Tag: Greg Biffle

Surprising and Not Surprising: Monster Mile FedEx 400

With Miles the Monster rearing his ugly head in more ways than one, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 45th annual FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway.

Surprising: The winning crew chief, usually the one of the most up-tight people in the garage area as even he admits, must have been inspired by Pharrell’s ‘Happy’ song that played pre-race at the Monster Mile.

Chad Knaus, crew chief for two-time 2014 winner, nine-time Dover winner, and six-time champ Jimmie Johnson, was surprisingly animated in expressing his happiness in the media center after the race.

“Quite honestly I’m at the best point in my life,” Knaus said. “I’ve been very fortunate to have been in this sport for a long time.”

“I’ve seen it grow and change, and it’s been a weird circuitous route to get to where we are now, but quite honestly, I’ve never been happier in my life – with my personal life, my performance at the racetrack, what we’ve got going on, and Jimmie has helped a lot with that,” Knaus continued. “So has Mr. Hendrick as far as making me understand that I’ve got to take time away from the facility and understand that there’s life outside of motorsports.”

“I’ve tried for a long time to deny that fact, but I’m really, really enjoying it all the way around,” Knaus said. “It’s fun. It’s busy as ever, but we’re in a good spot right now.”

“Everything is great.”

Not Surprising: Clint Bowyer did his best impression of Miley Cyrus’ ‘Wrecking Ball’, at least in the minds of Joe Gibbs Racing, hitting Kyle Busch and knocking him out of the race early on and then getting into Matt Kenseth on the last restart, after Kenseth spun his tires a bit.

“It was a day alright,” Bowyer said. “I hated to be in that situation with the 18 (Kyle Busch). It’s one of those deals where I thought I was clear and obviously wasn’t and ruined his day and certainly didn’t help mine.”

“I had a pretty good run at him (Matt Kenseth) and he was still spinning when I hit him and I knocked him into the wall and I was like, ‘Not another (Joe) Gibbs (Racing) car.’ But what a day. Frustrating day.”

Bowyer did swing back, however, scoring a fourth place finish in his No. 15 Cherry5-hrEnergySpecialOpsWarriorFnd Toyota.

Surprising: For only the third time in the past few years, including Martinsville and Daytona, the track itself became part of the headline as a piece of concrete two to three inches deep and six to eight inches wide dislodged, damaging Jamie McMurray’s car as well as the Monster Mile walkway.

The red flag was displayed for 22 minutes and 22 seconds as NASCAR and the track officials made repairs to the hole in the concrete as well as the shattered area of the walkway.

“We have equipment and we have product at every facility,” Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s Vice President of Competition and Racing Operations, said. “It is an epoxy type filler that we use, and it’s basically the same filler that’s used any time we make a repair at the track, whether it be asphalt or concrete.”

“The track doesn’t want things like this to happen any more than we do or the competitors do,” Pemberton continued. “You always have to be ready for the emergencies and everybody wants to have the same perfect race day as they can.”

Not Surprising: Jamie McMurray was not the only one impacted by unexpected objects encountered on the race track. Martin Truex Jr.’s car was hit by a bird in practice on Friday at the Monster Mile, causing damage to the left headlight area.

For once, however, the driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, was able to overcome the adversity, scoring his best finish to date in 2014 in the sixth position.

“All in all, it was a good day,” Truex said. “You can just feel that we’re heading in the right direction.”

“And all the dumb luck we’ve had didn’t bite us today,” the New Jersey native said. “Dover has been good to me over the years and it was also a great feeling to bring home a strong effort at what I consider my home track.”

Surprising: Brett Moffitt made his debut in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Jay Robinson Racing and scored a very respectable 22^nd place finish in the No. 66 Land Castle Title Toyota. The 21 year old, who tests for Michael Waltrip Racing and Toyota Racing Development, combined that relationship with the Robinson team for the opportunity.

“Hopefully this will open up more opportunities,” Moffitt said. “Obviously I hope this leads to more races…it’s just about having the right people beside you telling you, ‘Look man, you can do this, just keep digging.’”

“That’s what I’ve been doing.”

Not Surprising: Starting at the back of the pack due to an engine change did not deter this young driver one bit. Kyle Larson, behind the wheel of the No. 42 Cottonelle Chevrolet, weaved and bobbed his way through the field to finish as the highest placed rookie yet again.

Larson finished eleventh and is nineteen points ahead of Austin Dillon in the Rookie of the Year standings to date.

Surprising: Team Penske had what looked like a good race weekend at the Monster Mile, with Brad Keselowski starting from the pole position and Joey Logano starting third. Both drivers finished the race in the top-10, with Keselowski in the runner up position and Logano in eighth but were surprisingly disappointed after the race, especially about their performance in the pits.

“Yeah, we just had an up-and-down day,” the driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford said. “I started up front and faded to the back pretty early in the race. We just weren’t where we needed to be in the car.”

“I thought we were going to get a crack at Jimmie (Johnson) and then that last caution came out and we just kind of whiffed on pit road, came out way behind.”

“I drove back up there, and with the help of the restart got up to second but we just never could really get in front of him.”

“We weren’t very good today,” the driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford said. “Some runs we were and some runs we weren’t. We had a tough day on pit road in the beginning.”

“We were chasing the car all day and that is what screwed us up.”

Not Surprising: Team Penske was not the only one having trouble in the pits. Kevin Harvick, who has been vocal in the media about his disappointment in his team’s performance, struggled yet again.

The driver of the No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet had eight stops on pit road, for a total average of 42.074 seconds. Harvick and company finished 17^thone lap down, after starting the race in the eighth position.

Surprising: In spite of his difficulties, including getting hit by the No. 47 of AJ Allmendinger, crashing hard into the wall, and being in the garage for an extended period for repairs, Greg Biffle and his Pit Bulls were able to keep their streak of completing every race going, the longest in the sport since 2011.

“I didn’t really know what happened,” the driver of the No. 16 3M Ford said. “I just knew that the No. 47 got into us pretty hard and turned us into the fence. They were racing hard back there and he stuck it into a hole that maybe there wasn’t room for, I guess and he slid off the bottom, got his right-rear caught by the No. 17 and up into us.”

“It was a chain reaction,” Biffle continued. “This place is tight and fast and when you get racing that hard back there on a restart, stuff like that is going to happen.”

