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Tag: Stewart Haas Racing

  • Kevin Harvick Opens Door While Door Shuts on Ryan Newman

    Kevin Harvick Opens Door While Door Shuts on Ryan Newman

    The old saying of one door closing and another opening was most fitting for both Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

    Harvick officially announced that the door has been opened for him at Stewart-Haas Racing while Ryan Newman acknowledged that the door has been shut for him at that team.

    “It’s nice to officially end all the speculation,” Harvick, the new 2014 driver of the No. 4 Budweiser Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing, said. “For me, Stewart-Haas was intriguing just for the fact that you have Tony (Stewart) as a teammate who’s been a big part of what we did at KHI to get it started.”

    “We have a friendship that goes beyond the race track,” Harvick continued. “Obviously Gene Haas makes it very intriguing with the guarantees that he made to make the deal happen to put the car on the race track.”

    “When you have a family and you start seeing those guarantees of sponsorship for the car, it makes you think about things,” Harvick said. “I think not only about those two pieces, but also the Hendrick tie with the engines and the support.”

    “I think the potential is really high with all those resources and relationships and things that go with it.”

    “I got a phone call from Tony (Stewart) on Wednesday about 20 minutes to seven and we talked for basically 20 minutes,” Newman said. “That was it.”

    “His phone call was about making the announcement and that I would not be a part of Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014.”

    Both drivers acknowledged that they have the highest regard for Tony Stewart, both as a friend, racer and team owner.

    “I feel like our relationship is going to help progress things as they move forward on the performance side,” Harvick said. “Tony balances a lot of things and I’ve been in that boat.”

    “I think it’s going to allow me the time to help him and be able to make it better.”

    “We only ever argued over how hard we race,” Newman said. “That is the kind of friends Tony and I are.”

    “His stress was the importance of our friendship and that to me will never change.”

    Both drivers talked a great deal about sponsorship as for Harvick, his major sponsor Budweiser will be following him to Stewart-Haas Racing while Newman is currently unsure about the status of any of his sponsors.

    “We’ve had three years with Budweiser and looking forward to moving forward with them as a sponsor,” Harvick said. “Those guys at SHR took full responsibility to have the car funded and that made my life a lot easier.”

    “We have great sponsors in Quicken Loans, Wix Filters, Aspen Dental, Code 3 Associates, and Outback,” Newman said. “They have all done us well.”

    “There are no answers that I have,” Newman continued. “Obviously I have my own homework to do.”

    “I want to be competitive,” Newman said. “I’m not just going to go out there and just find a ride.”

    “I want to find a ride with somebody that has the same goals and perspectives as I do.”

    Both Newman and Harvick had nothing but praise for their current teams, Stewart-Haas Racing and Richard Childress Racing respectively. And both intend to race as hard as possible for their owners and teams.

    “I’ve had a good run,” Newman said. “I look forward to finishing out this year.”

    “Look forward to the opportunity to make the Chase, win races and putting ourselves to have a chance to win a championship,” Newman continued. “That’s my ultimate goal and it always has been.”

    “We’re going to go out and race every week as hard as we can,” Harvick said. “It’s not like we detached ourselves from what we’re doing and those guys on the team, they don’t care about the politics of the sport; they just want to win races.”

    “They like spraying beer in Victory Lane and as a group we’re going to do that until we get to Homestead,” Harvick continued. “We’ll start working on the future plans when that race is over.”

    The two drivers, however, expressed very different emotions about the transition, with Harvick on one hand talking about the change as rejuvenation while Newman showing his upset about the uncertainty of his future.

    “It wasn’t anything personal from Richard (Childress, team owner) or a team standpoint doing anything wrong,” Harvick said. “It was just me needing to rejuvenate myself to get to the race track and really be excited to show up.”

    “Just like everybody else’s job, sometimes you just need a change to get going again.”

    “I do not know what my future holds,” Newman said. “I have no idea right now.”

    “That’s something that weighs on my shoulders,” Newman continued. “That is part of racing and part of the situation that I’m in.”

    While the door is opening for Harvick and closing for Newman in 2014 at Stewart-Haas Racing, both drivers have to focus this weekend on competing at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the 21st Annual Camping World RV Sales 301.

    In fact, Ryan Newman is doing double duty at the Magic Mile, racing both in the Cup Series and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

    “For me, it’s a track position race,” Newman said. “You get a limited number of chances to adjust on your race car and tune your race car and work in those windows that either the cautions or the green flag runs give you.”

    “Excited it’s a big race this weekend for Wix Filters and they are also sponsoring the modified which is a lot of fun for me.”

    “We know that we have to come back here and race for the Chase so obviously this is an important weekend to kind of evaluate where we are with our short track program,” Harvick said. “Flat tracks are a big part of the Chase.”

    “I think this is an important weekend to fully understand what we need to do going forward.”

    So, what will the future hold for Harvick as a new door opens and Newman as a big door closes?

    “I can’t say I’m happy with how everything unfolded,” Newman said. “There will be a change for me in 2014 and I don’t know what that change is.”

    “It’s nice to be in this position to be able to focus on racing a car and getting the performance and doing the things we need to do,” Harvick said. “It’s worked out well.”

     

     

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Coke Zero 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Coke Zero 400

    In addition to a dose of roof flap drama, here is what else was surprising and not surprising from the 55th annual Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

    Surprising:  Who knew that the magic between driver Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus, leading to their record-setting night of sweeping both the 500 and 400 at Daytona in the same year, all started over a beer and a game of horseshoes?

    “People make the difference,” five-time champ Johnson said. “Chad and I have a relationship since the first time we drank beer in my backyard throwing horseshoes.”

    “It was the start of many good things to come,” Johnson continued. “The relationships, the people make the difference.”

    “That’s where the magic lies.”

    Johnson also gave Team Hendrick its first sweep at Daytona since 1986 when Geoff Bodine and Tim Richmond accomplished the same feat. This was Johnson’s 64th career Cup Series win and his fourth victory of the season, tying competitor Matt Kenseth in the win column.

    Not Surprising:  While Tony Stewart finished runner up in his No. 14 Bass Pro Shops Ducks Unlimited Chevrolet, regaining the six spots in the point standings to the tenth position, he finished off the night ‘testy’ in the media center after the checkered flag flew.

    When asked whether or not his retreat to the rear of the field for much of the race was pre-planned, Stewart showed his dismay for what he considered perhaps not the best question of the evening.

    “You guys act like you’ve never seen me do that before,” Smoke answered. “I’ve been doing that for 15 years and we’ve had good results on it.”

