Tag: joe gibbs racing

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Watkins Glen

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Watkins Glen

    [media-credit name=”Ed Coombs” align=”alignright” width=”256″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished third at Watkins Glen, posting his Sprint Cup series-best 11th top-5 result. Johnson jumped three spots to the top of the points standings, and leads Greg Biffle by one.

    “Wow! What a finish!” Johnson said. “That’s what NASCAR racing is all about? Too bad it only happens once or twice a year.

    “But I’m tickled by any race that ends with me on top in the points standings. Now, is Marcos Ambrose a threat to win the Sprint Cup? No way, and the thought of such is pure ‘Tasmanian drivel.’”

    2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt spun with seven laps to go, losing a likely top-10 finish and crossing the line 28th. He tumbled out of the Sprint Cup points lead, and is now fourth, 17 out of first.

    “After two weeks atop the Sprint Cup point standings,” Earnhardt said, “who didn’t expect a tailspin.

    “The track was a mess. It was as ‘well-oiled’ as the Junior Nation campground. And

    3. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski led with one lap to go in the Finger Lakes 355 At The Glen, but was passed by Marcos Ambrose near the finish in a wild final lap. Keselowski was denied his fourth win of the year, but moved up two places to fifth in the points standings, 44 out of first.

    “I was so close to getting away with the win,” Keselowski said, “but much like Roger Penske’s other kids, I got ‘caught.’ If Roger’s boys would have been as slippery as the Watkins Glen track, they’d never have been caught.

    “As it is, Roger may have to pull another A.J. Allmendinger and disown them.”

    4. Greg Biffle: Biffle took sixth at Watkins Glen, as Roush Fenway Racing placed three cars in the top 14. Biffle moved up one spot to second in the point standings, and trails Jimmie Johnson by a single point.

    “I did what I needed to do at The Glen,” Biffle said. “Finish in the top 10, and steer clear of Boris Said. He finished 25th, which was nowhere near me. So, the answer to what Boris Said and Boris did is ‘nothing.’”

    5. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished a solid eight at Watkins Glen, earning his 14th top 10 of the year. He is now third in the point standings, trailing Greg Biffle by one and points-leader Jimmie Johnson by two.

    “I am soooo close,” Kenseth said, “to announcing the details of my deal with Joe Gibbs Racing. Hopefully, my last races with Roush Fenway Racing will see me contending for the Cup championship. I definitely want to have a ‘going away presence.’”

    6. Tony Stewart: Stewart was running second when he spun in the final turn with 16 laps remaining. With extensive rear-end damage to the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil Chevy, he had to settle for 19th at The Glen.

    “I was going for ‘broke,’” Stewart said. “Unfortunately, I succeeded. It’s not often I can say ‘I lost it’ and it not have anything to do with Kurt Busch.”

    7. Kasey Kahne: Kahne remained in the hunt for a Chase position with a respectable 13th-place finish at Watkins Glen. He is 11th in the Sprint Cup point standings, and currently holds the first wildcard spot for the Chase.

    “I’ve never been to the Nantucket Yacht Club,” Kahne said, “but I’m confident I’ll fare better ‘in the Chase’ than Roger Penske’s boys.”

    8. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex posted his 12th top-10 finish of the year with a 10th in the Finger Lakes 355 At The Glen. He is now sixth in the point standings, but with no wins on the year, would likely start at the bottom of the Chase For The Cup field.

    “You never know,” Truex said. “I could get hot and win the Sprint Cup championship. I would say I need to ‘Get in the Zone,’ but I’m contractually forbidden to do so.”

    9. Denny Hamlin: A disastrous weekend at Watkins Glen started with a crash in Friday practice and ended with a 34th-place finish on Sunday. Hamlin’s No. 11 Fed Ex Toyota suffered a fiery end when his engine blew and ignited on lap 57. Hamlin fell two places to tenth in the point standings, 84 out of first.

    “Kyle Busch and I were both victimized by our respective old nemeses,” Hamlin said. “For Kyle, it was Brad Keselowski. For me, it was a Toyota engine. Kyle and I were both left ‘fuming.’”

    10. Marcos Ambrose: Ambrose nipped Brad Keselowski at the wire to win for the second year in a row at Watkins Glen. Ambrose and Keselowski dueled on a wild final half-lap on a track made treacherous by leaked oil from the car of Bobby Labonte.

    “There’s only one way to describe this,” Ambrose said, “and that’s ‘Finger Lake-ing good!’ I gave Keselowski the slip. This more than makes up for Sonoma two years ago when I stalled my engine and let a sure win get away. There was only one way to describe that: ‘Sonoma bitch!’

    “I think it’s safe to say that I’m Tasmania’s most famous citizen who’s not a cartoon character.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Pocono

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Pocono

    [media-credit name=”Kirk Schroll” align=”alignright” width=”205″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson led heading to a lap 91 restart, but got loose upon accelerating and slid into the path of Matt Kenseth. Denny Hamlin slammed into Kenseth while Jeff Gordon took the lead. Ran ended the race two laps later, and Johnson was left with a disappointing 14th-place finish.

    “I’ll be thinking about this one for awhile,” Johnson said. “Call it a ‘Long Pond-er.’

    “It was a mistake on my part. We knew the rain was coming; I just lost control when it counted. Obviously, I don’t work as well under clouds of suspicion as Chad Knaus.”

    2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt was strong early at Pocono, leading 17 laps before transmission problems surfaced on lap 50. He eventually finished 32nd, 18 laps down to the leaders, but remained atop the Sprint Cup point standings, five ahead of Matt Kenseth.

    “I’m still on top of the points,” Earnhardt said, “thanks to a lengthy downpour. Ironically, the absence of a short-lived rain prevented a short-lived reign.

    “In the business, we call a transmission a ‘tranny.’ We call a funny-sounding tranny ‘Michael Waltrip.’ And the No. 88 sounded a lot like Michael on Sunday.”

    3. Tony Stewart: Stewart posted his ninth top-5 finish of the year with a fifth in the rain-shortened Pennsylvania 400. He is sixth in the points standings, 53 out of first.

    “I can’t complain,” Stewart said. “I’ll take this result and run with it, which is the only ‘running’ I plan to do. It’s certainly not the first time I’ve said this, but I’ll take what Mother Nature gave me.”

    4. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth saw a top-5 result evaporate when he was clipped by Jimmie Johnson on a lap 91 restart. Kenseth’s spinning No. 17 Zest car was nailed by Denny Hamlin in the aftermath. Rain ended the race early two laps later, and Kenseth finished 23rd.

