties in a wad.”

    3. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished second in the MyAfibRisk.Com 400 at Chicagoland.

    “Denny Hamlin has punched his ticket to the next round,” Edwards said, “and he didn’t even need a fist. Kevin Harvick seems to have an anger problem. He, as well as his fist, is a ‘ball’ of fury.”

    4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick and Jimmie Johnson made contact on a restart, leading to a tire rub on Harvick’s No. 4 Jimmy Johns Chevy. The rub led to a blown tire, which left Harvick with a 42nd-place finish.

    “Jimmie and I had words,” Harvick said. “Actually, Jimmie had words; I had a fist.”

    5. Kurt Busch: Busch was leading with 10 laps to go when a caution flew for debris. On the restart, Busch lost the lead and finished third.

    “This all seems very fishy to me,” Busch said. “In the last two years, Harvick has been the one to instigate much of the Chase controversy. Is he on NBC’s payroll? If so, he’d be the only one earning his money.”

    6. Joey Logano: Logano finished sixth at Chicagoland and played a role in the first feud of the Chase. Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick made contact on a restart. Harvick blamed Johnson while Johnson said Logano pushed him into Harvick.

    “Don’t ask me to choose sides,” Logano said. “If you do, I’ll just cite gearbox issues and remain ‘neutral.’”

    7. Kyle Busch: Busch finished ninth at Chicagoland, a solid start for the No. 18 car as the Chase heads to New Hampshire, where Busch won in July.

    “I won Saturday’s XFINITY Series race,” Busch said, “and was presented the winner’s trophy by the rapper Ludacris. Why is there a rapper at a NASCAR race? Well, there’s no rhyme or reason.”

    8. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 11th at Chicagoland after controversially tangling with Kevin Harvick midway through the race.

    “I went to Harvick to ask what the deal was,” Johnson said. “I went ‘knock, knock, knockin’ on Kevin’s door.’ He was pretty ornery. Much like during the race, I must have rubbed him the wrong way.

    “Harvick shoved me once. And I can only guess that he shoved me one time for each Cup championship he’s won.”

    9. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski took eighth in the MyAfibRisk.Com 400 at Chicagoland.

    “The Chase For The Cup is only one race old,” Keselowski said, “and already there’s drama. That’s surprising. What’s even more surprising is I’m not in the middle of it.”

    10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished fifth at Chicagoland, posting his 12th top-five result of the year.

    “Who does Kevin Harvick think he is?” Earnhardt said. “If he thinks he’s NASCAR’s big shot, shouldn’t he beat his own chest, and not Jimmie Johnson’s?”

  • The Final Word – Hamlin Happy with Chicago Result, while Happy Was Not

    The Final Word – Hamlin Happy with Chicago Result, while Happy Was Not

    Chicago. The opening race of the Chase. Sixteen drivers would continue the quest, one very likely locking his way into the next round, some setting themselves up with fine starts while others…not so much. So much to watch for, so much at stake, but would all this a good race make?

    Damn right it would. Brilliant pit strategy, some luck, a flat tire, and a lot of air time for a sponsor highlighted the affair. It all started with a spin by Denny Hamlin on just the second lap. He was down low, so low A.J. Allmendinger did not see him and cut down in front, making both burn off some rubber. For Hamlin, it meant a drop from 23rd to dead last.

    That is where his adventure began. One hundred sixteen laps of green followed and by the time a caution did fall, Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Paul Menard, and Jamie McMurray were all a lap down; Clint Bowyer two in the depths. Time to roll the dice, as both Hamlin and Edwards took the wave around and hoped. They got what they wished for shortly after when Austin Dillon’s promising night went away with the bang of a tire and a wall that was not very gentle. With that, the two gamblers were back on the lead lap.

    By the time they were down to the final 70 laps, both were in the Top Ten, and with under 10 to go a debris caution gave the crew chiefs one more chance to strategize. Dave Rogers left Hamlin out to start among the Top Five while Edwards came in for fresh Goodyears. Not much difference between them, though Hamlin did beat his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate to the line, to claim a place in the next round of the Chase that begins at Charlotte in October.

