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Tag: Matt Kenseth

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Pure Michigan 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Pure Michigan 400

    With the new high drag package creating some high anxiety, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the Pure Michigan 400 from the speedway nestled in the Irish Hills.

    Surprising:  With Matt Kenseth’s win in the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota, his manufacturer reigned supreme in Michigan. And with the trip to Victory Circle, Toyota received the Michigan Heritage trophy, initiated in 2013 to celebrate the winning vehicle manufacturer.

    Toyota gets to hang onto that coveted trophy until the next race at Michigan International Speedway in June 2016. This was Toyota’s fifth Cup win at Michigan and the manufacturer’s ninth win of the season.

    Winning Coach Joe Gibbs summed it up best as far as the partnership he has enjoyed with the manufacturer, with his Toyota team winning five out of the last six races.

    “Well, the first thing is it’s a team sport all the way,” Gibbs said after the race. “We’ve got great partners, thanks to Toyota, all the hard work they’ve done over the last year and a half.”

    “You really need to enjoy it because about 10 races back, we were struggling trying to get there, and you just hope now that we’ll be able to hold some momentum here and head into the Chase.”

    Not Surprising:  To tinker or not to tinker, that has been NASCAR’s question and the sanctioning body provided some answers after the Michigan race.

    As for the high drag rules package used at MIS for race day, Steve O’Donnell, Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer, acknowledged that it did not achieve the passing at the front goal as evidenced by the dominance of the No. 20 car.

    NASCAR, however, decided not to do any further tinkering, especially with any rules package changes during the Chase for the Championship.

    “We’re going to stay with the 2015 package,” O’Donnell said. “We’ve seen some good things with that package.  A lot of work has been done by the race teams already leading up to the final 10 races and feel like that’s the best decision for the sport.”

    “Excited about the Chase, excited about the package and what’s to come in the Chase, especially when you look back to last year.”

    Surprising:  Kyle Busch not only overcame having to start in the rear due to a practice crash in his No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota but also demonstrated his best ‘Carnac the Magnificent’ skills with his prediction that there would be a crash in the first lap of the race.

    Busch was so convinced of his prediction that he hung back almost half a lap from the field during the start of the race, only to have David Ragan spin, fulfilling Busch’s prediction.

    Busch went on to finish 11th, moving himself up to 29th in the point standings.

    Not Surprising:  For the driver who came in runner up, yet again, the Pure Michigan 400 was a one-off in his opinion.

    “I would say we didn’t really learn anything today,” Kevin Harvick, the driver of the No. 4 Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet, said. “Not only is this racetrack nothing like what we race on in the Chase, it’s just kind of a unique animal, and then you have the rules package.”

    “Today was really just about trying to win a race, and it’s really not going to lend itself towards anything that we do in the last 10 weeks.”

    Surprising:  Martin Truex Jr. is not only locked into the Chase but he continues to break records in his quest for the Championship. The driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet finished third, scoring his 16th top-10 finish in the first 23 races of the 2015 season.

    This tied a team season record, set in 2013 when Kurt Busch piloted the No. 78 for the Colorado-based race team.

    “It was a good day for everybody on the Furniture Row team,” Truex said. “We had a good car from the get go.  We made some adjustments throughout the race, but overall the No. 78 was a fast hot rod.”

    Not Surprising:  Team Penske drivers may have had a rocky start with their splitters being confiscated by NASCAR prior to the race, but both Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski recovered to both finish in the top-10.

    “My team did a good job and we executed fairly well,” Logano said after finishing seventh. “We had a couple bad restarts but a good one there at the end to make up for it. I would say we finished about where we deserved.”

    “We made the most of our day in every way we could,” Keselowski said after his ninth place finish. “We just needed to be faster, for sure, especially down the straightaways.”

    Surprising:  Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the best of the Hendrick Motorsports drivers, finishing in the 10th position. Teammates Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson finished 15th, 17th and 39th respectively.

    In fact, the driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet had a miserable day, cutting a tire down early in the race, overshooting his pit stall, and spinning through the grass which destroyed the front end of his race car.

    Johnson finished an uncharacteristic 10 laps down.

    Not Surprising:  There was no doubt that Aric Almirola felt like a winner with his top-15 finish. The driver of the No. 43 Armour Ford overcame a stomach virus as well as a 30th place qualifying position to take the checkered flag in the 14th spot.

    Almirola also won in the point standings and now sits just 23 points behind competitor Clint Bowyer in the battle for the final playoff spot.

    “We may have finished 14th today, but it felt like a win after the weekend we had,” Almirola said. “Everyone worked really hard to get the car where we needed it.”

    “We made the best out of our situation and made up some good ground in points. We started the year with a goal to be consistent and just scored our 12th Top-15.”

    Surprising:  One young gun showed the field that having fun and performing can indeed go hand in hand. Austin Dillon, in his No. 3 Dow Chevrolet, had a career best finish in fourth place and yes, also had a little fun along the way moving from the back to the front.

    “We had some circumstances where we had to start at the back and had to figure out a way to get our track position back,” Dillon said. “Slugger (Labbe, crew chief) and the engineers did a good job coming up with a plan.”

    “The first 20 laps was no fun for us because we had to ride around and try and stay in front of the leader, but we saved gas and decided to not come down pit road on that first competition caution for fuel, and it worked out,” Dillon continued. “It showed that our car was fast enough to stay up there.”

    “We pitted, drove back up to where we needed to be, and it was a fun day for us, the Dow Chevrolet was fast, and I felt like I passed a lot of cars, also, getting into fourth.”

    Not Surprising: With his mentor Buddy Baker being laid to rest after losing his battle to cancer, Ryan Newman did him proud, scoring his eleventh top-10 finish, in spite of some damage incurred after a collision with the race car of Clint Bowyer. The finish was essential to the driver’s championship hopes and he moved up to the 12th spot in the standings.

