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Tag: Matt Kenseth

  • Joey Logano Puts the Moves on Mark Martin to Score Pocono Win

    [media-credit id=43 align=”alignright” width=”268″][/media-credit]At the newly-paved Pocono Raceway, young Joey Logano put the moves on veteran Mark Martin, literally, to score the race win. This was career win number two for the driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota and his first win of the season.

    With the victory, Logano became the youngest race winner at Pocono.

    “That feels awesome to finally win one the right way,” Logano said. “You don’t know how much this means.”

    “I knew my car was better than his and clean air was worth so much,” Logano said of his battle with Martin. “I didn’t want to get in the back of Mark there.”

    “I saw the bobble coming off 3 and I knew that was my chance,” Logano continued. “I would have been on suicide watch if I would have given it away like that.”

    Logano’s crew chief, Jason Ratcliff, got his first Sprint Cup win as well.

    “We were saving the best Gibbs car for last,” Jason Ratcliff said, with a chuckle. “To get my first win at Pocono is a great experience and to get it with Joey was the best.”

    “It was a great weekend for us.”

    In contrast to the youngest race winner, Mark Martin, one of the veterans of the sport and driver of the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota, came in second after being moved out of the way by the youngster.

    This was Martin’s second second place finish at Pocono, posting his 34th top-10 in 51 races at Pocono. It is his fifth top-10 finish of the season.

    “We were racing hard,” Mark Martin said. “I wanted to win it so bad.”

    “I’d call it a bump and run,” Martin said of Logano’s move. “It’s not how I would have done it.”

    “If I had a fast enough car, he would have gotten a return,” Martin continued. “It was a great race and I’m very, very proud of my race team for putting me in something that would give me a shot.”

    “Maybe next week, we’ll be the ones with the trophy.”

    Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet, finished third. This was Smoke’s 19th top-10 finish in 27 races at Pocono.

    “It was frustrating the first half of the race until guys got their cars better,” Stewart said. “You really just kind of got stuck and then it seems like the longer the race went, the easier it got to pass toward the end.”

    “The restarts were insane,” Smoke continued. “All in all, for a freshly paved track, it was a pretty good race.”

    The day started with a bang at the ‘Tricky Triangle’, with a record two cautions in the first 15 laps, on for an accident involving Landon Cassill, Martin Truex, Jr. and AJ Allmendinger and the second for an accident involving Reed Sorenson, Tony Raines, and JJ Yeley.

    “Sometimes when you try to take it easy, you get yourself in trouble,” Cassill, driver of the No. 83 Burger King/Real Fruit Smoothies said. “I really hate this.”

    “This is two tough weeks in a row and it’s tough on my guys.”

    One of the other drivers involved in the early race melee, AJ Allmendinger, was very slow in exiting his car after his on-track incident in his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge.

    “I’m not sure what happened,” Dinger said. “I think I blew a right front.”

    “I’m just a little sore, had the wind knocked out of me,” Allmendinger continued. “That might be one of the hardest hits I’ve had.”

    The other big story from the Pocono 400 presented by #NASCAR was the incredible number of speeding penalties, some entering but most exiting pit road. The final tally for pit road speeding penalties total was 22 and affected drivers from Jeff Gordon to Jeff Burton.

    “I was obviously being told by my crew chief that a lot of guys were getting busted in that last segment,” Stewart said. “We just made sure we were a little bit on the conservative side.”

    “It just shows the guys are pushing the envelope on it so close,” Smoke said. “But it makes you wonder if something was going on because a lot of guys got busted in the same spot.”

    The other news from Long Pond was that a new points leader emerged after the Pocono 400 presented by #NASCAR. With Greg Biffle’s 24th place finish, his teammate Matt Kenseth, who finished seventh, scored the top dog position.

    “It’s probably the best we’ve ever performed at Pocono,” the driver of the No. 17 Ford EcoBoost Fusion said. “That was the positive part because we went up there and led some laps under green and thought we were pretty competitive.”

    In typical Kenseth style, his comment on assuming the points lead was “It’s better than being second.”

    “But I’m kind of disappointed,” Kenseth continued. “I thought we had a shot to win under the right circumstances.”

    “Us and the 88 (Dale Earnhardt, Jr.) were pretty strong when we were out front and it just didn’t happen,” Kenseth said. “We’ll keep working on it, but I’m happy we got a decent finish and took over the point lead.”

    Unofficial Race Results
    Pocono 400, Pocono Raceway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/race.php?race=14
    =========================================
    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Points
    =========================================
    1 1 20 Joey Logano Toyota 48
    2 6 55 Mark Martin Toyota 43
    3 22 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 41
    4 24 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 40
    5 5 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 40
    6 16 15 Clint Bowyer Toyota 38
    7 14 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 38
    8 8 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 37
    9 3 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 35
    10 11 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 35
    11 2 99 Carl Edwards Ford 33
    12 18 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 32
    13 9 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 31
    14 21 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 30
    15 20 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 29
    16 7 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 28
    17 17 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 28
    18 31 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 26
    19 12 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 25
    20 23 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 24
    21 25 51 David Reutimann Chevrolet 23
    22 27 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 22
    23 36 38 David Gilliland Ford 22
    24 13 16 Greg Biffle Ford 21
    25 42 10 Dave Blaney Chevrolet 19
    26 37 93 Travis Kvapil Toyota 18
    27 34 34 David Ragan Ford 18
    28 29 43 Aric Almirola Ford 16
    29 10 5 Kasey Kahne Chevrolet 15
    30 4 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 14
    31 19 22 AJ Allmendinger Dodge 13
    32 40 36 Tony Raines Chevrolet 12
    33 43 33 Stephen Leicht * Chevrolet 11
    34 30 98 Michael McDowell Ford 10
    35 26 13 Casey Mears Ford 9
    36 32 249 J.J. Yeley Toyota 8
    37 33 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 0
    38 28 119 Mike Bliss Toyota 0
    39 39 74 Stacy Compton Chevrolet 5
    40 38 23 Scott Riggs Chevrolet 4
    41 41 32 Reed Sorenson Ford 0
    42 35 26 Josh Wise * Ford 3
    43 15 83 Landon Cassill Toyota 1
  • Surprising and Not Surprising: FedEx 400 Autism Speaks

    Surprising and Not Surprising: FedEx 400 Autism Speaks

    [media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]While it was not surprising that the Monster Mile lived up to its reputation, with a major wreck in the early laps of the FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks, here are some of the other surprises at the Monster Mile in Dover, Delaware.