    Kevin Harvick did not live up to his nickname, as Happy was not with Jimmie Johnson. Six-Time got an unwanted push on a re-start from Joey Logano that powered him down to the apron and beside the defending champ. Johnson tried to move back up, Harvick denied him, and the cars touched. Smoke came bellowing from the left rear of Harvick’s auto, then let go three laps later, to leave him 42nd on the night. Later in the garage, he showed his displeasure with Johnson, who finished 11th. As for Logano, he finished an angelic sixth.

    Jeff Gordon was in the 788th race of his Cup career, an unbroken string going back to the final race of 1992. You might remember that his debut also marked the final race of Richard Petty’s career. It also tied Gordon with Ricky Rudd for most consecutive races, a record that should be topped this Sunday in New Hampshire.

    Some thought Gordon jumped a restart just past the mid-point of the race to leave Kyle Busch behind. With the idea of drivers policing themselves finally abandoned, it was judged that Gordon did not so much accelerate away, but that Busch had slowed down coming to the line. The review went in Gordon’s favor.

    Gordon led for 41 laps, Martin Truex Jr. for 39, and Kurt Busch, who finished third, was the point man for 37 circuits. However, the dominant car for most of it was the M&M Crispy Toyota of Kyle Busch. He led four times for 121 laps, but he melted over the final 50 to come home in ninth.

    All but one came home in decent shape, with six points the biggest deficit to be overcome among them. Harvick, on the other hand, is 43 away. Eleven current Chasers have won in New Hampshire in the past, Hamlin among them. So is Harvick. Once. In 2006. I would expect him to go for broke when they break loose in Loudon this weekend.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Chicagoland myAFibRisk.com400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Chicagoland myAFibRisk.com400

    In the first race of the 10-race Chase to the championship here is what was surprising and not surprising from 15th Annual myAFibRisk.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.

    Surprising:  While Denny Hamlin proved he was better than the rest of the field, coming back from an early spin to win the first race of the Chase, he also proved he was better than one of basketball’s greatest.

    “The first thing I’m going to do is text Michael Jordan,” Hamlin said in the media center after the race. “He texted me on Wednesday.  Jordon said he was in Monte-Carlo.  I popped in his head like I always do, which I thought was a little odd.

    “He says, I know you’re about to head into the playoffs.  I just want you to know I’ve never admitted to anybody that anyone is better than me at anything my whole life.  But if you win this race this weekend, I will admit that you’re a better driver than I am.

    “So the first thing I’m going to do is text him and say, Admit it, I’m better than you, and I want everyone to know.”

    With the ‘W,’ Hamlin advances to the Contender round of the championship and also ties NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen for 27th on the all-time Series win list.

    Not Surprising:  Remember when Carl Edward’s nickname was ‘Concrete Carl’ for all of his wins on those types of tracks?  Well, that moniker might now be changed to ‘Comeback Carl’ as the driver of the No. 19 Stanley Toyota finished in the runner-up spot after going down a lap earlier in the race.

    “I had a speeding penalty.  I set us back there,” Edwards said. “We knew if maybe we get our lap back, get back up there, we’d be all right.

    “Overall we planned on the racetrack changing a lot.  I felt like my guys did a great job getting the car tuned in for the end.  I felt like all of us as a group at JGR worked great together this weekend.”

    This was Edwards’s fourth top-10 finish in 11 races at Chicagoland and it was his 10th top-10 finish of the season.

    Surprising:  He may have achieved Iron Man status, but he certainly might have traded all that for just a little more rubber instead at this first race in the Chase.

    Jeff Gordon tied Ricky Rudd with 788 consecutive starts, however, the driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet stayed out on old tires instead of coming to pit, causing him to go from leading the race to finishing 14th.

    “I knew we were going to have a tough time with old tires like that,” Gordon said.  “Gosh, it would have been so much sweeter if I’d been in Victory Lane right now.

    “I’m very proud of all that I’ve achieved in this sport. There’s a lot of stats that are awesome numbers. This is one of them. And we’ve got nine more to go.”

