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Tag: Rodney Childers

  • Hot 20 – Smokey just tagged the Bandit to make Phoenix a lot more interesting

    Hot 20 – Smokey just tagged the Bandit to make Phoenix a lot more interesting

    If NASCAR was a certain 1977 hit movie, you could say that Sheriff Buford T. Justice finally got his hands on the Bandit. It might not have derailed the adventure, but there is a danger the Snowman might not be able to deliver that truckload of suds to their destination on time.

    That quest could be spoiled by spoilers. Specifically, NASCAR tagged the team of Kevin Harvick with a top drawer penalty violating the rules that explicitly points out that spoilers must be used exactly as supplied from the manufacturer and not altered. Instead of getting that free pass to contend at Homestead, the boys are just three points in.

    Gone are all the benefits of the win at Texas. No free pass, though Harvick does keep the guns and the hat. Gone are 40 of the sixty points he picked up in that race. Gone is crew chief Rodney Childers for the rest of the season. Gone is $75,000 from Childers’ pocket. Gone is car chief Robert Smith until the campaign is over. Stewart-Haas Racing will not appeal the penalties, as production manager Tony Gibson returns to the box he last sat atop a year ago, when he directed Kurt Busch to the 2017 Daytona 500 victory. With the decision, Busch now finds himself just three points out of the Homestead final four.

    Post-race tear downs at the NASCAR Research and Development Center can be a real bitch. Ryan Blaney lost 20 points from Texas, along with crew chief Jeremy Bullins, who was fined $50,000, and car chief Kirk Almquist for the rest of the season. Same goes for Erik Jones, as crew chief Chris Gayle coughs up the same amount of cash and he joins car chief Jason Overstreet on the sidelines until the smoke clears in Florida.

    Of course, neither of those rulings have anywhere close to the same impact as the hit taken by the No. 4 crew. It could all still end the same way most expect, with Logano joined by the Big Three at the big dance. Now, however, it will take a little more action before this movie runs the final credits.

    In the words of Sheriff Justice, “What we’re dealing with here is a complete lack of respect for the law.” Well, message delivered.

    Now it is time for the Bandit to keep his foot hard on the peddle, son, never mind them brakes. Let it all hang out ’cause you’ve got a run to make. Phoenix just got a lot more interesting.

    1. JOEY LOGANO – ROUND VICTORY – 4119 Pts (7 Wins)
    Shell Pennzoil is his Phoenix sponsor. At Homestead, maybe it should be Target.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 4128 POINTS (7 Wins)
    Nothing has changed for him, other than there are now three opens spots instead of just two.

    3. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 4125 POINTS (4 Wins)
    Do not expect him to go down this week without having vengeance in his heart for the next.

    4. KEVIN HARVICK – 4103 Pts (8 Wins)
    A nine-time Phoenix winner suddenly could sure use a 10th about now.

    5. KURT BUSCH – 4100 POINTS (1 Win)
    Would hate to break his brother’s heart but as for those other two…

    6. CHASE ELLIOTT – 4086 POINTS (3 Wins)
    Phoenix has been kind to him in the past. She needs to be downright romantic on Sunday.

    7. ARIC ALMIROLA – 4068 POINTS (1 Win)
    His schedule reads, “Win this week or destroy Logano next week.” Not sure about the word “or.”

    8. CLINT BOWYER – 4052 POINTS (2 Wins)
    If anyone needed a tinkered spoiler last week, it was him.

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 2263 POINTS (1 Win)
    I am not sure if being in danger of dropping to 10th in the standings is that big a deal.

    10. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2259 POINTS (3 Wins)
    The Miller Lite Ford will look a lot like a giant pysanka this weekend.

    11. DENNY HAMLIN – 2220 POINTS
    Well, Texas sure sucked.

    12. KYLE LARSON – 2211 POINTS
    Tires. If Fred Flintstone ran Goodyear things might have gone differently.

    13. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2195 POINTS
    Sometimes Jimmie screws up. Sometimes it is Chad. In Texas, it was all NASCAR.

    14. ALEX BOWMAN – 2187 POINTS
    A Tucson boy returns to Arizona.

    15. ERIK JONES – 2184 POINTS (1 Win)
    He probably would prefer to lose those 20 points rather than $50,000.

    16. AUSTIN DILLON – 2184 POINTS (1 Win)
    The winless streak has now reached 34.

    17. RYAN NEWMAN – 721 POINTS
    Are we done yet?

    18. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 676 POINTS
    You could say that Stenhouse was in the eighth fastest unpenalized car at Texas.

    19. PAUL MENARD – 672 POINTS
    Does not exactly have the biggest social media footprint.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 666 POINTS
    Still nothing set for 2019.