    “I am so pleased with this top-10 finish,” Newman said. “It was an awesome team effort. It was a good day for us and a good points day for us.”

    “I’m looking forward to Bristol and I just found out that it will be my 500th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start. I had no idea, so I’m hoping it will be another good weekend for us.”

     

  • The Final Word – Michigan was Matt’s world and everyone else just happened to be in it

    The Final Word – Michigan was Matt’s world and everyone else just happened to be in it

    Matt Kenseth, this is your life. Well, at least Michigan was his race, his and his alone. Of the 200 laps run, Kenseth led 143 of them to claim his third of the season, and 34th of his career.

    It was a Joe Gibbs sort of day. His drivers finished first, fifth (Denny Hamlin), sixth (Carl Edwards), and 11th (Kyle Busch). In 23 events, his boys have laid claim to nine of them, and exactly half of the past 18.

    The only Gibbs owned outfit not yet secured in the Chase is that of Kyle Busch, he of four victories in just a dozen attempts. All he needs to do is stay among the Top 30 in points to make those wins count, and currently he sits 29th and 23 points to the good. Barring terrible misfortune, he should be able to build on that.

    Anyone in a Chase place a week ago remains in one today. Even Clint Bowyer, who tore up his car, tossed a bunch of points in the air, yet remains in by 23 points over Aric Almirola. That should pose no problems for him, unless he does it again or someone below him in the standings wins between now and when they wrap things up in Richmond.

    With Bristol next, a look at past active winners there indicates that all sit above him in the rankings…except one. That is where Kasey Kahne won in the spring of 2013. It is, in my opinion, one of NASCAR’s marquee venues. While it does not provide the surprise winners that Daytona and Talladega sometimes do, bad things often happen to good cars within that coliseum. Ben Hur would be at home on that track.

    Along with the usual great reasons to tune in a Bristol race, we will watch this one to see if Rowdy can build on his lead over Cole Whitt, who sits 31st in the standings. We will watch to see if Bowyer can rebuild his advantage over Almirola and Kahne. We will watch to see if what we saw last week from Austin Dillon, placing fourth and a challenger all day, might equate into a surprise win at a track he has thus far shown some strength at.

    I mean, at one time Jeff Gordon or neither Busch brother had won there, and they each now have five. No time like the present for Mr. Dillon to thrill Festus, Chester, Miss Kitty and Doc by laying claim to a Bristol checkered flag, taking a Chase place, and making life difficult for a few of his peers.

    Then again, Kenseth probably has desires of joining the five win club himself. The way the four-time Bristol victor is running right now, including his win there last April, next Sunday could turn out to be his race as well. Maybe this really is Matt’s world, and we just happen to be in it.

  • Hot 20 – Unless Kyle sputters or someone new wins, not much drama to be expected at Michigan

    Hot 20 – Unless Kyle sputters or someone new wins, not much drama to be expected at Michigan

    There are only two things to watch for in Michigan on Sunday. One is the ride of Kyle Busch and the other is the car that crosses the line first.

    If Kyle does well and at least stays in the Top Thirty in points, nothing changes. Aric Almirola and Kasey Kahne would not mind if we have such a change, as it would put them back in the mix on points. However, the way Mr. Busch has been running, I would not hold my breath, if I were them. If no one currently outside the Chase wins, then nothing changes. It will be up to those pretenders to become contenders at Michigan, Bristol, Darlington, or Richmond.

    Meanwhile, this week we said goodbye to Buddy Baker. The 74-year old legend, a winner of the Daytona 500, the Southern 500, and the World 600 twice, passed away on Monday.

    This week also marked the 60th anniversary of my parents, Ron and Mae Thornton. Wednesday was a day of love, laughter, and family memories…just as it should be.

    Cancer is what took Buddy Baker from us. That same disease will take my mother, sooner than later. As a fan of NASCAR history and as a son, love, laughter, and memories are becoming more cherished than ever before.

    Here is a look at the Hot 20 as they run this Sunday at Michigan.

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS (747 Points)
    Denny said he was sorry. Jimmie replied with something possibly describing an unnatural act.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS (361 Points)
    Back where he belongs.

    3. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (823 Points)
    Turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, damn…damn.

    4. JOEY LOGANO – 2 WINS (781 Points)
    Fresh tires and some fuel made all the difference last week.

    5. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2 WINS (750 Points)
    Like most others at the Glen, they were left wondering, “Where in hell was that last caution?”

    6. MATT KENSETH – 2 WINS (703 Points)
    Five straight Top Tens makes Kenseth more than just a pretty face.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS (659 Points)
    You can never have too much help…except in the pits…or so says NASCAR.

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (719 Points)
    Figures if you liked the Brickyard, you might love Michigan. Sadly, few did and few will.

    9. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (714 Points)
    On a Rocky Mountain high after locking in his berth into the Chase.

    10. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (631 Points)
    Last week, he drove with the hood up. This week he will try to drive blindfolded.

    11. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN (589 Points)
    Under former rules, he would be just a pretender…but not under these rules.

    12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 635 POINTS
    No wins…and in the end last week…no fluids.

    13. PAUL MENARD – 622 POINTS
    Ten up on Bowyer, 60 ahead of Almirola, vulnerable as hell if the wrong driver wins Sunday.

    14. JEFF GORDON – 620 POINTS
    Ditto.

    15. RYAN NEWMAN – 613 POINTS
    Did you read the comments for Menard and Gordon?

    16. CLINT BOWYER – 612 POINTS
    Sitting pretty, as long as no one beyond this point comes up with a win.

    17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 562 POINTS
    Watkins Glen hurt, but it meant only the difference between 50 or “just” 40 points out.

    18. KASEY KAHNE – 561 POINTS
    One of two active drivers not currently in the Chase who has won at Michigan. That was in 2006.

    19. GREG BIFFLE – 532 POINTS
    The other driver is this guy, a Michigan winner in 2004-05 and in 2012-13 (summer/spring).