    Not Surprising:  After recovering from his close encounter with Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick has a simple one-word recovery plan. He just plans to win.

    “I just held my ground and he just slammed into the side of the door like I wasn’t even there,” the driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet said after his wreck with Johnson that led to his 42nd place finish. “So, the spotter was telling me four-wide and I guess he just figured that he’d come up the race track.

    “But, I’m just really proud of everybody on our Jimmy John’s/Budweiser team for not giving up and doing all the things they had to do to get the car back on the track and we’ve just got to go win one of these races.”

    Surprising:  Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet was apparently readying himself for a pilgrimage after his third place Chicagoland finish.

    “This is a long journey through these next 10 weeks,” Busch said. “We weren’t given a hall pass now, through Loudon and through Dover. We’ve just got to work hard as a team and saddle-up.”

    This was Busch’s ninth top-10 finish in 15 races at Chicagoland Speedway.

    Not Surprising:  The mantra of every child known to man was echoed by one Chase driver Joey Logano, who basically said ‘It wasn’t me’ after the first Chase race.

    Of his restart issue where the No. 48 and the No. 4 cars mixed it up, Logano replied, “I had nothing to do with that. The 48 went three-wide bottom and I was just sitting there. I was no part of it.”

    And of the restart of Jeff Gordon that NASCAR reviewed and pronounced good, the driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford said, “I felt like the 24 jumped it once, but NASCAR isn’t calling it so we just need to push it.”

    Logano qualified second and finished the Chicagoland race in the sixth spot.

    “I felt like we were in the catbird seat on that restart starting sixth with new tires. I had a good start and got three-wide. The 18 got tight and fenced us. We lost all the spots that we should have gained. I felt like we were in the position that we needed to be in to win this thing.”

    Surprising:  While Hamlin punched his Chase ticket, there was no ticket, especially one of the speeding variety, for his teammate Matt Kenseth.

    “I definitely didn’t speed anywhere today,” Kenseth said. “We really struggled.  We had probably a 15th-place car at best and barely hung onto the lead lap all day and got the right line on the restart.

    “Jason made some good adjustments, guys never quit.  We were in the right line at the restart.  Everybody got bottled up.  I think passed seven or eight of them in the first corner, another two or three the next set of corners.

    “Somehow we wound up fifth.  We definitely finished way better than we deserved today.  But that’s what you have to do in these things, you have to try to take your days and try to make them the best you can.”

    Not Surprising:  Martin Truex Jr. came close to losing it at Chicagoland, in fact losing out on his top-10 finishing record and slipping to finish 13th instead.

    “You can’t win the Chase in the first race but you can sure lose it,” Truex said. “We didn’t lose it today but finishing 13th after running solidly in the top-10 for almost the entire race is very disappointing.

    “We didn’t have the speed to get back up there at the end. Though we didn’t have a great race car today, it was sure better than 13th. We’ll regroup and go after it in New Hampshire next week.”

    Surprising:  Two drivers, who no doubt had Chase expectations coming into the 2015 season, showed they could still mix it up with the best. Kyle Larson and Aric Almirola both finished better than many of the Chasers, in fact in seventh and 10th respectively.

    Not Surprising:  Sometimes drivers are fans and sometimes not. After this race, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was not alone in not being a fan of restarts while Tony Stewart was all about proving that Ryan Newman should be his fan.

    “Those debris cautions, I’m not a fan of them,” Junior said after finishing 12th in his No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet.

    Tony Stewart, on the other hand, was not only signing autographs for fans before the race but also autographing the back of Newman’s shirt, no doubt for a bit of luck.

    Newman, one of the Chase contenders, finished fourth while Stewart finished well back in the 25th position.

    “I did what I had to do,” Newman said. “I was a lap down and took the wave around. That last caution was a blessing for us. Big improvement for where we were last year in the Chase. We just have to keep focused on our own deal.”

    The second race in the Chase will occur at New Hampshire Motor Speedway next weekend on Sunday, September 27, 2015. The Sylvania 300 will begin at 2:00 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN.