  • Harvick’s victory at Texas ruled “encumbered”

    Harvick’s victory at Texas ruled “encumbered”

    It turns out that Kevin Harvick isn’t locked into Homestead after all.

    The No. 4 team was handed an L1 Penalty, after it was discovered that the spoiler on Harvick’s race-winning car from this past Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway violated NASCAR regulations. As outlined in Section 20.4.12 a & b of the NASCAR Rule Book, “Vehicle spoiler must conform to the CAD file and drawing. Spoilers must be used exactly as supplied from the manufacturer.”

    As a result, the team has been assessed with the loss of 40 driver points and 40 owner points. The win can’t be used to advance Harvick into the championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    He enters Phoenix fourth in points, three points above the cutline.

    Crew chief Rodney Childers has been fined $75,000 and suspended from the next two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship points events. Car chief Robert Smith has been suspended from the next two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship points events.

    Stewart-Haas Racing won’t appeal the penalty, and Tony Gibson will man the No. 4 war wagon for the final two races of the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.

    NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Scott Miller issued the following statement: “It is not our desire to issue any penalties, but will do so when necessary to ensure each race and championship is contested on a level playing field.”

    The No. 12 (Door Front Crush Panel) and No. 20 (Package Tray) team’s were also issued L1 Penalties. Both were assessed 20-point penalties. Both team’s crew chiefs were fined $50,000 and suspended for the next two races. Both team’s car chiefs were suspended for the next two races.

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  • The Final Word – Kevin Harvick dominated the race at Michigan, Keelan dominated after that

    The Final Word – Kevin Harvick dominated the race at Michigan, Keelan dominated after that

    Domination and elimination was the story from Michigan on Sunday afternoon. Kevin Harvick dominated and eliminated everyone else from view. He dominated the opening stage. He overcame another pit road miscue that cost him five spots between stages, but he eliminated the danger to come back to claim that, too. As for the money run, he cashed in big time to eliminate everyone else from the storyline. Well, everyone but one. I’ll get to him in a moment.

    Denny Hamlin started on the pole, but he was eliminated from our consciousness despite finishing eighth. Kyle Busch was beside him at the start, but he did not matter for the most part despite finishing third. Harvick at least was gracious enough to allow both of his main rivals some cameo time up front. Martin Truex Jr. seemed eliminated only to rise again and then get stomped right back down. William Byron spun him out in the opening stage. Truex came back, led a bit but ran out of fuel near the end of the second. He came in while the pits were closed for a penalty. A tire was left unattended, and he got tagged with another. Truex finished 14th.

    In the middle frame, Chase Elliott was eliminated from contention when he had to come in early due to a loose tire. He finished ninth. Kyle Larson also had a tire issue and he also had to pit early. That helped eliminate him from contention, wrapping up the day in 17th. For Erik Jones, it was one damn thing after another. A spin early in the opening stage, only to get spun by Ryan Blaney in the second, and he came home in 13th.

    Brad Keselowski finished second, but few noticed. Austin Dillon did get noticed, having his first quality result since winning the Daytona 500. He picked up a flat tire on the final lap, yet still brought the car across the line in fourth. At least somebody other than someone named Harvick had a notable day.

    Harvick won his seventh of the season, the 44th of his career to tie Bill Elliott on the all-time list, yet even he got eliminated from consideration as the most talked about Harvick out there. When it came to post-race activities, it was six-year-old Keelan Harvick who dominated.

    Dad might have tons of charisma, but the son won in that category walking away. Literally. With the winning car parked on the finish line, Keelan was brought out to walk across the track to fetch the checkered flag. Then Dad put the lad on the passenger side of the car and, with the boy waving the checkers out the window, they drove together to Victory Lane. When the suds were done being splashed, Keelan was taken out of the car and handed a bottle of water to celebrate. He did, splashing dad’s public relations guy Josh Jones from stem to stern, much to the delight of Kevin’s crew chief Rodney Childers and all those watching, including young Keelan himself. Dad won the race, the son continued to win our hearts.

    It was a race to watch, again thanks to NBC. The commentary, the chemistry, the insight, and the pure entertainment value kept us watching the action. It was a single groove track, with the outside lane dominating the inside except for those rare moments when a bit of side drafting before diving down in the corners allowed for a pass. It was a single car event, with a few cameos to at least give the false hope the others might compete against the most dominant car on the day. It ended with a father and a son sharing some life-long memories and sharing those moments with us.

    On a day when outside my window it poured rain all day, Kevin and Keelan Harvick and NBC provided some much-appreciated sunshine. It was a broadcast that made my Sunday all that more joyful for having just been a part of it.

