Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Tag: Keith Rodden

  • Byron records top-10 result at Kansas; moves back inside Playoff cutline

    Byron records top-10 result at Kansas; moves back inside Playoff cutline

    The final scoreboard of Thursday’s Super Start Batteries 400 at Kansas Speedway had William Byron in 10th place, but the finish was not indicative of Byron’s late run towards the front as he was in position of potentially achieving his first NASCAR Cup Series career win amid an up-and-down 2020 season.

    Byron’s run at Kansas started with veteran Keith Rodden calling the shots atop the No. 24 AXALTA/Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE pit box while Chad Knaus, who is expecting the birth of his second child with his wife Brooke, opted to remain in North Carolina and assist via communication inside the HMS shop throughout the race.

    Starting 15th based on a random draw, Byron fell back to within the top 20 and was scored in 20th when the competition caution flew on Lap 25. Following a four-tire pit stop, including fuel and a chassis adjustment to tighten the No. 24 car, Byron struggled throughout the first stage and during a long run under green. When the first stage concluded, Byron was back in 23rd.

    The second stage was where the Charlotte native improved as he worked his way back inside the top 20. Following a caution for a single-car spin near the 100-lap mark, Byron gained 14 points on pit road and moved into seventh following a two-tire pit stop. On the ensuing restart, however, Byron fell out of the top 10 and out of the top 15 as he continued to battle loose conditions to his car. When the second stage concluded, Byron was back in 20th.

    The final stage was where Byron started to flex his muscles and make something happen in his quest to race his way back into Playoff contention. After dodging a series of multi-car wrecks and carving his way back towards the top 15, starting with 101 laps remaining, Byron and Rodden opted to roll the dice and remain on track on old tires while everyone else pitted prior to a restart with 68 laps remaining. On the ensuing restart under green, Byron battled with Denny Hamlin for one full lap behind he emerged out in front. After leading five laps, Byron was overtaken by Brad Keselowski for the lead. Though he was running on four old tires, Byron was able to keep pace with Keselowski. With 46 laps remaining, the flaming No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet was back at the front as he started to extend his advantage to nearly three seconds. Still needing a final pit stop to make the race to its distance the caution, the caution Byron was hoping for came out for a single-car incident on the backstretch. Under caution, Byron pitted for fuel and for two fresh right-side tires only as he exited with the lead followed by teammate Alex Bowman, who also opted for a two-tire stop.

    Four laps later, Byron battled dead even with Bowman before Bowman overtook Byron for the lead. Following another late caution and another late restart, both Byron and Bowman dropped out of the top five and from race-winning contention while a handful of competitors on four fresh tires moved up to the front. When the checkered flag flew, a race won by Hamlin, Byron was able to hold on to finish 10th, two spots behind teammate Bowman. Byron’s other Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Chase Elliott and Jimmie Johnson, finished 12th and 32nd.

    While it was not a win at a track where Byron won his first NASCAR Truck Series back in 2016, the 10th-place result was Byron’s best following a three-race stretch outside the top 10 and since finishing seventh at Pocono Raceway in June. It also marked his sixth top-10 result of this season. Coming into Kansas, Byron was two points below the top-16 cutline to make the Playoffs. Now, the Charlotte native holds sole possession of the 16th and final spot to the Playoffs by 10 points with seven regular-season races remaining until the 2020 Playoffs commences.

    “It was a solid finish for us – we needed that for sure for the Playoffs,” Byron said. “We started the race way off. We were really loose – just really struggling. The guys, Keith and everybody made a lot of great adjustments throughout the race. It really got us in a position where we could attack. As soon as we got probably 10 laps on our tires, the car felt pretty good. We just stayed out there on no tires, really ran there with [Keselowski] and was able to pass him back for the lead. I thought we were looking really good. Unfortunately, the two tires didn’t really work out for us there at the end. I think we just had too many laps on the left side and struggled there.”

    Byron, along with his Hendrick Motorsports teammates and his fellow Cup competitors, will return for the next scheduled race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on August 2, which will air at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Four Gears: Chris Buescher, crew chief swaps, road courses and ‘ringers’

    Four Gears: Chris Buescher, crew chief swaps, road courses and ‘ringers’

    Time to cycle through the transmission for this week’s edition of Four Gears.

    This week, our staff takes a look at some of the hot topics in the world of NASCAR. We discuss Chris Buescher getting into the Chase, ponder if Hendrick Motorsports should make some crew chief swaps, move a road course into the Chase and wonder if the bygone days of the “road course ringers” are a good thing or a bad thing for NASCAR.

    FIRST GEAR: Chris Buescher enters this weekend six points behind 30th in points. After his shocking win at Pocono, can the driver of the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford get into the top 30 and steal a spot in the 2016 Chase?