     

  • Hamlin Survives Spin, Steals Win in First Chase Race at Chicagoland

    Hamlin Survives Spin, Steals Win in First Chase Race at Chicagoland

    By Reid Spencer
    NASCAR Wire Service    JOLIET, Ill. – In the theater, using the expression “Break a leg” is a way to wish an actor good luck on opening night.Twelve days before Sunday’s opening Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway, Denny Hamlin tore the ACL in his right leg playing basketball.Late in the myAFibRisk.com 400 at the 1.5-mile track, Hamlin found his good fortune in the form of a serendipitous pit call on the part of crew chief Dave Rogers.

    Staying out on old tires, Hamlin grabbed the lead moments after a restart with five laps left and streaked away to a .963-second victory over Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Carl Edwards, who surged from sixth to second during that restart on Lap 263 of 267.

    Hamlin saw an opening as the cars roared toward Turn 1 on the restart.

    “It was ballsy, but I’d been stuck so many times three-wide in the middle,” Hamlin said of the winning move. “The front cars almost have a disadvantage to the back cars the way it all plays out.

    “We got a great restart, and I just held it wide open through (Turns) 1 and 2, and it stuck. We were able to get in that clean air and take off.”

    Remarkably, Hamlin won from the 29th starting position, rallying from a spin on Lap 2 that left him a lap down. Hamlin didn’t get back on the lead lap until he took advantage of a wave-around before a restart on Lap 129.

    “Luckily, that one caution (for debris on the backstretch on Lap 122) came out that allowed us to get the wave-around and get back on the lead lap,” Hamlin said. “We had a fast car, and that was the most important thing. We stretched out there at the end even with no tires.

    “I’m proud of this effort. The pit crew did a phenomenal job again and now we’re looking forward to the next round.”

    Hamlin’s first victory at Chicagoland, his second of the season and the 16th of his career ensured the driver of the No. 11 JGR Toyota will advance from the Challenger Round to the Contender Round of the Chase, as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to New Hampshire and the second race of the postseason.

    Reigning champion Kevin Harvick wasn’t as fortunate. The driver who vowed to pound the JGR drivers into the ground three days before the Chase began instead pounded the Turn 3 wall with the rear of his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Chevrolet after contact with Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Chevy during a Lap 135 restart flattened Harvick’s left rear tire.

    “I got a pretty good restart, and obviously, the 22 (Joey Logano) and 48 got a good run, and I just held my line and the 48 just slammed into the side of my door,” Harvick said. “That was pretty much it.”

    Johnson had a simple explanation for the contact.

    “He was pinning me down, and I’ve got to get back up on the track,” Johnson said. “I wouldn’t say that what he did is any different than other situations I’ve been in like that. When you’re in Kevin’s situation, you want to give that inside car a bad angle, so they’ve got to lift.

    “I was fine with lifting, but I had to get back on the race track. So I worked my way back onto the track… I pulled down inside of him, and then we were door-to-door, and then, as I moved back into the racing groove, that’s when we touched door-to-door, tire-to-tire.”

    Now last in the Chase standings, Harvick feels he must win one of the next two races to advance to the Contender Round. That’s not a new position for the driver of the No. 4 Chevy. Last year he triumphed in a must-win situation at Phoenix before taking the checkered flag at Homestead to secure his first premier series title.

    “We can win anywhere,” Harvick said after the race. “We could have won today. It’s just a matter of putting a couple of days together and being able to come back to Victory Lane. Same thing as last year.”

    After the race, Harvick, who finished 42nd, confronted Johnson and pounded the six-time Sprint Cup champion with a blow to the chest. Kept apart by one of Harvick’s lieutenants, the drivers then went their separate ways without further incident.

    Kurt Busch, who like Hamlin stayed out on old tires, led the field to green on Lap 263 after the sixth caution for debris in Turn 1 slowed the race. Busch fell to third at the finish, followed by 2014 Chase runner-up Ryan Newman, who posted his first top-five finish since April at Bristol.