    Surprising:  It was surprising just how serious race winner Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Madagascar Chevrolet, was able to be about his record-setting run at the Monster Mile as he sported his rainbow-colored Madagascar wig in Victory Lane.

    Johnson not only led 289 of the 400 laps for his seventh Monster Mile win, but he also tied the record of Richard Petty and Bobby Allison for most ever career wins at Dover International Speedway.

    “I’m just proud of this hair,” Johnson said. “The hair really brought some speed to the team.”

    “I’m never one that paid attention to stats,” Johnson said of his record-setting run. “I truthfully never thought I would be a guy that would build up any cool stats and here I am with some pretty cool stats, with legends of our sport and guys that I’ve looked up to.”

    “I’m very proud of the effort and I know it’s hard to give you a serious answer with this hair on right now, but am very proud of the seven wins here and to be in that elite company.”

    Not Surprising:  Kevin Harvick, behind the wheel of the No. 29 Jimmy Johns Chevrolet, was also happy in spite of have some pit road miscues and not quite closing the deal on the race win. Harvick came in second, his 10th top-10 finish in 23 races at the Monster Mile.

    “Yeah, we had a solid race,” Harvick said. “I made a mistake on pit road there and got us back to about 20th.”

    “The car was good enough to be able to drive back through the pack.”

    Surprising:  It was surprising that the two drivers named Jeff, both Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton, had strong race cars but continuing bad luck runs.

    Jeff Gordon, who has struggled all year in his No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet, was leading the race when he felt a tire going down. Jeff Burton on the other had had an engine fail in his No. 31 BB&T Chevrolet.

    “We definitely had a loose left rear,” Jeff Gordon said. “It didn’t go on right to begin with and the left-rear tire-changer knew that.”

    “And so when I started to complain about it, we knew that there might be an issue and there was,” Gordon continued. “So, in some ways we got fortunate today. I could have stayed out there and wrecked because it wasn’t really vibrating. It was getting real loose.”

    “Well, first of all, we had a good car today,” Jeff Burton said. “We had a solid top-10 car easy.”

    “We broke an engine here, but it just is what it is,” Burton continued. “The monkey is on us right now.”

    Not Surprising:  The equation of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. plus a Hendrick Motorsports race car equals consistency continued at the Monster Mile. The driver of the No. 88 AMP Energy/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet had yet another top five run, finishing fourth and moving to third in the point standings, just ten points out of the top spot.

    “We had a good car,” Junior said. “We had good speed.”

    “We are getting close and finishing good when we are not winning,” Junior continued. “It was a good day for us, a good points day.”

    Surprising:  It was surprising to see Kyle Busch out of the race, suffering engine failure in his No. 18 M&M’s Toyota. Busch finished an uncharacteristic 202 of the scheduled 400 laps and finished 29th.

    “Unfortunately, we had a valve spring break in the engine, which hit the pistons,” Busch said. “It’s real unfortunate.”

    “I hate it that we give a post-race interview this way, rather than finishing.”

    Not Surprising:   It was not surprising, however, to see the other Busch, big brother Kurt, self-destruct yet again. Kurt Busch incurred two pit road penalties and then also had an engine failure, finishing 24th in the No. 51 Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet.

    Worse yet, after the race, Busch was suspended for the upcoming race weekend at Pocono due to a verbal altercation with one of the NASCAR media corps, Bob Pockrass of Sporting News. His probation was also extended until the end of the year.

    “I accept NASCAR’s decision,” Busch said. “I put them in a box, they had to take action and it’s my fault for putting them in this position.”

    “I apologize for the comments I made to Bob Pockrass.”

    Surprising:  It was surprising that ‘Concrete’ Carl most certainly did not live up to his reputation at the Monster Mile. Edwards, driving the No. 99 Subway Ford, hit the wall on Lap 165, finishing 26th.

    “Our front right tire went flat,” Edwards said. “I don’t know exactly why.”

    “This is such a fun race track and the car was so good,” Edwards continued. “I am really frustrated our day got cut short.”

    Not Surprising:  Teammate Matt Kenseth had another solid run in his No. 17 Best Buy Ford to no one’s surprise. Kenseth finished third, posting his 18th top-10 finish in 27 races at Dover, and now sits just one point out of the top spot in the point standings.

    “Yeah, our finish was really good,” Kenseth said. “Our end result, can’t really complain about that.”

    “I am happy to come home third with a car that didn’t drive the way we wanted it to.”

    Surprising:  For the first time in a Sprint Cup car at the Monster Mile, Aric Almirola had a surprisingly good run. The driver of the No. 43 Jani-King/Smithfield Ford Fusion finished the race in the sixth position.

    “I would say that is pretty respectable for our first time here,” Almirola said. “It was a great day for everybody on this Jani-King Smithfield Ford.”

    “I am proud of everybody and we had a really good run.”

    Not Surprising:  It was not surprising that the biggest winners of the Monster Mile weekend were all of the children with autism and their families who got to not only attend the race but do so in a special area of the grandstands conducive to dealing with their challenges and where they could meet some of their NASCAR heroes.

    “I know that I really appreciate what Dover International Speedway and the Autism Speaks group does to host all the families for this event,” Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet and an autism spokesman, said. “I am just glad that I can do something to help this cause.”

     

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Dover

    [media-credit name=”Tammyrae Benscoter” align=”alignright” width=”260″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson dominated atDover, leading 289 laps, including the final 76, to win for the second time this year and capture his seventh victory at the Monster Mile. Johnson is fifth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 33 behind Greg Biffle.

    “I got a great start when we went green for the last time,” Johnson said, “and we left Kevin Harvick and the Jimmy Johns No. 29 in our wake. What’s the difference in ‘Jimmie Johnson’ and ‘Jimmy Johns?’ Three letters….’W-I-N.’

    “You may have seen wearing a multi-colored wig to promote Madagascar 3. Many sports fans see a colored wig and expect to see a ‘John 3:16’ sign. Not in this case. However, you may see a ‘Johnson 6:12’ sign, after a capture my sixth Cup title this year.”

    2. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished third in the Fed Ex 400, posting his eight top-10 result of the year. He has not finished outside the top 11th since a 16th atCalifornia and now trails Greg Biffle by only a single point in the standings.

    “Jimmie Johnson certainly was dominant,” Kenseth said, “even while wearing a silly wig. The funny thing is, he made everyone else look like a clown.”

    3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished fourth in the Fed Ex 400 atDoveron a stellar day for Hendrick Motorsports, as Jimmie Johnson’s win led the way for three HMS cars in the top 10. Earnhardt is now third in the point standings, ten behind Greg Biffle.