    When next asked about whether or not he liked this type of racing at this stage in his career, Stewart again reverted to past practice.

    “Go back to your old notes,” Smoke said. “My opinion hasn’t changed in 15 years.”

    “If you don’t have them, somebody else in the room will have them, you know that.”

    Surprising:  Rookie of the Year contender Ricky Stenhouse Jr. thought that he had successfully broken a barrier in his 2013 career. Unfortunately he was unpleasantly surprised after NASCAR showed him the photo finish, realizing that he still had more work to do.

    “We’ve been working all year long and we’ve got a couple of 11ths, 12ths, and it’s good to break that barrier of top ten,” Stenhouse Jr. said, before learning that he had really finished in the 11th spot.  There is no doubt that he will be aiming for that barrier again at New Hampshire and with a vengeance.

    Not Surprising:  Kevin Harvick was not happy in spite of being the third place finisher in his No. 29 Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet.

    “Yeah, we didn’t win,” Harvick said. “That was our expectation coming here.”

    “I felt like we were in the right position,” Harvick continued. “We couldn’t get everything lined up to get going.”

    Surprising:  Probably the most surprised driver at Daytona was Paul Menard, who lost an engine with absolutely no warning in the early going on Lap 22.

    “Something just let go,” the driver of the No. 27 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet said. “I felt the heat come up.”

    “It gave no indication,” Menard continued. “I haven’t had a motor failure in forever.”

    “Just unfortunate.”

    Not Surprising:   NASCAR’s biggest loser in addition to Menard was Joey Logano, who brought out the second caution of the race with a tire failure and a crash into the wall. The driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford fell hard in the point standings, losing five positions and dropping from the 10th to the 15th position.

    “It was a big hit,” Logano said of his trip into the wall. “But it was a bigger hit in the points really.”

    “We’ve lost a lot but we’re not out of it by any means.”

    Surprising:  While Daytona is known for its share of ‘big ones’, there were some particularly hard hits in this version of the Coke Zero 400, including crashes for Denny Hamlin, A.J. Allmendinger, and Kasey Kahne.

    Hamlin was involved in two crashes, the second just a few laps away from the checkered flag.  The two wrecks added insult to his already injured back, as well as a sore knee and head from a crash just last week at Kentucky.

    Allmendinger, in the No. 51 Phoenix Construction Chevrolet for James Finch, described his wreck as a ‘Days of Thunder’ moment, one that injured him in his ‘man parts’ and sent him stumbling out of his car in pain.

    “Everybody moved down and Denny (Hamlin) appeared right in front of me,” Allmendinger said. “I just hit him as hard as I could unfortunately.”

    One of the most bizarre but hard wrecks occurred at the end of the race, knocking a strong player out of contention. On Lap 155, Kasey Kahne got slammed while running at the front of the field, crashing hard into the inner wall.

    “I got slammed and shot to the left,” Kahne said. “It’s kind of how these races go.”

    “You don’t have a lot of control over what happens.”

    Not Surprising:  Michael Waltrip, behind the wheel of the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota often driven by Mark Martin, scored a top-five finish. Waltrip, who has a stellar resume on plate tracks, pulled off another good finish in spite of being a bit rusty behind the wheel and having some struggles in the pits.

    “We were just really fortunate after getting into a wreck on pit road,” Waltrip said. “I’m just happy for the team because it was a well-deserved finish.”

    Surprising:  MWR teammate Clint Bowyer also had such a surprisingly good run, finishing fourth in his No. 15 Blue DEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid Toyota. And with that finish, he ousted Carl Edwards from second place in the point standings, sitting 49 points behind leader Johnson.

    “I was pushing Michael and got him passed,” Bowyer said. “I looked in the mirror and all hell broke loose.”

    “That’s Daytona,’ Bowyer continued. “But I’ll take a top-five anytime in one of these races.”

    This was Bowyer’s third top-five finish in a row.

    Not Surprising:  With team owner and driver Tony Stewart setting the bar in the runner up spot, the rest of the Stewart-Haas Racing team also finished well at Daytona, in spite of final lap mishaps.

    Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet, scored bloomin’ onions for all with a top-ten finish. This was Newman’s sixth top-ten at Daytona and his eighth of the season

    “I’m glad we got a top-10 for Outback Steakhouse, but I hate that we destroyed another race car on the final lap,” Newman lamented. “That just seems to be the norm for us when it comes to restrictor-plate racing.”

    SHR teammate Danica Patrick was also involved in the multi-car melee at the end of the race, finishing 14th in her No.  10 GGoDaddy.com Chevrolet.

    This was her fourth top-15 finish of the 2013 season.

    “Well a green-white-checkered finish is always exciting,” Patrick said. “All in all, it was a solid day.”

    Surprising:  Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet, continues to amaze with his performance, finishing sixth and putting himself in Chase contention with a five spot move up in the point standings to ninth.

    This is the highest in the point standings that Kurt has been so far in the 2013 season. This was also his third straight top-ten finish and his eighth top-10 finish of the season.

    “We stayed out of trouble, had smooth pit stops and had a big points night for our Furniture Row team,” Busch said. “These guys are working hard and it’s paying off.”

    Not Surprising:  Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished top-ten at Daytona, in spite of some challenges with his race car.

    “I had fun,” the driver of the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet said. “We just didn’t make our way to the front.”

    “We had a problem with the car,” Junior continued. “Something broke and we could hardy steer it coming into the pits.”

    The eighth place finish at Daytona moved Earnhardt Jr. up one position in the points standings to fifth.

     

  • When The Weather Gets Hotter, Smoke Catches Fire

    When The Weather Gets Hotter, Smoke Catches Fire

    Tony Stewart; the man you should never count out no matter what. Tony said prior to the 2011 chase that he didn’t even deserve to be in it with how poorly he was running. Two months and five wins later, he was hoisting the Sprint Cup trophy at Homestead. This year, Stewart-Haas Racing has had a rough time finding their footing with these Generation Six cars and have been forced to endure some pretty bad days at the track. Tony went into the Coke 600 21st in the standings and with just one top 10 through the first eleven races. Since that race, he’s finished no worse than 7th and comfortably sits 10th in points. Now that’s an incredible turnaround.

    I believed that they would get their internal issues worked out which they have but I never thought he’d go on such a tear and make his way back into the top 10 before June was even half over! The resurgence of SHR after a dismal start is impressive and the results will only improve as the season rolls on. In the eight races preceding Charlotte, Tony had a best finish of 15th. Since that race, he’s finished 7th, 1st, 4th and 5th launching him up the leader board and into chase contention. History says that Stewart runs better when the weather gets hotter which is understandable considering the slick conditions that kind of weather creates has some similarities to running a dirt track where you have to muscle the car around every lap…a form of racing Stewart excels at. Now we go to a road course and after sifting through the ringers that show up for these events, full-timers such as Ambrose, Montoya, Busch (both of them), Gordon and Stewart become the obvious favorites.