    Now, off to Bristol for a Saturday night of bumping and banging under the lights. There is no question as to what my plans will be.

  • Hot 20 – Harvick hit by penalties heading to Phoenix, but they do not much matter

    Hot 20 – Harvick hit by penalties heading to Phoenix, but they do not much matter

    The damndest thing happened right after I submitted this for publication. The penalties came down after Las Vegas. Kevin Harvick’s team got hit. Hard. Talk about having to go back to the drawing..er..keyboard.

    So, what did they do? Well, according to NASCAR.com, “The team was found to have violated Sections 20.4.8.1 (dealing with rear window support) and 20.4.18 (rocker panel extensions), specifically. A brace that supports the rear window failed and did not meet specifications for keeping the rear window glass rigid in all directions, at all times. Additionally, the rocker panel extension was not aluminum.”

    So, though they no longer use the term, the win is encumbered. If you find the term too confusing, buy a dictionary. Crew chief Rodney Childers has been fined $50,000. Car chief Robert Smith has been suspended for the next two races, and the team and driver both lost 20 points. That means, they get to keep the other 40 they picked up on the day. In short, it matters little to Harvick, with that Atlanta win already in the bag.

    What does matter is that some good people stepped up when they heard that Matt DiBenedetto’s No. 32 entry was unsponsored going into this one. Harvick donated $5000 to the cause. So did Denny Hamlin. Darrell Waltrip matched them. Talk about good people helping look after their own.

    As for our Hot 20 heading to Phoenix…

    1. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN – 1 E.W. – 115 Pts
    If the penalties in any way mean that Kevin is a bit of a brat, welcome to Harvickville.

    2. AUSTIN DILLON – 1 WIN – 94 Pts
    After Daytona, when will we next notice him on race day?

    3. JOEY LOGANO – 132 POINTS
    Three races. Three Top Tens.

    4. RYAN BLANEY – 131 POINTS
    Took the pole last week, which was about the only thing Harvick did not leave town with.

    5. MARTIN TRUEX, JR. – 115 POINTS
    Colorado also boasts Boulder, Crabtree, Dillon Dam, and the Great Divide Brewing Companies.

    6. KYLE BUSCH – 104 POINTS
    If he does not matter it is because he is in the garage.

    7. KYLE LARSON – 104 POINTS
    Chevrolet was not completely shut out of the Top Ten last week. Damn near, but not completely.

    8. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 99 POINTS
    Along with Logano and Blaney, Team Penske has done rather well thus far.

    9. DENNY HAMLIN – 97 POINTS
    The guy is a jerk…then he goes and gives DiBenedetto a helping hand. Still a jerk, but a nice jerk.

    10. PAUL MENARD – 96 POINTS
    While everyone is watching Harvick up front, Menard is quietly succeeding further back.

    11. CLINT BOWYER – 93 POINTS
    Some like Nickelback. Others are named Clint Bowyer.

    12. ARIC ALMIROLA – 93 POINTS
    Failed to stay on the lead lap, but 10th is 10th.

    13. KURT BUSCH – 77 POINTS
    Kurt + Chase = A bad day

    14. RYAN NEWMAN – 75 POINTS
    Ooh, and it’s alright and it’s coming on, Ryan’s gotta get right back to where he last won.

    15. DARRELL WALLACE, JR. – 68 POINTS
    In a seven-race Cup career, Bubba has not done too badly.

    16. CHRIS BUESCHER – 67 POINTS
    Average a 15th place finish (5th, 25th, 15th) and that gives you a Chase place…for the moment.

    17. ALEX BOWMAN – 67 POINTS
    How bad has Hendrick got it? Alex is the best of their stable at present.

    18. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 66 POINTS
    This week…he is going after the hot dog guy.

    19. ERIK JONES – 64 POINTS
    In 40 career Cup starts, 24 times he has finished in the Top 15. You can build on that.

    20. MICHAEL MCDOWELL – 53 POINTS
    Mechanical issue killed his day early, yet he keeps on hanging on.

  • Hot 20 – Watkins Glen runs on Sunday, so let the right hand turns begin

    Hot 20 – Watkins Glen runs on Sunday, so let the right hand turns begin

    Left, left, left, and (if not at Pocono) a final left. That is usually how it goes each week in NASCAR. This week is one of those unusual ones. Eleven turns at Watkins Glen and seven of them are right. I think these road courses provide more exciting NASCAR races than some ovals, including Indianapolis. Let the arguing begin.

    Some say that Chris Buescher’s win last week showed a weakness in the Chase format. I think it strengthens it. Winning is everything, and if that is so, then a regular should get his pass by simply winning. There are worse things, like not being a regular and winning races at lower divisions, but I digress.