    20. KYLE LARSON – 517 POINTS
    To do list: Win one of the next four races.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Watkins Glen

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Watkins Glen

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Busch: Busch kept his hot streak alive with a third-place finish at Watkins Glen, and although he didn’t win, he moved into 30th place in the Sprint Cup points standings.

    “We played the finish conservatively,” Busch said. “I took an unnecessary chance last week at Pocono, not to mention one in Iredell County, North Carolina back in 2011. I got busted in both instances.

    “This time, we played it safe. Sometimes, you’ve gotta think ‘big picture.’ And I’m always thinking ‘big picture,’ because that’s the only one my ego will fit in.”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick ran out of fuel in the final corner at Watkins Glen, handing Joey Logano the win while settling for third.

    “Logano overtook a car that was out of fuel,” Harvick said. “That’s called ‘passing gas.’ I tried to wreck Logano as he went by. And, much like my fuel tank, it came up empty.”

    3. Joey Logano: Logano passed Kevin Harvick in the final corner after Harvick’s fuel ran out, giving Logano the win in the Cheez-It 355 At The Glen.

    “I’m just happy to get the win,” Logano said. “Fuel mileage races don’t really tell us who’s best. They do, however, tell us who ‘sucks’ the least.

    “I knew I had plenty of fuel to chase Harvick. And I knew if I pressed the issue, I could make him run out. In essence, I put him back in a Richard Childress Racing car, because he slowed to a crawl.”

    4. Jimmie Johnson: Despite a late spin caused by Tony Stewart’s blown engine, Johnson salvaged a tenth at Watkins Glen, scoring his 14th top 10 of the year.

    “You may have seen me in a commercial for ‘Burnt Rubber,’” Johnson said. “It’s a new fragrance from Sunoco, and it’s left its mark on the cologne industry. Unfortunately, it’s a skid mark. Let’s just be thankful that the latest NASCAR-themed cologne wasn’t called ‘Dick Trickle.’”

    5. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished 11th in the Cheez-It 355 At The Glen, just missing his 14th top-10 finish of the season.

    “It was a tough day for a lot of drivers,” Earnhardt said. “Particularly Tony Stewart. He finished last. Plus, he experienced something that often happen to fans of Junior Nation when they break out their finest china for an important meal—he got ‘served with papers.’”

    6. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex qualified second and suffered a flat tire with 22 laps to go, ruining what would have been a solid day and settling for a 25th-place finish.

    “Some drivers ran out of gas,” Truex said, “while some, like me, ran out of air. Others ran out of talent. Still others had no talent to begin with. The remainder drive for Michael Waltrip Racing.”

    7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished seventh as Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano took the win at Watkins Glen.

    “Joey had luck on his side,” Keselowski said. “My No. 2 Ford did not. Maybe, instead of having ‘Miller Lite’ plastered on the side of my car, we should have had ‘Miller Fortune’ there.”

    8. Kurt Busch: Busch claimed fifth in the Cheez-It 355 At The Glen, posting his seventh top-5 finish of the year.

    “Kevin Harvick clearly had the fastest car on the track,” Busch said. “Then he ran out of fuel. He was more than ‘good,’ he was best….till the last drop.”

    9. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth led two laps and finished fourth at Watkins Glen, one of three Joe Gibbs Racing cars in the top 10.

    “That’s two consecutive fuel mileage races,” Kenseth said. “I won at Pocono, and was pretty close to winning at Watkins Glen. That really would have established me as a driver who knows how to make a drop of fuel last. I guess I would have been known as the ‘Wizard Of Oz.’”

    10. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished eighth at Watkins Glen, posting his sixth top 10 of the season.

    “Did you see Denny Hamlin speeding around the track with his hood up on the No. 11 FedEx Toyota?” Edwards said. “That performance earned Denny the nickname ‘Little Fed Riding Hood.’”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: The CHEEZ-It 355 at The Glen

    Surprising and Not Surprising: The CHEEZ-It 355 at The Glen

    With no need for the Goodyear wet weather radials brought to the track just in case, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 30th annual CHEEZ-It 355 at the Watkins Glen International road course.

    Surprising:  Race winner Joey Logano held a make-up session at The Glen, first making up for losing the race the previous week on fuel mileage and second, making up for the four previous races where Team Penske lost out to a member of the Joe Gibbs Racing team.

    “It makes up for last week, the driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford said. “We lost the race last week the same way, so it makes up for it to get it this week.”

    “Team Penske, the last four races in a row, one of our cars finished second,” Logano continued. “Brad (Keselowski, Penske teammate) finished second a couple of times and so did we, so it feels good to break through and not be the bridesmaid anymore and actually get the checkered flag and have some fun.”

    Logano also made up for lost time for Team Penske, who won their first ever at Watkins Glen.

    “It means an awful lot to Team Penske,” Walt Czarnecki, Vice Chairman of Team Penske said. “This is Team Penske’s first Cup win at The Glen.  I believe this is our winningest track in the whole history of our company, going back to the Trans-Am and the Can-Am and Nationwide and XFINITY Series – a great run yesterday – so this is particularly meaningful for us to win here today in this race.”

    Not Surprising:  Given the challenges to the cars on road courses, it was not surprising that at least a few drivers uttered those dreaded two words, “Something broke.”

    Jeff Gordon, who had high hopes for a chance to make the Chase with a win at The Glen, had brake issues instead and went down four laps trying to fix it. Gordon finished 41st and slid from tenth to twelfth in the point standings.

    “We had a brake line issue,” the driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet said. “It’s not like I hit anything or something came into it and broke it that we can see.  Something went bad with the line and it started leaking fluid and we started losing brakes.”

    “So we had to come in.  Unfortunately, it took us four laps to get that changed.  Just so hard to make up laps when you get that many down, especially at a track like this.”