    I don’t think Tony will pick up his second win of the year at Sonoma which would all but solidify him as a 2013 chaser but I do think he will have another good run padding his lead over 11th. That is, unless he lets his temper get the best of him like he did back in 2011 here. My advice to anyone that sees the 3-time champ in their mirror this weekend, do not block him or you’re going to have a very bad day. Last year, Tony brought home a runner-up finish at this 12 turned California venue and got to the bumper of eventual winner Clint Bowyer but no further. Temperatures this weekend at Sonoma will be in the 80’s which bodes well for an on the edge driver like Tony Stewart who has two wins and three 2nd place finishes at this unique road course.

    Will Tony Stewart be able to keep this remarkable performance going or will he begin to fall off again? I personally think he’ll snag another win or two before Richmond, make the chase and finish well in points but he won’t be sitting at the champion’s table in Vegas. I think someone with the last name of Kenseth or Kahne will have that honor but that’s a thought for a whole other conversation. Stewart has gained credence as a title contender and just a few weeks ago, everyone wanted to write him off as even procuring a chase berth. The dynamic of 2013 is changing…Ford’s are gaining ground, SHR are contenders again and JGR is losing the stranglehold they had on the field.

    Tempers will definitely flare this weekend as racing room is limited but at the same time, a necessity. Imprudent decisions will be made and drivers will get their feelings hurt. Whoever can survive this brutal event where pushing and shoving is the name of the game will find themselves in a very good position to obtain a solid finish or even a victory. If Tony isn’t in the middle of all the carnage and chaos, then he might just be that guy celebrating in victory lane.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Party in the Poconos 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Party in the Poconos 400

    With a picture-perfect race day after a qualifying rainout, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 32nd annual Party in the Poconos 400.

    Surprising:  With good practice times and a decent starting position set on owner’s points, it was most surprising to see the No. 5 Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet  head to pit road and then to the garage on the first lap of the race.

    “We have no idea what happened with the car yet,” Kasey Kahne said. “The crew and engineers have been looking at things but they’re still unsure.”

    “II know that when I took off, in second gear, I had no power and it was just vibrating like crazy,” Kahne continued. “The faster I went, the worse the vibration was.”

    With the garage time, Kahne finished nineteen laps down in the 36th position. He also lost two positions in the point standings, falling from the fifth to seventh spot.

    Not Surprising:  With the controversy of the Dover restart still ringing in his ears, Jimmie Johnson put it all behind him, leading a record setting 128 laps out of the total 160 at Pocono Raceway.

    And with a lap leading percentage of 80%, there was no surprise that the driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet found Victory Lane for the third time of the season and the third time at Pocono.

    “I’m sure we’ve had some other really strong races like that, but not in recent memory,” Johnson said. “What a race car.”

    “There are only so many tricks you have if you play by the rules with those restarts,” Johnson continued. “Fortunately, I was able to get the lead and have clean air again at the end.”

    Surprising:  With all the struggles of team Ford, it was most surprising to see Greg Biffle, in the No. 16 3M Ford, surge at the end to score the runner up position.

    “We had some good restarts and we were lucky with the lane choices and my car ran pretty good on restarts,” Biffle said. “Clearly we’re not celebrating that we finished second quite yet and have our cars figured out, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.”

    “We certainly ran better here than we have been all season and certainly that’s a positive for us going to next week, so hopefully we’ll continue to build on that.”

    Not Surprising:  With a third place finish in the books, NASCAR’s most popular driver pronounced it all good, as well as predicting that the momentum might just carry the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet into Victory Lane soon.

    “We are all right,” Dale Earnhardt, Jr. said. “We know what we need to do.”

    “Confidence is there so all the fans can rest assured we feel like we are on the right track,” Junior continued. “We want to get a win, man.”

    “If we keep getting close, we are going to get one.”

    Surprising:  The announcement of Toyota Racing Development backing down the horsepower to improve reliability surprisingly came at the worst time for Denny Hamlin, who has been battling intently to recover from his injury and make the Chase.

    “We weren’t competitive,” the driver of the No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota said after finishing eighth. “We’re just trying to do everything we can and grind and finish good when we don’t have a winning car.”

    “And by no means did we have a winning car this weekend.”

    Not Surprising:   Fellow Toyota teammate Kyle Busch was the top Toyota finisher, bringing his No. 18 M&Ms Toyota Camry home in the sixth position.

    “The car was loose in turn three all day, but we got the car feeling pretty good towards the end,” Busch said. “We probably had a seventh place car all day long.”

    “I just couldn’t get going on that last restart,” Busch continued. “I just didn’t do a good job there and we found ourselves in sixth.”

    “We’ll take that and go on to Michigan.”

    Surprising:  Stewart-Haas Racing had a surprisingly good time at the Party in the Poconos, with Tony Stewart finishing in fourth, Ryan Newman finishing fifth, and Danica Patrick finishing on the lead lap at her first ever try on that tricky track.

    “It’s one thing if one car runs good, but to have two or all three of us running good shows that we are gaining momentum,” Tony Stewart, team owner and driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, said . “Really proud of our group at SHR.”

    Not Surprising:  Kurt Busch, behind the wheel of the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, once again faced adversity, this time with a problem on pit road. And not surprisingly, he and his team rallied yet again to finish top-10.

    “We had a fast car again, ran up front but a mistake on my part on pit road stalled our momentum,” Busch said. “But we battled back with a solid finish.”

    “The good news is that we know how to overcome adversity and the more we perform the way we have been, the better we’ll get.”

    Surprising:  Matt Kenseth had an uncharacteristically and surprisingly tough day, doing some synchronized spinning with Juan Pablo Montoya and then wheel-hopping on pit road and having some contact with Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

    “I mean, disappointing,” the driver of the No. 20 Home Depot/Husky Tools Toyota said. “I thought we had a top-five at the very worst or seventh or eighth-place car.”

    “Whenever you don’t finish where you are running, it’s always disappointing.”

    Not Surprising:  Earnhardt Ganassi Racing just keeps gaining ground, this week with Jamie McMurray finishing thirteenth and Juan Pablo Montoya finishing fourteenth.

    “We just have to execute,” Montoya said. “Each person has got to do its own little thing.”

    “We just have to keep our heads down and keep doing our work and we will be fine.”