    No more Dale Earnhardt Jr. for at least another couple of weeks, while replacement Jeff Gordon reaches the 800 race milestone at Watkins Glen.

    Kevin Harvick’s crew chief, Rodney Childers, returns after a week in the doghouse and $20,000 lighter for missing a lug nut at Indianapolis. It was a week where he needed dental work, a new windshield, and some twit did a little spin on his lawn. Oh, Harvick finished fourth at Pocono without him. Other than that, it was one hell of a week.

    Kids. They are coming up in NASCAR, though at least a couple have to wait. One apparently fudged his birth date by a couple of years, another was thought eligible through something akin to a grandfather clause and additional insurance. Carson Hocevar won a Super Late Model race earlier this year in Michigan. Andrew Molleur won a recent SK Light Modified in Connecticut. Both lads are 13. Both are now parked by NASCAR. No question that the pair are good enough, but you need to be 14 to be old enough.

    So, what to watch for this time out? Well, last week, a 24-year-old claimed the race and a four-year-old claimed some hearts. This week, one of them is racing to beat David Ragan and pick up points. If that happens, Kyle Larson’s Chase spot disappears like a fart in the wind, to use a most beloved phrase, and the boys outside will need to change focus and try to chase down Jamie McMurray. As for Kurt Busch, he will be out to run all 90 laps to keep his streak alive.

    We already have Buescher in the picture. What if 2014 winner A.J. Allmendinger wins on Sunday? That would have some boys scrambling. This could be fun.

    Our Hot 20 heading to Watkins Glen include…

    1. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 4 WINS (687 Pts)
    Buescher needed that win a lot more than Brad did.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 4 WINS (634 Pts)
    Kids love him. He is Keelan Harvick’s favorite driver, William Byron’s favorite team owner.

    3. CARL EDWARDS – 2 WINS (626 Pts)
    Does fine at the Glen, but a win would be different.

    4. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (577 Pts)
    Sits high on the standings, was third at Indianapolis, yet basically has been “Jimmie Who?” lately.

    5. MATT KENSETH – 2 WINS (569 Pts)
    In the future, when asked to go cycling he probably will ask more questions, like “how far?”

    6. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (709 Pts)
    Once known as being a former NASCAR champion. Today, he is better known as Keelan’s dad.

    7. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (658 Pts)
    5811 laps have been completed this season, and Kurt is the only one to have completed them all.

    8. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (612 Pts)
    For whom does the Chase troll? He trolls for thee.

    9. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (577 Pts)
    Fresh rubber and still he ends up getting fresh with the fence.

    10. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (576 Pts)
    Second at Sonoma. Win at Watkins Glen?

    11. TONY STEWART – 1 WIN (353 Pts)
    Got word his insurer is not liable for covering costs of his defense in the Kevin Ward Jr. lawsuit.

    12. AUSTIN DILLON – 549 POINTS
    Still keeping Grandpa happy.

    13. RYAN NEWMAN – 537 POINTS
    Future would be more secure if Richard Childress adopted him.

    14. CHASE ELLIOTT – 533 POINTS
    Pocono does boast a wide track. Just not that wide.

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 517 POINTS
    Could be the new bubble boy after Sunday.

    16. KYLE LARSON – 508 POINTS
    This Chase place disappears if Buescher gets the points.

    17. KASEY KAHNE – 488 POINTS
    Is within 20 points of making the Chase…or is it within 29?

    18. TREVOR BAYNE – 480 POINTS
    Be it 28 points, or 37 points, the lad has some work to do.

    19. RYAN BLANEY – 480 POINTS
    Ditto

    20. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 472 POINTS
    Made our list; Junior, Allmendinger, Biffle, Menard, Patrick, Bowyer, and Almirola did not.

    30. DAVID RAGAN – 287 POINTS
    Sometimes 30th matters.

    31. CHRIS BUESCHER – 281 POINTS (1 Win)
    Talk about incentive.

  • 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.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Sonoma Toyota/Save Mart 350

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Sonoma Toyota/Save Mart 350

    With plenty of wine and whining on and off the track, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 26th Annual Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.

    Surprising: The winner of the race, his first ever at Sonoma and his second of the season, effectively locking him into the Chase, seemed surprisingly star-struck in Victory Lane.

    “It means a lot to me,” Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Aflac Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, said. “And then the real special part to me was to stand in Victory Lane at Sonoma and have Jeff Gordon come and give me a handshake as the second place finisher means a lot.”

    “I grew up watching Jeff Gordon and specifically watching how he drove this racetrack and all the successes he had here, so I mean, that’s really super,” Edwards continued. “It definitely meant a lot to have Jeff Gordon in my mirror.”