Not Surprising: Although four-time champ Jeff Gordon seemingly had a good car early on, he faded late in the race to finish 15^th, which not surprisingly handed the points lead off to third place finisher Matt Kenseth.

Kenseth now leads by just two points over Gordon, with Carl Edwards third, Jimmie Johnson fourth and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. rounding out the top five in the point standings after the Monster Mile.

June 3, 2014
The Final Word – Dover is over and now to Pocono where Jimmie has not won for an entire year!

Even a ball player could appreciate Jimmie Johnson’s average at Dover, having gone 9 for 25 for a sweet .360 average. Sunday, Johnson led much of the way to lock down his second of the season. Brad Keselowski, who has a win, finished second while Matt Kenseth, who does not, was third. That fact should not be cause to worry at the moment, as Kenseth still has more points than anyone, even without a victory to his credit. If this keeps up, he might not need one.

Tony Stewart needs a win to make the Chase, but a seventh place result was as good as it got. Kevin Harvick has two wins, but a flat as they came to green after a caution removed him from the lead and contention. Kurt Busch, who has a win and precious little else, was one back of Harvick, in 18th. As for Danica Patrick, if 25th is a decent day, she was better than decent by two positions.

Some teams you expect to be better, some not. Not much is expected from the BK Racing trio of Cole Whitt (27th), Ryan Truex (32nd), and Alex Bowman (40th) and we were not surprised. We thought Roush would be running better, but Carl Edwards (14th) was as good as it got for those boys as circumstances left Greg Biffle (38th) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr (41st) all torn up. Hendrick may have won, but Penske had the better average with Keselowski and Joey Logano both in the Top Ten.

When is all clear not all clear? Ask Clint Bowyer or, better yet, ask Kyle Busch. Seeking the weekend Dover three-peat, Busch was charging to the outside of Bowyer, but that is not what his spotter told him. It was clear to us that Rowdy was looking to the outside, only to wind up squeezed into the fence and out of the race. He had definite evil intentions aimed at his rival, but the guy he really should have wanted was high up in the grandstands. Oops.

When is debris not really debris? It is not if you run over a chunk of concrete and reduce it in size by blasting it to chunks and dust. Ask Jamie McMurray, who was the beneficiary of the gift of masonry Ryan Newman kicked up just in front of him from the newly formed pothole. McMurray clobbered it but good to split his splitter and send him fence-ward. Interestingly enough, he was 16th at the time, yet finished 13th.

While I shall miss FOX, I believe TNT’s coverage of NASCAR is the superior. Should we discover Pocono to be boring, yet we continue to watch primarily due to the entertainment provided by the announcers, then we have found folks who know how to do their job.

Why don’t the New York Yankees play three of four games a month against minor league teams on national television? The reason is that would be stupid, but enough about Kyle Busch.

As long as there are less than 16 race winners, wins lock you into the Chase while being the best in points will still get you there. Welcome to a world where Kurt Busch can lead Matt Kenseth in the standings, where a single victory trumps having more points than anybody else. That means that by this time next week, anyone from the top 36 could find themselves in the Chase by simply winning this Sunday at Pocono. Nothing to it.

SWEET SIXTEEN
1 Jimmie Johnson – 2 WINS – 436 Points
2 Joey Logano – 2 WINS – 414
3 Kevin Harvick – 2 WINS – 373
4 Jeff Gordon -1 WIN – 461
5 Carl Edwards -1 WIN – 438
6 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – 1 WIN – 429
7 Kyle Busch – 1 WIN – 411
8 Brad Keselowski – 1 WIN – 404
9 Denny Hamlin – 1 WIN – 379
10 Kurt Busch – 1 WIN – 241
11 Matt Kenseth – 463 POINTS
12 Kyle Larson – 377
13 Ryan Newman – 374
14 Brian Vickers – 366
15 Paul Menard – 362
16 Austin Dillon – 358

CONTENDERS AND PRETENDERS
17 Greg Biffle – 357
18 Clint Bowyer – 350
19 Kasey Kahne – 349
20 Aric Almirola – 344
21 A.J. Allmendinger – 337
22 Tony Stewart – 336
23 Marcos Ambrose – 331
24 Jamie McMurray – 317
25 Casey Mears – 301
26 Martin Truex, Jr. – 289
27 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – 261
28 Danica Patrick – 239
29 Justin Allgaier – 223
30 Michael Annett – 188

PARTICIPANTS
31 Cole Whitt – 181
32 David Gilliland – 175
33 Reed Sorenson – 165
34 David Ragan – 158
35 Alex Bowman – 156
36 Josh Wise – 149

June 2, 2014

Jimmie Johnson Stole the Monster Mile Show to Make it Two in a Row

For the ninth time, Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet stole the show at the Monster Mile, making it two race wins in a row and virtually guaranteeing himself a place in the Chase for the tenth consecutive year.

“It was an awesome race car,” Johnson said. “The first run I wasn’t sure we were really going to have the normal Dover magic here. Once the track ‘rubbered’ in our car came to life and it was so good.”

“It’s amazing that we can stay on top of things here with the different generation car, different rules, different tires,” Johnson continued. “This place just fits my style and Chad Knaus’ style.”

“I don’t even know where to begin,” Chad Knaus, winning crew chief, said. “We came in here with high expectations and things went really well for us right out of the gate. We were pretty optimistic at that point. Qualifying went well and we were excited to get into the event today.”

“At that point, we tried to manage the race and it turned out to be a pretty good day.”

Both Brad Keselowski, who started from the pole, and Matt Kenseth, who remains winless for the season, attempted to hang with the six-time champ, but finished second and third instead.

“We just had an up and down day,” the driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford said. “We started up front and went to the back early in the race.”

“Then we took back off and had some strong runs,” Keselowski continued. “We were probably going to get a crack at Jimmie and then that last caution came out. We drove back up to second with the help of the restart and we were pretty even with Jimmie but it was just a matter of being out front.”

“It was a solid day for us,” the third place finishing driver of the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota said. “I did a poor job qualifying and so good adjustments and pit stops moved us forward. There was just that one group of cars that we couldn’t quite run with. We just need to be a little bit faster.”

Kenseth, who looked like he had a shot to win, actually struggled on the final restart with six laps to go, spinning his tires and then getting into the wall.