    Matt Kenseth ran fifth and assumed the series lead, bolstered by 12 bonus points earned for four victories in the 26-race regular season.

    Notes: In a manner of speaking, history repeated itself where Hamlin is concerned. In 2010, he won at Texas, just 10 days after surgery to repair the torn ACL in his left leg… With 12 of 16 drivers slated to advance to the Contender Round, Jamie McMurray (16th on Sunday), Paul Menard (17th), Clint Bowyer (19th) and Harvick are currently below the cut line.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race – myAFibRisk.com 400
    Chicagoland Speedway
    Joliet, Illinois
    Sunday, September 20, 2015

    1. (29) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 267, $306315.
    2. (14) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 267, $213655.
    3. (9) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 267, $195005.
    4. (6) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 267, $180280.
    5. (12) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 267, $170641.
    6. (2) Joey Logano, Ford, 267, $162903.
    7. (18) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 267, $144478.
    8. (3) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 267, $158111.
    9. (7) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 267, $163361.
    10. (20) Aric Almirola, Ford, 267, $146381.
    11. (11) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 267, $152321.
    12. (19) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 267, $122025.
    13. (4) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 267, $131670.
    14. (10) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 267, $148986.
    15. (28) David Ragan, Toyota, 267, $131664.
    16. (13) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 266, $138141.
    17. (16) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 266, $110350.
    18. (27) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 265, $110250.
    19. (26) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 265, $135108.
    20. (24) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 265, $126903.
    21. (17) Greg Biffle, Ford, 265, $131078.
    22. (21) Brian Scott(i), Chevrolet, 265, $115003.
    23. (31) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 265, $120278.
    24. (8) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 264, $112320.
    25. (23) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 264, $124034.
    26. (25) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 264, $104095.
    27. (36) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 263, $95495.
    28. (30) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 263, $136470.
    29. (33) Cole Whitt, Ford, 263, $105853.
    30. (22) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 262, $119290.
    31. (38) Brett Moffitt #, Ford, 262, $92745.
    32. (35) David Gilliland, Ford, 262, $108592.
    33. (40) Josh Wise, Ford, 261, $90845.
    34. (37) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 261, $90645.
    35. (34) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, 261, $90410.
    36. (15) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 260, $108220.
    37. (32) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 259, $89953.
    38. (41) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 259, $84528.
    39. (39) Matt DiBenedetto #, Toyota, 258, $80465.
    40. (42) Reed Sorenson, Ford, 258, $76465.
    41. (43) Timmy Hill(i), Chevrolet, 255, $72465.
    42. (1) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 209, $126690.
    43. (5) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 198, $101901.

    Average Speed of Race Winner: 140.117 mph.
    Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 51 Mins, 30 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.962 Seconds.
    Caution Flags: 6 for 28 laps.
    Lead Changes: 17 among 10 drivers.

    Lap Leaders: K. Harvick 1-5; J. Logano 6; M. Truex Jr. 7-45; Kyle Busch 46-128; K. Harvick 129-133; Kyle Busch 134-143; J. Gordon 144-183; Kurt Busch 184; Kyle Busch 185; K. Larson 186-187; C. Edwards 188-193; Kyle Busch 194-220; Kurt Busch 221-239; D. Hamlin 240-243; M. Kenseth 244; Kurt Busch 245-261; J. Gordon 262; D. Hamlin 263-267.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Kyle Busch 4 times for 121 laps; J. Gordon 2 times for 41 laps; M. Truex Jr. 1 time for 39 laps; Kurt Busch 3 times for 37 laps; K. Harvick 2 times for 10 laps; D. Hamlin 2 times for 9 laps; C. Edwards 1 time for 6 laps; K. Larson 1 time for 2 laps; M. Kenseth 1 time for 1 lap; J. Logano 1 time for 1 lap.