    Tony Stewart, who qualified in the third position, also had a ‘something broke’ moment as a likely broken seal let all the rear end grease out of the axle, ending his day in the 43rd and final finishing spot.

    “When I came off of (Turn) 1 I could feel it like it was kind of pulling heavy and going up through the esses you could hear it let go right at the end of the esses,” Smoke said. “We are going to leave the rear end together and get it back to Charlotte (NC) and find out exactly what happened.”

    Surprising:  In a race that this driver had circled on his calendar, especially as the defending race winner, AJ Allmendinger’s day went to one that he wanted to ‘X’ out of his memory.  ‘Dinger suffered a power loss that left his No. 47 Kroger/Bush’s Beans Chevrolet dead on the track to finish a disappointing 24th.

    “When the battery died that obviously put us way behind,” Allmendinger said. “I thought the changes we made helped the car a little bit, but I got my lap back and drove as hard as I could to get as much as I could.”

    “I thought maybe we could get back to the top 10. Just 10 laps short.”

    Not Surprising:  Rodney Childers, crew chief for Kevin Harvick, must have had the Salt N Pepa song ‘Push It’ echoing in his head. And as he said, he ‘pushed it to nothing’ with his driver, who ran out of gas on the last lap of the race.

    Harvick was, however, able to coast to a third place finish, his eighth top-10 finish in 15 races at Watkins Glen International.

    “I thought I’d done a pretty good job of saving fuel under the caution,” Harvick said. “I was just running as fast as I needed to, to protect the lead.”

    “All in all, our Budweiser/Jimmy John’s team did a great job today and we were in position to have a win; two corners away.”

    Surprising:  Only a six-time champ could miss the inner loop and have to sit until the field passed him, have contact with another driver, as well as taking a spin on the track, and still finish top-10.

    Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, did just that, starting ninth and finishing the race in the tenth position in spite of all those challenges.

    Not Surprising:  Kyle Busch’s crew chief Adam Stevens was obviously scared straight, at least according to his driver. Busch finished second in his No. 18 M&Ms Crispy Toyota, his ninth top-10 finish in 11 races at Watkins Glen International.

    “I could’ve went up there, I could’ve raced the 22 (Joey Logano), I could’ve passed him,” Busch said. “I felt like I was better than he was, but my crew chief called in scared on the fuel situation from last week and I don’t blame him.”

    “We definitely didn’t want to run out again. We wanted to make sure we could be there at the end.”

    This was Busch’s sixth top-10 finish in 2015 and he is now 30th in the points and eligible for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

    Surprising:  It was a big ‘niner’ kind of day for Sam Hornish, who finished ninth in his No. 9 Medallion Bank Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports.

    “Our car was good,” Hornish said. “We were good in areas that some other cars weren’t and that helped us pass people when we could get to them.”

    “I felt like our car was definitely better than where we finished there, but you take what you can get on the days you have it and I’m just proud of everybody that works on this Medallion Bank Ford Fusion and the guys at RPM.”

    “A ninth is probably disappointing for them compared to what they’ve had the last few times coming up here, but the package is a little bit different.  I wish we could have had a little more practice time, but anytime you come home in the top-10 you can’t be too disappointed about it.”

    Not Surprising:  Denny Hamlin was definitely in the ‘hood’ at The Glen yet again. His hood flew up on top of the roof of his car, just like it had done at practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    The driver of the No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota had to have the hood replaced, relegating him to a 27th place finish.

    Surprising:  Matt Kenseth surprised himself, and no doubt everyone else, by scoring his best career finish at Watkins Glen, bringing his No. 20 Dollar General Toyota in the fourth position.

    “We ran pretty good,” Kenseth said in his typical understated fashion. “It’s always fun to feel like you overachieved I guess and we probably did that today. I’m sort of surprised we made it to the end but I’m really thankful we did.”

    Not Surprising: While Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon had his own problems, there were significant Chase implications for teammate Kasey Kahne, who was sidelined on Lap 49 due to multi-car accident, finishing 42nd.

    Kahne also lost two spots in the point standings, from 15th to 17th position.

    “Yeah, at this rate we’re going to need to win,” Kahne said. “That’s the only way we’ll go into the Chase.”

    “So hopefully we can run good at Michigan and maybe get a win there. We’ve won there before and also won there at Bristol before; so, maybe one of those tracks.  Darlington and Richmond; there are some tracks that we could run really well at.”

    The next Sprint Cup Series race on the circuit will be August 16 at Michigan International Speedway.

  • Hot 20 – Rain, rain that went away, the Glen invites you back Sunday

    Hot 20 – Rain, rain that went away, the Glen invites you back Sunday

    Rain. Usually, that would mean a long delay before we see some action if we wind up seeing any at all, but not before we interview every driver at the track. Then, there are those who like to record the race on television, but fail to allow for an eight-hour delay.

    Still, rain at Watkins Glen means racing. Take off the slicks, replace them with rain tread, and off they go. There is a possibility of rain, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is among those who would not mind using the wipers. Of course, you just got to know that come Sunday the sun shall be shining.

    You also know that, barring a fuel mileage, heartbreaking finish, Kyle Busch will hit the Top 30, and the Top Two on this list on Sunday. Until then, here are our Hot 20 coming into Watkins Glen…

    1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 4 WINS (713 Points)
    To all the Johnson haters out there…Jimmie invites you to kiss his…

    2. KEVIN HARVICK – 2 WINS (780 Points)
    Engine department thought the 400 mile Pocono event was a 20 lap feature. They bad.

    3. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 2 WINS (717 Points)
    I wonder how much space the new NASCAR “at track” superstore has devoted to one guy?

    4. MATT KENSETH – 2 WINS (662 Points)
    It is amazing what one can accomplish when one has fuel…and others do not.

    5. KURT BUSCH – 2 WINS (620 Points)
    Another free agent at the end of the season, but don’t expect him to go anywhere.

    6. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (734 Points)
    I am not a fan of Joey Logano. He is not a fan of Ron Thornton, whoever he is.