    “I joined an exclusive club,” Kenseth said. “Now, much like Jimmie Johnson’s wife, I can say I’ve been ‘taken out’ by a five-time champion.”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowki finished fourth at Pocono, recording his ninth top-5 finish of the year. He moved up two places to seventh in the point standings, and trails Dale Earnhardt, Jr. by 54.

    “The No. 2 Miller Lite car was fast,” Keselowski said. “By the way, how is A.J. Allmendinger like Miller Lite? He’s ‘canned.’”

    6. Greg Biffle: Biffle came home 15th in the rain-shortened Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono, seeing a top-5 finish disappear due to Jimmie Johnson’s late spin. He remained third in the Sprint Cup point standings where he trails Dale Earnhardt, Jr. by six.

    “I don’t agree with NASCAR’s scoring after Johnson’s crash,” Biffle said. “You could say that, like A.J. Allmendinger, I’m ‘super-pissed.”

    7. Denny Hamlin: With rain approaching, Hamlin was victimized by the wreckage caused by a mad scramble on a lap 91 restart. Hamlin’s No. 11 Fed Ex car plowed in to Matt Kenseth, who was spun by Jimmie Johnson. A thunderstorm minutes later officially ended the race, and Hamlin limped away with a 29th.

    “Kenseth has been reluctant to announce his move to Joe Gibbs Racing,” Hamlin said, “so I decided to put out the unofficial ‘Welcome, Matt’ for him.

    “As you may have heard, I’m expecting my first child with my girlfriend. I’m excited, and so is Fed Ex, because it’s a great opportunity for a ‘delivery’ promo.”

    8. Jeff Gordon: Gordon finally took his first win of the year, thanks to chaos on a late restart and a timely thunderstorm that ended the Pennsylvania 400 after just 98 of 160 laps. Gordon weaved his way to the lead when Jimmie Johnson spun on the lap 91 restart, which shuffled the front-runners.

    “I’ll take any good fortune that comes my way,” Gordon said. “Take it from me, it’s better to be smiled upon by Lady Luck than Miss Winston. And if ‘Luck’ runs out, it will cost me much less.

    9. Kasey Kahne: Kahne took the runner-up spot to Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon at Pocono, finding fortune in Sunday’s rain shortened race. Kahne sits 11th in the point standings, and would currently qualify for the Chase For The Cup as a wildcard.

    “I’m not sure what happened to Jimmie Johnson up front,” Kahne said. “I’ve heard he had a flat tire. Or did he? Either way, the ‘pressure’ got to him.”

    10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished eighth at Pocono, earning his tenth top-10 finish of the year. He is currently 10th in the Sprint Cup point standings, 65 out of first and 77 ahead of Kasey Kahne in 11th.

    “Kevin Harvick and I sit ninth and tenth in the point standings,” Bowyer said, “which places us in very tenuous positions for the Chase. It’s possible RCR won’t have a representative in the Chase, which is not very representative of RCR.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Indianapolis

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Indianapolis

    [media-credit name=”Adam Lovelace” align=”alignright” width=”200″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson led 99 of 160 laps at Indianapolis, powering to the win in the Brickyard 400, his fourth career Brickyard triumph. He remained fourth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 27 behind Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

    “That’s ties me with Jeff Gordon for most Brickyard wins,” Johnson said. “And I’m getting awfully cozy with the bricks. One more win at Indy, and they’ll have to start calling me the ‘Brick-layer.’ And much like a brick, my championship aspirations have been ‘solidified’ in concrete.”

    2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt posted his ninth top-5 finish of the year with a fourth at Indianapolis, and ascended to the top of the point standings. He leads Matt Kenseth by 14 as the series heads to Pocono for Sunday’s Pennsylvania 400.

    “It’s great o finally be atop the point standings,” Earnhardt said. “To quote Jeremy Mayfield, ‘I can’t get any higher.’

    “Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about A.J. Allmendinger’s ‘A’ sample and ‘B’ sample. But let me tell you about some other samples that, like Allmendinger’s, always turn out positive. Those are the urine tests of the people of Junior Nation, whose ‘E’ samples never fail.”

    3. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished 35th in the Brickyard 400 after getting caught up in a late accident that left him 28 laps down. He fell out of the Sprint Cup points lead and now trails Dale Earnhardt, Jr. by 14.

    “I was wiped out by Joey Logano,” Kenseth said, “whom I may very well be replacing at Joe Gibbs Racing next year. On both subjects, Logano’s driving skill and my impending move to JGR, I’ll hold my tongue. ‘Mum’s the word.’ Or, in Logano’s case, ‘Dad’s the word.’”

    4. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started on pole at Indianapolis, leading 27 laps before finishing sixth, his 11th top-10 of the year. He remained fifth in the point standings, 64 out of first.

    “As a driver who’s never won a Sprint Cup championship,” Hamlin said, “I guess starting on pole is as close as I can come to saying I ‘went out on top.’

    “But not having won since April, I’m primed for another win. And I’m always solid in the Poconos. I’m no Dale Earnhardt, Jr., but you could say I’m ‘Mountain Due.’”

    5. Tony Stewart: Stewart finished a solid 10th at Indianapolis, his 10th top-10 finish of the season. He is eighth in the point standings, 79 out of first.

    “The Chase is shaping up to be a battle between Jimmie Johnson and myself,” Stewart said. “There are eight championship titles between us. It will be a battle of epic proportions. And I’m sure this is one time when Jimmie doesn’t mind being categorized as a ‘heavyweight’ along with me.”

    6. Greg Biffle: Biffle was the lone bright spot for Roush Fenway Racing in the Brickyard 400, finishing third while teammates Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth finished 29th and 35th, respectively. Biffle held on to third in the point standings, and trails Dale Earnhardt, Jr. by 22.

    “Kenseth may be leaving Roush Fenway,” Biffle said, “but Edwards is staying. Jack Roush isn’t the only one who believes Edwards is ‘going nowhere.’”

    7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski led 22 laps at Indianapolis and finished ninth, one day after winning the Nationwide Indiana 250. He is ninth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 82 out of first.

    “Thanks to NASCAR for penalizing Elliot Sadler on the final restart Saturday,” Keselowski said. “Apparently, NASCAR supports my use of Twitter and social media, because they gave me one more follower.”

    8. Kyle Busch: Busch finished a distant second to Jimmie Johnson, posting his sixth top-5 finish of the year. Busch’s runner-up result boosted his Chase hopes as he moved up two places in the point standings to 11th.