    “Doesn’t Jimmie look cool in a wig?” Earnhardt said. “If a narrow win is said to be by a ‘hair,’ then Jimmie’s margin of victory over Kevin Harvick must have been by a ‘wig.’

    “I can’t say I’m not jealous, because after 142 races without a win, I’m dying to ‘wig out’ myself.”

    4. Greg Biffle: Biffle finished 11th in the Fed Ex 400, just missing his ninth top-10 of the year. He narrowly remained atop the Sprint Cup point standings, ahead of Roush Fenway teammate Matt Kenseth by a single point.

    “Never underestimate the value of a single point,” Biffle said. “Carl Edwards never will.

    “I’m hanging on to the points lead by a thread. And, as Kurt Busch has said on countless occasions, “I sure hope I don’t lose it.”

    5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin led two early laps at Dover, but struggled with handling issues before coming home 18th. He dropped one place in the point standings to fourth, 22 out of first place.

    “Jimmie Johnson’s win was historic,” Hamlin said. “His sevenDoverwins tied him with Richard Petty and Bobby Allison. It was truly one for the books. And speaking of ‘books,’ just call Johnson the ‘Librarian,’ because he checked out on everyone.”

    6. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex finished a solid yet disappointing seventh atDover, posting his eighth top-10 result of the year. He remained sixth in the point standings, 45 out of first.

    “Jimmie Johnson whipped the field easily,” Truex said. “His lead was so big, he was able to celebrate early. I think that’s called a ‘whoopee cushion.’”

    7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick took the runner-up spot atDoverafter Jimmie Johnson ran away from the No. 29 Jimmy Johns Chevy on the final restart with 31 laps to go. It was Harvick’s second runner-up finish of the year as he continues to search for the season’s first win.

    “Close, but no cigar,” Harvick said. “But no worries. As an expectant father, I can at least expect one cigar this season.”

    8. Kyle Busch: Busch’s engine expired on lap 205, sending the No. 18 M&M’s Toyotato the garage with a 29th in the Fed Ex 400. Busch fell one place to 9th in the point standings, where he is 80 behind Greg Biffle.

    “What can you say?” Busch said. “I say the same thing about engine failure that my brother Kurt says about his emotions: ‘I have no control over it.’ Kurt is truly psychotic. His car number shouldn’t be ’51;’ it should be ‘5150.’”

    9. Tony Stewart: Stewart was collected in a lap 10 wreck that involved 12 cars and left his No. 14 Chevrolet with considerable damage. He limped home with a 25th-place finish and is now eighth in the point standings, 79 out of first.

    “Kurt Busch has been suspended for one race,” Stewart said. “And deservedly so. NASCAR had no recourse but to punish him. Kurt forced their hand, just like he did mine when I punched him.”

    10. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer led a strong Michael Waltrip Racing charge at Dover, finishing fifth, as teammates Martin Truex, Jr. and Mark Martin finished 7th and 14th, respectively. Bowyer improved two places to 10th in the Sprint Cup point standings, where he is 81 out of first.

    “You probably saw Ryan Newman nearly run over one of my crewmen,” Bowyer said. “And that was the only time during the race that the words ‘That was close!’ were uttered. It was a scary moment, almost as scary as Jimmie Johnson’s dominance.”

  • Jimmie Johnson Masters the Monster Mile; Monster Wreck Dominates Opening Laps

    Jimmie Johnson Masters the Monster Mile; Monster Wreck Dominates Opening Laps

    [media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]Jimmie Johnson, complete with his Madagascar No. 48 car and wig, mastered the Monster Mile for the seventh time, tying Bobby Allison and the King, Richard Petty, for the most career wins at Dover International Speedway.

    This was Johnson’s 57th victory in 376 Cup races and his second victory in 2012.

    “I’m just proud of this hair,” Johnson said, still rocking his Madagascar wig. “It brought some speed to the team.”

    “It was just a fun day,” Johnson continued. “We had a fast car and amazing pit stops.”

    “When you lead the most laps, sometimes it can backfire on a dominant car,” Johnson said. “It was a brand new race car so I’m just proud of the effort.”

    “The car was really good,” Chad Knaus, Johnson’s crew chief, said. “Jimmie’s the man here.”

    “He understands this race track and enjoys coming here,” Knaus continued. “We enjoy it as well.”

    Kevin Harvick, in the No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, was not able to live up to his ‘Closer’ moniker, but did finish in the runner up spot, maintaining his seventh position in the point standings. This was Harvick’s 18th top-10 finish at the Monster Mile.

    “The 48 just had us covered today,” Harvick said. “But all in all our Jimmy John’s guys did a good job.”

    “I made a mistake on pit road, but we had a car capable of making up positions and drive back through the pack,” Harvick continued. “We were able to keep up with the race track and that was the key to get in position to at least give ourselves a chance.”

    “We had a solid race.”

    The driver of the No. 17 Best Buy Ford, Matt Kenseth, came in third in the FedEx 400 Benefitting Autism Speaks. He remains second in the point standings, just one point behind his Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle.

    “We honestly struggled,” Kenseth said of his race. “But I’m happy to come home third in a car that didn’t drive the way we wanted it.”

    “I feel good about our points position obviously,” Kenseth continued. “But certainly, we know we have some work to do.”

    “I don’t think anyone could run with the 48 so we have some work to do.”

    Dale Earnhardt, Jr., behind the wheel of the No. 88 AMP Energy/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet, and Clint Bowyer, driving the No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota, rounded out the top five.

    “We needed a little more grip in the front end,” Junior said. “We had a good car though.”

    “We had a good run and a good points day,” Junior continued, moving up one spot to third in points, just ten back from the leader. “I want to congratulate Jimmie my teammate.”

    “It was a solid weekend,” Bowyer said. “I had a tough day on pit road, but we could battle back on restarts.”

    “I’m proud of the effort and MWR had good cars all weekend long.”

    The race was marred by a monstrous crash early in the race, in fact on Lap 9, involving thirteen cars. This was the most cars in a wreck to date in the 2012 season.

    Drivers from Regan Smith to Tony Stewart, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Landon Cassill, to name a few, were involved in the melee, which brought out the red flag for 19 min 54 seconds.

    “I actually didn’t even feel him (Tony Stewart) touch me,” Landon Cassill, driver of the No. 83 Burger King/Dr. Pepper Toyota, said. Cassill’s car bore the brunt of the multiple-car pileup.

    “I was just passed by the No. 1 (Jamie McMurray) and I was trying to dime in the corner a little bit more,” Cassill continued. “He (Stewart) was just barely there.”

    “Tony is one of the most patient drivers and especially in this part of the race,” Cassill said. “It’s just too bad that it tore up that many race cars.”