    Surprising:  AJ Allmendinger had a surprisingly difficult day in the No. 51 Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet, finishing a disappointing 33rd. The ‘Dinger was responsible for the next to the last race caution after experiencing significant tire troubles.

    In spite of this, Allmendinger was surprisingly chosen to replace Bobby Labonte when the Cup crowd heads to Michigan next weekend. JTG Daugherty Racing’s leadership apparently selected ‘Dinger to shake down the car to see if and how the performance can be enhanced.

    “I have raced for Phoenix Racing some this year and feel confident I’ll be able to provide JTG Daugherty Racing with a good comparison,” Allmendinger said. “I’m thankful for this opportunity to work with the team and Bobby.”

    Not Surprising:  For Chad Knaus, crew chief, and team Jimmie Johnson, the focus still remains on the point standings. And this team not surprisingly knows exactly how important their points lead is, now 51 points ahead of Carl Edwards.

    “As far as points go, it’s always important,” Knaus said. “We’ve got some very tricky race tracks coming up and we want to make sure that we get as many points accumulated as possible.”

    “That’s just the way we roll.”

     

  • Jimmie Johnson Party of One in Pocono Victory Lane

    Jimmie Johnson Party of One in Pocono Victory Lane

    After dominating at Dover last week and not getting the result he wanted due to a restart penalty, Jimmie Johnson ordered up a table for one at the Party in the Poconos 400 Presented by Walmart, right in Victory Lane.

    Although challenged by some late race cautions, Johnson dominated the race, leading a career high 128 laps.

    He also dominated the race weekend, from being quickest in first practice to being at the front of the field in the final practice session. And thanks to the rainout of qualifying, the driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet also started from the pole, which was critical for track position.

    The win was Johnson’s 63rd career victory, his third win of the season, and his third checkered flag in 23 races at the Tricky Triangle.

    “What a race car,” Johnson said. “Not only the car and the handling and the grip that it had, but also the engine and what was under the hood.”

    “When I would lean on the throttle, this baby would yard anybody and everybody,” Johnson continued. “Today everything worked out.”

    Not only did Chad Knaus, Johnson’s crew chief, concur but he also enjoyed every minute of the Pocono competition.

    “Wow, it was a lot of fun,” Knaus said. “I really love this race track.”

    “It’s always been one of my favorites,” Knaus continued. “When you come up here you have to have a race car that will handle, great horsepower and so many cool things that come into play.”

    “When we showed up on Friday, we realized that we had a great car,” Knaus said. “Jimmie did a fantastic job and his car control was second to none.”

    Greg Biffle, who had a great run at Pocono, particularly on the last restart, finished in the runner up position with his No. 16 3M Ford. Although this was his fifth top-10 finish in 21 races at Pocono and his fifth top-10 finish of the season, Biffle acknowledged that the good finish did not come quite as easily as he would have liked.

    “It was definitely a struggle for us,” Biffle said. “We had two pit stops that weren’t the greatest and hung a lug nut.”

    “We were struggling for track position all day,” Biffle continued. “Turns 3 and 4 (or whatever you call it) was where we struggled.”

    “I was terrible there and anything I would gain in turns 1 and 2, I would lose.”

    Biffle acknowledged that he simply did not have anything for the 48 bunch. But he took the runner up finish as a positive, particularly going into Michigan next week, a track where he has had success in the past.

    “The 48 was super fast,” Biffle said. “He just drove away from everybody.”

    “We had some good restarts and we were lucky with the lane choices, but most of the top five cars were faster than us on sheer speed,” Biffle continued. “We still have work to do but this is a step in the right direction.”

    “That’s a positive for us going to next week.”

    Fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. led the Hendrick Motorsports team in the finishing order, taking the checkered flag third in the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet. This was Junior’s 10th top-10 finish in 27 races at Pocono.

    But even with the top-five finish, Earnhardt Jr. acknowledged that the restarts at the Tricky Triangle were the most challenging for him to overcome.

    “Them last restarts were kind of tough,” Junior said. “Being on the inside on the front row really ain’t the cat bird’s seat.”

    “The guys behind you can get good runs and put you three-wide,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “So, I was more in defense mode there and Greg (Biffle) just got around us on the outside.”

    “But I’m pretty happy with the way we ran,” Junior said. “Just looking forward to going to Michigan, a track we run pretty good at, next week.”

    Stewart-Haas Racing had a great time at the Party in the Poconos, with Tony Stewart, in the No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, finishing fourth and teammate Ryan Newman, in the No. 39 HAAS Automation Chevrolet, finishing fifth.

    “The restarts got tight,” Stewart acknowledged. “The good thing is we got confidence from the last three weeks in a row.”

    The third member of the Stewart-Haas team, Danica Patrick, finished 29th in her first ever run in a Cup car at Pocono. She did, however, bring her No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet to the checkered flag on the lead lap.

    “For Ryan and I to finish in the top five and Danica doing better, we’re just gaining on it,” Stewart said. “I’m just proud our group had a good run.”

    Stewart’s teammate Ryan Newman did indeed have a good finish, playing both the speed and strategy cards throughout the race, even on the restarts.

    “Well we did have the speed today,” Newman said. “Strategy worked out to our benefit.”

    “I thought I was going to be in the middle of a Busch (brother Kurt and Kyle) sandwich there at the end going into Turn 2,” Newman continued. “But I have to thank them for giving me a little bit of room.”

    “Strategy worked to our benefit with the yellows there at the end,” Newman said. “Just a good rebound for us and that’s really what we needed for this team.”

    The Busch brothers, Kyle and Kurt, finished sixth and seventh respectively. Both, however, had their share of adversity from which they had to battle back.

    “We just kept working on our M&M’s Camry all day,” Kyle Busch said. “We probably had a seventh-place car all day long and found ourselves in third on the last restart.”

    “I just couldn’t get going for some reason,” Busch continued. “I just didn’t do a good job there and we found ourselves in sixth.”

    “We’ll take that and go on to Michigan.”

    “We had a fast car again, ran up front but a mistake on my part on pit road stalled our momentum,” Kurt Busch said, after overshooting his pit box on Lap 126. “But we battled back with a solid finish.”

    “We’ve made great strides in the past month and need to continue the progression,” Busch continued. “I don’t see any reason why we can’t.”

    Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota, Kevin Harvick, behind the wheel of the No. 29 Rheem Chevrolet, and Joey Logano, just back from Iowa in time to jump behind the wheel of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford rounded out the top ten finishers for the 32nd annual Party in the Poconos.