    “Jimmie Johnson opened up a four second lead on me,” Busch said. “Take it from someone who knows what it’s like to go insanely fast: the only way I could have caught Johnson was with a blue light.”

    9. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 13th in the Brickyard 400 and still remains winless on the year. He is sixth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 78 out of first.

    “Fatherhood has put life into perspective for me,” Harvick said. “I’m calmer, more grounded, and less ornery. Trust me, everyone’s praying that the Busch brothers’ parents get grandchildren soon.”

    10. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex finished a solid eighth at Indianapolis, posting his 10th top-10 result of the year. He is tied for sixth in the point standings and trails Dale Earnhardt, Jr. by 78.

    “Congratulations to Dale Earnhardt, Jr.,” Truex said. “I know he’s spent years trying to live up to his dad. And I think he’s on the way with the No. 1 spot in the points. Finally, Junior’s got seniority.”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Sonoma Toyota Save Mart 350

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Sonoma Toyota Save Mart 350

    [media-credit name=”Credit: By Ezra Shaw, Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”213″][/media-credit]From the land of wine, as well as left and right turns, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma.

    Surprising:  The most surprising thing about the first road course race of the season was just how surprised the winner of the race was in Victory Lane. In fact, he was so surprised that he forgot his car, which was out of gas, and walked to Victory Lane.

    “What the hell am I doing here,” Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing, said. “I’m not a road racer!”

    “Never in a million years did I think I could come here and be the best of the best,” Bowyer continued. “This is a dream come true. It was meant to be.”

    This was Bowyer’s first victory for the 2012 season and his first victory at Sonoma.

    Not Surprising:  The second and third place finishers definitely had a mutual admiration society going on for each other after racing each other cleanly, particularly during the final green, white, checkered laps.

    Tony Stewart, in his No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, finished second while Kurt Busch, in the No. 51 Phoenix Construction Chevrolet, finished third.

    “I’m a little choked up,” Kurt Busch said after battling for the lead in spite of an injured race car. “I’m just glad we brought it home third.”

    “If I was smarter, I would have let Tony Stewart go a lap, a half-a-lap ahead,” Busch continued. “Maybe he could have got to Bowyer for a big finale.”

    “What everyone probably didn’t see was that something was wrong with his car,” Smoke said of Kurt Busch in the No. 51. “Something in the rear-end was breaking and he was driving the wheel s off that thing.”

    “I don’t know how he kept it on the race track,” Stewart continued. “He did a really good job of keeping that thing going.”

    Stewart scored his ninth top-10 finish at Sonoma and his third straight top-3 finish. Kurt Busch posted his fifth top-10 finish in 12 races at Sonoma.

    Surprising:  The seemingly strongest two cars on the road course had surprising struggles to contend with before finishing in the top-10.

    The fastest qualifier, Marcos Ambrose, struggled in race trim, yet finished eighth, while outside pole sitter Jeff Gordon ran out of gas, losing track time and position to finish sixth.

    “We really missed it,” the driver of the No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion said. “We missed it bad and we did good to recover and get a top-10 out of it.”

    “We had no speed in the car and we paid the price, “Ambrose continued. “I just feel bad for my Stanley team. It was just terrible.”

    “We went about a half-of a lap too far,” Jeff Gordon said. “It never fails, you run out just as you pass pit entrance.”

    “We were lucky to get back to pit road and get it fueled up,” the driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet continued. “Luckily, we had enough laps to slowly work our way up into the top-10.”

    Not Surprising:  Since Dale Earnhardt, Jr., by his own admission, is not the biggest lover of road course racing, it was not surprising that last week’s Michigan race winner struggled at Sonoma. The driver of the No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet finished 23rd after a late race accident.

    “I’m just mad because we didn’t run better,” Junior said. “We weren’t good all weekend.”

    “I mean I ain’t the best road course racer out there, but I can damn sure do better than that,” Dale Jr. continued. “We’ve just got to do a better job.”

    Surprising:  Joe Gibbs Racing teammates were surprisingly playing a different sport with one another. Late in the race, young Joey Logano, behind the wheel of his No. 20 Home Depot Toyota, tangled with not only Kyle Busch but also Denny Hamlin.

    “He really overshot the corner and got into us,” Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota, said of his teammate Logano. “Once you drive that extra 50 feet in, there’s nothing you can do to take it back.”

    “We were the bowling pins and he was the bowling ball.”

    Hamlin got the worst of the bowling tournament, finishing 35th, while teammate Kyle Busch, in the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, finished 17th. ‘Bowling ball’ Logano managed to finish in the tenth spot.

    Not Surprising:  While he has not been regularly driving a stock car, it was not surprising that Brian Vickers was able to parlay some of his Le Mans racing experience to his NASCAR performance at Sonoma.

    Piloting the No. 55 RKMotorsCharlotte.com Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing, Vickers kept both his nose and his car clean to finish fourth.

    “It was great to run LeMans and then come here,” Vickers said. “I learned a lot about road racing.”

    “Everyone at MWR is putting great cars on the track,” Vickers continued. “They’ve all made it possible for me to take the RKMotors car and put it in the top-five.”

    Surprising:  Casey Mears, behind the wheel of the NO. 13 GEICO Ford Fusion had a surprisingly good go of it at Sonoma, finishing top-15.

    “We had a good car all weekend,” Mears said. “”It was a solid day for us. I am proud of what everybody did here and we will just keep improving.”

    Not Surprising:  To no one’s surprise, two Roushketeers ended up atop the leader board in the point standings.

    Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Ford EcoBoost Ford and NASCAR’s newest free agent, finished 13th at Sonoma but still leads his teammate Greg Biffle, who finished 7th in his 3M/US Stationary Ford, by 11 points in the standings.

    “We had a decent day,” Biffle said. “But we were just too loose all day.”

    “We need to work on our road course program a little bit.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Sonoma

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Sonoma

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson posted his eighth top-5 finish of the year with a fifth in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma. He is fourth in the standings, 25 out of first.

    “Clint Bowyer was solid in the 5-Hour Energy Toyota,” Johnson said. “But does that necessarily make him a contender for the Sprint Cup title? What’s more impressive? Doing it five times, or for ‘5-Hours?’

    “There’s a lot of drivers, Bowyer included, who have a single victory this year. They’re just a drop in the bucket. If five-straight Cup titles is a ‘reign,’ then one win is merely a drop of reign.”

