Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 15th, 2011
SPECIAL EDITION: Dover, Delaware / Rockingham, North Carolina
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The Weekend's Top News
by Bryan Davis Keith and Tony Lumbis
Edwards Survives Melee at the Finish to Score Nationwide Win at Dover
Carl Edwards held on to win the 5 Hour Energy 200 at Dover on a rain-soaked Saturday afternoon, wrestling the lead from Joey Logano on lap 187, surviving three late race restarts and getting through a harrowing last lap crash unscathed that destroyed over a half dozen cars and sent Clint Bowyer airborne down the frontstretch, so high that his No. 33 machine nearly cleared the interior pit wall. Kyle Busch, Reed Sorenson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and David Reutimann rounded out the top 5.
The race, which started nearly an hour late after rain canceled the series' qualifying session earlier Saturday morning, saw the Roush Fenway Fords as the class of the field, with Edwards and Stenhouse combining to lead 120 of the 209 laps run. Two of the stouter cars in the field, the No. 18 of Busch and the No. 32 of Sorenson, were both damaged in an accordion accident entering pit road, leaving them unable to challenge the Mustangs and Logano, who proved to be Edwards' stoutest competition as the laps wound down.
Justin Allgaier suffered his first DNF of 2011 after losing a right front and pounding the turn 3 wall while running in the top 10 on lap 140, relinquishing the points lead to Elliott Sadler, who finished sixth recovering from a pit road speeding penalty. Mike Bliss, driving the No. 14 after swapping rides with teammate Eric McClure for the weekend, scored a top 15 result that moved that team back into the top 30 after Scott Wimmer start-and-parked the No. 40 car.
For more on Saturday's race, see Bryan Davis Keith's Nationwide Series Breakdown.
On the track, Kyle Busch became the first repeat Truck Series winner at Dover in convincing fashion, leading 128 laps and holding off Cole Whitt on several late race restarts to score his third win of the Truck Series season. Whitt, Matt Crafton, Austin Dillon and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top 5.
Off the track, as expected, Kyle Busch was asked several questions on Friday morning about the incident last Saturday night with Kevin Harvick following the Showtime Southern 500 and the penalty that followed. For the driver of the No. 18 Camry, there is really no questioning the penalty or Harvick's dislike for him.
"When matters get taken into the drivers hands or anything else onto pit road, where innocent bystanders can be injured or something, NASCAR is going to step in and they're going to intervene and they're going to set penalties the way that they feel need to be levied. To me, it's not a gray area, it's pretty simple, it's black and white."
Busch was not as diplomatic when it came to his relationship with Harvick or the incident itself. "Apparently he's watching too much hockey. To me, I did have a left rear tire flat and I wasn't sure that if I turned too hard to the right to stay off of him or get to away from him that the car would actually spin out the wrong way - my car would."
"As far as us getting along, I'm not sure we ever really did" explained Busch about Harvick. "I think he tried and that's why at Homestead I kind of talked about the two faces of Kevin Harvick. I still believe that's out there. He'll talk to your to your face like your best friends, but then behind closed doors...he has the utmost disrespectful thoughts or whatever else. That's all, I don't care. I'm going on with my own business."
Have news for The Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com with a promising lead or tip.
~~~~~~~~~~
Beyond the Cockpit: One Week Later with Southern 500 Champion Regan Smith
by Tony Lumbis
Frontstretch.com's Tony Lumbis caught up with Regan Smith at Dover to ask him about his first career victory at Darlington. We're sure that after reading his responses, you'll be hungry to learn more about one of the more popular victories in NASCAR. Well, you're in luck. Be sure to check out Smith's Frontstretch.com Diary on Friday, May 27th, where the driver of the Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet will share more about his big win and what it is like to race in the All-Star race at Charlotte.
Lumbis: You displayed some emotion in victory lane last Saturday night. Was it because of the victory, your mom not being present, the reason why she wasn't there or a little bit of everything?
Smith: It was a lot of things. It was Mother's Day weekend and my mom couldn't be there. Animals are a passion for my family, it's always been a soft spot. So she's a member of the teams that are deployed for situations like the one in Alabama. We joked about it when she left. I said, "You're not going to be able to walk across the stage with me and all the other stuff you're supposed to do on Mother's Day weekend. That's OK, I'll just have to borrow somebody else's mom." We were able to get a good laugh out of it even though the situation wasn't ideal. So it was a combination of a lot of things that lead to my showing of emotion.
In general, I'm a pretty emotional person, I wear them on my sleeve. In the car on the cool down lap is where I was really choked up. Victory lane was nothing compared to that. I hope that my mom is there for our next win though. They say the first one is the toughest to get so hopefully it will be easier for us to get the second one.
Lumbis: Does returning to the racetrack a week after a win feel any different? Do you feel the sense of momentum that is always talked about in this sport?