     

     

  • Danica Patrick Acknowledges Learning Curve Continues at Pocono

    Danica Patrick Acknowledges Learning Curve Continues at Pocono

    As Danica Patrick approaches her first race ever at Pocono Raceway, she absolutely acknowledges that she is still very much in learning curve mode. In fact, the rookie Patrick is just the second woman to race at Pocono, following in the steps of Janet Guthrie.

    “I think that people have been really understanding to the fact that this is a learning curve and coming from IndyCar is a totally different place,” Patrick said. “I feel that’s been actually very publicized that there is going to be time needed to see that through.”

    “That doesn’t stop me from getting mad or wanting more,” Patrick continued. “I think that’s just the nature of someone competitive.”

    “There are a lot of times that my crew chief wants to remind me that I’m doing a good job and that this is the first year, not only in Cup, but my second full-time in stock cars,” Patrick said. “But I have high expectation levels.”

    “It keeps me pushing,” Patrick continued. “I think the media has done a good job of education maybe the more casual fan that it’s a big transition.”

    Patrick is definitely in learning mode at Pocono and expressed her gratitude for at least being able to test there recently. She was, however, disappointed not only that practice was rained out but qualifying as well.

    “It’s a good thing we came last week and tested, that’s for sure,” Patrick said. “Obviously it doesn’t look like we’ll get out on the track (because of the rain).”

    “Unfortunately that will leave it up to points to qualify,” Patrick continued. “Oh well, I’ve qualified worse than that on my own.”

    “It’s not in the very back,” Patrick said of her qualifying position in P30. “It will just kind of leave it up to race runs tomorrow, which is not a bad thing when you’re coming to a track for the first time.”

    “To some degree, you just have to learn for yourself what’s going to happen and ultimately what you need,” Patrick continued. “I definitely have good resources with my teammates and am talking with my crew chief about what to expect and what we need to be looking for and what tends to happen in the race here.”

    “So, I’ll be asking those questions.”

    While Patrick expressed her admiration for her boss Tony Stewart, owner/driver for Stewart Haas Racing, she does not necessarily lean on him for advice about the race track, even at one where she has never been like the Tricky Triangle.

    “I don’t necessarily even really talk to Tony or anybody about how to drive it,” Patrick said. “I think that it’s very hard for someone to say well, you need to really carry a lot of speed.”

    “What does that mean?” Patrick continued. “I have to get out on the track and feel what it means and then have a very specific question that I need answered.”

    “Everyone drives differently, so it’s not like someone can just tell you how to drive the track.”

    “I find that I have a lot better results through questions once I’ve actually done something and had a taste of what it is I’m doing,” Patrick said. “It’s very difficult to come to a place that you’ve never seen and ask the right questions.”

    While Patrick may not rely on her boss for tips on how to master the three turns of Pocono, she does want to learn just how he masters the media.

    “I just wish I could do an interview like him,” Patrick said. “He does such a great job.”

    “It’s so funny,” Patrick continued. “He’s not afraid to say what he really thinks at all; even more than me.”

    “And he is much more funny about it,” Patrick said. “He’s so much more adorable about it.”

    “He has a huge drive to be fast and make the team better and make his car better and you feel that, for sure,” Patrick continued. “You also feel that passion.”

    “I love him.”

    One arena that Patrick does not consult in her NASCAR learning curve is the media itself. And she has learned some interesting lessons, especially through social media.

    “Do I read the press?” Patrick was asked. “Only if a have a good weekend.”

    “If I don’t, I don’t,” Patrick continued. “I read it too if there are a lot of pictures; pictures are my favorite.”

    “Social media has given everyone a platform to speak their minds,” Patrick said. “But what that’s done is kind of put your finger on the pulse of what’s going to be written about.”

    “If people don’t like me, they can at least respect my honesty.”

    Most of all, Patrick continues her learning curve in the sport with the support of her incredible fan base. And as she makes her Pocono debut, she is most appreciative of the young ones, both boys and girls, who look up to her and her role in the sport.

    “That’s sometimes the best part of your day is to hear a little kid say that they look up to you,” Patrick admitted. “I never, ever get sick of that.”

    “Some of the kids are very open and they feel like they know you and they come and hug you,” Patrick continued. “It’s a nice feeling.”

    “It makes it all feel kind of worthwhile on days that aren’t good,” Patrick said. “It helps to understand that it’s just one day and that it will pass and they like you because they’ve seen you do well and that they enjoy you as a competitor.”

    “I’m learning about that perspective and it can really brighten up your day.”

  • Denny Hamlin Scores Third Pole of 2013 Season at Monster Mile

    Denny Hamlin Scores Third Pole of 2013 Season at Monster Mile

    Denny Hamlin appears to be on a mission since returning to the track from his back injury. And today his mission was accomplished when he scored his third pole of the season for the 44th running of the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks.

    Hamlin ran a fast lap of 22.788 seconds at a speed of 157.978 miles per hour. In addition to being his third pole of the season, it is his second pole at Dover, and his 15th pole in the Cup Series.

    “It’s been good,” Hamlin said in the media center after his pole run. “To have the FedEx Freight/Autism Speaks Toyota on the pole for the title race is awesome and hopefully we get to raise a little bit more awareness  and get a little bit more media attention for that.”

    Hamlin acknowledged that his good qualifying runs are also instrumental in his recent race results.

    “I feel like I’ve gained a lot of knowledge in how to qualify better,” Hamlin said. “It’s all helping out our cause for the moment.”

    In spite of feeling like he has learned lessons, Hamlin really did not believe that he had even run a lap worthy of pole material after his fast lap.

    “When I ran the lap, I wasn’t in love with it,” Hamlin said. “I thought fundamentally I didn’t do that great of a job.”

    “I knew the track conditions were really bad,” Hamlin continued. “ In the back of my mind, I’m saying I’m preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.”

    “We were just counting down and saying, “Can’t be any worse than sixth, can’t be any worse than fifth.”

    “And we’re on the front row,” Hamlin said. “It’s cool that we’re giving our pit crew yet again a huge advantage when those guys are already the best on pit road.”

    While Hamlin is feeling good as far as recovering from his back injury, he admitted to taking some extra precautions for his own comfort in the race car.

    “We have some lumbar support,” Hamlin said. “We have some air bags in the seat itself to help with comfort.”

    “I did switch up my belt configuration to help as well,” Hamlin continued. “I think overall I’m pretty comfortable right now, really as comfortable as I’ve been.”

    “That extra lumbar support definitely helps.”

    Martin Truex Jr. will start right next to Hamlin, securing the outside pole for Sunday’s race at his home track. His NAPA Auto Parts Toyota ran a lap of 22.814 seconds at a speed of 157.798 miles per hour.