    2. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth held on to the Sprint Cup points lead with a 13th at Sonoma. With ten races left until the Chase For The Cup, he leads Greg Biffle by 11.

    “As you know,” Kenseth said, “I’m leaving Roush Fenway Racing at season’s end. However, I’m not at liberty to discuss my contract situation. And that’s sad, because the one time I have something to talk about, I’m not able to.

    “In any case, when I do sign a new contract, it will be the first time I’ve been paid for my autograph in ages.”

    3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: After snapping a 143-race winless streak with a victory at Michigan on June 17th, Earnhardt followed with a disappointing 23rd in the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Earnhardt was running 13th when he spun on the final lap. He is now third in the point standings, 14 out of first.

    “I can’t be too upset for not winning at Sonoma,” Earnhardt said. “No, not because I just won at Michigan, but because Junior Nation would never forgive me for drinking wine.”

    4. Tony Stewart: Stewart passed Kurt Busch with one lap to go to take the runner-up spot at Sonoma. Stewart chased Clint Bowyer to the checkered flags, but finished .829 behind, and is now eighth in the point standings, 74 out of first.

    “The hard part was getting around Busch,” Stewart said. “He’s never easy to overtake, unless it’s in a test of mental stability. I know Kurt is struggling to find sponsorship, but I think now is the time for Planter’s to get back into sport. What better sponsor for Busch than ‘nuts?’”

    5. Greg Biffle: Biffle’s No. 16 3M Fusion was the first Ford across the line at Sonoma, finishing seventh for his ninth top 10 of the year. He remained third in the point standings, and trails Matt Kenseth by 17.

    “I’m just happy I didn’t have a confrontation with Boris Said,” Biffle said. “I surely don’t want to wake with ‘Said Head’ almost as much as I don’t want to wake up with a ‘Said Head.’ His fans are crazy, and not even my type.

    “But I finished seventh, while Boris finished 29th. And Boris, of all people, knows a ‘whuppin’’ when he sees one.”

    6. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer dominated at Sonoma, leading 71 of 112 laps for his first win of the year. Bowyer pulled away from Kurt Busch on the green-white-checkered finish, and held off Tony Stewart down the stretch. Bowyer is ninth in the point standings, 84 out of first.

    “I’m proud to give Michael Waltrip Racing its first win,” Bowyer said. “You can best believe Michael won’t stop talking about this, ever. Now I can say I’ve won one for the ‘gabber.’

    7. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin suffered difficult day at Sonoma, spinning on lap 94 after contact with Joe Gibbs teammate Joey Logano, and finishing 35th after a DNF due to suspension failure. Hamlin tumbled three places to eighth in the point standings, 73 out of first.

    “Logano wrecked me,” Hamlin said. “By the way, he’s still in negotiations for a new contract with JGR. If he’s back with Gibbs, that will be two of us resigned—Joey re-signed to a new contract, and me resigned to being his teammate for longer.”

    8. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex led 15 laps in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 before fading to finish 22nd. He remained seventh in the Sprint Cup point standings, 68 out of first.

    “First,” Truex said, “Dale Earnhardt, Jr. wins at Michigan. Then, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. gets a ride at Roush Fenway Racing. It appears I’ll be the final ‘Junior’ to achieve glory in NASCAR. As ‘Junior’s’ go, they should start calling me ‘Martin Truex, III.’”

    9. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 16th in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 after running out of gas midway through the race, costing him several positions. Harvick and the No. 29 Rheem team salvaged a decent finish thanks to the Lucky Dog free pass on lap 83. He now sits sixth in the point standings, 64 out of first.

    “This is shaping up to be a forgettable season,” Harvick said. “Of course, when I say this could be the worst nine months of my life, I guess I should clarify that it’s me talking and not my pregnant wife DeLana.”

    10. Jeff Gordon: Despite running out of gas on lap 73, Gordon battled back to record a sixth-place finish at Sonoma. NASCAR’s all-time road course win leader posted his second consecutive sixth-place result as he tries to make a move towards a berth in the Chase.

    “I hear Matt Kenseth is leaving Roush Fenway Racing at season’s end,” Gordon said. “It’s unclear whether Matt is leaving under his own accord or was pushed out. Knowing Matt as I do, I’m almost positive he was pushed.”

  • Pocono 400 Review: Logano Tames the Triangle

    [media-credit id=43 align=”alignright” width=”268″][/media-credit]After starting on the pole on Sunday, Joey Logano claimed his second Cup win in 125 starts. The Joe Gibbs Driver broke a 104 race win-less streak to become the youngest driver to win at Pocono, at 22 years and seven days old. This is crew chief Jason Ratcliff’s first Cup win of his career and the No. 20 team became the 10th different winner of 2012.

    “You work so hard to do this, and them teaming me up with Jason has been an awesome experience,” Logano said. “We’ve been growing together a lot lately and able to make our cars better. To get a victory, it meant so much, and pulling the Home Depot car into victory lane at a Sprint Cup race and winning it the right way was just an amazing, amazing feeling that you can’t replicate and you can’t explain what it means.”

     

    Earnhardt Oh So Close to Victory

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. earned his Cup-best 11th top-10 finish of 2012, taking over second in points. Earnhardt led 36 laps on the 2.5 mile track and looked as if he would break the 4 year win-less drought looming over his head.

    The driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet was leading with 35 laps remaining when a caution flag flew, leaving his crew chief Steve Letarte with a tough decision to make. If the race went green from that point on, Earnhardt would have been about five laps short on fuel. With this information, the team pitted twice in the remaining 35 laps to guarantee they would make it on fuel.

    “We had a really, really good car,” Earnhardt said. “That was fun. That was the funnest car I’ve had all year and the best car I’ve had at Pocono in a long, long time. So, I’m just really trying not to be too upset about it because we did a lot of good things today and we’ve got a lot to look forward to.”

    Although the team did make it on fuel, Earnhardt’s domination throughout the race ended with an eighth place finish. Earnhardt now resides in second position in standings, just 10 points behind leader Matt Kenseth.

     

    Controversy Over Pit Road Penalties

    The talk of the race surrounded the outstanding amount of infractions that occurred on pit road. There were 22 speeding penalties, the most in documented infraction history since 2006. Travis Kvapil was penalized four times for speeding on exit; David Reutimann was penalized three times – two for exiting and one entering; Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, AJ Allmendinger were each penalized twice.

    Many drivers blamed the scoring timers on pit road for the speeding penalties. However, according to NASCAR’s vice president of competition, the problem was with the drivers.