    On the one hand, I want to lean towards no because their performance has been no better than a 27.8 average finish. On the other hand, given Chris Buescher’s relationship with Jack Roush, perhaps Roush Fenway Racing and the folks at Ford Performance might step in to ensure that he makes the Chase. I think, for this week, the jury is out. — Tucker White

    Absolutely. Chris Buescher is the most underrated rookie in the Sprint Cup Series right now, and although he hasn’t had the results that Ryan Blaney or Chase Elliott has he’s made the most of his Front Row Motorsports equipment. He’s good on his equipment as well as with his equipment, and keep in mind he’s no slouch on road courses, having won at Mid-Ohio in 2014. — Joseph Shelton

    If Roush is going to be providing more support to the team after that win, they should be in the top 30 by a comfortable margin. — Michael Finley

    SECOND GEAR: Paul Menard has had a down year in general, but Richard Childress Racing changed his crew chief last week and Menard responded by being fast all weekend. Save for a third at Indianapolis due to a late charge by Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports has struggled ever since Sonoma. With Darian Grubb waiting in the wings at HMS, should Hendrick hit the panic button and make some crew chief changes or should any possible changes wait until the end of the year?

    I think it worked at Richard Childress Racing because they’ve been up on performance this year. Hendrick Motorsports is just down right now. Regardless of whatever is plaguing HMS all of a sudden this season, I have my doubts that swapping crew chiefs mid-season will make that much of a difference. —  Tucker White

    Maybe making the changes at year’s end would be the best, and it’ll have to be something more than Crew Chiefs. Maybe some key faculty changes as well. HMS also had a down year in 2000, winning only four races, but after making appropriate changes they took home the 2001 championship. Following what they did all those years ago could help. — Joseph Shelton

    Yes, they should reunite Greg Ives with Chase Elliott and Alan Gustafson with Jeff Gordon, then replace Keith Rodden with Grubb for Kahne. It’s obvious the 5 team needs a shake-up, and Ives worked so well with Elliott in the XFINITY Series they would be better together. — Michael Finley

    THIRD GEAR: Entering Watkins Glen weekend, the track president has projected a record crowd for a race that has arguably put on some of the best races of the past few years. Should NASCAR move this race into the Chase or is it better not to mess with perfection?

    I’ve been pushing for a road course in the Chase for years. I know we only run it two times a year, but if Talladega can be in the Chase, which isn’t my way of saying it shouldn’t be in the Chase, there’s no reason we can’t have a road course in the Chase. — Tucker White

    A thousand times yes. Road course racing defines the true spirit of NASCAR, and Watkins Glen never fails to put on an excellent show. It should be in the Chase as well. We try to determine the season champion by using the Chase; NASCAR should recognize that an over-saturation of cookie cutter racetracks isn’t an accurate way to determine a champion. Add a road course! — Joseph Shelton

    It should be moved to between Bristol and Darlington so that the regular season ends on a strong note with four really good racetracks. — Michael Finley

    FOURTH GEAR: With only one road course “ringer” in the field this week (Boris Said in the No. 32 Ford), it seems the days of road course specialists are at best numbered. Is this good or bad for the sport?

    Perhaps I’m not the best to speak on this because I came into this sport long after the days when the series regulars started to out-perform the road course “ringers,” but I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing for NASCAR because I believe it truly speaks to the talent of the drivers in NASCAR. It shows they’re capable of more than just turning left for three hours. They can also drive the cars left and right on road courses with muscle and technique. These are traits of a true road course racer and it speaks volumes on just how great the drivers in this sport are. — Tucker White

    I loved the days of road course ringers, especially Boris Said. But now that the days of road ringers are about gone, it is good for the sport. Those guys who make the field week in and week out, are the focus of the sport and the focus should be on them and their talent on the track, no matter if the track is a road course or a short track. — Joseph Shelton

    It’s a bad thing because the ringers ensured there would be some different guys near the front rather than the same old, same old. It created a variety that wasn’t available at other tracks and made both road course races more special — Michael Finley

    Please join us again next week and become a part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts in the comment section below.

  • The View from my Recliner

    The View from my Recliner

    It’s Pocono week and I can tell you from experience, the infield at Pocono rivals Talladega for the things you can see and learn.

    One Pocono race, you saw porn on a big screen and a Chevy Vega and Ford Pinto chained axle to axle with a fire pit in the middle in the ultimate game of tug of war. I have witnessed a deer cross the track and a streaker on the track. Boy, there are some memories at Pocono.

    Since they dropped the racing from 500 miles to 400 miles at Pocono, it has drastically improved. I can’t explain why, but eliminating those extra 100 miles changed the way the drivers attack the track.

    It has been a little while since I wrote my column due to technical issues, but everything is ironed out and we’re all ready to set the world on fire with some predictions for the second half of the regular season.