    This was Truex’s eighth top-10 start of the season and his seventh in 15 races at the Monster Mile.

    “It was a good lap for sure,” Truex said. “You always want to come here and get the pole.”

    “I love this place so  much and have so many fans in this area,” Truex continued. “It was a solid run.”

    Truex Jr. admitted that the track really was much slicker than even in practice. And the driver of the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota said he might just have left a little bit out there because of it.

    “The track was hotter, it was slick and pretty dang hard to drive,” Truex said. “I probably left maybe a little bit out there.”

    “I was a tiny bit conservative in one spot, otherwise it was a great lap,” Truex continued. “The guys did a pretty good job getting the balance right to where we had good speed.”

    “I’m proud of them for that and now we can go work on Sunday.”

    Kyle Busch, who secured the third place starting honors said his lap was just ‘fine.’ The driver of the No.18 M&Ms Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing posted his ninth top-10 start at the Monster Mile with a lap of 22.820 seconds and 157.756 miles per hour.

    “We were just a little too tight and I had to slow up a little bit through turns three and four and just missed out getting another pole for use this year,” Busch said. “Great effort by the team and guys.”

    “They did a really good job of having the car snugged up just enough for me there where we made a good lap and we were top-three so we’re pleased with that,” Busch continued. “It will give us a better pick at pit selection there and we can see the front.”

    Teammate Matt Kenseth, who will start fourth in the race on Sunday, was happy yet unhappy with his qualifying run.

    “I honestly thought this morning we were going to have a shot at the pole today,” the driver of the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota said. “So, just a little off but I was pretty happy with it.”

    “The track changed just a little more than we anticipated.”

    Ryan Newman, in the No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet, led the Stewart Haas Racing team in qualifying. He secured the final spot in the top-five with a run of 22.826 seconds and a speed of 157.715 miles per hour.

     

    Starting Lineup
    FedEx 400, Dover Int’l Speedway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/cup/qual.php?race=13
    ===========================================
    Pos. No. Driver Make Speed Time
    ===========================================
    1 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 157.978 22.788
    2 56 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 157.798 22.814
    3 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 157.756 22.82
    4 20 Matt Kenseth Toyota 157.736 22.823
    5 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 157.715 22.826
    6 55 Mark Martin Toyota 157.604 22.842
    7 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 157.549 22.85
    8 2 Brad Keselowski Ford 157.48 22.86
    9 22 Joey Logano Ford 157.46 22.863
    10 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 157.405 22.871
    11 5 Kasey Kahne Chevrolet 157.35 22.879
    12 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet 157.24 22.895
    13 78 Kurt Busch Chevrolet 157.054 22.922
    14 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Chevrolet 156.713 22.972
    15 15 Clint Bowyer Toyota 156.556 22.995
    16 27 Paul Menard Chevrolet 156.175 23.051
    17 13 Casey Mears Ford 156.169 23.052
    18 99 Carl Edwards Ford 156.054 23.069
    19 16 Greg Biffle Ford 155.952 23.084
    20 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 155.696 23.122
    21 33 Landon Cassill(i) Chevrolet 155.44 23.16
    22 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 155.407 23.165
    23 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. # Ford 155.239 23.19
    24 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 155.206 23.195
    25 51 Austin Dillon(i) Chevrolet 155.146 23.204
    26 47 Bobby Labonte Toyota 155.086 23.213
    27 83 David Reutimann Toyota 155.059 23.217
    28 38 David Gilliland Ford 154.972 23.23
    29 31 Jeff Burton Chevrolet 154.679 23.274
    30 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 154.619 23.283
    31 98 Michael McDowell Ford 154.573 23.29
    32 19 Mike Bliss(i) Toyota 154.5 23.301
    33 43 Aric Almirola Ford 154.48 23.304
    34 30 David Stremme Toyota 154.295 23.332
    35 34 David Ragan Ford 153.984 23.379
    36 87 Joe Nemechek(i) Toyota 153.636 23.432
    37 7 Dave Blaney Chevrolet 153.557 Owner Points
    38 93 Travis Kvapil Toyota 153.492 Owner Points
    39 10 Danica Patrick # Chevrolet 153.381 Owner Points
    40 36 JJ Yeley Chevrolet 152.892 Owner Points
    41 35 Josh Wise(i) Ford 152.355 Owner Points
    42 32 Timmy Hill # Ford 150.912 Owner Points
    43 44 Scott Riggs Ford 150.71 Owner Points
  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Coca Cola 600

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Coca Cola 600

    With the focus on America’s military, past, present and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom, here is what was surprising and not surprising from the Memorial Day running of the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    Surprising:  NASCAR’S elite Cup drivers had to face surprising battles of their own, as unfortunately did some fans in the stands, when an overhead camera cable, utilized by Fox Sports to cover the race, broke.

    Several drivers and race cars were impacted, as well as ten fans sustaining injuries, with three taken to the hospital for evaluation and further treatment.

    The race was red flagged to allow fans to be helped, as well as to surprisingly allow the drivers and teams an opportunity to evaluate and then work on their wounded race cars.

    “At this time, we do not have a cause for the failure of the camera drive line that interrupted the Coca Cola 600 and our concern is with the injured fans,” Fox Television said in a statement issued shortly after the incident.

    “We apologize to the racers whose cars were damaged and offer a sincere ‘thank you’ to the staff at Charlotte Motor Speedway for attending to the injuries and keeping us informed,” the statement continued. “A full investigation is planned and use of the camera is suspended indefinitely.”

    Not Surprising:  In a race that was fraught with several ‘weird’ incidents in addition to the camera failure, it was not surprising that race winner Kevin Harvick focused on not just celebrating in Victory Lane.

    “Well, first off I want to say I hope everybody is okay from that cable,” the driver of the No. 29 Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet said. “That was quite a weird incident there.”

    “Second, I just want to say thank you to all these guys at RCR (Richard Childress Racing),” Harvick continued. “To win at Charlotte is something that we had to overcome for a long time.”

    “Just got to thank everybody from Budweiser, Sprint, all the fans and this great promotion with the Folds of Honor special beer cans,” Harvick said. “Five cents from every can goes to Folds of Honor.”

    This was Harvick’s 21st victory in 442 Cup starts, his second victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as well as his second victory of the 2013 season.

    Surprising:  While Chevrolets tend to be dominant at Charlotte Motor Speedway, there was one five-time champion Chevy driver noticeably absent from the front of the pack this weekend.