    Regan Smith, behind the wheel of the No. 78 Furniture Row/CSX Play It Safe Chevrolet, took responsibility for the wreck.

    “I know I got in the back of the 14 and spun him,” Smith said. “There’s a lot of wrecked race cars here and none of us like that, especially on Lap 9.”

    For Tony Stewart’s part, the driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet, said that it was a matter of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

    “As far back as we were, I didn’t have the luxury of being patient,” Smoke said. “It’s just a crappy weekend all around.”

    The mile was monstrous for the Busch brothers, with Kurt Busch, in the No. 51 Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet, having two pit road penalties and ultimately blowing his engine, and Kyle Busch having engine woes as well, which put him out of the race.

    Kurt Busch, who had had an altercation with Sporting News reporter Bob Pockrass after the Nationwide race again displayed his anger and frustration, asking his team at one point, “Anybody want to drive?”

    Kyle Busch, driving the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota, said that dropping a valve ended their day early in at the Monster Mile.

    “It’s real unfortunate,” Busch said. “We had a good car, we were running up front there. We were biding our time trying to see if we couldn’t keep up with the race track.”

    “I hate it that we give a post-race interview this way rather than finishing.”

    ‘Concrete Carl’ also had difficulties at the Monster Mile. Edwards, in his No. 99 Subway Ford, blew a tire and hit the wall hard on Lap 165.

    “Our front right tire went flat,” Edwards said. “It is so frustrating to have that good of a car.”

    “We will come back and get them in the fall.”

    The race at the Monster Mile also sported several engine failures, including Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, David Reutimann and Jeff Burton. This was more engine failures at Dover than in the last three races combined.

    “First of all we had a good car today,” Burton said of his No. 31 BB&T Chevrolet, which was running in the ninth position prior to the engine failure. “That’s the good thing.”

    “We broke an engine here, but the monkey is on us right now and it will get off one day,” Burton continued. “I’ve never quit anything in my life and I’m not going to quit this.”

    The Cup Series next moves from the Monster Mile to the recently repaved ‘Tricky Triangle’ at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, June 10th.

    Unofficial Race Results
    FedEx 400, Dover International Speedway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/race.php?race=13
    =========================================
    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Points
    =========================================
    1 2 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 48
    2 6 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 42
    3 5 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 42
    4 17 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 41
    5 4 15 Clint Bowyer Toyota 39
    6 12 43 Aric Almirola Ford 38
    7 18 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 37
    8 11 20 Joey Logano Toyota 36
    9 13 5 Kasey Kahne Chevrolet 35
    10 21 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 34
    11 7 16 Greg Biffle Ford 33
    12 16 2 Brad Keselowski Dodge 32
    13 14 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 32
    14 1 55 Mark Martin Toyota 31
    15 3 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 29
    16 23 22 AJ Allmendinger Dodge 28
    17 20 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 27
    18 10 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 27
    19 24 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 25
    20 22 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 24
    21 28 34 David Ragan Ford 24
    22 15 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 22
    23 42 93 Travis Kvapil Toyota 21
    24 9 51 Kurt Busch Chevrolet 20
    25 29 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 19
    26 19 99 Carl Edwards Ford 18
    27 26 78 Regan Smith Chevrolet 17
    28 31 42 Juan Montoya Chevrolet 16
    29 8 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 15
    30 38 32 Reed Sorenson Ford 0
    31 39 10 David Reutimann Chevrolet 13
    32 41 36 Dave Blaney Chevrolet 12
    33 32 30 David Stremme Toyota 11
    34 34 249 J.J. Yeley Toyota 10
    35 37 33 Stephen Leicht * Chevrolet 9
    36 36 119 Mike Bliss Toyota 0
    37 43 23 Scott Riggs Chevrolet 7
    38 27 83 Landon Cassill Toyota 6
    39 35 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 0
    40 30 38 David Gilliland Ford 4
    41 40 13 Casey Mears Ford 3
    42 33 98 Michael McDowell Ford 2
    43 25 179 Scott Speed Ford 1
  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

    [media-credit id=38 align=”alignright” width=”228″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: One week after winning the All-Star Race, Johnson saw a top-5 finish in the Coca Cola 600 slip away after he drug his gas man down pit road. The subsequent stop-and-go penalty left him with an 11th-place finish.

    “Usually,” Johnson said, “when someone gets taken for a ride, it’s NASCAR rules officials, and Chad Knaus is driving. This time, though, it was my fueler. And people thought I was ‘tanking’ in the All-Star Race.”

    2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished second at Charlotte, posting his second runner-up result in the last three races. He is up one spot to third in the Sprint Cup point standings, 16 behind Greg Biffle.

    “There was no catching Kasey Kahne,” Hamlin said. “He took off like a bat out of hell. At least that’s what Red Bull Racing said when Kahne’s obligations with them were up.

    “Now he’s in the No. 5 car at Hendrick Motorsports. I expect him to be there a long time. Only a fool would give up that ride. And I know fools. In fact, I work with one.”

    3. Greg Biffle: Biffle led 204 of 400 laps in the Coca Cola 600, but slowed late as track conditions cooled and Kasey Kahne took over the race. Biffle still finished fourth, his seventh top 5 of the year, and remained atop the point standings with a 10-point lead over Matt Kenseth.

    “I’ve held the lead in the point standings for months,” Biffle said. “Now, my supporters and my detractors are saying the same thing: ‘Biffle’s not going anywhere.’

    “We were unstoppable in the early stages. Then, like Carl Edwards in last year’s Chase, we couldn’t get t he job done in ‘prime time.’”

    4. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished a solid sixth at Charlotte, earning his  ninth top-10 result of the year. He is now fourth in the point standings, 18 behind points leader Greg Biffle.

    “My winless streak has reached 141 races,” Earnhardt said. “That means it’s been almost four years since I’ve tasted champagne. Junior Nation fans are so loyal, they’re still impressed with my performance, despite my lack of wins. They’re amazed than anyone can go that long without alcohol.

    “Regardless, I’m still the sport’s most popular driver. That makes me NASCAR’s ‘Mr. Congeniality.’ And, here at Hendrick Motorsports, home of ten championships and 201 victories, most of which aren’t mine, well, that makes me ‘Mr. Congratulatory.’”

    5. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished 10th at Charlotte, joining Roush Fenway teammates Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, who finished fourth and ninth, respectively, in the top 10. Kenseth remained second in the point standings, only 10 behind Biffle.

    “I finished 10th,” Kenseth said, “yet I was a lap down. I’ve been called a ‘non-factor’ before, usually in physical confrontations with other drivers, but this takes the cake.”