“The 48 spun them and I spun them a little bit,” Kenseth said. “I just need to do a better job and let the rear tires quit screaming so I could get going. And then Clint (Bowyer) hit me I guess trying to give me a push there.”

In addition to being a factor in the final restart with Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer was a factor in another incident early in the race with Kyle Busch, who looked strong as he tried to achieve the sweep of the race weekend after winning both the Truck and Nationwide races.

Bowyer and Busch tangled on Lap 126, putting Busch out of the race. Bowyer went on to salvage a good finish, bringing home his No. 15 Cherry 5-Hour Energy Special Ops Warrior Foundation Toyota home in the fourth position.

“I hated to be in that position with the 18,” Bowyer said. “I thought I was clear, obviously I wasn’t. Ruined his day.”

One of the other major incidents of the race involved AJ Allmendinger, Greg Biffle and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., the latter of whom sustained hard hits on Lap 135.

“Inside of the car I didn’t really know what happened,” the driver of the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion said. “I just knew that the 47 got into us pretty hard and turned us into the fence. After watching the replay I see what happened.”

“They were racing hard back there and he stuck it into a hole that maybe there wasn’t room for,” Biffle continued. “There definitely wasn’t room come three-quarters of the way around the corner I guess and he slid off the bottom and got his right-rear caught by the 17 and up into us. It was a chain reaction. This place is tight and fast and when you get racing that hard back there on a restart stuff like that is going to happen.”

“We were really loose,” Ricky Stenhouse Jr. said. “The 47 jumped to the inside of us there and I tried to stay out of his way and he got me. We met right-rear to left-front and it got him sideways and everything else happened after that.”

“Our Nationwide Insurance Ford was really, really loose all race long and we were trying to hang on with it,” the driver of the No. 17 Nationwide Ford Fusion said. “We didn’t want it to end that way and we got our teammate caught up in it and tore up a lot of cars.”

“That is now what we wanted to do. It is a tough end to our day,” Stenhouse Jr. continued. “It is a bummer.”

In one of the more bizarre incidents and for just the third time in the last few years, once in April 2004 at Martinsville and once in 2010 at the Daytona 500, the red flag was displayed after a piece of concrete dislodged from the race track and hit Jamie McMurray’s car.

The red flag lasted six minutes and 39 seconds and while McMurray could not work on his car during that time, repairs were made when the red flag was lifted and the driver of the No. 1 Cessna Chevrolet got the ‘lucky dog’ break, soldiering on to a respectable 13^th place finish.

Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president for competition, addressed the media after the race, advising that NASCAR was not aware of the concrete hole prior to the race and then addressed it immediately after the issue occurred with materials that are utilized regularly for repair work.

“We do a track walk after every race and in the morning and at the time, that had been a previous patch, but our staff did not see anything wrong with it,” Pemberton said. “The hole was two or three inches deep and six or eight inches by ten inches, so it was pretty substantial.”

“Our team has equipment and product at every facility in case there is a need for it. It’s an epoxy type filler that we use and is the same material we use whether it be asphalt or concrete.”

Many of the drivers praised NASCAR’s handling of the concrete repair, including Brad Keselowski.

“I think NASCAR did a good job or whoever fixed it did a good job of repairing it,” Keselowski said. “It’s hard to come back up there at the end and it was definitely an issue when it happened. You knew it was going to get worse if it wasn’t repaired and a small hole was going to turn into a big hole. I give NASCAR credit to realize that, stop, and fix it.”

Kyle Larson, behind the wheel of the No. 42 Cottonelle Chevrolet, was the highest finishing rookie yet again. With the third place finish of Matt Kenseth and the 15^th place finish by the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet Jeff Gordon, Kenseth gained the points lead over Gordon and is now in P1 by two points.

The full race results are as follows:

2014 NSCS FedEx 400 Race Results

Fin	Str	Car	Driver	Team	Lap	Pts	BPts	Status	TLd	LLd
1	4	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet	400	48	5	Running	7	272
2	1	2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite Ford	400	43	1	Running	1	1
3	21	20	Matt Kenseth	Dollar General Toyota	400	42	1	Running	5	17
4	10	15	Clint Bowyer	Cherry5-hrEnergySpecialOpsWarriorFnd Toyota	400	41	1	Running	2	5
5	7	11	Denny Hamlin	Autism Speaks/FedEx Freight Toyota	400	39		Running
6	16	78	Martin Truex Jr.	Furniture Row Chevrolet	400	38		Running
7	20	14	Tony Stewart	Code 3/Mobil 1 Chevrolet	400	37		Running
8	3	22	Joey Logano	Shell Pennzoil Ford	400	36		Running
9	13	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	National Guard Chevrolet	400	35		Running
10	15	27	Paul Menard	Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet	400	34		Running
11	5	42	Kyle Larson #	Cottonelle Chevrolet	400	33		Running
12	25	43	Aric Almirola	Smithfield Ford	400	32		Running
13	19	1	Jamie McMurray	Cessna Chevrolet	400	31		Running
14	29	99	Carl Edwards	Subway Ford	400	30		Running
15	6	24	Jeff Gordon	Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet	400	29		Running
16	27	9	Marcos Ambrose	DeWalt Ford	400	28		Running
17	8	4	Kevin Harvick	Budweiser Chevrolet	399	28	1	Running	2	24
18	24	41	Kurt Busch	Haas Automation Chevrolet	399	26		Running
19	17	5	Kasey Kahne	Farmers Insurance Chevrolet	399	25		Running
20	23	3	Austin Dillon #	American Ethanol Chevrolet	398	24		Running
21	11	47	AJ Allmendinger	Scott Products Chevrolet	397	23		Running
22	18	66	Brett Moffitt	Land Castle Title Toyota	396	22		Running
23	28	10	Danica Patrick	GoDaddy Chevrolet	396	21		Running
24	38	36	Reed Sorenson	Click It or Ticket Chevrolet	396	20		Running
25	22	13	Casey Mears	GEICO Chevrolet	395	19		Running
26	30	51	Justin Allgaier #	AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet	395	18		Running
27	31	26	Cole Whitt #	Burger King Toyota	394	17		Running
28	33	98	Josh Wise	iRacing.com/Reddit.com Chevrolet	390	16		Running
29	32	38	David Gilliland	The Pete Store Ford	388	15		Running
30	43	32	Blake Koch(i)	supportmilitary.org Ford	388	0		Running
31	14	31	Ryan Newman	Caterpillar Chevrolet	387	13		Running
32	41	83	Ryan Truex #	Burger King Toyota	387	12		Running
33	42	77	Dave Blaney	Ford	383	11		Running
34	36	40	Landon Cassill(i)	Newtown Building Supplies Chevrolet	382	0		Running
35	39	7	Michael Annett #	Pilot Flying J Chevrolet	378	9		Running
36	34	34	David Ragan	Dockside Logistics Ford	350	8		Running
37	40	33	David Stremme	Little Joe’s Autos Chevrolet	297	7		Overheating
38	12	16	Greg Biffle	3M Ford	292	6		Running
39	37	44	JJ Yeley(i)	Phoenix Warehouse Chevrolet	232	0		Engine
40	35	23	Alex Bowman #	Dr.Pepper Toyota	208	4		Accident
41	26	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Nationwide Ford	131	3		Accident
42	2	18	Kyle Busch	M&M’s Peanut Butter Toyota	125	3	1	Accident	1	81
43	9	55	Brian Vickers	Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota	73	1		Engine