    Prediction 1: This is from my heart probably not my head, but Tony Stewart will win a race and make the Chase. The best chance for Smoke to earn his win is at Daytona or the two road courses.

    Prediction 2: Keith Rodden will not finish the season as Kasey Kahne’s crew chief. Kasey Kahne has not run consistently well for the past three years. Rookie Chase Elliott is regularly running around the top-10 and Kahne is ranging from 15th to 20th. Hendrick Motorsports has a Cup-winning crew chief in the organization in Darian Grubb who could get right on the box and change the culture of the team.

    Prediction 3: NASCAR will make the right call with the rules package for Michigan and Kentucky and will change the rules and use that package for the rest of the season. The racing was fantastic for the All-Star race and NASCAR will try to re-create that racing.

    Prediction 4: Ty Dillon will be announced as the new driver of the No. 31 car. Kevin Harvick said before leaving RCR that those kids will get everything. It is a shame because Ryan Newman is a talented racer but you can see that he isn’t getting the best RCR equipment.

    Prediction 5: Joe Gibbs Racing will announce that Aarons will sponsor Matt Kenseth in 2017. Kenseth’s dry humor will be great for the Aarons commercials and hopefully, get Michael Waltrip off of my television.

    Kudos to Mike Joy who made sure during the Fox broadcast to seamlessly work in the names of the fallen on the windshields and the stories behind them throughout the race. It wasn’t forced and the way he told their stories was heartfelt.

    Enjoy the racing at Pocono and I’ll be back next week with the View from my Recliner.

  • Kasey Kahne Looks for Success in 2015 with New Crew Chief

    Kasey Kahne Looks for Success in 2015 with New Crew Chief

    After finishing 15th in the season ending Sprint Cup Series standings to go with a 12th place finish the year before, there were quite a few rumors spreading that Kasey Kahne would not be re-signing with Hendrick Motorsports in an effort to make room for Chase Elliott. However, HMS dropped a surprise, announcing a three year contract extension for Kahne.

    “It’s extremely gratifying to work with a driver like Kasey,” Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, said at the time of the announcement. “I think the world of him both as a driver with championship-level talent and an overall terrific young man. Our whole organization has a great deal of respect for how hard he works, the professionalism he displays with our partners and the way he carries himself every day. We’re committed to winning races and competing for titles with him for many years to come.”

    It seems obvious why they would be able to sign Kahne. While the results haven’t been stellar, they’re still Chase for the Championship material and there was a win (Atlanta) on the season. Beyond that, Kahne is very marketable towards the lady fan-base, being “cute” as they call him and only 33 years old. Still, with the reasons stated, Kahne will need to have a top-10 season if he wants to showcase why Rick Hendrick was right in re-signing him.

    Though there’s a bright side to Kahne’s return – he is getting a new crew chief for the upcoming season. With Kenny Francis named to the new position of vehicle technical director, Kahne will be working with Keith Rodden in 2015. Rodden spent last season at Chip Ganassi Racing working with Jamie McMurray.

    “The people at Hendrick Motorsports are like my family, especially in the 5/24 shop,” Rodden commented at the time. “I expect we’ll have great chemistry right off the bat, which should make for a smooth transition. I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running with the No. 5 team and everyone who supports us. There’s no better resource than Kenny, so I hope he’s ready for some late-night phone calls.”

    Before working with McMurray, though, Rodden was at HMS as part of Kahne and the No. 5 team in 2012 and 2013 as the lead engineer. If you look at Kahne’s results over the past couple of seasons, it seems as though Rodden was a key part to that success. In 2012, Kahne won two races while scoring 12 top-fives and 19 top-10s en route to finishing fourth in points. In 2013, he scored two wins while scoring 11 top-fives and 14 top-10s en route to 12th in the final standings. In contrast, he only scored one victory last year with three top-fives and 11 top-10s en route to finishing 15th. Is Rodden the key to success?

    Perhaps the move is the right move for HMS as Kahne has worked with Francis for the majority of his Sprint Cup Series career, Maybe the influence of new blood with a fresh perspective will bring forth the set-up ideas that Kahne needs to get the right car underneath him to perform. If given a good car, Kahne can go out and dominate on any of the mile and a half tracks on the NASCAR circuit. Is Rodden the right choice? Quite possibly, although he only scored seven top-fives and 13 top-10s with no wins en route to finishing 18th in points last year with Jamie McMurray.

    The pair being reunited certainly brings a reunited hope to the No. 5 Farmers Insurance team heading into the 2015 season. However,where there’s hope, there’s expectations. Kahne better match those expectations early in the year, or else he may see his contract shrunk from three years to two as we’ve seen Hendrick let drivers go early before.