    6. Kasey Kahne: Kahne won his third Coca Cola 600, taking charge late and besting his closest pursuers easily to grasp his first win for Hendrick Motorsports. With top-9 finishes in his last six points races, Kahne is arguably the hottest driver in NASCAR.

    “That one win was a long-time coming,” Kahne said. “Mighty Kasey finally struck.

    “The No. 5 team is hot now, with a win to go along with six consecutive top-10 finishes. I think it will behoove people at Hendrick to be a little more specific when they say ‘It’s 5-time.’”

    7. Kyle Busch: Busch stayed hot with a third-place finish in the Coca Cola 600, and has now finished no worse than fourth in his last four points races. He improved one place to eighth in the Sprint Cup point standings, where he trails Greg Biffle by 62.

    “You can talk about the ‘old’ Kyle Busch and the ‘new’ Kyle Busch,” Busch said. “But really, what’s changed? Competitors are still irritated by my driving—they just don’t want to punch me for it. I think marriage has calmed me. I think it could do the same for my brother Kurt—-if he had 12 wives.

    “But a lot of people have noticed a difference, for the better, in me. Some of my rivals like to call it ‘chump change.’”

    8. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex finished one lap down, in 12th place, at Charlotte, as handling issues exacerbated by changing track conditions spelled trouble. He dropped one spot in the point standings to sixth, 49 out of first.

    “This was the fastest 600 in history,” Truex said. “And that can’t be good for television ratings, because it was the ‘least-watched’ race in history.

    “But it’s off to my favorite track,Dover, which is music to my ears, much like the sweet, soothing voice of Michael Waltrip.”

    9. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished eighth in the Coca Cola 600, scoring his sixth top-10 result of the year and second in a row. He is now seventh in the point standings, 55 out of first.

    “We’re by no means where we want to be,” Harvick said, “but that’s two-straight top-10 results. Slowly, but surely, we’re getting there. Even my wife DeLana keeps insisting, ‘Baby steps, Kevin. Baby steps.’”

    10. Tony Stewart: Stewart was knocked off the lead lap when he collided with Brad Keselowski on pit road midway through Sunday’s race. Stewart eventually finished 25th, three laps down.

    “I’m in the pits,” Stewart said, “and the next thing I know, I’m pointed in the wrong direction. Keselowski had an explanation for it, all right—it’s called the ‘Polish Pit Stop.’

    “But I’m not one to point fingers, unless they’re balled into a fist and hurled in the direction of an enemy.”

  • Edwards ‘passed a lot of cars’ while rallying for Charlotte top-10

    Edwards ‘passed a lot of cars’ while rallying for Charlotte top-10

    [media-credit id=38 align=”alignright” width=”242″][/media-credit]Carl Edwards was plenty thankful that Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway was the longest race of the year.

    Edwards and his No. 99 Fastenal team had to use that time to battle back from an early pit road miscue. In what could have been one hot, long and frustrating night, Edwards and company stayed calm, cool and collected to come back and finish ninth. It wasn’t lost on Edwards afterwards just how far he had come.

    “We passed a lot of cars,” he said. “I don’t know how many cars we passed, but we passed a bunch of them. I thought Greg [Biffle, teammate] was gonna get the win for Fastenal, that would have been really neat, but we struggled. We had that loose wheel. I think Matt [Kenseth, teammate] had a loose as well, so we’ll have to figure out what was going on there.

    “And then at the end I got in a line of cars and everybody’s cars were pretty fast so it was hard to make up any ground. I thought we had a shot at winning early in the race because we were really fast. We had a lot of troops here and a lot of folks being honored and hopefully we put on a good show for them.”

    If anything Edwards put on a show for his team and fans. After pitting on lap 149 for a loose wheel he fell one lap down and ran 33rd. With caution flags few and far between, Edwards was unable to find himself in the lucky dog position until right before halfway.

    While he would never make it to the lead, Edwards found himself back in contention with 100 laps to go. But as he watched Biffle lead the most laps, Edwards fought to find the right balance for his car. Yet, he continued to march through the field and into the top-10.

    “Truly, I don’t think anymore passed more cars,” said Edwards about his progress under green flag conditions. “We went from 28th to somewhere around 12th and then went all the way back to 32nd or 33rd, and then got all the way back up to ninth. People say we can’t pass, we can pass but we needed 700 miles or 800 miles.”

    But the race’s 600 miles were just enough. Kasey Kahne earned his first win of the season, something Edwards said was hard earned. He on the other hand is still searching for his first win since Las Vegas in March of 2011.

    Sunday night was a good run for the team, who are trying to not let the disappointment of last year’s Chase loss hang over their heads. Some call it the second place curse, and when comparing how Edwards ran in 2011 to how he’s currently running, there might be something to it.

    He’s not as dominant as he once was. But he’s not as bad as he could be. There’s just still room for improvement. All three Roush-Fenway cars finished in the top 10 on Sunday and Edwards saw how fast his teammates were and how fast he should be. It makes his finish “hard to swallow.”

    Even more so since Biffle and Kenseth have already won races this season and sit first and second in points. According to Edwards they need to figure out how to make his car go that fast.

    Edwards remains 10th in points after picking up his eighth top-10 finish of the season. Edwards will take it but he wants more. The strength of his team was tested during the year’s longest race, and they passed with flying colors.

    Now it’s a matter of closing the deal and there will be plenty of opportunities ahead. Edwards has won at each of the next three tracks on the schedule.

    “I was pleased with one or two runs in the middle of that race,” Edwards said when asked if he was happy. “I thought, ‘OK, this is it. We’re back to top form here,’ and then for some reason at the end the balance wasn’t as good, so I think we have some things to work on.

    “But our whole Roush Fenway team showed a lot of strength. I think the Fords taking the front row in qualifying was great. Greg led the most laps, it appeared to me. Every time I looked at the scoreboard I was jealous of him, but I hope we can go to Dover and get that win.

    “There couldn’t be a better track coming up than Dover.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished sixth at Darlington, posting his seventh top 10 of the year. He is second in the Sprint Cup point standings, and now trails leader Greg Biffle by two points.

    “Once again,” Kenseth said, “the cowardly actions of Kurt Busch have overshadowed an exciting and historic night at Darlington. Bojangles picked the right race to sponsor. They’re a lot like Kurt Busch—they both specialize in ‘chicken.’”

    2. Greg Biffle: Biffle started on the pole at Darlington, and dominated the first third of the race before handling issues arose due to changing track conditions. He maintained the lead in the points position and leads Matt Kenseth by two.