    Top 16 in Points: M. Kenseth – 2,052; D. Hamlin – 2,050; C. Edwards – 2,049; Kyle Busch – 2,049; Kurt Busch – 2,048; J. Logano – 2,048; J. Johnson – 2,045; R. Newman – 2,040; B. Keselowski – 2,039; D. Earnhardt Jr. – 2,038; M. Truex Jr. – 2,035; J. Gordon – 2,031; J. Mcmurray – 2,028; P. Menard – 2,027; C. Bowyer – 2,025; K. Harvick – 2,009.

     

  • Hot 20 – The Chase for the Championship Commences in Chicago

    Hot 20 – The Chase for the Championship Commences in Chicago

    So it begins. Sixteen drivers, each trying to avoid being one of the four eliminated from contention for the championship after each round of three races.

    The first round, Chicago, New Hampshire, and Dover, will see each running for the best finish amongst those qualified. A win in any of the three would guarantee them a spot in the next round of three events no matter how they might fair in the other two contests. History tells us that Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard will not do well this weekend.

    For them, this would be a good time to rewrite history. For those outside the Top Sixteen, no time like the present to break a few hearts. A win now robs a contender of a free pass and could go a long way in getting sponsors thinking more of what is to come than what could have been.

    That would be the goal of the bottom four amongst our hot 20 heading into Chicago this Sunday.

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2012 POINTS (4 Wins)
    The firm of Petty and Earnhardt still has room for another name partner.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 2012 (4)
    Having a leg up on the opposition was not a good thing in his case, but it matters not now.

    3. MATT KENSETH – 2012 (4)
    If his 2003 title started this Chase business, now he can start eliminating his critics four at a time.

    4. JOEY LOGANO – 2009 (3)
    Had the pole at Richmond, but Kenseth only allowed him to lead 25 of the 400 laps.

    5. KEVIN HARVICK – 2006 (2)
    His points standing just went from a 30 point lead to a six-point deficit.

    6. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2006 (2)
    He and his buddy Greg Ives come in with four straight Top Tens. Three more would be nice.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 2006 (2)
    First Chase champion would like to be the next one, too.

    8. CARL EDWARDS – 2006 (2)
    I am not sure if he misses Jack Roush at all, considering how his season with Joe Gibbs has gone.

    9. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2003 (1)
    One of six in the Chase who already knows how it feels to be crowned a champion.

    10. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 2003 (1)
    Team-mates? We ain’t got no teammates. We don’t need no team-mates.

    11. DENNY HAMLIN – 2003 (1)
    Adversity is racing with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his throttle leg’s knee.

    12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 2000
    So…this is the Chase, eh?

    13. JEFF GORDON – 2000
    What better way to ride off into the sunset than with a fifth title?

    14. RYAN NEWMAN – 2000
    Winless in 2015. Runner-up to Harvick in 2014.

    15. PAUL MENARD – 2000
    Chicago has not been his kind of town.

    16. CLINT BOWYER – 2000
    Like his team owner, he is out of a job after this season. Both could use a little good news.

    17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 693
    Fourth at Richmond was like being a groomsman at your sweetheart’s wedding.

    18. KASEY KAHNE – 677
    Only Hendrick driver to miss the party this year, needs some positive results heading into 2016.

    19. KYLE LARSON – 618
    Sophomore jinx bit him hard this season.

    20. GREG BIFFLE – 611
    Limping along in his worst season ever, as Jack Roush has his worst as an owner.

  • The Final Word – It was the Matt Kenseth 400 at Richmond

    The Final Word – It was the Matt Kenseth 400 at Richmond

    Richmond, where the final battle royal would take place to decide the final line-up for the Chase. Richmond, where we discovered that only six cars mattered at all the entire night, and all of them already had their tickets punched to the party. So, if you decided to watch something that actually promised some real drama, here is what you missed, in a nutshell, at Richmond.

    On the opening lap, we had Joey Logano leading the way, followed by Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch. That was good for nearly 50 laps when Brad Keselowski replaced Busch. Another 50-some laps went by when we had Denny Hamlin replace Keselowski amongst the top trio, to join Logano and Kenseth. You missed all that drama, and we had nearly 300 laps to go.