    “It’s something I’ll never forget.”

    With his victory, Edwards kept the consecutive new winner streak alive at Sonoma, being the eighth consecutive first time winner on that road course.

    Not Surprising: As Edwards paid tribute to him, Jeff Gordon seemed to get a kick out of it, which he could afford to do after posting a runner up finish to Edwards, as well as maintaining the point standing lead.

    “I’m starting to hear that a lot more,” Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Panasonic Chevrolet, said of Edwards comments about watching him race in his growing up years. “I hear things like he was born when I won my first championship or watching me as a kid.”

    “You know what, I love racing here,” Gordon continued. “I love being competitive, leading the points and having a shot winning races 22 years into my Cup career.”

    “We’re having fun.”

    Gordon scored his 14th career top-5 finish at Sonoma and his 12th top-10 finish for the season. He is now 20 spots ahead of six-time champ and teammate Jimmie Johnson in the point standings.

    Surprising: While Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s aggressiveness certainly played a role in this third place finish, he also credited his own road course education for helping to achieve his first ever top-10 finish at Sonoma.

    “This is a real technical track where the corners are lined up one after the other, and if you make a mistake in Turn 2, you really don’t clean it up until Turn 4,” the driver of the No. 88 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet said. “So everything sort of has to line up and that takes a certain mentality and a certain understanding of road course racing that guys like myself don’t have coming from late models and oval tracks and stuff like that.”

    “You have to go to school,” Junior continued. “You have to study. You have to listen to people. You have to run as many laps as you can at practices and tests and stuff like that to adapt and understand. We were fast all weekend and just kind of put it together.”

    “Aside from holding a trophy, this is like a win for us.”

    Not Surprising: Kevin Harvick took to the California stage and starred yet again in his own version of ‘Groundhog Day’. On Lap 72, the driver of the No. 4 Outback / Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet entered his pit stall in the fourth position and promptly lost spots after another miscommunication with his over-the-wall team.

    “We basically sat on the jack for about three seconds waiting on fuel and we didn’t need to,’’ Rodney Childers, Harvick’s crew chief said. “Bad, bad miscommunication or decision on some of the pit crew member’s part.’’

    After that bad pit stop, Harvick restarted further back in the field and then was collected in an accident to finish 20th.

    “All in all, we got to get it together,’’ Childers said. “The pit crew has worked really hard to get their pit stops better. We got that better and now we’re doing stuff like we did to take us out of the win.”

    “Everybody keeps saying that the pit crew is messing up,” Childers continued. “The pit crew is not actually messing up. We had a great pit stop, and we just sit there on the jack, waiting for the gas man to say it was full.”

    “If we wouldn’t have sat there and waited, we would have beat (Jeff Gordon) off pit road and he almost won the race,’’ Childers said. “We had a way, way, way better car than (Gordon) did.’’

    Surprising:  Austin Dillon, not Kyle Larson, was the highest finishing rookie of the race. Dillon, in his iconic No. 3 Dow Chevrolet, finished 17th while Larson, in his No. 42 Target Chevrolet, finished well behind in the 28th spot.

    With that finish, Larson slipped from eighth to tenth in the point standings and Dillon also slipped one notch from 17th to 18th in points.

    Not Surprising: Although Marcos Ambrose, known for his road course prowess, did not have the best of days, he echoed what many in the Ford camp were definitely thinking.

    “I’ll take eighth,” Ambrose said after crossing the finish line in his No. 9 DeWalt Ford. “We came here with a strategy because we had the fastest car for a couple of laps, but it would fade away really bad. We came with a really soft package and I was hanging onto it all day, too.”

    “We’re gonna keep working at this place to try and make ourselves better, but congratulations to Carl,” Ambrose continued. “He did a great job in the race and it’s great to see Ford back in Victory Lane.”

    Surprising: Clint Bowyer was the highest finishing Toyota and he had to make an incredible comeback after a flat tire and on-track incident with Jamie McMurray to finish in the tenth position in his No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota.

    We had a fast 5-hour ENERGY Camry this weekend,” Bowyer said. “We got ourselves in position and had a flat. It was going down and I was all over the place.”

    “Jamie (McMurray) just kind of finished me up and got me out of the way, I guess,” Bowyer continued. “Bad luck, man.”

    “The way our season has been, we’ve been the lap closer here lately and if they keep bringing cars like that to the race track, we’ll be just fine.”

    Not Surprising:   With her IndyCar experience, especially on the road courses, it was no surprise that Danica Patrick not only had a decent day at Sonoma but also scored her personal best with an 18th place finish.

    “I think we kind of salvaged something there,” the driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet said. “It would be good for a couple laps and then would just go away. We got lucky getting the Lucky Dog and then just pitted a couple of times for fresh tires and fuel and wound up 18th.”