    7. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (694 Points)
    Could not save enough fuel to sweep Pocono, but should do well at the Glen.

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN (681 Points)
    So THAT is the reason the crew chief stays up on the box.

    9. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (614 Points)
    Erik Jones will arrive full-time in Cup in 2017. Who departs Gibbs’ operation to make room?

    10. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN (553 Points)
    A dirty low down bottle tossing varmint? Say is isn’t so.

    11. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 631 POINTS
    Winning is so over-rated, as he will prove again this Sunday.

    12. JEFF GORDON – 617 POINTS
    40+ points up on Bowyer, so why in hell are some saying this has been a disappointing season?

    13. PAUL MENARD – 591 POINTS
    His dad is the richest person in Wisconsin. I’m not even the richest person in my household.

    14. RYAN NEWMAN – 584 POINTS
    The last of his four Top Fives was back in April. That has to change.

    15. CLINT BOWYER – 574 POINTS
    Calls everyone Boss these days, as you never know who his Boss might be next season.

    16. KASEY KAHNE – 559 POINTS
    The only sponsor who should have a real problem with Donald Trump is Great Clips.

    17. ARIC ALMIROLA – 534 POINTS
    Almirola? Isn’t that a great ice cream flavor?

    18. GREG BIFFLE – 502 POINTS
    First four races at the Glen, he averaged a 35th place finish. Since then, 15th. He got better.

    19. KYLE LARSON – 485 POINTS
    Just turned 23, so not quite a grey beard yet. Come to think of it, not quite ready for a beard yet.

    20. AUSTIN DILLON – 484 POINTS
    He did not win, but having a Tennessee Titan cheerleader in your corner is not exactly a loss.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Pocono

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Pocono

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Kyle Busch: Busch inherited the lead when Joey Logano ran out of gas with three laps to go, but Logano’s misfortune was a harbinger of the same for Busch, whose tank ran dry with one lap to go. Busch finished 21st.

    “My fuel tank said ‘E,’” Busch said, “then I said ‘F.’ Who would have thought that my luck and my fuel would have run out at the same time?”

    2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished sixth in the Windows 10 400 at Pocono, securing his 14th top 10 of the season.

    “Hendrick Motorsports put three cars in the top six,” Johnson said. “Kasey Kahne put one in the pit lane wall. That’s what you call a pit stop.

    “Pocono’s ‘Tricky Triangle’ indeed proved to be tricky. However, when you’re talking NASCAR, the triangle is not the geometric shape that first comes to mind. That would be the ‘cylinder.’ My fans know there are eight cylinders in the engine of the No. 48. On the other hand, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s fans know there are 24 of ’em in a case.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick’s engine blew on lap 20 of the Windows 10 400 at Pocono, relegating him to his worst result of the year, a 42nd.

    “I’m not sure what happened,” Harvick said. “All I know is something went ‘Ke-boom! and the car went ‘Ke-put.’ And out we went in a plume of burning oil and fluids. I was upset, but Tony Stewart was elated. It’s the first time ‘Smoke’s’ had an impact on the Chase all season.”

    4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished third at Pocono, the top finisher among Hendrick Motorsports cars.

    “It appears Kyle Busch isn’t invincible after all,” Earnhardt said. “For a while there, he was so dominant it looked like he could win without really trying. It took the end of the race on Sunday for validation that yes, he indeed was ‘coasting.’”

    5. Joey Logano: Logano was leading with three laps to go when his fuel tank ran dry. Instead of his second win of the season, he was left with a 20th-place finish.

    “In retrospect,” Logano said, “the ‘Windows 10 400’ should have been called the ‘Fuel Windows 10 400.’

    “Luckily, no one was hurt when Brad Keselowski hit some of his pit crew when he went screaming into his pit stall. Now, you can add three crewmen to the list of people who believe Brad doesn’t know when to stop.”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth grabbed his second win of the year after winning a fuel mileage war at Pocono.

    “I can’t say we found a way to win,” Kenseth said. “I would say the way to win found us.

    “Out pit strategy played out to perfection and resulted in a day I’ll never forget, and I owe it all to my gas can man. To him, I say ‘Tanks for the memories.’”

    7. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex ran out of fuel with two laps to go, just moments after Joey Logano’s tank went dry while leading. Truex finished 19th and is fifth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 86 out of first.

    “There were a lot of cars running out of gas at the end of the race,” Truex said. “So many that it bordered on being suspicious. Was it a mysterious conspiratorial ploy by NASCAR to add excitement to an otherwise boring race? If so, it would have to be called ‘Fume-igate.’”

    8. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished second in the Windows 10 400 at Pocono, surviving as several cars running in the top five dropped out after running out of fuel.

    “I ran into a few of my crew members on a pit stop,” Keselowski said. “Here’s the rundown on their health—they’re all okay. There’s video of the incident all over the internet, and it’s become very popular. Rumor has it Hollywood wants to base a movie on it. It will be called ‘Boyz On The Hood.’”

    9. Kurt Busch: Busch finished 37th at Pocono after an accident on a lap 66 restart sent him to the garage for repairs.

    “On the bright side,” Busch said, “I had plenty of gas in my tank at race’s end. If you don’t believe me, just ask my former girlfriend Patricia Driscoll. She’ll tell you I’m still full of it.”

    10. Carl Edwards: Edwards pitted late for fuel and salvaged a 10th at Pocono, his fifth top-10 result of the year.

    “What a great race,” Edwards said. “I guess NASCAR was right—-slowing the cars down does make for more exciting racing.

    “Not many drivers had the nerve to come in for gas so late in the race,” Edwards said. “Luckily, we had the guts to do it. As they say, you have to take the plunge before you take the splash.”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Pocono Windows 10 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Pocono Windows 10 400

    In what will no doubt go down in the books as one of the crazier races at the ‘Tricky Triangle’, here are the highlights of what was surprising and not surprising from the Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway.