    In fact, Jimmie Johnson, the driver with the best rating at Charlotte, with a 111.7 average out of a possible 150, finished 22nd.  The driver of the No. 48 Lowes Patriotic Chevrolet fought loose conditions all evening and finally spinning out of contention.

    “Yeah, we were like a fifth place car,” Johnson said. “And then we got pulled around in Turns 3 and 4 and spun.”

    “That really affected our finish from that point,” Johnson continued. “It was a long night with a lot of issues.”

    Not Surprising:  As so often happens in big-time motorsports, the dominant car did not finish first, especially since there was some strategy involved. That is exactly what happened to Kasey Kahne, who had by far the strongest car in the field, and ended up not pitting when everyone else in the field did so.

    “Well, there was a couple of guys that had just got tires so we thought they would stay out,” Kahne said. “Instead the whole field pitted.”

    “We had a great Time Warner Cable Chevy all night,” Kahne continued. “We were just in a tough spot there.”

    Kahne finished in the runner up position, his 11th top-ten finish in nineteen races at Charlotte and his sixth top-10 finish of the season.

    Surprising:  Kurt Busch, who has struggled to close out strong at the end of the race, surprisingly overcame great adversity to finish third in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing/Sealy Chevrolet.

    “Still shell shocked,” Busch said. “We picked up the lead and the battery went dead.”

    “We battled back, Busch continued. “The guys changed it as fast as they could and we got third.”

    “It was a great night to run up front and showcase what this team is made of.”

    This was Busch’s seventh top-ten finish in 26 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    Not Surprising:   Denny Hamlin, behind the wheel after his back injury, not only qualified well but also ran well in the top five, capitalizing on every situation possible to get himself and his team back into contention.

    Hamlin, behind the wheel of the No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota, started from the pole and was the highest finishing Toyota Camry driver in the race. Hamlin scored the fourth spot when the checkered flag flew and moved up three positions in the point standings to 24th.

    “Proud of our effort,” Hamlin said. “We need solid runs like this.”

    Surprising:  In an incident that looked like Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Danica Patrick wrecked each other, Brad Keselowski, who was also involved, surprisingly threw himself under that bus.

    “Yeah, I cut Danica off,” Keselowski said. “I didn’t know we were still three-wide and I caused a big wreck.”

    “I feel bad for her and I send my apologies to her,” Keselowski continued. “It was a long night for the Miller Lite Ford.”

    Keselowski finished 36th and fell three spots to 10th in the point standings.

    Not Surprising:  In a battle for the lucky dog after being trapped in the pits when a caution came out, Jeff Gordon became the unlucky dog yet again.

    “We were a victim of the caution coming out while we were on pit road,” Gordon said. “We were going for the Lucky Dog and had to be real aggressive.”

    “We were racing three-wide and that’s what’s going to happen,” Gordon continued. “I hate we were back there.”

    “We had an awesome Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet.”

    Gordon finished 35th and fell three spots to 15th in the point standings.

    Surprising:  Stewart Haas not only had a surprisingly good finish for at least two of their drivers, with Ryan Newman finishing sixth and Tony Stewart finishing seventh, but they also gained some hope for the remainder of the season.

    “It was a solid night for Stewart-Haas Racing,” Newman said.

    “We finally got some stability in the car,” Stewart said.

    “All three of our cars made big improvements this week in terms of performance,” Greg Zipadelli, Competition Director, said. “Danica had a bad day, but overall we ended up with a couple of good finishes, which was certainly an improvement.”

    Not Surprising:  Given the length of the race, it was not surprising to see some engines fail under the pressure.

    One such failure happened to Kyle Busch, who had again been dominant, until his car was injured by the camera cable. He was able to get repaired and was still performing at the front of the field when the engine let go, ending his day in the 38th position.

    “We had been running first, second or third most of the evening, but just catastrophic engine failure,” Busch said. “It seems to be that time of the year again.”

    “I hate it for all my guys,” Busch continued. “It’s just so frustrating to see it end on a short note like that and not getting the finish that we needed.”

    Dale Earnhardt, Jr. also suffered an engine issue in his No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet, relegating him to a 39th place finish. NASCAR’s most popular driver, however, put it all in perspective.

    “We had smoke in the cockpit for three laps and we started losing power before it broke,” Junior said. “We didn’t have a really good car.”

    “But I want to wish everyone a happy Memorial Day weekend,” Earnhardt Jr. continued. “I take a lot of pride in the National Guard and hope everyone shakes a soldier’s hand and thanks them for what they do.”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Sprint All-Star Race

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Sprint All-Star Race

    As NASCAR’s elite briefly battled Mother Nature and then each other, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the aftermath of the 2013 Sprint All-Star Race.

    Surprising:  The race was won not so much through fierce competition on the track but more through strategy and quick execution on pit road. And in the end, Jimmie Johnson and his team, including crew chief Chad Knaus and the new overall-the-wall group, had to pull out a record-setting pit stop to score the All-Star win.

    Johnson had to claw his way to the front after a poor qualifying run, which included a loose lug nut penalty and a slide through his pit box. He started 18th as a result but worked his way methodically to the front with the help of his team.

    Johnson’s pit crew, however, actually delivered the million on their final ‘money stop,’ according to Knaus.

    “We dug in really deep and got a really good set up in the Lowe’s Chevrolet,” Knaus said. “The pit crew did fantastic.”

    “11.8 second pit stop,” Knaus continued. “I’ve been fortunate to win a lot of races but this was a lot of fun.”

    Not Surprising:  While the race was ‘pointless’, with no points gained or lost in the race to the Chase, given the race winner, it was still a record setter when the checkered flag flew.

    The million dollar driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, broke a tie with his HMS teammate and partial owner Jeff Gordon and legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. for the most wins in a non-points race.

    Johnson won his second straight All-Star Race and scored his fourth All-Star Race victory.

    “It’s just dedication and drive from every member of Hendrick Motorsports,” Johnson said. “We know we have to keep pushing one another.”

    “I don’t know how we keep doing it.”

    Surprising:  Reigning champ Brad Keselowski had a surprisingly bad All Star event, with a transmission break down of some sort early in the race.

    “Something just broke in the back half of the drive train, either the transmission or drive shaft gear – I’m not sure which one – but it’s one of those deals, unfortunately,” the driver of the Blue Deuce said. “We’ll try to learn from it and move on.”

    “You can be mad about it or move on and get ready for the next race,” Keselowski continued. “We’ll do the latter.”

    Not Surprising:   The Busch brothers, Kyle and Kurt, were both dominant yet again but could not pull of the finish they no doubt wanted so badly, with one having damage and the other a slow pit stop at the end of the race. Both brothers, however, took away lessons learned for the next big race, the Coke 600.