    Twenty-five laps went by, and Carl Edwards replaced Logano in a podium position, at least for six laps when Busch moved Edwards out, who was never to be seen again, finishing 11th. All you need to remember is that Kenseth and Busch also remained in the top three, and they would remain there the rest of the way. Hamlin replaced Keselowski for 35 laps before Logano got the position back with more than 100 to go. On lap 400, it was Kenseth, Busch, and Logano crossing the line and Richmond was in the books. Kenseth, Rowdy, Logano, Keselowski, Hamlin and, for six laps, Edwards, were the only cars that mattered at all on Saturday night in Richmond.

    Sure, some got excited that Aric Almirola was fourth, but he had to win, and did not. He also needed Clint Bowyer to finish outside the Top 25, and he came home 10th. No, Almirola did not matter a lick on this night. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson all had Top Ten days. All did not matter in the end, or at the start, or anywhere near the middle, but I admit they did have nice finishes.

    What did matter was the fact Kenseth won his fourth of the season and the 35th of his Cup career. He led 352 of the 400 laps. So, I am not really sure if any of the other five mattered at all now that I think about it. The victory means Kenseth enters the Chase tied with Busch and Johnson with each having an additional dozen bonus points added to their tally.

    There were some newsworthy tidbits. We did have another Earnhardt running, as nephew Jeremy Earnhardt finished 13 laps off the pace in 40th, making his Cup debut at the age of 26. Martin Truex Jr. had the worst run amongst the Chasers, as a wall rub messed up the car to leave him six off the pace, 32nd. Just about the only other thing from the weekend of note was that Chase Elliott won the XFINITY race. Yes, someone actually registered in that series. I am as shocked as you are.

    So, the Chase begins in Chicago with the “Sweet Sixteen” hoping to survive the cut over the next three events. According to their career average finishes at the track, one could expect Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Keselowski, and Gordon to do well there. Kyle and Kenseth should also do fine. However, this is definitely not the place Hamlin, Jamie McMurray, and Paul Menard have traditionally enjoyed any measure of success. Unless that changes on Sunday, they might have some work to do by the time New Hampshire rolls around. Hey, if you want drama, that might work for you.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Richmond Federated Auto Parts 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Richmond Federated Auto Parts 400

    In the last race of the regular season and the one to set the Chase contenders here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 48th annual Federated Auto Parts 500 at Richmond International Raceway.

    Surprising:  One would think that a team owner standing in Victory Lane and one whose four drivers had qualified for the Chase would be a most happy camper.

    Indeed, Coach Joe Gibbs was pretty happy, but he also alluded to the anxiety that he will feel in the three weeks ahead as the first elimination round plays out.

    “Now the problem is, I think for the next three weeks I’ll be ready to throw up at any minute,” Gibbs said after the race. “That’s the bottom line.”

    Not Surprising:  While two teams, Richard Petty Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing, were shut out of NASCAR’s playoffs, the way their eliminations took place was not surprising.

    Having not shown much life all season, Roush Fenway drivers Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Trevor Bayne not only finished well out of Chase contention but they also completed the regular season in disappointment.

    Biffle had the worst of the team’s days finishing 31st. Stenhouse and Bayne finished 16th and 23rd respectively.

    This was the first time in RFR’s history that one of their drivers failed to make the Chase since its inception.

    In contrast, Aric Almirola, who made the Chase last year with Richard Petty Motorsports, delivered one of the gutsiest performances, finishing fourth. And even with that, the driver of the famed No. 43 Smithfield Foods/Waffle House Ford still came up 17 points short, edged out of Chase contention by Clint Bowyer.

    “Disappointed for sure,” Almirola said. “I drove my heart out tonight. All year long, really.”

    “I feel like we’ve certainly overachieved this year. Our cars just haven’t had the speed, and we’ve managed a way to get good results, and really proud of this race team.”

    “Everybody has done so much to support us, and to come up short, it hurts. We were in it last year and we got a taste of what it was like to be in the Chase. This race team is a great race team and we wanted another shot at it, and we just came up short. Just wasn’t meant to be.”