    Surprising:  In an unusual race where one of his team’s drivers run out of fuel on the way to a fourth straight win and one of his other drivers coasted into Victory Lane, the best quote of the day was from Coach Joe Gibbs.

    He told Sirius XM radio’s Claire B. Lang, “I’ve been going to Victory Lane so much that I might just have to go to rehab.”

    This was Joe Gibbs Racing’s fourth consecutive win in that same number of races.

    “It was a big deal today the way everything played out,” Gibbs added. “But I think you do, in pro sports you realize how hard it is to win a race, and when you get in a situation like this, you really want to enjoy it, and I think we do.”

    Not Surprising:  Matt Kenseth accomplished a first-time twofer as he took the checkered flag with just enough fuel left for a burnout.

    “Today is a first,” Kenseth said. “I checked two things off the list.  I won at Pocono, I didn’t think that would ever happen, and I won a fuel-mileage race, I didn’t think that would ever happen.

    “There’s been a few through the years that I thought we had it all figured out, and we were the only one that was going to make it and all that stuff and you catch an untimely caution and there’s been some other ones where you are kind of dominating the race and you’re out there and you run out of gas and somebody back mid-pack had enough gas to make it and have lost several like that.

    “Feels good to get one like that.  We had a fast car and we were able to get the fuel mileage good enough to get the win.

    “So yeah, this is a first for me.”

    Surprising:  It was Groundhog Day at Pocono, at least for the eerily similar three crashes that happened with cars smacking into the pit road wall. It happened to Ray Black Jr. in the Truck race, as well as Jeb Burton in practice. And then the third hit happened in nearly the same way but in the race to Kasey Kahne.

    “I just got loose really late, so far off the corner,” Kahne said. “A really late exit. I’m not sure why or what happened. It just jumped out. You’re so far off the corner, to slow slide and get so far down pit road, it was crazy.

    “I’ve never ended up over there like that. I don’t know why that was. I couldn’t believe when the No. 26 (Jeb Burton) did earlier this weekend and then I did.”

    Not Surprising:  While several drivers, especially those that ran out of fuel, might want to put Pocono in their rear view mirror, there was one driver who no doubt burned rubber leaving the track.

    “It was one of those days,” Sam Hornish Jr. said. “I missed a shift on a restart which wasn’t any good and then we had a tire come apart and then we got hit and then Kurt (Busch) was trying to hold on to it and I saw that he got it straightened back out and it is one of those things where everything stops smoking long enough that you think he has it back under control again and then it is just wobbling around on him.

    “Unfortunate for us for sure. I love coming to Pocono and I have had some good runs here and led laps and felt like we could win races, but it just hasn’t been for us this year.”

    Surprising:  There was no one more surprised than Kyle Busch that the race went green at the end, especially given the many early race cautions. And the driver, who was hoping for his fourth consecutive win and a boost into Chase contention, was also surprised that he was short enough on fuel not to make it to the finish line.

    “It was a caution-filled race there for a while,” Busch said. “I was surprised the end then went green. I don’t know where we were on our strategy and all of that stuff.

    “I’ve got to debrief with Adam (Stevens, crew chief), but I don’t know how close we were and if we were one lap short of making it then I probably needed to save or do a better job of running those last 30 laps or so.

    “We were short, we run out, but we went down swinging so I can’t fault my guys for that. An awesome call, they called the race right and another Monster Energy can of gas and we’d be winning another one.”

    Not Surprising:  The irrepressible Clint Bowyer was nearly jumping up and down when he got out of his race car after finishing top-10.

    “Holy cow that was a finish,” the driver of the No. 15 Maxwell House Toyota said of his eighth place run. “What a race. We got caught with the caution lights and had a heck of a comeback. We were able to save enough fuel and give the Maxwell House Toyota a great finish.”

    Surprising:  The fourth place finisher felt like a time traveler when all was said and done at the ‘Tricky Triangle.’

    “Yeah, in the booth up there, they turned the clock back to 1973 and let that thing play out a little bit and let everybody run out of gas,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “That was pretty cool. It’s kind of like some of the older races where you just can’t count on them to throw them cautions there at the end. And they didn’t today.”

    Not Surprising:  For his very last appearance at Pocono, Jeff Gordon actually went off script and could not have been more pleased with the result.

    “No, the script I had played out in my head was we were going to be 15th, so this one was way better than that,” the driver of the No. 24  AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet said after finishing third.

    “For whatever reason the last couple times we’ve been here we’ve had decent race cars, not maybe the cars that we would have liked to have had, but cars far capable of better finishes than what we’ve had, have been getting, and just a lot of different circumstances not playing out.  Some to our own credit and others just circumstances.

    “Today finally one went our way for a change, which is really nice to bounce back after last week’s unfortunate incident where we lost so many points.”

    Gordon gained one spot in the point standings, moving from the 11th spot up to 10th.

    Surprising:  In spite of overcoming adversity, including hitting two of his pit crew members during a doomed stop, to finish runner-up, Brad Keselowski felt surprising empathy, in fact even heartbreak, for his teammate’s misfortune at the race end.

    “The fuel came into play at the end and we were able to take care of it to bring home second, which is a very respectable day,” Keselowski said. “Certainly not where we were going to finish without the fuel, but that is sometimes how it works.

    “I think my teammate (Joey Logano) and his team did a phenomenal job. I am heartbroken for them to not win the race.”

    Not Surprising: Mama told him there would be days like this, so Kevin Harvick was able to let his first DNF since April 2014 roll off his back.

    “Yeah, coming around turn two I knew I had some issues but didn’t realize they were going to be that big,” Harvick said. I’m just really proud of my Jimmy John’s/Budweiser team. The car was fast. You’ll have days like this.”

    Next week, the Sprint Cup Series will travel to battle the road course at Watkins Glen. The CHEEZ-It 355 at The Glen will run at 2:00 p.m. ET on NBCSN on Sunday, August 9.