June 1, 2014

Marshall’s Madness: Greg Biffle’s Options Heading Into 2015

While speculation increases about Greg Biffle, who’s in his contract-year at Roush Fenway Racing, I’ve decided to compile a list of prospects that could be looking to land ‘The Biff’ following the conclusion of this season; keep in mind, Biffle will have loyal and long-time sponsor 3M Company funding him wherever he lands.

Below (not in any order) are a few organizations that Biffle could be interested in and possibly sign with, after his current contract concludes.

Joe Gibbs Racing

Biffle – who was a former teammate with current Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Matt Kenseth – could enter a new atmosphere next season: the Toyota camp.

PROS: Gibbs – which currently fields three drivers – could be interested in landing a seasoned veteran like Biffle, especially with funding behind him.

CONS: Gibbs could be leaning towards signing another driver though, especially with Carl Edwards, Biffle’s current teammate, being on the market.

Also, despite having the sponsor funding, Gibbs may be unable to ‘work in’ another competitor to a developing roster.

Nevertheless, Gibbs will certainly be eyeing Biffle; however, the dominos might not land the right direction.

Richard Childress Racing

Maybe, though, Biffle takes a different direction and heads to a manufacturer that’s had endless success at NASCAR’s top level – the Chevrolet squad.

PROS: Like Gibbs, Biffle could be a perfect fit for Richard Childress Racing – especially being a funded competitor.

However, at this team, Biffle could offer limitless mentoring towards up-and-coming drivers Ty Dillon and Austin Dillon – two drivers almost guaranteed lifetime contracts at Childress’ team.

CONS: After adding Ryan Newman, last season, three drivers – with Ty Dillon on the way to a Cup Series ride at Childress – then Biffle may not be even considered for the spot.

Therefore, to me, this is a definite reason of why Childress won’t give Biffle a thought.

Chip Ganassi Racing

Biffle – which would make sense – could join Chip Ganassi Racing, a team that hasn’t been granted a Chase berth in seasons.

PROS: Ganassi, who only fields two machines in the Sprint Cup Series, could be interested in adding a third competitor, at least until Dylan Kwasniewski – a current Ganassi development driver – reaches the Cup Series.

Again, like all the other teams, funding could play a major role in landing Biffle as well.

CONS: Biffle, if knowing he’d have to re-sign after Kwasniewski makes it to the Cup Series, may overlook this contract.

Nevertheless, Ganassi may consider this; however, he’d have to really consider what lies ahead for his organization.

Wood Brothers Racing

Trevor Bayne, who just announced a full-time deal, won’t return to the Wood Brothers next season, allows Biffle an opportunity to hop into the No. 21 Ford – keeping him in the same camp he’s been most of his career.

PROS: Like now ALL the other teams, funding could play a major role, however, that’s the only pro for the team and driver in this instance – the funding would also help the team run their intended goal of a full-season.

CONS: However, this wouldn’t turn out good for Biffle, as the Wood Bros. haven’t scored a victory since Bayne’s heroic Daytona 500 triumph a few seasons ago.

Nevertheless, anything is possible, right?

‘Comment’ below which team you believe would be best fit for Biffle, whether it be staying at Fenway or moving to another of the other teams.

May 28, 2014
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jeff Gordon: Gordon overcame back spasms to post a seventh in the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte. He remains atop the Sprint Cup points standings, 11 ahead of Matt Kenseth.

“Back problems have been an ongoing issue for me,” Gordon said, “as has the quest to win my fifth Cup championship. That’s why the latter part of my career can be described as ‘back and fourth.’

“We had Regan Smith on standby just in case I couldn’t go. Turns out, we didn’t need him, which certainly isn’t the first time Regan’s heard that.”

2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson started on the pole and led a race-high 164 on his way to the win in the Coca-Cola 600. It was Johnson’s first win of the year, and all but ensured his chance to defend his Sprint Cup championship.

“The No. 48 Chevrolet with the special Memorial Day paint scheme was awesome,” Johnson said. “Matt Kenseth was no match for me. You could say I ‘red, white, and blew’ right past him.

“You’ve probably heard that I completed a triathlon last Saturday. I’m proud to call myself a ‘triathlete.’ The great Tim Richmond was NASCAR’s original triathlete, because he’d ‘tri’ anything.

3. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth held the lead on the final restart but was easily passed by Jimmie Johnson, who went on for his first victory of the year. Kenseth eventually finished third, and is second in the points standings, 11 behind Jeff Gordon.

“Johnson went by me like I wasn’t even there,” Kenseth said. “I could say the same about most NASCAR fans. I may be the most unrecognizable athlete in professional sports today.”

4. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished two laps down in 19th at Charlotte after engines problems soured his day. He is fourth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 38 behind Jeff Gordon.

“I raced Charles Barkley head-to-head a couple of weeks ago,” Earnhardt said. “Charles can really drive. The last time he went that fast, there was a prostitute waiting on him. Where was she waiting, you ask? Well, let’s just say Sir Charles’ car is good at ‘cornering.’”

5. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 100 laps and finished second at Charlotte to Jimmie Johnson. Harvick was going for his third win this season, but couldn’t chase down Johnson.