    “I’ve held the points lead for a long time,” Biffle said. “And I plan on battling to keep it. Say what you will about me, but don’t compare me to Kurt Busch, because I won’t go down without a fight.”

    3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin led 56 laps in the Southern 500, and sped by Tony Stewart on the final restart to claim the runner-up spot to Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin held on to fourth in the point standings and is 17 behind Greg Biffle.

    “I had my firesuit signed by the great Cale Yarborough,” Hamlin said. “Now I can say I’m just like Jimmie Johnson: I’ve got the name of a Sprint Cup champion on my suit.”

    4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson led a race-high 134 laps in the Southern 500 and controlled the final third of the race. After speeding away on the final restart, Johnson had his first win of the season, as well as Hendrick Motorsports’ 200th win.

    “In addition to giving Rick Hendrick his 200th win,” Johnson said, “I also broke a 16-race winless streak with the victory. That’s called ‘killing two birds with one stone.’ This year, it seems I’m the only driver at Hendrick capable of ‘throwing’ a stone.”

    5. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished 17th at Darlington, his first finish outside the top 10 in seven races. He remained third in the Sprint Cup point standings, 14 out of first.

    “Congratulations to all at Hendrick Motorsports on their 200th win,” Earnhardt said. “I can call myself part of a winning team for the first time in years.”

    6. Tony Stewart: Stewart battled back from clutch troubles to compete for the win at Darlington. But a sub par restart on the green-white-checkered finished relegated him to a solid third-place finish. He is seventh in the point standings, 42 out of first.

    “Indeed,” Stewart said, “we had serious clutch problems. That pales in comparison to the plight of Carl Edwards. He experienced ‘clutch’ problems in all ten races of the Chase last year.

    “I hear the teams of Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch had to be separated after the race. If I were feuding with Busch, everyone knows the only things needing separation would be my hand and Kurt’s face.”

    7. Martin Truex, Jr.: After struggling at Richmond and Talladega, Truex rebounded with a fifth in the Bojangles’ Southern 500, posting his fourth top-5 result of the year. He is tied for fifth in the point standings, 39 out of first.

    “Michael Waltrip said Darlington Raceway is probably the most intimidating track on the NASCAR circuit,” Truex said. “But hearing that said in Waltrip’s silky, effeminate voice quelled my trepidations. Michael puts the ‘lady’ in ‘Lady In Black.’

    “’The Lady In Black’ wasn’t the only lady in Darlington. Danica Patrick was there. She’s ‘The Lady In Red,’ after finishing six laps in the hole.”

    8. Kyle Busch: Busch recorded his third consecutive top-4 finish, posting a fourth at Darlington. After a slow start to the season, Busch is up to ninth in the point standings, where he trails Greg Biffle by 62.

    “I may be the hottest driver in NASCAR right now,” Busch said, “but I doubt anyone’s aware of that. I know it seems impossible, but a Busch brother can do something quietly.

    “My older and less-wiser brother Kurt was involved in a confrontation with Ryan Newman’s team after Kurt spun his tires through Newman’s pit stall.

    Newman attributed Kurt’s actions to a ‘chemical imbalance.’ That’s an astute observation. Kurt often loses his balance, often after being slapped in the face.”

    9. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished seventh in the Southern 500, earning his seventh top-10 result of the year. He is now 10th in the point standings, 74 out of first.

    “Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth are 1-2 in the point standings,” Edwards said, “while good old Cousin Carl well behind in seventh. I guess that makes me a ‘distant’ cousin.”

    10. Kevin Harvick: Harvick was not a factor at Darlington, finishing 16th in the Bojangles’ Southern 500. Harvick has only two top 10’s in the last five races, and hasn’t won since September of 2011.

    “I don’t know who’s more ‘due,’” Harvick said. “Me or my wife. I just know I bitch less about it.

    “In any case, Darlington is one tough track. Not only is it hard to drive there, it’s near impossible to get your hands on a Busch brother there as well. Whether they finish the race or not, the Kyle and Kurt are always classified in the race results as ‘running.’”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Darlington Bojangles Southern 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Darlington Bojangles Southern 500

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”224″][/media-credit]With the NASCAR moms getting the race started with the command, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 63rd annual Bojangles’ Southern 500.

    Surprising:  Only one of three women to compete at historic Darlington, Danica Patrick achieved her goal of finishing the race.

    And although the driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet finished 31st, she surprisingly finished better than at least one veteran driver, Jeff Gordon, whose bad luck, this time tire trouble and mechanical failure, continued to plague him yet again.

    “I know I didn’t have a great result, but I accomplished all the things I wanted to accomplish,” Patrick said. “My goals were to be respectable out there and I think I held my own all right.”

    “I earned my stripes anyway.”

    Not Surprising:  As he took in the moment of celebrating his 200th win with his driver Jimmie Johnson, it was no surprise that Mr. Hendrick twice paid tribute to those that were lost in the plane crash and who helped build the team to have achieved that milestone.

    “I had to get away,” Hendrick said. “They said that we were going to make it (on fuel), but I don’t believe them, you know?”

    “I’m kind of numb, but I’m glad it’s over,” Hendrick continued. “I think we’re going to win a few more now.”

    In fact, Hendrick whispered that plan to the driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet in Victory Lane as he bear hugged him several times.

    “You’ve got to love that man,” Johnson said of his boss Mr. H. “He said,’ Two hundred is great, but let’s go get 250.’ So, that tells you where his head is.”

    “Oh, man, what a day,” Johnson said simply.

    The 200th victory for Hendrick Motorsports makes them only the second team, next to Petty Enterprises with 268 wins, to accomplish such a milestone.

    Surprising:  It was certainly surprising to see so few cautions at the beginning of the race on a track whose moniker is ‘Too Tough to Tame.’

    In fact, the yellow flag did not fly for the first 172 laps in Bojangles’ Southern 500, allowing the drivers to make three green-flag pit stop cycles in that run.

    Not Surprising:  As is so often the case, it was not surprising that the last caution, late in the race to set up the green-white-checkered finish, set off some sparks.

    The melee started when Kurt Busch, behind the wheel of the underfunded No. 51 Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet hit the wall, which caused Ryan Newman, in the No. 39 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet, to not only check up but get turned into the wall by Aric Almirola, in his No. 43 Verifone Sail Ford.

    After the race, Newman and Busch had a confrontation, as did some of their crew members. But all was resolved, especially after intervention by the NASCAR officials.

    “It’s crazy,” Tony Gibson, Newman’s crew chief, said. “Things happen and everybody’s emotions run high.”

    “It’s a hot night,” Gibson continued. “Everybody settled down and talked about it. We’re all good.”

    Newman put it more simply, “It all went bad there at the end.”