     

     

     

  • The Final Word – Things got rather iffy at Pocono

    The Final Word – Things got rather iffy at Pocono

    If. We all have a closet full of “ifs” that we may ponder about. Take last Sunday for instance. If Kyle Busch had saved enough fuel, he may well have won his fourth straight race, moved into the Top 30 in points, and sat atop the season standings with five victories to his credit. But he did not, so he does not. Well, at least for another week, as despite finishing 21st on Sunday he now trails the pair tied for that magic spot by just 17 points.

    If Joey Logano had not run out of gas to allow Busch to pass him with a handful of laps left, he might have won his second of the season., instead of coming home 20th. That would have pushed him into third place on the season ladder, but the cars can hold only so many gallons, and he needed a couple more.

    If Kevin Harvick had an engine that would last more than 20 laps, he could have won his third. However, just as he took the lead his car went up in smoke to take care of any mosquito problems in the area. He almost went from first to worst, but he even failed at that.

    If Kasey Kahne had not spun coming out of the third turn, he might have avoided finishing dead last after just three laps. Three. He broke loose, headed toward pit road, and found the inside wall. A lot of helmets on the barrier went flying but, thankfully, not a single head was in any of them. Now he sits 16th in the standings, which means he will be 17th after next week unless he can make up the 15 points he now trails Clint Bowyer.

    If Bowyer, who finished eighth, could just win a race he would not be worrying about making the Chase. His 15th could be the new 16th or worse if Kyle does well next Sunday and somebody below him in points wins at Watkins Glen. Somebody like 2014 race winner A.J. Allmendinger, for example. Don’t you think team owner Michael Waltrip could use a little good news about now?

    If last weekend’s race went 159 laps, instead of 160, Matt Kenseth would not have claimed his 33rd career victory, his second of the season, and his first in 32 Pocono starts. Logano and Kyle had the cars to beat, and Kenseth did just that by leading laps 88 and 160.

    If the 88 of Dale Earnhardt Jr. had only not had that pit road penalty. Who am I kidding? That car was junk much of the day, but it sure looked pretty. As it turned out, their fuel strategy worked pretty well, at least enough to give them an undeserved fourth place finish.

    If Brad Keselowski had not gone bowling for dollars, using his crew as pins, maybe his runner-up finish could have been one better. It takes time to complete a stop after sending your jack man flying and putting your tire changer on the hood as his fresh Goodyear goes bouncing to hither and yon. By the way, you do not have to take equipment out of the stall to get a penalty. Sending it flying on its own gets you docked some extra time just as well.

    If not for the woes of others, Greg Biffle, Allmendinger, and Tony Stewart might not have picked up Top Tens on the day. I believe their feelings on the matter might be something like “it sure sucks to be them.”

    If Tony can rebound to form at Watkins Glen next Sunday, where he has won five before, or if Allmendinger can repeat, all of a sudden their respective seasons perk right up. If Jeff Gordon could take his fifth or Harvick his second on the road course, it would be nice, but there are those in greater need.

    If Kyle could win a third race at the Glen, the waiting would be over, the standings reset, and just five places in the Chase would remain open to non-winners.

    If a first-time winner emerges on Sunday, make that four spots open.

  • Matt Kenseth Wins At Pocono As Kyle Busch Runs Out Of Fuel

    Matt Kenseth Wins At Pocono As Kyle Busch Runs Out Of Fuel

    By Reid Spencer

    LONG POND, Pa. – Matt Kenseth, the unexpected winner of Sunday’s Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway, had to do a double-take.

    So did second and third-place finishers Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon.

    Kenseth got a gift on the final lap of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race when Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch ran out of fuel halfway through the final lap at the 2.5-mile triangular track.

    Seeking his fourth straight victory in the series, Busch didn’t save quite enough fuel on the last green-flag run to complete the 160-lap event, but he still gained 10 points toward his goal of reaching the top 30 in the series standings.

    Busch, who finished 21st after getting a push toward the finish line from Reed Sorenson, is now 13 points behind 30th-place David Gilliland. Busch has five races to crack the top 30 to become eligible for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

    Because Busch was pushed by another car, he did not get credit for completing the final lap, but that did not affect his finishing position.

    Collectively, the top three finishers led seven laps. Joey Logano, who handed the lead to Busch when the No. 22 Team Penske Ford ran out of fuel with fewer than three laps left, led 97.

    But Kenseth wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially after the driver of the No. 20 JGR Toyota did what others failed to do—save enough gas to get to the finish. Kenseth’s second victory of the season locked him into the Chase.

    “There’s nothing like wins,” said Kenseth, who collected his first victory at Pocono and the 33rd of his career. “We had a lot of wins in 2013 and were pretty spoiled and last year we had a big dry spell, and this year we were able to win Bristol.

    “We’ve been up front a lot, so just really, really thankful to be with these guys and to get the win. I never thought I’d ever win at Pocono, and I never ever thought I’d win a fuel mileage race, so we did both today.”

    Despite coming tantalizingly close to a fourth straight win, Busch was philosophical about the near miss.

    “Man, that’s a bummer,” said Busch, who ran out of fuel on the Long Pond straightaway approaching the Tunnel Turn, less than a mile-and-a-half from the finish line. “I wish I would’ve saved a little more there that last run.

    “I wish I would’ve known that the 22 (Logano) was that far away from making it. He was way far away from making it. Man, that was just a shame that we weren’t able to get it done there.”

    Busch took a moment to reflect on what might have been. The empty fuel tank also cost him entry into the top 30.

    “We would be celebrating a win and a Chase berth,” he said ruefully. “We got greedy. I don’t know how greedy, but that’s the position we’re in.

    “If it came down to other things that we haven’t had the success that we’ve had here lately, we would’ve had to have pitted and just made the opportunity of it and made the best finish that we could. But, we went for broke today and come up a little bit short, so can’t fault the team.”