    “This track’s gone under a lot of reconfiguration since last year,” Robin Pemberton said after the race. “It’s a brand new pit road, all brand new loops, positions have been changed since last year. Sections were smaller than they were last year throughout pit road and, actually, the last section is a little bit bigger.”

    Brad Keselowski, who finished in 18th position after the penalties, had a different opinion on the infractions.

    “It was obvious that the section had some kind of issue because I know both times I got busted I was under the limit with my tools that I have available,” said Keselowski. “I was consistent down pit road, so if I was speeding in that sector, I would have been speeding in the others — but it didn’t show that. I think there’s plenty of evidence to show that there is something wrong with that section timing.”

    Johnson, who fell back to 22nd after the penalties, rebounded to finish in fourth position.

     

    Quicken Loans 400 Predictions

    [media-credit name=”NASCAR.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]This weekend we head to Michigan International Speedway and all eyes will be on the No. 88 team where they captured their first and only point’s win for Hendrick Motorsports in 2008. After dominating most of the race at Pocono and finishing in the top 10 for the 11th time this season, expectations are high for the Cup veteran. Along with his win four years ago at this track, Earnhardt has four top-5 and eight top-10 finishes at Michigan and is looking to drive to victory lane once again.

    Denny Hamlin is another driver who knows how to get the job done at MIS. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has two wins at this track, with five top-5 and seven top-10 finishes. Hamlin is currently fourth in Cup standings and has two wins so far this season.

    Kevin Harvick is another driver to keep an eye on, with one win in 2010 and seven top 10 finishes. Harvick resides in sixth position in points, 53 points behind the leader. The Richard Childress Racing driver has yet to win a race this season, but has been very consistent with three top-5 and seven top-10 finishes.

    Carl Edwards is itching to get his first win of the season, and MIS may be the track that he drives to victory lane at. The Roush Fenway Racing driver has impressive stats here, with two wins, nine top-5 and 12 top-10 finishes. Edwards is also looking to break into the top 10 in points, sitting in 11th position, 100 points behind leader and teammate Kenseth.

     

    All quotes via NASCAR.com.

  • Joey Logano Scores First Season Pole at Tricky Triangle

    Joey Logano Scores First Season Pole at Tricky Triangle

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”220″][/media-credit]Joey Logano, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota, scored his first pole of the season at the track known as the ‘Tricky Triangle.’ And his time trial lap for the Pocono 400 Presented by #NASCAR was tricky indeed, especially with some leftover speedy dry from a problem in the ARCA Series.

    “The track was dirty and I really don’t know why but I think it was from the ARCA cars,” Logano said. “I saw a few cars with the rooster tail off the back of them so the first few guys had a hard time.”

    “Even when I went out, I got to that trouble spot and got loose,” Logano continued. “I felt like I left a tenth and a half right there.”

    “I felt like I nailed Turns Two and Three pretty good,” Logano said. “So, I was hoping to have been in the top five and it ended up being good enough.”

    Logano ran a lap of 50.112 seconds at a speed of 179.598 miles per hour. This was Logano’s fourth pole in his 125 Cup Series races and his second pole in seven races at Pocono Raceway.

    “I think my guys have done a really good job focusing in here from the tire test to the practice to get the car handling right,” Logano said. “We went down a lot of different routes with our set up and we just kind of found something that all of us like.”

    “My Home Depot car is fast,” Logano continued. “It’s good in qualifying trim and in race trim too.”

    “It’s exciting and I think the race will be good,” Logano said. “Anytime you can be up front and start with clean air is important.”

    Including Joey Logano as pole sitter, Joe Gibbs Racing had all three of its drivers in the top five in time trials. Kyle Busch, in the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota, qualified fourth and Denny Hamlin, in the No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota, qualified fifth.

    “We missed just a little bit,” Busch said. “You’re kind of tentative going out there knowing everybody has been a little bit slick, but a couple of guys started to back up their times from practice.”

    “We backed up our time from practice too, but just a little bit off in qualifying trim for some reason,” Busch continued. “Solid lap.”

    “We were on pace for the pole and just got loose in Turn Three and lost a bunch of time,” Hamlin said. “I wanted to get below 50 seconds.”

    “We have a great car for tomorrow and should be up front throughout the day,” Hamlin continued. “Hopefully we can get the first win at Pocono on the new pavement.”

    Carl Edwards, behind the wheel of the No. 99 Kellogg’s Ford Fusion, scored the outside pole position at Pocono. This was Edwards’ sixth top-10 start of 2012 and his fifth in 15 races at Pocono.

    “Joey had to go show off for everybody and do what he did in practice,” Edwards said. “I’m telling you, I have to give Joey credit.”

    “For me, it’s very difficult to run a fast lap yesterday and go through the night thinking about everything and come back a day later in pretty difficult conditions there in Turn One and back that time up,” Edwards continued. “I think it’s very impressive.”

    “I’m extremely pleased that we get to start up front with our Kellogg’s Ford,” Edwards continued. “A lot of people were complaining about how long we were here and how much practice there was. I’m not complaining at all because we needed every day that we were here to get faster.”

    “I’m pretty excited about the race.”

    Paul Menard, in the No. 27 Menards/Sylvania Chevrolet, qualified third. This was Menard’s best career start at Pocono Raceway.

    “Up to this point, this was probably the most important qualifying session of the year,” Menard said. “It’s going to be hard to pass and we’ve put a lot of emphasis on qualifying.”

    “I felt like I did as good as I could have hoped,” Menard continued. “I’m really glad we’re starting on the inside.”

    Josh Wise, in the No. 26 MDS Transport Ford, was the highest qualifying rookie, scoring the 35th starting spot.

    “It was really loose for me,” Wise said. “I’ve never been here before so we just got the car driving as good as we could.”

    “We just put in a solid lap and got it in the show, so that’s all we’ve got to do.”