Smith: It's back to business but not as usual. We have a lot of confidence on the team now and I have more confidence as a driver. We also have momentum and we need to ride it because there are going to be points during the year where we don't have it and will have to know how to get it back. Before Darlington, there were points where we were experiencing bad luck or I was making a mistakes. Now that we have this momentum, hopefully that stuff won't happen as frequently.
Lumbis: After the race, there was quite a lot of hostility on one end of pit road between Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch. In victory lane, it was completely the opposite. What did it mean to you to have so many drivers congratulate you and express their happiness for you?
Smith: That's probably one of the most meaningful things during this whole deal. You never really know how you stand in the competitor's eyes. You have conversations with them and joke with them, but you don't ever really know until something like this happens. I've tried to take more of the Mark Martin approach to my career and do things the right way. Sometimes I'll get criticized for not being aggressive enough but I try to do things the right way. To see a response like that from your competitors, you can't beat it.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hey Frontstretch Readers!
Get THE ANNUAL, 2011 Racing Preview for your mobile device!
Go to Frontstretch.com and click on "The Annual" link on the right side to order and download this special issue that includes: Track Information, Driver profiles and In-Depth Features.
~~~~~~~~~~
Keepin' It Short: Chase Elliott, Brennan Poole Victorious at Rockingham
by Mike Neff
Chase Elliott, for the first time in his career, has won at a track where his father was victorious by taking the win at Rockingham Speedway in the USAR Pro Cup race Saturday. Elliott stayed out for the final caution when he had no tires to utilize and took advantage of the clean air to hold off Brad Rogers over the final 18 laps. J. P. Morgan had a brush with the wall while trying to chase down Elliott and ended up settling for a third place finish. ARCA Racing Series regular Bryan Silas, who is pulling double duty this weekend between Rockingham and Toledo, battled a left front tire rub for almost half of the race but still managed to come home in fourth. AJ Frank capped off the top 5.
Brennan Poole continued his hot streak in the UARA late model ranks with his third win in four races this season, taking the checkered flag at Rockingham Saturday. Poole, who earlier this month won the ARCA race at Salem in his series debut, grabbed the lead on lap 26 and held off Paddy Rodenbeck for the remainder of the 75 laps. Kyle Grissom passed Rodenbeck for second with two laps to go but was unable to catch up to Poole to challenge for the lead. Ronnie Bassett Jr. was fourth and Alex Yontz ended up fifth.
For more information regarding the weekend's races at Rockingham, check back later this week in our new short track section.
Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hey, Frontstretch Readers!
We know you love the roar of raw horsepower under the hood that powers 43 of the best drivers in the world every weekend, but did you ever wonder how the sponsor on top of that hood also contributes to keeping the sport moving? What about the contributions of official NASCAR companies? If you think they are simply writing checks, think again. Check out our newest feature - Sunday Money. This weekly Frontstretch exclusive provides you with a behind the scenes look at how NASCAR, its affiliates and team sponsors approach the daunting task of keeping fans interested and excited about the sport for 38 weeks of the year.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Nationwide Series Breakdown: 5 Hour Energy 200
by Bryan Davis Keith
Building, Rebuilding: Justin Marks, Turn One Racing Make Strides at Dover
by Bryan Davis Keith
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks Race Recap by TBA
-- Big Six: FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks by Amy Henderson
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Monday on the Frontstretch:
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan fills in for Matt this week with his overall thoughts about the action from Sunday afternoon's action from Dover.
Bowles-Eye View by Tom Bowles
Tom brings back his weekly post-race commentary with all of the insight you need from a weekend of racing at Dover.
Running Their Mouth: FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks by Brody Jones
Did he really say that? You bet he did! Brody brings you the most interesting, unusual, and downright crazy quotes to come from the drivers after Sunday afternoon's race from Dover.
Tracking the Trucks: Lucas Oil 200 by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth has all the post-race analysis you need after Friday night's Camping World Truck Series race from Dover.
-----------------------------
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2011 Frontstretch.com
-- Beyond the Cockpit: One Week Later with Southern 500 Champion Regan Smith
by Tony Lumbis
Frontstretch.com's Tony Lumbis caught up with Regan Smith at Dover to ask him about his first career victory at Darlington. We're sure that after reading his responses, you'll be hungry to learn more about one of the more popular victories in NASCAR. Well, you're in luck. Be sure to check out Smith's Frontstretch.com Diary on Friday, May 27th, where the driver of the Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet will share more about his big win and what it is like to race in the All-Star race at Charlotte.
Lumbis: You displayed some emotion in victory lane last Saturday night. Was it because of the victory, your mom not being present, the reason why she wasn't there or a little bit of everything?