    Surprising:  The Dodge team had a surprisingly rough night at the historic track, with both drivers encountering their own struggles. Brad Keselowski, in the Blue Deuce, battled back to score a 15th place finish, while A.J. Allmendinger, in the battered No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge, finished 33rd.

    “I think we had a top-15 Dodge; I just tore it up early in the run,” Keselowski said. “I got loose and hit the wall pretty good.”

    “We just struggled all night going from one extreme to the other, from so tight to just wicked loose,” Allmendinger said. “We could never find a happy medium.”

    “The car was just a handful all night.”

    Not Surprising:   The Toyota drivers had a surprisingly good evening with the ‘Lady in Black’, especially since the majority of them scored in the top-10 finishing order. Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota, finished second to earn the status of highest-finishing Toyota driver.

    Kyle Busch, in the No. 18 Wrigley’s Doublemint Toyota, finished fourth with Martin Truex, Jr., in the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, in fifth. The driver of the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota, Joey Logano, rounded out the top-ten for the manufacturer.

    “It was a good day for our Sport Clips Toyota,” Hamlin said. “We just didn’t have quite the winning car today.”

    “We wanted to win the Southern 500, but second isn’t too bad.”

    Surprising:  Tony Stewart, reigning Champion, surprisingly still has not tamed that Darlington track, which is one of two where Smoke has not won. The driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet came close, however, scoring a hard-fought third place finish, his best ever at the storied 1.366 mile oval.

    As with several drivers, Stewart battled fuel mileage at the end. But he had the added complexity of a clutch problem as well, making re-starts a challenge.

    “I broke the clutch with about 85 (laps) to go there,” Stewart said. “And the fuel pressure light was blinking when we got the one-to-go signal.”

    “We just got better as the night went on,” Smoke continued. “We weren’t good enough to win the race but I’m still pretty happy to come out of here with a third tonight.”

    Not Surprising:  The Fords ran steady and consistent at Darlington, to no one’s surprise especially with the Ford of Greg Biffle scoring the pole for the evening. Matt Kenseth’s No. 17 Zestfully Clean Ford, finished sixth, with Carl Edwards, in the No. 99 EcoBoost Ford, finishing 7th.

    Marcos Ambrose, in his No. 9 DeWalt Ford, overcame adversity and damage to finish 9th and pole sitter Biffle brought his No. 16 Ford to the checkered flag in the 12th spot.

    Although the good run of team Blue Oval is not surprising, Marcos Ambrose’ post-race comments were most surprising. When asked where he came from after being two laps down to finish top-ten, the Aussie said, “I came from Mars.”

    “At Lap 200, I was about ready to hang myself and by Lap 260, I was ready to go to the front and show the boys what I had.”

    “I re-entered orbit around Lap 260 and the last 80 laps were a lot of fun.”

    “Our team didn’t give up.” Ambrose said. “It was just a good night for us.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”266″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth led with one lap to go at Talladega, but was passed by Brad Keselowski, benefitting from a huge push from Kyle Busch. Kenseth settled for third, and advanced one place in the point standings to second, seven behind Greg Biffle.

    “My first thought was to say ‘Where’s the Biff?’” Kenseth said. “I didn’t mean to leave Biffle. Ask Carl Edwards. He’ll tell you that usually when I run away from a teammate, it’s on purpose.

    “I just got too far out in front. That’s how it goes when you’re leading the field at Talladega. If you check out on the field, you better be ready to check up on the field. I was like my own debris caution.”

    2. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished ninth at Talladega, unable to muster the momentum needed for a late-race surge towards the front. He dropped one spot to third in the Sprint Cup point standings and trails Greg Biffle by nine. Earnhardt’s winless streak now stands at 139.

    “The No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet was fast,” Earnhardt said, “but not fast enough to win. That’s been a familiar refrain for me lately. I hate to repeat myself, and that’s sad, because I’m getting pretty good at it.”

    3. Greg Biffle: Biffle posted a solid fifth in the Aaron’s 499, leading 15 laps and running near the front for much of the day. On the green-white-checkered finish, Biffle pushed Matt Kenseth to a sizeable lead, but Biffle’s No. 16 couldn’t keep pace with Kenseth’s No. 17. With their draft connection lost, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch passed the Roush Fenway duo.

    “Keselowski and Busch just blew us away,” Biffle said. “The ‘friends with benefits’ were outdone by the ‘enemies with benefits.’

    “But I’m still on top of the Sprint Cup point standings. At least we know one Roush Fenway driver can hold a lead.”

    4. Kyle Busch: With one lap to go in the Aaron’s 499, Busch was in the driver’s seat, in second place, trailing race leader Brad Keselowski. But Busch never got close enough to even attempt a race-winning move, and settled for the runner-up spot. Busch moved up two spots to ninth in the point standings, 70 out of first.

    “I had Keselowski,” Busch said, “right where I wanted him. But he outsmarted me. In other words, he had me. But I’m not upset. This made me a complete driver. Now, I can say I’ve been ‘schooled’ for going too fast, and ‘schooled’ for going too slow.”

    5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski, with a strong push from draft partner Kyle Busch, surged into the lead with a lap to go at Talladega, zooming past the Roush Fenway duo of Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle. Keselowski held off Busch and won for the second time this year, and second career victory in the Talladega spring race.

    “I got a big push from Kyle,” Keselowski said. “I’ll reiterate what I said at Bristol some years back: ‘Kyle Busch is an ass…..et.’ I’m not sure if Kyle follows me on Twitter, but he definitely follows me on asphalt. That’s two second place finishes for Busch for the weekend. Apparently, M&M’s melt in your hands, and under pressure.

    “It was an extremely satisfying win for me. Not only did I win the race, but I was able to tweet from Victory Lane for the second time this year. Call it a ‘re-Tweet.’”

    6. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin was fast all day at Talladega, and was prepared to make a charge after a restart on lap 192. Hamlin’s dive to the middle lane was cut off by a block from A.J. Almendinger, and the contact knocked Hamlin out of the race. He finished 23rd, and fell one place in the points to fourth, 27 out of first.

    “I got dinged by the ‘Dinger,’” Hamlin said. “But that’s just the nature of racing at Talladega. You race all day, waiting for the ‘Big One.’ And, when it happens, you can usually blame the ‘Biggest One.’

    “Trust me. I’d like nothing more than to seek revenge. But I can’t afford the penalty that is sure to follow. Therein lies the ‘Catch-22’ of catching 22.”