“Where’s one of those phantom cautions when you need one?” Harvick said. “I guess that’s what happens on Memorial Day weekend—there’s plenty of red, white, and blue flags, but no yellow.”

6. Carl Edwards: Edwards posted his third top-five finish of the year with a fourth in the Coca-Cola 600. He is third in the points standings, 24 out of first.

“Trevor Bayne’s joining the Roush Fenway Racing family in 2015,” Edwards said. “That means a current driver at Roush is likely to say goodbye. Could that be me? If it is, I guess you could call me ‘Cousin It.’”

7. Joey Logano: Logano finished 12th at Charlotte as Penske teammate Brad Keselowski finished tenth. Logano is now sixth in the points, 54 behind Jeff Gordon.

“What a run by Kurt Busch at Indianapolis,” Logano said. “And what a run by race winner Ryan Hunter-Reay. Not only does he lead the Indy Car points standings, he’s the most sought-after driver on the talk show circuit now. I guess that’s what happens when the Hunter becomes the hunted.”

8. Kyle Busch: Busch finished ninth at Charlotte, recording his sixth top-10 result of the year. He is now third in the points standings, 24 out of first.

“My brother Kurt didn’t complete the Indianapolis-Charlotte ‘double,’” Busch said, “but he did finish sixth. I think all NASCAR drivers would agree that’s an incredible accomplishment. And I’m sure all NASCAR drivers would agree Kurt should become a full-time open-wheel driver.”

9. Brian Vickers: Vickers finished sixth in the Coca-Cola 600, earning his second straight top-10 and fifth of the year. He is now eighth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 67 behind Jeff Gordon.

“It’s great driving for Michael Waltrip,” Vickers said. “And it’s great driving the Aaron’s Dream Machine. I like to think my alter ego, who’s a fierce competitor talented enough to contend for the Cup, would drive a car called the ‘Rude Awakening.’ Here’s to dreaming.”

10. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski’s attempt at fuel mileage strategy was derailed by a late-race pit stop for a right-wheel vibration. Still, the driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford finished tenth, his fifth top-10 of the year, and is now ninth in the points standings, 71 out of first.

“We just didn’t get the wheel on tight enough,” Keselowski said. “If that would have happened to the No. 48 car, it would have been called a ‘Shimmy Johnson.’”

May 28, 2014
Hot 20 – The [place sponsor name here] 400 in Kansas is where the stars will shine Saturday night
Kansas is not as sexy as Talladega, I admit. It is not a Daytona, a Darlington, and it is no Indianapolis. I think having the race named after a series of sponsors instead of seeking a real identity might have something to do with that. Still, some big names have been among the 16 winners there since they first started up the engines back in 2001.

Jeff Gordon won the first two there, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, and Matt Kenseth all have a pair. Three years ago, Brad Keselowski made it nine victories for past or future kings of the clutch at the venue. Tony Kanaan won there in 2005, a year after claiming the IndyCar crown. Sam Hornish Jr, who was IndyCar royalty before trying his luck in NASCAR, won there in an open wheel contest. Both Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon have done it twice. Of ten IndyCar races run at Kansas between 2001 and 2010, the last six were claimed by one who was a champion.

In short, this track is a haven for racing’s blue bloods. Despite its lack of an identity, Saturday night’s NASCAR contest will be claimed by a driver who matters. In fact, of the last 21 Cup and IndyCar races run there, the only non-champions went by such names as Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, and Greg Biffle. That is a trio of pretty damned impressive names, if you ask me. Simply put, the winner this weekend is not going to be Danica Patrick. If she does, then I suggest we start watching her more closely and with an entirely different perspective.

A win at Kansas would do wonders for Stewart, who is sitting winless at 21st in the official standings. Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, and Martin Truex Jr could use the boost, as they are all mired well beyond the 16th and final Chase place.

As for determining simply the best this season, we leave the points untouched other than to reward a race winner 22 additional points. Wins and consistency both have value as we eliminate the need for gimmicks, such as the Chase. Kyle Busch remains out hottest on the year, though Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Joey Logano, and even the winless duo of Gordon and Kenseth are within 21 points of our leader after ten events. With the gap between first and second each week between 25 and 28 points, either of those latter two would vault to the front by just returning to Victory Lane this Saturday night.
1. Kyle Busch (1 win) 365 points
2. Carl Edwards (1 win) 350
3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (1 win) 350
4. Joey Logano (2 wins) 349
5. Jeff Gordon 347
6. Matt Kenseth 344
7. Brad Keselowski (1 win) 316
8. Denny Hamlin (1 win) 314
9. Jimmie Johnson 304
10. Kevin Harvick (2 wins) 300
11. Greg Biffle 300
12. Ryan Newman 299
13. Brian Vickers 297
14. Kyle Larson 286
15. Austin Dillon 281
16. A.J. Allmendinger 279
17. Marcos Ambrose 268
18. Paul Menard 265
19. Clint Bowyer 261
20. Kasey Kahne 252
May 8, 2014
The Final Word – Talladega, right on the corner of bitter and sweet street

There are things in life that just irritate a person. There are calls for me to worry about man-made global warming when I got snow falling outside in the month of May. There are three hours of television devoted to a two-minute horse race. There are entertaining races from Talladega, with big names leading, big names wrecking, only to have the thing won by Denny Hamlin. Then there are times when you write your column, forgot to save the stupid thing, only to dump out of the word processor to lose it all. Yes, I am an irritated man.

I am probably less irritated than, say, Tony Stewart. The only time we really saw his useless beast on Sunday was when it was on the hook being towed off the track after being mercifully taken out of action in 43rd place. Things are going better for me than they did for Brad Keselowski, who decided to squeeze into a place in front of Danica Patrick where there was no squeezing to be done to have his day ruined just 15 laps in. I wonder if Kurt Busch is happy, even though he had another less than stellar outing that ended like that of his boss. Finishing outside the Top 30 probably did not tickle the likes of Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth, or Jeff Gordon, all of whom did make some noise before the sound of mashing metal entered their ears.

Dale Earnhardt Jr is probably a touch peeved at being called in from the front to pit for fuel he did not need to wind up in the back in a position he could not return from. 26th was not what the script was supposed to read. Jimmie Johnson snapped loose early, and though he finished 23rd on the lead lap he was never a factor. He was one place behind Danica, who set a new gender standard at Talladega for her 22nd place result.

Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer had to have been disappointed. The pair were set for a big run on the final lap to try and catch Hamlin, who was running on fumes, when Justin Allgaier got messed up just as the white flag came out. With a chunk of his bumper left on the track, the caution had to come out before the lads could attempt to make their run for glory.

Yes, I am saving this version of my column as I go along. Why do you ask?

So, I am happy, at least happier than I was before the words on my screen disappeared and the bad words came flying out of my mouth. Maybe not as happy as Landon Cassill, as his unsponsored white Hillman Racing Chevy finished the day in 11th. Kyle Larson probably sports a sweeter disposition after the 21 year old was ninth to make it five Top-Tens in 10 starts. Definitely not as happy as the fans at Talladega were when Danica led early, briefly, or when Junior did the same later, and longer. I am guessing that Denny Hamlin is probably happier than me, not that this does anything to perk up my own mood. With his 24th win in his 300th start, and a place in the Chase all but reserved despite missing a race earlier this season, I doubt Denny really gives a damn as to my current state of happiness.

Kansas comes up this Saturday night, where Hamlin set the track record two years ago by wrapping up the day in just under three hours. Kenseth is happy there, having won two of the past three, while happy is something Harvick was after claiming the prize in the fall. Keselowski and Johnson split in 2011, and that should be cause for joy and even some hope. Meanwhile, this column is saved, and sent. Look at the big ole smile on this face.

1   (1) Joey Logano 2 wins, 305 points
2   (2) Kevin Harvick 2 wins, 258 points
3   (4) Kyle Busch 1 win, 343 points
4   (5) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 1 win, 328 points
5   (3) Carl Edwards 1 win, 328 points
6   (6) Brad Keselowski 1 win, 294 points
7   (16) Denny Hamlin 1 win, 292 points
8   (7) Kurt Busch 1 win, 196 points

9   (8) Jeff Gordon 347 points
10 (9) Matt Kenseth 344 points
11 (10) Jimmie Johnson 304 points
12 (13) Greg Biffle 300 points
13 (11) Ryan Newman 299 points
14 (12) Brian Vickers 297 points
15 (15) Kyle Larson 286 points
16 (14) Austin Dillon 281 points

17 (19) A.J. Allmendinger 279
18 (18) Marcos Ambrose 268
19 (21) Paul Menard 265
20 (22) Clint Bowyer 261
21 (23) Kasey Kahne 252
22 (17) Tony Stewart 244
23 (24) Casey Mears 244
24 (25) Aric Almirola 242
25 (20) Jamie McMurray 241
26 (26) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. 218
27 (27) Martin Truex, Jr. 209 27
28 (28) Justin Allgaier 190
29 (29) Danica Patrick 176
30 (30) David Gilliland 152

May 5, 2014
Surprising and Not Surprising: Aaron’s 499 at Talladega

From the wild knock out qualifying that netted Brian Scott the pole position to the crazy green-white-checkered race finish, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 45^th annual Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Surprising: It is not often when two champions wreak such havoc in one race, even if it is on an unpredictable superspeedway. But both Brad Keselowski as well as Jimmie Johnson did just that, having uncharacteristically bad days that negatively impacted so many others in the field.

In fact Keselowski negatively impacted the field twice, once early on in the race while battling Danica Patrick for the lead and then later in the race causing a twelve car pileup that involved several other drivers, including the likes of past champions Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart.

“I just spun out in front of the whole field,” the driver of the white Miller Lite Deuce said. “I don’t know why, if I just busted my butt on my own or lost a tire, but I feel bad for everyone that got torn up.”

Johnson, after suffering his own damage from the first Keselowski incident, had almost the identical problem as Keselowski, spinning out at almost the same exact spot on the race track and catching others in his wake.

“I got caught up in the first wreck and that did some damage; and I don’t know what happened when I spun out,” the driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s/Valspar Chevrolet said. “I just went out in front of everybody. The car just got real loose going into Turn 3 and turned around and collected a bunch of guys, unfortunately.”

Keselowski finished the race in the 38^th position while Johnson finished 23^rd and remains winless.

Not Surprising: In his 300^th start and at a superspeedway not a short track, Denny Hamlin made a statement and won his first race of the season, his first race at Talladega, and his first point’s race at a restrictor plate track. Hamlin also all but sealed up a Chase berth, after missing the Chase completely last season for the first time in his career.

“It feels good to be back in Victory Lane in a points-paying event,” the driver of the No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota said. “We’ve come a long way. We couldn’t finish 22nd in superspeedway races for the longest time and now it seems like when we go, we know we have the knowledge and car that can win.”

“It feels good to come to these types of tracks and win.”

Surprising: Jeff Gordon surprisingly kept his point leads in spite of finishing 39^th, as well as breaking his streak of 11 consecutive top-15 finishes. Gordon still leads by three points over Matt Kenseth, who came in just ahead of Gordon in the race, finishing 37^th.

“Oh man, we had a great car,” the driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet said. “I could see where the 2 came from the outside lane and came back down to the inside lane, or middle lane, then wiggled and got turned.”

“It was unfortunate what happened to him early, but more unfortunate what happened to many of us in that incident.”

Not Surprising: Whether they had a game plan in their heads or not, both Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer scored their best ever finishes of the 2014 season.

Biffle, behind the wheel of the No. 16 3M Window Film Ford, finished runner up after leading the most laps at 58. Bowyer, driving the No. 15 PEAK Antifreeze/Motor Oil Toyota, finished third, scoring his first top-5 finish of the season.

“I had a game plan in my head,” Biffle said. “On our speedway program, they did a great job getting the car ready. This was our Daytona 500 car and we wanted to get up there and run with the guys.”

“I don’t think you ever really have a game plan,” Bowyer said. “But I like the situation I saw with Biffle. You know he was going to pull out and make a move. I had my teammate right behind me and I was looking forward to that opportunity.”

“After last weekend, we blew three tires and burned the car to the ground,” Bowyer continued. “To get things turned around on a positive note, we finished Talladega without a crash.”

Biffle posted his sixth top-10 finish in 23 races and Bowyer posted his ninth top-10 finish at Talladega Superspeedway.