    “It’s not the best day, but I think we keep improving.”

    It was Patrick’s best road course finish in the Sprint Cup as she bettered a 29th-place finish last year at Sonoma and a 20th-place result at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.

    Surprising: Even Kasey Kahne, the only Hendrick driver who has struggled this season, got into the act at Sonoma, finishing sixth and ensuring that all Hendrick Motorsports drivers were in the top-10 when the checkered flag flew. And he did so in spite of some contact mid-race with Casey Mears.

    The driver of the No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet even finished higher than Jimmie Johnson, who came in seventh after starting 22nd in his Lowe’s Chevrolet.

    Not Surprising: With NASCAR’s close association with those in uniform, it was not surprising that the sport paused to honor its five year association with the Armed Forces Foundation, particularly the Troops to the Track program, a year-round recreational group therapy program that honors service men and women, veterans and military families at races throughout the country.

    “Troops to the Track presented by Bank of America showcases NASCAR’s commitment to our nation’s military and we are proud of our joint effort the past five years to serve the military,” Patricia Driscoll, President of the Armed Forces Foundation, said. “Here at the Armed Forces Foundation, we constantly strive to ‘serve those who serve,’ and with the support from NASCAR and Bank of America, we will be able to provide more opportunities for service members and their families around the country to get away from the stresses of injuries and deployments while enjoying the patriotism of the NASCAR community.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Camping World RV Sales 301

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Camping World RV Sales 301

    On a steamy day in New England where the action on the track was just as hot, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the Camping World RV Sales 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

    Surprising:  While usually on target, Chad Knaus’ prediction of his driver motoring through the pack to the front only partially came true. Johnson, who started dead last in his No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet due to failing post qualifying inspection, made his way through the field to finish just shy of the top-five in the sixth spot.

    But although his prediction of a last to first performance was not fulfilled, crew chief Knaus felt that he and team 48 had made the statement they wanted to make in light of their inspection failure.

    “We made the best of a bad situation and that’s all you can do,” Knaus said. “We wanted to make it a non-issue and I think that’s exactly what we did.”

    “We didn’t need to win, but the most important thing is we didn’t need to lose,” Knaus continued. “And I think we came out of here with a solid run.”

    With that top-10 finish, Johnson remains solidly in the points lead as well, 56 points ahead of runner up Clint Bowyer.

    Not Surprising:  Just as the chemistry between Knaus and Johnson led to a decent run after adversity, it was not surprising that the chemistry between Rodney Childers and Brian Vickers achieved their dream of taking the Michael Waltrip Racing’s No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine to Victory Lane.

    Vickers, who battled back from life-threatening blood clots to race again, credited his relationship with crew chief Childers, which has spanned almost his entire lifetime, as making the difference in his win at the Magic Mile.

    “I can remember the day Clyde (Vickers, Brian Vickers’ father) walked into our go-kart shop in Cornelius, North Carolina and said he wanted to buy his eight-year-old kid a go kart,” Childers said. “So, we got it together overnight and they came and picked it up the next day and then a good friend of ours helped Brian get started.”

    “This means a lot to me.”

    “I just thank God for the chance and opportunity to come back and this team and Rodney believing in me and giving me a second chance,” Vickers said. “That’s a testament to the whole team and everyone at Michael Waltrip Racing.”

    Surprising:  Joey Logano, a former New Hampshire winner, was surprisingly the first caution of the day, blowing a tire and spinning out on Lap 4 of the race. This is the second race in a row where tire failure has contributed to the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford team’s struggles.

    “The left rear tire blew out,” Logano said. “It isn’t like we touched anyone and rubbed it to make it go down, it just blew out.”

    “I am just mad right now.”

    Logano has a right to be mad, as he finished 40th and even more important took a significant hit in the point standings, losing three positions and falling to 18th.

    Not Surprising:  Whether it was the combination of the heat or the grueling schedule as the garage readied for the first weekend off in a very long time, it was not surprising that tempers were flaring on the one-mile track and that there were more cautions in this one race than in the past three New Hampshire races combined.

    The most caustic exchange happened right after the race end when Kyle Busch had some choice words for Ryan Newman and vice versa.

    “Newman is the biggest stupid idiot out here and a big ogre,” Busch said. “I’m glad he’s out of a job.”

    “I’m just afraid if I re-arranged his face I might fix it,” Newman responded. “He’s frustrated finishing third or wherever he was after hitting me.”

    “He’s a heck of a talent but he’s not very bright,” Newman continued. “I’ll leave it at that.”