    Starting Lineup
    Pocono 400, Pocono Raceway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/qual.php?race=14
    ===========================================
    Pos. No. Driver Make Speed Time
    ===========================================
    1 20 Joey Logano Toyota 179.598 50.112
    2 99 Carl Edwards Ford 178.866 50.317
    3 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 178.582 50.397
    4 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 178.575 50.399
    5 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 178.543 50.408
    6 55 Mark Martin Toyota 178.228 50.497
    7 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 178.158 50.517
    8 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 177.939 50.579
    9 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 177.862 50.601
    10 5 Kasey Kahne Chevrolet 177.823 50.612
    11 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 177.658 50.659
    12 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 177.536 50.694
    13 16 Greg Biffle Ford 177.518 50.699
    14 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 177.501 50.704
    15 83 Landon Cassill Toyota 177.204 50.789
    16 15 Clint Bowyer Toyota 177.026 50.84
    17 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 176.988 50.851
    18 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 176.852 50.89
    19 22 AJ Allmendinger Dodge 176.803 50.904
    20 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 176.658 50.946
    21 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 176.543 50.979
    22 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 176.419 51.015
    23 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 176.16 51.09
    24 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 176.149 51.093
    25 51 David Reutimann Chevrolet 176.074 51.115
    26 13 Casey Mears Ford 175.596 51.254
    27 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 175.576 51.26
    28 119 Mike Bliss Toyota 175.387 51.315
    29 43 Aric Almirola Ford 175.159 51.382
    30 98 Michael McDowell Ford 175.073 51.407
    31 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 174.88 51.464
    32 249 J.J. Yeley Toyota 173.943 51.741
    33 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 173.869 51.763
    34 34 David Ragan Ford 173.853 51.768
    35 26 Josh Wise* Ford 173.497 51.874
    36 38 David Gilliland Ford 173.24 51.951
    37 93 Travis Kvapil Toyota 171.854 52.37
    38 23 Scott Riggs Chevrolet 171.52 52.472
    39 74 Stacy Compton Chevrolet 171.155 52.584
    40 36 Tony Raines Chevrolet 167.411 53.76
    41 32 Reed Sorenson+ Ford
    42 10 Dave Blaney+ Chevrolet
    43 33 Stephen Leicht* Chevrolet 170.345 52.834
  • Samantha Busch: A Woman of Many Passions

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”231″][/media-credit]While NASCAR race fans may know of Kyle Busch’s passion on the track as driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, they may not be as familiar with the many passions of his wife Samantha.

    One of her biggest and most obvious passions is, of course, her husband, as they are still newlyweds in the midst of a sport that where the spotlight is often on them.

    But Samantha Busch is also very passionate about family, hers, Kyle’s and the family they hope to start together sometime in the future.

    “We still go and do date nights and I cook dinner for him,” Samantha Busch said. “We still hold hands, so we still feel like newlyweds.”

    “I think the biggest thing is that you always lean on each other,” Busch continued. “We’re each others’ rocks. When he has a bad day, I’m here for him and when I have a bad day, he’s there for me.”

    “Also, we have learned the importance of family,” Busch continued. “Kyle’s parents have been married for thirty some years and my parents have been for 26 years, so just learning from them, like what things to not fight about, has been helpful.”

    “I’ve also learned from the other couples here,” Busch said. “We’re talking about having kids in two or three years, so picking the brains of all the girls here that are pregnant or have kids about how they do it has also been helpful.”

    In addition to her passion about her family, Samantha Busch has also become focused on her interactions with women, especially young women who seek her advice on everything for fashion to healthy eating and a better body image.

    Much of this interaction has been possible through social media, including Facebook, Twitter and even her own website. And while Busch most certainly shares updates from the racing world, she also knows that for many of these young women, she has become a role model and even mentor.

    “This year has taken off with a lot of women in racing via Twitter,” Samantha Busch said. “I kind of give them the whole racing aspect with updates and what not, but I also add more of the girlie touch.”

    “It’s really taken off this year and I love it,” Busch continued. “I have girls that I help with for prom and other events.”

    “A lot of women email me for all kinds of tips, from how to eat healthy, to my work out videos to even makeup product reviews,” Busch said. “I try to be honest and I have really enjoyed that this year. It has really taken off.”

    Samantha Busch is careful to practice what she preaches and so is devoted to trying to eat healthy and exercise, a challenge for both her and her husband while spending so much time on the road. And yes, she admits that she does have her own ‘guilty pleasures.’

    “The bus is my work out area,” Samantha Busch said, who regularly exercises even in those close quarters of their motor home. “I love to work out.”

    “And I love to cook,” Busch continued. “I really never enjoyed cooking until I married Kyle because it was just me. It’s easy to know what to eat but it’s making that call to choose the non-fat or the low-fat or the vegetables over this or that.”

    “We splurge, don’t get me wrong,” Busch said. “Our decadent passion is ice cream. Kyle and I could eat ice cream every day if we had the choice.”

    “I tell girls that I don’t follow a super-strict diet because when you do then you’re just tempted,” Busch continued. “So, if you give yourself a little bit of something, then you’re good.”

    Samantha Busch also admits to one other ‘guilty pleasure’, one that is shared by many others involved in Facebook. She just loves to pin.

    “I’m addicted,” Busch said. “It’s bad. It’s like 2 AM and Kyle will wake up and say, ‘Get off of Pinterest’.”

    “And I’m like, ‘Just let me pin one more thing.’ Busch continued. “It’s so addictive. But it’s really cool.”

    “I planned a baby shower off of Pinterest for my best friend,” Busch said. “I love it. Whoever created that, I’ve lost countless hours to Pinterest.”

    While Busch loves fashion and fitness, especially in sharing that with girls and young women, she also is passionate about education. In fact, she just accomplished a major milestone in her own academic life, achieving a Master’s degree from Austin P. State University.

    “I graduated!” Busch said proudly. “I have a Master’s in industrial organizational psychology.”

    “I actually did my thesis on Joe Gibbs Racing and how they reward their crew members and different things they can do in an ailing economy, such as health and wellness, as well as verbal rewards,” Busch continued. “I defended my thesis and they loved it.”

    “It’s good to be done,” Busch said. “People are like, what are you going to do with your degree, but I think it applies a lot to racing and also to Kyle Busch Motorsports. “

    “I hope it will help people around us.”

    Speaking of the team that bears her husband’s name, Samantha Busch is also passionate about that endeavor as well.

    “Kyle Busch Motorsports is awesome,” Samantha Busch said. “We thought it was going to be easy and then the first five races came and it was tough and was really hard.”

    “It was kind of nice to go through the struggle as a whole family,” Busch continued. “Kurt and Kyle are so close this year.”

    “Obviously, they are brothers and have had struggles, but this year them racing together, they are together for hours,’ Busch said. “I think it’s been really great for them and it’s fun to watch.”

    “And even better, we got our first win under our belts, so it’s good.”

    So, what does the future hold for Samantha Busch, especially given her passions, from education to fashion to helping young women with self-esteem and body image issues?

    “I don’t know,” Busch readily admits.”I’m like a moving target.”