    7. Tony Stewart: Stewart ended a frustrating day at Talladega with a 24th in the Aaron’s 499, as Stewart-Haas teammate Ryan Newman finished 36th. Newman suffered early engine trouble, while Stewart was KO’d in a nine-car wreck four laps from the finish.

    “You probably heard about my tongue-in-cheek assessment of the racing at Talladega,” Stewart said. “That’s just my way of keeping my ‘tongue-in-check.’ For those too ignorant to understand sarcasm, call it Talladega Spites: The Ballyhoo Of Tony Stewart.”

    8. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex was collected in a lap 142 pileup started when Dave Blaney and Aric Almirola made contact. Truex’s No. 55 Toyota slammed into Jeff Gordon’s No. 24, ending the day for both. Truex fell one spot to sixth in the points, and trails Greg Biffle by 46.

    “The No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota was running well,” Truex said. “Then, it all came crashing down. NAPA ‘know how’ suddenly became NAPA ‘no how.’”

    9. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson suffered a broken oil pump that sent him to the garage just 61 laps into the Aaron’s 499. He finished 35th and fell two places in the Sprint Cup point standings, 54 out of first.

    “We certainly don’t look like 5-time champions,” Johnson said. “Then again, who does?

    “I watched the rest of the race from Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s pit box. It’s quite a view from up there. You can see for miles, and somewhere in the distance, there’s a win on the horizon.”

    10. Kevin Harvick: Harvick was caught in a lap 184 wreck that left his No. 29 Rheem Chevrolet unable to continue. He finished a disappointing 25th and is now fifth in the point standings, 45 out of first.

    “We led one lap,” Harvick said, “so the car went from the front of the field to the back of the garage. Appropriately, with Rheem as our primary sponsor, we ran hot and cold.

    “Brad Keselowski drove a heck of a race. He kept Kyle Busch behind him. Last year at Darlington, I couldn’t keep Busch in front of me.”

  • Penske sticking with Keselowski: ‘I wouldn’t trade him for anybody’

    Penske sticking with Keselowski: ‘I wouldn’t trade him for anybody’

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Roger Penske has won a lot of races with many different drivers over the course of his NASCAR career. He’s had some of the best drivers in the sport drive his cars, represent his company and become big stars.

    But Sunday afternoon when Brad Keselowski won at the Talladega Superspeedway, driving Penske and Miller Lite’s famous blue deuce, it was almost as if ‘The Captain’ was going through the motions for the very first time.

    Keselowski, the 28-year-old Michigan native who’s in just his third NSCS season, delivered Penske his first win at Talladega and the first win for Dodge at the track since August of 1976. It’s why afterwards Penske was calling Keselowski, the 2010 Nationwide Series champion and six-time winner in the NSCS, a world-class driver among other things.

    “I’d say that you certainly become a student of the game,” Penske said of Keselowski. “The fact that he slowed down there at the beginning to get Kyle [Busch] on that restart so they could get a run, then pulling on the outside of [Matt] Kenseth was amazing. Obviously with the moment, he was to pull it off.

    “Kurt [Busch] does a great job, [Ryan] Newman is a great race, Rusty [Wallace]. If you look at the rules today, I would say he [Keselowski] ran a perfect race. He ran the bottom lane all day. When it was time to go, he had it figured out. For me, that’s what we hire these guys for, so it was a good job.”

    Amazing and world-class were the two adjectives Penske used to many times describe Keselowski, who now sits 12th in points and looks to be a sure-fire lock for the Chase thanks to the wildcard format.

    The win marked the second time Keselowski has visited Victory Lane in the still early 2012 season. It’s what has Penske looking toward the future and what else Keselowski might be able to accomplish, like helping him break through and win his first championship.

    “I think he’s matured a lot,” said Penske. “He’s been a tremendous asset to the team, not just for Brad Keselowski, for Penske Racing. You can see when he comes in the shop; he’s spending a lot of time. I wouldn’t trade him for anybody right now.

    “He came to me before he went to work for us, he said, I’d like to come to Penske Racing and help build a winning Cup team. He’s certainly demonstrated that from the driving ability. His chemistry with Paul Wolfe and that whole team has made a difference.

    “That is not about the driver, the car, the sponsor, it’s about the whole team. He’s the real package. What we’re trying to do is give him everything we can to make him a winner. Obviously, one of the goals in my life is to sit up on that stage in New York or Las Vegas and I think he’s the guy that can make it happen this year, hopefully.”

    The team owner’s praise for Keselowski did come from win bias. It was true, genuine and steams from the praise and belief that Keselowski has for him. If there’s no other driver for Penske, there’s no other owner for Keselowski.

    Late last season he spoke about why he came to work for Penske, citing the man’s ethics, integrity and love of the sport. He knows that being surrounded by someone like Penske is the best thing for him and the goals he would like to accomplish.

    Winning at Talladega was another step in the right direction. And according to Penske it all happened because Keselowski already had a winner’s attitude and because his best attribute is being a team player, helping everyone around him become better as well.

    The move Keselowski made coming out of turn four to pull away from Busch and set sail for the finish line wasn’t a surprise to Penske because he knows how methodical and hardworking his driver is. Had it not been for Keselowski spending as much time behind the wheel, running the NNS program for Penske that might not have happened.

    Racing on Saturday’s helps him learn for Sunday’s. And where Penske’s looking for Keselowski to finally bring him to the promise land, Keselowski’s eager to meet that challenge and make it happen sooner rather than later.

    “It’s a large part of the reason why I came here to drive for him,” said Keselowski. “I want to be that first guy. I feel like he’s dedicated to making that happen. I look at some of the other elite car owners in the sport, and I don’t want this to be offensive, but to win another Cup championship for Hendrick or Richard Childress is not the same as winning the first for Roger Penske.

    “That’s a whole different accomplishment. I think he’s certainly paid his dues in this sport, has that reputation, as a titan for a reason, and that is that he can get it done. I want to be the guy that proves it in the record books.”

    Penske certainly wouldn’t take it for granted, just as he doesn’t take Keselowski for granted. He’s the complete package: winner, a fan favorite, sponsor friendly and most importantly, in a Penske Racing Dodge.

    “When I look for a driver, I think the first thing we look at is does he know how to win races?” said Penske. “Brad obviously had that attribute when he came with us … He could have raced for other people. He came with us. At that point he said, I want to help you attract the best people.

    “I said that to Paul [Wolfe, crew chief]. If the driver helps you attract the best people, a crew chief like Paul, you get stronger and stronger. I saw a driver that could win, one that was committed to the team, not just himself, and he has been good with all our sponsors. That’s the third element, you have to have, someone that is key from a commercial standpoint.

    “When you put that all together, I wouldn’t trade him for anybody on the grid.”