Surprising: Risk was not worth the reward for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who elected to ride in the rear in the waning laps to avoid the craziness of the finish. Although Junior led the second-most laps in the race, he finished 26th in his National Guard Chevrolet.

“We already got a win and like I said, I’ve been in too many late-race wrecks,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I didn’t want to be no part of it. And there were three or four there we dodged pretty good.”

“So, we’ve got a car in one piece,” Junior continued. “You have to have that track position at the end and we didn’t have it. We didn’t tear up our car and we will go to Daytona and try to manage the strategy.”

Not Surprising: Talladega makes for friendships formed on the fly and that is exactly what happened between AJ Allmendinger and Paul Menard, who finished fifth and sixth respectively.

“I really thought I had messed us up there and that last restart I’ve got to thank Paul Menard,” the driver of the No. 47 Bush’s Beans Chevrolet said. “He just kept shoving me all the way up through the inside of guys.”

“We had a really fast Richmond/Menards/Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Chevrolet all weekend,” Menard said. “It was really good at the end. On the last restart just pushed the hell out of AJ (Allmendinger) and wound up being okay.”

Surprising: Both David’s, Ragan (defending race winner) and Gilliland, who are traditionally good at plate racing, had a pretty rough day at the race track.

Gilliland’s engine gave way on his No. 38 Love’s Travel Stops Ford, while Ragan was involved in a very hard hit during one of the race’s many wrecks.

“I thought my car was good,” Gilliland said. “We got in that accident and I don’t know if the motor got a little warm when we opened up the duct work, but it just wasn’t our day.”

“It looked like someone got turned in the middle or the bottom lane and we were just kind of minding our own business up top and all I saw was some cars coming up toward us,” Ragan, behind the wheel of the No. 34 KFC Ford, said. “There was nothing you could do.”

“It’s just a shame that when somebody makes a mistake it takes out a bunch of race cars.”

Not Surprising: Young Kyle Larson was the highest finishing rookie…again, this time bringing his car home not only in one piece but in the ninth position. This was the fifth top-10 finish for the driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet and he sits in the 13^th position in the point standings.

“I spent most of the day just — well, pretty much all day just trying not to make any spectacular moves to put myself in a bad spot to get in a wreck,” Larson said. “Just wanted to stay out of trouble. We’ve been making up a lot of points throughout the year after Daytona, and to come back to another superspeedway, I was really nervous.”

“Glad to get a good finish and stay up there in points.”

Surprising: Danica Patrick had one major complaint about her race at Talladega. The driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet was, well, just plain hot.

“It was a hot day here in Talladega,” Patrick said after finishing 22^nd. “I dropped back to get some clean air. Heating was definitely an issue. It really limited me to the bottom lane.”

“I was getting hot a lot,” Patrick continued. “I think you saw that from a lot of cars.”

Not Surprising: There were many drivers that were not only happy to have ‘Dega in the rear view mirror but were also glad for a good, safe finish to the race.

“It was crazy, but everybody did a really good job,” Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Fastenal Ford said. “The racing was pretty good. It was really intense, but safe I thought relative to what we’ve seen in the past.”

“I expected a few of the big wrecks and tried to avoid those and did exactly that,” Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 43 Gwaltney Ford said. “We didn’t end up on our roof, so it was a solid day and we’ll go on.”

NASCAR next visits Kansas Speedway for some Saturday night racing under the lights in the 5-Hour Energy 400 Benefiting Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

May 4, 2014
Bittersweet Outcome For Greg Biffle at Talladega Superspeedway

Greg Biffle reassured his presence in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series after finishing second in the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday afternoon. However, he’s still scratching his head on what could have been had his crew advised him that there was debris spread across the start/finish line.

“When I got back around (to the frontstretch), I was wondering why nobody told me that there was half of a car laying in the track,” Biffle explained following the runner-up finish, “and that we probably weren’t going to race back so go ahead and try and pass (Denny Hamlin) now, but that’s a lot to happen in a short amount of time.”

Biffle, 43, was also baffled at the timing of NASCAR’s decision to throw the caution. He was led to believe once the machines roared through the first two corners that they’d be able to conclude the race under green flag conditions but obviously that wasn’t the result.

“We were about halfway down the back stretch I guess and I thought when I saw the smoke that (it) was (time) to make a decision to go or not, then I decided to wait,” Biffle further expressed. “I figured once we got in the middle of one and two (that) the caution wasn’t going to come out. I figured, okay, we’re good all the way back.”

He led a season-high 58 laps of the 188 scheduled after beginning the famed race in the 35th starting position, yet, he was still craving more, respectively.

“I just wish I was where (Hamlin) was on that final restart,” Biffle explained about the final few circuits. “But it was pretty satisfying to finish — once the outside lane got a push there towards the end and I got shuffled back to about third row and we were three wide, I was nervous that I wasn’t going to (finish). But I was extremely happy with second.”

Nevertheless, this becomes Biffle’s season-best finish, bettering his fifth place showing at Darlington Raceway last month, and an ideal time nonetheless.

“I mean, it’s sort of bittersweet for us,” Biffle added. “We’ve run a little bit better in the last couple weeks, and I wasn’t sure how we were going to run here. I was extremely happy with the speed my car had on Friday and then today all day. We’ve still got some work to do, but it sure would have been nice to get a win toward the Chase, but we’ve got some great racetracks coming up, as well. It would have been nice (though).”

Now, Biffle heads to Kansas Speedway, a track he’s scored triumphs at on two prior occasions and this time, due to the Chase format, he’s willing to risk everything to visit victory lane.

“I’d be super excited to win there to start with, but to be a guy to win — first guy to win three (at Kansas) would be pretty neat,” Biffle expressed about Kansas next weekend. “I love that racetrack. It’s a lot of fun to race on, puts on a good race.”

Biffle will continue seeking a victory and eventual Chase berth, and now, after a runner-up finish, momentum and confidence could prove to be a ‘funny thing’ in upcoming races for the former NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series champion.

May 4, 2014
Surprising and Not Surprising: Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington

As the blinding sun faded into darkness, drivers danced with the lady in black at one of the toughest tracks on the circuit. Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 65^th annual Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

Surprising: Perhaps it was the full moon or the sheer intensity of the competition, but there was a surprising amount of testiness, more so than at another of the other tracks to date, between drivers and even between drivers and crew chiefs.