    “I always travel with Kyle and his racing is our life,” Busch continued. “But I have to find something that is my own and in my own realm.”

    “I would love to be more in front of the camera,” Samantha Busch said, after a stint with the SPEED channel. “I love working with Speed, especially in the social garage.”

    “It’s really fun and I’d do whatever they asked me to do,” Busch continued. “I’m not shy so that’s a plus.”

    But Busch would also like to work more on the retail and foundation side of the Kyle Busch Motorsports business as well.

    “I don’t know anything about cars honestly,” Busch admitted. “My involvement with the team crew guys is that I like to bring them food and treats. That’s my role on the car side of things.”

    “But I do a lot with the retail,” Busch continued. “I have four or five shirts out right now; one has glitter, one is a V-neck and one is more graffiti-ish.”

    “We submit our designs to the sponsors. I’m going to be designing more for Monster Energy and also for the 18 team,” Busch said. “So, hopefully they will let me do more.”

    “With the Kyle Busch Foundation, we’re kind of taking this year off to revamp and expand it to get partnerships with other, already established foundations,” Busch said. “We support the five homes and always will, but we’re looking at other kinds of partnerships right now and how we can help each other.”

    “Maybe in the future, I’d love to do a foundation event with Zumba where everyone donated to dance together.”

    But most of all, Samantha Busch is passionate about finding that perfect blend and balance between wife, fashionista, fitness guru, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. And all of that with a focus on helping young women achieve their life goals.

    “One of my favorite things is getting to meet the women fans and hearing their stories,” Samantha Busch said. “At our fan day, I had this lady tell me she’s already lost 40 pounds.”

    “I’ve had a girl who said she had image problems and now she’s gotten over them,” Busch continued. “That’s one of the best things.”

    “I just want to show girls how to be healthier and I really take to the women out here,” Busch said. “I love the guys that follow me on Twitter but I relate more with the women and I love helping them.”

    “I’m open to anything that helps someone else.”

     

  • Monster Mile Makes Monster Smiles with Autism Speaks Day at the Races

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”216″][/media-credit]The Monster Mile, otherwise known as Dover International Speedway, has partnered for the past several years with Autism Speaks, a nonprofit organization with the mission of raising funds for and calling attention to this spectrum disorder.

    But this weekend, Dover took that partnership to a completely new level, creating an innovative, first of its kind ever autism-friendly NASCAR race track experience.

    Families with children along the autism spectrum were provided special race seating in the Monster Mile’s air-conditioned grandstands, with dedicated quiet spaces for children to get away from the frenzy if they became over-stimulated.

    “We created an autism-friendly NASCAR experience at the track and that’s never been done before,” Gary Camp, Sr. Director of Communications, Dover International Speedway, said. “For a first-time event, there’s been a lot of planning.”

    “There’s a quiet zone where, if the kids get overwhelmed, they can go,” Camp continued. “Ollie’s Bargain Outlet has donated some bean bags and we’ve got toys that Toys R Us donated.”

    “It’s just a real fun atmosphere.”

    The children and their families were also treated to special appearances by NASCAR drivers Jimmie Johnson, sporting the No. 48 Lowe’s Madagascar car this weekend, and Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Allstate Chevrolet, whose family has a close connection to the issue of autism.

    “It is always a nice feeling to make an appearance like that,” McMurray said. “It is something that is so simple for me to do.”

    “To see the excitement on the faces in that room really makes you feel special,” McMurray continued. “I know that I really appreciate what Dover International Speedway and the Autism Speaks group does to host all the families for this event and I am just glad that I can do something to put a smile on someone’s face.”

    McMurray has been so committed to this cause because of his family’s involvement that he also has recorded a public service announcement for the cause.

    “I have received so much positive feedback from friends and fans on the public service announcement that we did for Autism Speaks, with my niece who has autism,” McMurray said. “It is just a small part to try and promote awareness about autism and to encourage the public to learn the early warning signs.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsqXDSJZVMY

    “Autism Speaks is the largest and leading science and advocacy organization in the world, founded seven years ago,” Mark Roithmayr, President of Autism Speaks, said. “We are a $60 million organization, funding research, awareness, advocacy and family services, all to combat the fact that one in 88 children in the United States are being diagnosed with autism.”

    “First and foremost, Autism Speaks and our autism community are blessed by Dover,” Roithmayr said. “We’re blessed with NASCAR. We’re blessed with FedEx, who for the second year in a row are sponsoring this.”

    “It’s been six years ago when NASCAR and Dover first came to us and said they wanted to make us the beneficiaries of that sponsorship and call this the Autism Speaks 400.”

    “Denis McGlynn (President and CEO, Dover Motorsports), Mark Rossi (Vice President Sales and Marketing, Dover Motorsports), and Artie Kempner (Executive Producer, NASCAR on FOX) who is involved with Autism Delaware saw that autism was becoming a big issue for their families.
    Roithmayr continued. “So, they came to us and said they would like to offer the opportunity for lots of awareness and promotion and that it was important to their fans.”

    “NASCAR, of all the sports, has a tremendous heart and soul and came to us.”

    “Dover has been incredible,” Roithmayr said. “Since that first year, we always tried to do something to encourage families with autism to come out to the track.”

    “So many of the families tell us their children love NASCAR and they wanted to be part of the experience. We tried a couple of different locations but with autism, the noise, the smells and the sensory experiences were overwhelming, Roithmayr continued. “So, to have a grandstand that was air conditioned, price the tickets at $88 for the adults to symbolize one in 88 who have autism and $20 for the children, and an area buffeted from the over-sensory part of NASCAR but still a part of it, has been amazing.”

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”186″][/media-credit]“There is a quiet room, where the lights are muted, with toys that are specially designed from our good friends at Toys R Us for kids from autism,” Roithmayr said. “The last piece is that we are going to have a series of special presentations for the families, presenting on science, services, and family support. We even have a young man with autism who graduated from college who will talk about what his life has been like.”

    “We are so blessed.”

    In addition to Jimmie Johnson and Jamie McMurray, team owners Coach Joe Gibbs and his son J.D. Gibbs also made appearances to interact with the children and their families for the Autism Speaks day at the Monster Mile.

  • Logano Puts on Monstrous Nationwide Show; Stenhouse Jr. Wrecks Out of Points Lead

    [media-credit id=62 align=”alignright” width=”223″][/media-credit]Joey Logano put a whipping on the Monster Mile, dominating most of the race and leading laps to score his first Nationwide win ever at the Dover track, as well as the coveted Miles the Monster trophy.