    “I think we were just getting beaten around on every restart,” Kyle Busch said. “We had the best car here tonight but it was a good learning day for the 600.”

    “To win segments and to be in position, it still makes you feel proud,” Kurt Busch said. “They put me in position with the overall best finish.”

    “We were a shade slower on pit road and a shade slower on that last adjustment,” Busch continued. “It was a million bucks going out the window, but we’re building our notebook up going into the 600.”

    Surprising:  The rules of engagement were surprisingly so complicated that not only were the announcers in the booth confused, but calculators in the control tower were working at a feverish pitch trying to determine the order on pit road for the last segment four-tire money stop.

    Not Surprising:  Joey Logano, in the Penske No. 22, exercised some muscle, pushing the No. 5 car of Kasey Kahne out of the way to charge up to take the checkered flag in the second position.

    “The 22 guys did a great job,” Logano said. “We had a good restart in the last segment.”

    “The only shot I had would have been a caution but it was a lot of fun,” Logano continued. “Second is awesome but then it sucks at the same time.”

    “I wish we had another caution to give Jimmie a run for his money.”

    Surprising:  Jamie McMurray kept the competitive fires going for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with scoring the Showdown win to make the race and then going on to score a top-ten finish in his No. 1 Bass Pro Shop/National Wild Turkey Foundation Chevrolet.

    “Really happy with our car,” Jamie Mac said. “Our car was extremely fast.”

    “It was tough in traffic but overall we had a good car.”

    Not Surprising:  According to pole sitter Carl Edwards, who finished the All Star race in the tenth position, tires were critical. And if he could do it all over again, Edwards would no doubt reconsider the decision to stay out without those fresh tires.

    “We thought if we stayed out we could maintain track position but tire wear had to be taken into account,” the driver of the No. 99 Fastenal Ford said. “Everyone was racing so hard, right on the edge of wrecking.”

    “I wish we had another shot at it,” Edwards continued. “We’re going to talk a lot about strategy for the 600 and take all this information and put our best foot forward for the 600.”

    In spite of his tire troubles, Edwards acknowledged that he thought the All Star racing was some of the best that he had ever seen.

    “It was very good racing,” Edwards said. “This track was so fast.”

    “These are the best drivers in the world and I saw some saves out there that I don’t know how they pulled it off.”

    Surprising:  Although the struggles of Stewart Haas Racing continued, team owner Tony Stewart, known for his occasional angry outbursts, was quietly encouraging throughout the All Star Race, in which he finished  14th.

    “Keep your heads up guys,” Stewart said over the radio when the checkered flag flew. “We’ll figure this out.”

    “Just have to keep working at it.”

    Not Surprising:  It was an up and down kind of night for the lone female on the Sprint Cup circuit. Although Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, was voted into the All Star Race through the fan vote, she certainly did not have an All Star evening, finishing in the 20th position, the last of the running vehicles.

    “First and very foremost, thank you to all the fans who voted for me,” Patrick said. “I’ll never forget that.”

    “It just makes me feel bad to win the Sprint Fan Vote and fun in the back of the race,” Patrick continued. “It was a tough night.”

  • Matty’s Picks 2013 – Vol. 8 Darlington Raceway – Bojangles’ Southern 500 – May 11, 2013

    Matty’s Picks 2013 – Vol. 8 Darlington Raceway – Bojangles’ Southern 500 – May 11, 2013

    Darlington Raceway needs no introduction this week. Its the 64th annual Bojangles’ Southern 500 and there’s a reason why the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has continued to come back to the track Too Tough To Tame year after year. It’s NASCAR’s oldest paved superspeedway, and over the years has become one of my favorite stops on the series. There’s something about the history, the heritage, and the excitement about the racing at Darlington that keeps me glued to the broadcast and puts Darlington on my bucket list.

    Talladega Recap

    Last weekend’s chaos at Talladega left me in rough shape, but the good news for me is that nobody saw David Ragan soaring to Victory Lane either. Scoring an unlikely win on the last lap of last week’s Aaron’s 499 with help from his teammate David Gilliland, was a shot in the arm for both David Ragan, Front Row Motorsports, and all the under-funded teams in the sport. It was a major confidence booster in the garage for teams not normally in the spotlight, being that the entire race was dominated by the big guns like Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson. It was a “David takes down Goliath” last week at Talladega, but don’t expect the same this week at Darlington.

    As for my picks last week, I went with defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, Brad Kesolowski to win last week. Bad Brad made it through the mayhem of each of the big wrecks, but unfortunately had no help for a charge to the front following the rain delay and wound up finishing 15th.

    As for my Dark Horse, Danica Patrick, a late race accident on lap 182 ended her long day of drafting. She missed a big accident early and waited out the three-hour rain only to be caught up in a late race crash on the backstretch when several cars began crashing in front of her. The incident put her out of the race, finishing in 33rd.

    Darlington Picks

    Winner Pick
    On Wednesday while previewing tonight’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 with Greg Depalma on the Prime Sports Network, I picked Kasey Kahne to win, before the cars even hit the track in South Carolina. It’s a pick I still like after Kahne showed decent speed in practice and qualified the No.5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet in the fourth starting spot. He enters Saturday Night’s race coming off consecutive top 10’s at Darlington Raceway, leading laps in 3 of the last 4 at The Lady In Black. Flashback to 2011, Kahne dominated the Southern 500 in his No.4 Red Bull Toyota, leading a race-high 124 laps, but a late race incident involving oil dropped on the track, collected a slue of solid race cars including Kahne. NASCAR failed to throw a caution, despite many drivers reporting oil on the track, a call that was looked at as controversial in many drivers eyes. Kahne has completed all but one lap in his 10 races at Darlington, and he’s put himself in position to pick up his first win at the historic track through a solid qualifying run on Friday.

    Dark Horse Pick
    On Wednesday, I liked Ryan Newman’s chances at The Lady In Black, but throughout the weekend we haven’t seen much speed out of the No.39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet. I thought he was the guy to look at who has flown under the radar with solid finishes at Darlington, including 6 top 10’s in the last 8 races at Darlington. He traditionally has qualified very well in South Carolina, notching one pole and starting outside the top 12 just twice in 14 starts. He’s got some work to do if he’s to end up in Victory Lane, but needs a solid finish for not only his Chase hopes, but to keep Stewart-Haas racing on the radar as a major player in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

    That’s all for this week, so until we head to Charlotte and All-Star Weekend, You Stay Classy NASCAR NATION!