    Surprising:  Forget about making the Chase, Jeff Gordon was just excited about finally having a top-10 car. The driver of the No. 24 3M Chevrolet was also excited about being able to work with his team to finally make good enough adjustments to end up with a seventh place finish.

    “Excited we finally had a solid night on pit road, on the racetrack, in the race car, communication,” Gordon said. “Everything was just really solid. That certainly gives us something to be excited about these next ten races.”

    “It’s nice to be in the Chase and take that relief and take that breath and now go reset and see what we can do over the next 10.”

    Not Surprising:  Kasey Kahne got himself turned around and ended up the odd man out in the Hendrick Motorsports Chase contingent. His HMS teammates, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, instead are all heading on to compete for the Cup without him.

    “I think the main thing for me is just figuring out how to get a car to turn again,” Kahne said. “I’ve struggled all year to have front turn, and if I don’t have that, I can’t race. That’s how I’ve been my whole life.”

    “We’ll just work on trying to get the cars the way I need them to, and if we can’t, we’ll keep running about 15th.”

    Surprising:  While two of his drivers, Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch, head to Chase competition, Tony Stewart achieved a milestone that he would no doubt like to forget. The driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet finished 29th, four laps down.

    Stewart’s 29th place finish was only his fifth outside of the top-25 in 33 career Cup starts at Richmond International Raceway.

    Not Surprising:  Although one’s injuries were much fresher than the other, two drivers with physical challenges managed to not only finish the Richmond race well but also find their spots in the Chase.

    Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Crispy/American Heritage Chocolate Toyota, continued his miraculous comeback with a runner-up position at Richmond. Busch is also seeded in the second place in the Chase, even after missing 11 races due to injuries sustained in the Daytona XFINITY Series race at the beginning of the season.

    Just after tearing another ACL, Denny Hamlin also struggled through his injury to get into the Chase, seeded in the 11th position. The driver of the No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota finished sixth in the Richmond race.

    “Well, I think it’ll be a lot better next week,” Hamlin said. “Just three days out, really, four nights out, from when it happened, and anybody that’s had it happen before knows that the first week is pretty tough.”

    “I think I’ll start to rehab and everything this week and try to get it stronger and make sure we’re ready to make a Chase run.”

    Surprising:  Paul Menard summed up the sentiments of several of the drivers who made the Chase but had a bad race at Richmond. The driver of the No. 27 Libman/Menards Chevrolet finished 26th in the race and is seeded 15th in the Chase.

    “We don’t know whether to be happy or sad, it was such a bad race for us,” Menard said. “Obviously very excited to be in the Chase. It was a goal that we set at the beginning of the year. Everybody at RCR and the 27 guys and ECR, they work hard.  We’ve had a lot of good runs this year. Tonight just wasn’t one of them, but we did what we had to do.”

    Kevin Harvick, another driver who made the Chase but struggled at Richmond, finished an uncharacteristic 14th. And Martin Truex Jr. finished 32nd after hitting oil from another driver’s car on Lap 39.

    Harvick is seeded fifth in the Chase, with Truex Jr. following in the 10th spot.

    Not Surprising:  With his usual enthusiasm, Clint Bowyer bounded into this year’s Chase, saving the day at least for now, for Michael Waltrip Racing, which will fold at the end of 2015.

    “Well, I mean, just to go through the year we’ve had, I mean, a lot of ups and downs here, a lot of downs,” Bowyer said. “We did this, now we’re in the Chase!  Pressure is off, go cat go! Let’s go out and have some fun.”

    Surprising:  Michael McDowell went from sharing the invocation before the start of the race to being called to the NASCAR hauler after hitting the safety vehicle during a caution on Lap 288.

    McDowell made heavy contact with the right rear of his No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Ford. McDowell was unhurt, as were the safety workers in the truck.

    “I’m not really sure what happened,” McDowell said. “I’m embarrassed for my team. My mistake. Luckily no one was hurt.”

    Not Surprising:  Kim Lopez, the first woman and Latina to flag races at the highest level, got a tip of the cap as she threw her final checkered flag. Lopez is headed for a new role and challenge in the NASCAR  R&D Center.