     Surprising:  Just when it appeared that Stewart-Haas Racing was on the upswing, another surprisingly bad day occurred in New Hampshire.

    Smoke ran out of gas on the final lap to finish 26th, Patrick wrecked into her Rookie of the Year competitor to finish 37th, and Newman had his aforementioned tangles with the Busch brothers and finished 39th.

    “Thought we were about three quarters of a lap to the good,” Smoke said. “Obviously didn’t get as much gas saved as I thought we would.”

    “I feel bad,” Patrick said. “What can I say? We were having a reasonable race and just didn’t mean to do it.”

    “The worst part is that I didn’t want to take anybody with me.”

    Not Surprising:   The unfortunate struggles of Denny Hamlin continued at New Hampshire, with a lug nut issue and a 21st place finish. The driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota sits 25th in the point standings, very far out of Chase contention.

    Surprising:  One of the surprises of the race was Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 43 Smithfield Ford, who finished fifth thanks to some good pit strategy and a great call from atop the box.

    “When everybody else stayed out that gave us the opportunity when everyone else came to pit to make it on fuel,” Almirola said. “And we stayed out.”

    “That was a great call by Todd Parrott (crew chief),” Almirola continued. “It is a great way to go into the off weekend.”

    Not Surprising:  At a track that he loves, Jeff Burton finished top three to no one’s surprise. And with his good finish, Burton pronounced that he was still in Chase contention, contrary to everyone’s perception.

    “We had a really good car,” the driver of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet said. “A lot of people have given up on this team but we haven’t given up on ourselves.”

    “We are going to keep working,” Burton said. We feel like we have an uphill battle but we feel like we still have a shot at it.”

    Surprising:  Brad Keselowski and company showed his championship caliber by bouncing back at the Magic Mile. The driver of the Blue Deuce finished fourth, in spite of the ‘grueling race.’

    “We fought hard all day and came home with a fourth so that was a decent day,” Keselowski said. “Not the win I wanted for sure.”

    “But it is still a solid day though and something to be proud of.”

    Not Surprising:  While all the drivers complained about the difficulty of the track and race, Carl Edwards not surprisingly termed it a battle field.

    “That was a hell of a battle,” the driver of the No. 99 Fastenal Ford said. “Everybody fought really hard the whole time and we ended up with a top-10.”

    “We were able to get a good finish out of a crazy day.”

    Surprising:  Even with having to stop in the middle of the race track to avoid the Newman/Kurt Busch crash, Matt Kenseth pulled off a surprisingly good finish. The driver of the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota finished in the ninth position.

    “I had a good car, probably the best car I’ve ever had here,” Kenseth said. “Kind of lost track position when Kurt cleaned out Newman.”

    “I had to stop and miss that wreck.”

    Not Surprising:  After a grueling race and first part of the season, everyone needed to relax according to Jeff Gordon, who managed to salvage a tenth place finish after a challenging race at New Hampshire.

    “Everybody, no matter whether you’re leading the points or running where we are in points or 30th in the points, everybody has to take moments to step away and relax a little bit and regroup,” Gordon said. “And so, this off-weekend will be good for everybody.”

     

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Richmond Capital City 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Richmond Capital City 400

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”236″][/media-credit]Virginia may be for lovers but that was not the only emotion running high at Richmond International Raceway. Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 58th Annual Capital City 400 Presented by Virginia is for Lovers.

    Surprising:  While Kyle Busch is no stranger to Victory Lane in the spring race at Richmond, it was still surprising to see the pure joy and raw emotion he exhibited after the checkered flag flew.

    The win, Busch’s first of the 2012 season, along with the victory of his team and brother Kurt in the Nationwide race the night before, just seemed to send Kyle Busch over the moon.

    “It means so much that we’re able to come to this place every time and know that we can have a decent car again and again,” the driver of Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 M&Ms Toyota Camry said. “It wasn’t the best car but it was really good.”

    “It was a gift,” Busch continued. “We just kept fighting, kept ourselves up there in track position, kept the fenders clean, the right side clean and kept us in the game all race long.”

    This was Busch’s 24th victory in 266 Cup races. The win, his fourth consecutive at Richmond, broke a tie with Richard Petty, who held that record from 1971 to 1973.

    Not Surprising:  While it is never surprising that tempers flare at this Virginia short track, this time drivers were not as mad at each other as they were at NASCAR.

    Both Tony Stewart, who was bitten by a late race caution for debris and problems on pit road, and Carl Edwards, who was penalized by NASCAR for jumping the restart after leading the most laps, were very unhappy campers at race end.

    “When the caution is for a plastic bottle on the backstretch, it’s hard to feel good about losing that one,” Stewart said. “And we gave it away on pit road.”