    Although strong throughout much of the race, Logano pitted under caution and had to battle back against teammate Ryan Truex in the last twenty laps to score the checkered flag.

    “I was frustrated as soon as the caution came out and we lost our track position,” Logano said. “Once we got to second and he (Truex) got caught in lapped traffic, I was able to pass cars, take the lead and get the win.”

    “When you lead it, think you gave it away, and then get the win, it’s good.”

    “It’s been four or five years and I have never gotten a win here,” Logano said. “It’s the coolest trophy you can win. It’s awesome to finally get it.”

    The driver of the No. 18 Dollar General Toyota led the parade of Joe Gibbs Racing drivers with teammates Ryan Truex and Brian Scott in second and third respectively.

    Although Truex gave a very gutsy performance to finish second, especially after just having had surgery for appendicitis, he was not a happy camper.

    He was particularly upset with lapped traffic, which slowed his run and allowed Logano to pass him.

    “I’m not happy,” the driver of the No. 20 Grime Boss Toyota said. “It’s second and I’m not happy with it.”

    “We had a winning car,” Truex said. “I hate to blame it on someone else, but it’s just stupid.”

    “I probably could have picked a better lane around them,” Truex said of the lapped traffic. “It’s just frustrating.”

    “I wish I could have got a win,” Truex said. “It was too close to come in second.”

    As unhappy as Truex was, the third member of the Joe Gibbs Racing triumvirate, Brian Scott was most pleased with his third place finish. Scott did admit, however, that he probably could learn some lessons from his younger teammates.

    “We had a really good Dollar General Toyota all day,” Scott said. “This one’s for JGR with a one, two, three finish.”

    “It’s fun to be up there and racing our teammates for the win,” Scott continued. “I’m a young kid myself at 24, but Ryan and Joey, who are younger than me, can show me a few things.”

    “Really happy to bring back a top-5 finish after all we’ve been through this year,” Scott said. “Hopefully, it’s a huge confidence booster for the team.”

    Kurt Busch, in the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports, finished fourth and Justin Allgaier, in the No. 31 Brandt Chevrolet, rounded out the top five. These two drivers, however, were none too happy with one other, having some words after the race on pit road.

    “We just agreed to disagree on a few things at the race track,” Allgaier said of the incident with Busch. “Great day for the Brandt Chevrolet.”

    “Glad we finished in the top-five; that was the first one for us this season,” Allgaier continued. “It was definitely a good day.”

    Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 American Ethanol/New Holland Chevrolet, was the highest finishing rookie, scoring the sixth spot.

    “It was a good run,” Dillon said. “We made sure our car was good for the race and it was.”

    “It was just way too tight in traffic,” Dillon continued. “We didn’t have the car to get up there like Joey did.”

    Troubles abounded, however, for points leader Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. when he lost control of the No. 6 Cargill Beef Ford Mustang and hit the wall hard on lap 27. The young driver took full responsibility for the wreck.

    “I just lost it,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “I wasn’t up on the wheel and just kind of riding around until that competition caution and just got behind on the steering.”

    “It was driver error, totally my fault,” Stenhouse continued. “We will have to go back take a weekend off and get ‘em at Michigan.”

    Stenhouse, Jr. was able to get back out onto the track but his car looked more like a modified car than a Nationwide car. He finished a disappointing 32nd and fell to second in the point standings, twelve behind Elliott Sadler.

    Yet in spite of being the new points leader, Elliott Sadler was also not amongst the happy camper drivers as far as his finish.

    “Our run today was not what we were looking for,” Sadler said. “To finish seventh is kind of disappointing.”

    “We had to fight back from a lucky dog but definitely not the day we wanted at Dover,” Sadler said. “We have homework to do before we come back in the fall.”

    “We are the points leader and we’re very happy to be back in the points race,” Sadler continued. “But we know as a team that the 6 car is going to run good every week and is not going to have problems every week.”

    “But it does feel good to be back in the middle of this thing,” Sadler said. “As a team, we just have to keep fighting and keep improving.”

    Unofficial Race Results
    5-hour Energy 200, Dover International Speedway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/n2s/race.php?race=12
    =========================================
    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Points
    =========================================
    1 2 18 Joey Logano Toyota 0
    2 1 20 Ryan Truex Toyota 43
    3 5 11 Brian Scott Toyota 41
    4 9 54 Kurt Busch Toyota 0
    5 7 31 Justin Allgaier Chevrolet 40
    6 11 3 Austin Dillon * Chevrolet 38
    7 6 2 Elliott Sadler Chevrolet 37
    8 3 33 Ty Dillon Chevrolet 0
    9 14 30 James Buescher Chevrolet 0
    10 15 51 Jeremy Clements Chevrolet 34
    11 23 43 Michael Annett Ford 33
    12 12 22 Parker Kligerman Dodge 0
    13 10 12 Sam Hornish Jr. Dodge 31
    14 19 88 Cole Whitt * Chevrolet 30
    15 30 81 Jason Bowles * Toyota 29
    16 20 19 Tayler Malsam Toyota 28
    17 28 14 Jeff Green Toyota 27
    18 27 1 Mike Wallace Chevrolet 26
    19 21 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 25
    20 13 199 John Wes Townley Toyota 0
    21 34 23 Jamie Dick Chevrolet 23
    22 18 39 Josh Richards Ford 22
    23 22 38 Brad Sweet * Chevrolet 21
    24 32 50 T.J. Bell Chevrolet 20
    25 4 Brad Teague Chevrolet 19
    26 36 52 Joey Gase * Chevrolet 18
    27 29 40 Erik Darnell Chevrolet 17
    28 124 Tim Bainey Jr. Chevrolet 0
    29 35 89 Morgan Shepherd Chevrolet 15
    30 17 7 Danica Patrick Chevrolet 14
    31 26 41 Timmy Hill Ford 0
    32 4 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Ford 12
    33 8 44 Mike Bliss Toyota 11
    34 174 Mike Harmon Chevrolet 10
    35 37 171 Matt Carter Chevrolet 9
    36 175 Scott Riggs Chevrolet 0
    37 24 42 Josh Wise Chevrolet 0
    38 16 47 Scott Speed Chevrolet 0
    39 25 10 Kevin Lepage Toyota 5
    40 31 108 Tim Andrews Ford 4
    41 15 Blake Koch Chevrolet 3
    42 33 46 Matt DiBenedetto Chevrolet 0
    43 0