At one point, Aric Almirola and Danica Patrick were trading paint, as well as Austin Dillon and A.J. Allmendinger, the latter calling the young Dillon rookie a ‘punk’. There was also some testiness between the normally solid duo of six-time champ Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus during some of their radio chatter.

Probably the biggest incident of the race occurred in the last few laps between Kurt Busch, who was running ninth in the first attempt at the green-white-checkered, and Clint Bowyer, who made contact with him when the green flag flew.

The contact was so severe that Busch was unable to complete the race, finishing 31^st in his No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet. Bowyer, on the other hand, finished 12^th in his No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota.

“That was a terrible way to end what could have been a decent night,” Busch said. “We struggled at times to get the balance of the Haas Automation Chevrolet right, but we kind of found our spot just past the halfway point and made slight adjustments the rest of the way.”

“I tried to hold them off the best I could, but someone moved me out of their way and it ruined our night,” Busch said of the restart. “I hate it for the team, but we keep learning each week and we will get better.”

Although Busch has a win, he lost one position in the point standings, falling to 26^th, 164 points behind the leader. Bowyer, who is winless, climbed one spot up in the point standings to 16^th, 78 points behind the leader.

Not Surprising: In spite of the challenges, several personal bests were achieved by race winner Kevin Harvick, who by far had the stoutest car, leading 239 laps of the 374 total. This was Harvick’s first ever Southern 500 win, adding to his other crown jewel race wins, from the Daytona 500 to the Coca Cola 600 and the Brickyard.

This was Harvick’s 25^th victory in the Sprint Cup Series and he also became the first two-time winner of the season, virtually guaranteeing him a spot in the Chase for the championship.

The driver of the No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing also became the first driver to win from pole position since Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett did so in 1997.

“This is one race I told Rodney (Childers, crew chief) that I wanted to win,” Harvick said. “We were able to put it all together, but this is the Southern 500, this is as big as it gets in NASCAR racing.”

Surprising: There were several surprising bounces that occurred at the ‘Track Too Tough to Tame.’ Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had a surprising bounce back to score his career best, runner up finish at Darlington after finishing dead last at Texas last weekend with the mistake in the grass.

“A great run, good job by my team,” the driver of the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet said. “This isn’t one of my best tracks so my team gave me a great car.”

This was Junior’s ninth top-10 finish at Darlington and his fifth top-10 finish of the season.

On the flip side, Paul Menard took a surprisingly hard bounce backwards, dropping eight positions in the points, from 10^th to 18^th, after finishing 41^st in his No. 27 CertainTeed/Menards Chevrolet.

“When the sun went down, I think it freed up,” Menard said after hitting the wall on Lap 201. “I hit the wall like ten laps before and I guess the right-front tire just went down.”

“I guess I was in denial,” Menard continued. “There was a lot of damage.”

Not Surprising: Rookie of the Year contender Kyle Larson continued to impress with his eighth place finish in a backup car to become the highest finishing rookie of the race.

“Yeah, just really proud of my Target Chip Ganassi team for how hard they had to work after I got into the wall and pulled the backup car out,” Larson said. “I started the race off so loose and just had to hang on for a couple runs and Shine got the car tightened up the car for me and we were able to run I thought top‑10 or ‑12 speeds.”

“Finally got up there and then I got in the wall a couple times and had to pull the fenders back out and drive back up there,” Larson continued. “Still ended up 8th, but all in all it was a good Saturday for us.”

Surprising: Six-time champion Jimmie Johnson surprisingly called on the old school racing gods to round out the podium finish for Team Chevy.

“Yeah, just very happy to finish there in the top three,” the driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Kobalt Tools Chevrolet said. “We struggled the first run or two of the race, but we got the car turning for me and came to life and really did it the old‑fashioned way and kind of drove up through the field before the last pit stop, so proud of the hard work.”

Although he remains winless to date, this was Johnson’s fifth top 10 finish of the season and his 12th top-10 finish in 16 races at Darlington Raceway.

Not Surprising: Even champions make mistake as demonstrated by the difficulties in restarting by four-time champion Jeff Gordon pretty much throughout the race.

“We had a really strong car and everything was going really well,” the driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet said. “There towards the end, we just kind of started fading and got ate up on those restarts.”

Gordon finished seventh and is still in the points lead, albeit by one point over Matt Kenseth.

“I feel like it is a missed opportunity,” Gordon said. “But another great race car and I’m happy about that.”

Surprising: Team Penske had a surprisingly tough time under the watchful eye of the ‘Lady in Black’, with Keselowski finishing 17^th and Logano finishing 35^th.

“It was a long night,” the driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford said. “We didn’t get the finish we wanted, that is for sure.”

“The track was slick so that is part of the unique challenge of Darlington that we all love.”

While Keselowski admitted to getting pushed back by those struggling on restarts, teammate Logano instead had a mechanical failure with just ten laps to go.

“We had an issue with the right front hub which broke,” the driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford said. “It is unfortunate that the right front hub broke and then that messed with the rotor and into the caliper and everything got hot and broke after that.”

“It sucks because you run the whole race and get nothing to show for it at the end.”

Not Surprising: With the third best driver rating of 107.5 coming into Darlington Raceway, it was not surprising the Greg Biffle, behind the wheel of the No. 16 3M/Red Cross Ford, was the highest finishing Ford when the checkered flag waved.

“We worked really hard all night and probably didn’t have a fifth place car but we worked really hard on it and we had good pit stops and track position was everything tonight,” Biffle said. “Those last restarts we were on the outside, the inside and then the outside and we picked up one or two spots there at the end.”

“Everybody worked hard and we will keep working on our car. We have to get better here but we will keep working at it.”

Surprising: NASCAR actually made a surprising move, granting an extra set of Goodyear tires for the Bojangles’ Southern 500. The sanctioning body apparently made that move after many teams voiced concerns about running out of tires, given the fall-off and wear.

Not Surprising: No doubt all of the Cup drivers are looking forward to an off-weekend of rest but Richard Petty Motorsports driver Marcos Ambrose summed it up best.

“From the first lap, the track was as slick as anything,” the driver of the No. 9 DeWalt Ford said after finishing 14^th. “This is the most worn out I have been in my NASCAR career.”

After the Easter break, the NASCAR elite return to action in two weeks under the lights for some short-track racing at Richmond International Raceway.

April 13, 2014