Smith: It was a lot of things. It was Mother's Day weekend and my mom couldn't be there. Animals are a passion for my family, it's always been a soft spot. So she's a member of the teams that are deployed for situations like the one in Alabama. We joked about it when she left. I said, "You're not going to be able to walk across the stage with me and all the other stuff you're supposed to do on Mother's Day weekend. That's OK, I'll just have to borrow somebody else's mom." We were able to get a good laugh out of it even though the situation wasn't ideal. So it was a combination of a lot of things that lead to my showing of emotion.
In general, I'm a pretty emotional person, I wear them on my sleeve. In the car on the cool down lap is where I was really choked up. Victory lane was nothing compared to that. I hope that my mom is there for our next win though. They say the first one is the toughest to get so hopefully it will be easier for us to get the second one.
Lumbis: Does returning to the racetrack a week after a win feel any different? Do you feel the sense of momentum that is always talked about in this sport?
Smith: It's back to business but not as usual. We have a lot of confidence on the team now and I have more confidence as a driver. We also have momentum and we need to ride it because there are going to be points during the year where we don't have it and will have to know how to get it back. Before Darlington, there were points where we were experiencing bad luck or I was making a mistakes. Now that we have this momentum, hopefully that stuff won't happen as frequently.
Lumbis: After the race, there was quite a lot of hostility on one end of pit road between Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch. In victory lane, it was completely the opposite. What did it mean to you to have so many drivers congratulate you and express their happiness for you?
Smith: That's probably one of the most meaningful things during this whole deal. You never really know how you stand in the competitor's eyes. You have conversations with them and joke with them, but you don't ever really know until something like this happens. I've tried to take more of the Mark Martin approach to my career and do things the right way. Sometimes I'll get criticized for not being aggressive enough but I try to do things the right way. To see a response like that from your competitors, you can't beat it.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hey Frontstretch Readers!
Get THE ANNUAL, 2011 Racing Preview for your mobile device!
Go to Frontstretch.com and click on "The Annual" link on the right side to order and download this special issue that includes: Track Information, Driver profiles and In-Depth Features.
~~~~~~~~~~
Keepin' It Short: Chase Elliott, Brennan Poole Victorious at Rockingham
by Mike Neff
Chase Elliott, for the first time in his career, has won at a track where his father was victorious by taking the win at Rockingham Speedway in the USAR Pro Cup race Saturday. Elliott stayed out for the final caution when he had no tires to utilize and took advantage of the clean air to hold off Brad Rogers over the final 18 laps. J. P. Morgan had a brush with the wall while trying to chase down Elliott and ended up settling for a third place finish. ARCA Racing Series regular Bryan Silas, who is pulling double duty this weekend between Rockingham and Toledo, battled a left front tire rub for almost half of the race but still managed to come home in fourth. AJ Frank capped off the top 5.
Brennan Poole continued his hot streak in the UARA late model ranks with his third win in four races this season, taking the checkered flag at Rockingham Saturday. Poole, who earlier this month won the ARCA race at Salem in his series debut, grabbed the lead on lap 26 and held off Paddy Rodenbeck for the remainder of the 75 laps. Kyle Grissom passed Rodenbeck for second with two laps to go but was unable to catch up to Poole to challenge for the lead. Ronnie Bassett Jr. was fourth and Alex Yontz ended up fifth.
For more information regarding the weekend's races at Rockingham, check back later this week in our new short track section.
Mike Neff is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hey, Frontstretch Readers!
We know you love the roar of raw horsepower under the hood that powers 43 of the best drivers in the world every weekend, but did you ever wonder how the sponsor on top of that hood also contributes to keeping the sport moving? What about the contributions of official NASCAR companies? If you think they are simply writing checks, think again. Check out our newest feature - Sunday Money. This weekly Frontstretch exclusive provides you with a behind the scenes look at how NASCAR, its affiliates and team sponsors approach the daunting task of keeping fans interested and excited about the sport for 38 weeks of the year.
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Nationwide Series Breakdown: 5 Hour Energy 200
by Bryan Davis Keith
Building, Rebuilding: Justin Marks, Turn One Racing Make Strides at Dover
by Bryan Davis Keith
~~~~~~~~~~
Coming Monday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks Race Recap by TBA
-- Big Six: FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks by Amy Henderson
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Monday on the Frontstretch:
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan fills in for Matt this week with his overall thoughts about the action from Sunday afternoon's action from Dover.
Bowles-Eye View by Tom Bowles
Tom brings back his weekly post-race commentary with all of the insight you need from a weekend of racing at Dover.
Running Their Mouth: FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks by Brody Jones
Did he really say that? You bet he did! Brody brings you the most interesting, unusual, and downright crazy quotes to come from the drivers after Sunday afternoon's race from Dover.
Tracking the Trucks: Lucas Oil 200 by Beth Lunkenheimer
Beth has all the post-race analysis you need after Friday night's Camping World Truck Series race from Dover.
-----------------------------
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2011 Frontstretch.com
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