    “So we did everything we could to throw it away and it got taken away from us,” Stewart continued. “We lost it for a caution for a plastic bottle, so you tell me how you’d feel.”

    Edwards was equally frustrated after being black flagged for jumping the restart. He and his crew chief Bob Osborne argued their case with NASCAR in the hauler after the race.

    “We had to just agree to disagree and that’s the way it is,” Edwards said. “They run the sport and they do the best job they can.”

    “I drive a race car and do the very best job I can,” Edwards continued. “This whole thing is very frustrating. I don’t feel like we did the wrong thing.”

    The driver of the No. 99 Ford EcoBoost finished tenth, while the driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet finished third. Both drivers held serve in the point standings, with Stewart remaining in eighth and Edwards in ninth.

    Surprising:  Fans of the No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet witnessed another surprisingly bad run by Jeff Gordon and company. While the team managed to qualify decently, in sixth, they fell back immediately after the green flag flew, then ending up cutting a tire to finish a miserable 23rd.

    This was Gordon’s sixth finish of 21st or worse in the last 11 races. The four-time champ is currently mired in the 17th position in the point standings, out of Chase contention at present.

    Not Surprising:  While none of the Hendrick drivers scored the elusive 200th win for Mr. H, that most popular one, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., had another solid run at the short track.

    In spite of brake issues, Junior scored the runner up spot.  This was his 11th top-10 finish at Richmond and his seventh top-10 finish in 2012.

    “We had some brake problems all night long,” the driver of the No. 88 National Guard/Diet Mount Dew said.   “Kind of tried to overcome them best we could.”

    “We were maybe a fifth place car,” Dale Earnhardt, Jr. continued. “I’m really happy to gain a couple of spots there at the end with that caution and get some more points.”

    Speaking of those precious points, Junior currently sits in the same points position as where he finished the race, second. He is now just five points back from points leader Greg Biffle.

    Surprising:  Rolling tires, not tire wear, was one of the most surprising factors influencing the race at Richmond, especially for five-time champ Jimmie Johnson.

    The driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet was penalized to the tail end of the lead lap due to his pit crew losing contact with a rolling tire. Yet, in spite of the mistake, Johnson finished sixth and remained philosophical about it all at race end.

    “Stuff happens,” Johnson said. “It’s racing.”

    “Unfortunately we had a tire get away from us and had to serve that penalty and go to the back,” Johnson continued. “But the good news is we had a very fast race car.”

    “I certainly wish we didn’t have that mistake, but when you’re in this deal long enough mistakes happen,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to beat anybody up.”

    Not Surprising:   It was not surprising to see the majority of Michael Waltrip’s team continue their good runs. The best of the bunch this race was Clint Bowyer, who brought his No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota home in the seventh spot.

    Nipping at Bowyer’s heels was veteran and pole sitter Mark Martin, who scored an eighth place finish in his No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota.

    “I’ve never seen a guy (Rodney Childers, crew chief) improve one of my cars that much in one race,” Martin said. “You’ve got to be able to do that.”

    “I’m really impressed,” Martin continued. “They did a great job.”

    Surprising:  Although Greg Biffle was sporting the ‘Give Kids A Smile’ promotion on the outside of his No. 16 EM Ford, it was surprising that there were no smiles from inside that race car.  Biffle struggled most of the night and finished a disappointing 18th.

    “It was a tough night,” Biff said. “We never recovered from our poor qualifying run and struggled with the turn and forward drive.”

    “We just didn’t have the turn and the drive that we needed,” Biffle continued. “It is frustrating.”

    Not Surprising:  It was not surprising to hear the disappointment in Denny Hamlin’s voice after not winning at his home track. The driver of the No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota finished fourth.

    “Yeah, I’m a little disappointed,” Hamlin said. “We just never really hit it today.”

    “We had times where we were competitive and we just got behind on one run,” Hamlin continued. “So, we just couldn’t recover from that.”

    Surprising:  It was surprising to see Trevor Bayne in his fire suit on the pit box throughout the race, waiting in the wings to see if Marcos Ambrose would be in need of his services.

    But the young Daytona 500 winner never got to climb aboard as the driver of the No. 9 Stanley Ford drove through his back pain to finish 22nd.

    Not Surprising:  To no one’s surprise, Brad Keselowski, behind the wheel of the Blue Deuce, was the highest finishing Dodge in the Capital City 400, scoring ninth place.

    Also, not surprisingly, Kes and his crew are all about clawing their way into Chase contention with top-10 finishes.

    “We just keep knocking top 10s out,” Paul Wolfe, crew chief of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, said. “That’s what we need to do to continue to gain points right now and put ourselves in position to get into the Chase.”