    Keselowski, who ran out of fuel as he approached the finish line, recovered from an early penalty for sliding through his pit, knocking his jack man off his feet and knocking a tire out of his front carrier’s hands.

    The No. 2 Ford lost a lap, regained it and came home second, 9.012 seconds behind Kenseth, as lack of fuel took its toll on the frontrunners. The outcome left Keselowski with mixed feelings.

    “Unfortunately, just another race where I kind of feel like it didn’t all come together for us, and this one certainly on my end with having problems on pit road and kind of sliding through the box,” said the 2012 series champion. “That dug a hole, got us a lap down with the penalty and so forth.

    “I think the last restart with, had to be somewhere around 60 or 70 to go (actually 63), we restarted 12th and we were able to drive up to sixth and looked like we were going to be able to get to fifth, and then the fuel play came in there at the end. We were able to take care of it to bring home second, which is a very respectable day. Certainly probably not where we were going to finish without the fuel, but I guess that’s sometimes how it works.”

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran fourth and Greg Biffle fifth, as none of the top five finishers were threats to finish that high before the varying fuel strategies scrambled the final order.

    “There at the end we were one of the last ones to pit which allowed us to run hard all the way to the finish not having to conserve or save fuel,” said Gordon, smiling at the stroke of good fortune. “I thought we were trying to get maybe 10th or 12th and all of a sudden they said you’re third, and I think I was probably the most shocked person out there on the race track when I found that out.

    “I knew cars were peeling off, but I just didn’t realize that many were either running out or coming to pit road.”

    Note: Both Martin Truex Jr. and Logano, who along with Busch had the strongest cars all afternoon, were cited for speeding on pit road after running out of fuel and were dropped to 19th and 20th, respectively, in the finishing order, the last two cars on the lead lap.

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race – Windows 10 400
    Pocono Raceway
    Long Pond, Pennsylvania
    Sunday, August 02, 2015

    1. (7) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 160, $233601.
    2. (9) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 160, $205166.
    3. (10) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 160, $181686.
    4. (15) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 160, $134375.
    5. (25) Greg Biffle, Ford, 160, $139908.
    6. (12) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 160, $144851.
    7. (22) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 160, $125323.
    8. (19) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 160, $124073.
    9. (5) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 160, $116279.
    10. (8) Carl Edwards, Toyota, 160, $87915.
    11. (18) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 160, $94440.
    12. (27) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 160, $112908.
    13. (4) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 160, $120611.
    14. (29) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 160, $82250.
    15. (17) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 160, $111541.
    16. (20) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 160, $89125.
    17. (24) David Ragan, Toyota, 160, $107539.
    18. (21) Aric Almirola, Ford, 160, $116956.
    19. (13) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 160, $106015.
    20. (3) Joey Logano, Ford, 160, $128853.
    21. (1) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 159, $140811.
    22. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 159, $93645.
    23. (14) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 159, $110670.
    24. (31) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 159, $102528.
    25. (28) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 159, $92203.
    26. (39) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 159, $77895.
    27. (33) Cole Whitt, Ford, 159, $88853.
    28. (26) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 159, $92092.
    29. (36) Matt DiBenedetto #, Toyota, 159, $75895.
    30. (35) JJ Yeley(i), Toyota, 159, $75745.
    31. (32) Brett Moffitt #, Ford, 158, $74095.
    32. (40) Travis Kvapil(i), Ford, 158, $73920.
    33. (37) David Gilliland, Ford, 158, $81720.
    34. (41) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 157, $73520.
    35. (38) Jeb Burton #, Toyota, 157, $73370.
    36. (43) Timmy Hill(i), Ford, 156, $73120.
    37. (6) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 150, $90931.
    38. (42) Alex Kennedy #, Chevrolet, 126, $68102.
    39. (30) Sam Hornish Jr., Ford, 123, $90375.
    40. (23) Trevor Bayne, Ford, Overheating, 91, $104605.
    41. (34) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, Accident, 27, $64030.
    42. (2) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, Engine, 20, $104855.
    43. (16) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, Accident, 3, $66530.

    Average Speed of Race Winner: 132.159 mph.
    Time of Race: 03 Hrs, 01 Mins, 36 Secs. Margin of Victory: 9.012 Seconds.
    Caution Flags: 8 for 32 laps.
    Lead Changes: 18 among 13 drivers.

    Lap Leaders: Kyle Busch 1-16; K. Harvick 17-19; Kurt Busch 20-32; M. Truex Jr. 33-38; J. Logano 39-51; Kyle Busch 52; D. Hamlin 53-54; B. Keselowski 55-57; D. Patrick 58-62; J. Logano 63-87; M. Kenseth 88; K. Larson 89-93; J. Logano 94-123; D. Ragan 124; G. Biffle 125-126; J. Gordon 127-128; J. Logano 129-157; Kyle Busch 158-159; M. Kenseth 160;.

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): J. Logano 4 times for 97 laps; Kyle Busch 3 times for 19 laps; Kurt Busch 1 time for 13 laps; M. Truex Jr. 1 time for 6 laps; K. Larson 1 time for 5 laps; D. Patrick 1 time for 5 laps; B. Keselowski 1 time for 3 laps; K. Harvick 1 time for 3 laps; M. Kenseth 2 times for 2 laps; D. Hamlin 1 time for 2 laps; G. Biffle 1 time for 2 laps; J. Gordon 1 time for 2 laps; D. Ragan 1 time for 1 lap.

    Top 16 in Points: K. Harvick – 780; J. Logano – 734; D. Earnhardt Jr. – 717; J. Johnson – 713; M. Truex Jr. – 694; B. Keselowski – 681; M. Kenseth – 662; J. Mcmurray – 631; Kurt Busch – 620; J. Gordon – 617; D. Hamlin – 614; P. Menard – 591; R. Newman – 584; C. Bowyer – 574; K. Kahne – 559; C. Edwards – 553.