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August 1st, 2011
Volume V, Edition CL
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Menard Uses Fuel Strategy To Take First Career Win at Indianapolis
by Mike Neff
John Menard has been coming to Indianapolis for over three decades, pouring owner and sponsor money into open-wheel cars only to see them fail spectacularly to win a race. Running out of fuel on the last lap, crashing near the first he's found just about every way possible to see it all fall apart.
Finally, after all these years it was his son, of all people that took him over the hump - in a stock car.
On Sunday, Menard made his fuel load in his car last until the 160th lap and held off a hard-charging Jeff Gordon to claim not only his family's first victory at Indianapolis, but also the first win of his Sprint Cup career. Leading 21 laps, the 30-year old from Wisconsin finally cashed in on the Cup level at the equivalent of his hometown track, breaking an 0-for-166 streak on the circuit.
Menard was asked in the post race press conference if this win would be more gratifying because people have always held his father's sponsorship deal against him.
"We're winners in Sprint Cup and that's a big deal," Menard said. "To do it at Indy is even a bigger deal. You can't change people's opinions and that's okay with me. We're going to celebrate this and we're going to work hard for Pocono."
The driver earned this one; in a race that featured a myriad of fuel strategies, Menard was the best at saving his gas until the end. Gordon took the checkered flag second with plenty of fuel, but tires that had been worn out by his charge back through the field after making an extra stop.
"I knew, shortly after that last pit stop, that there were some guys that were going to try to stretch it on fuel and all I could do was run as hard as I could to put pressure on them and hope that I got there in time," Gordon said. "We got there just a little bit short. Paul did a great job saving fuel because when I got there, even Regan [Smith] and other guys, they were still pretty much checking up when I got there. It was easy to get by them. But Paul had saved enough to where he could go back to a full pace. By that time, my car was just too tight behind him."
Regan Smith came close to putting the second crown jewel race trophy of the year on his mantle but settled for third position - one of many drivers simply happy for Menard, a well-respected driver inside the garage area and out.
"I certainly can't be disappointed with third, and in particular when somebody like Paul wins," Smith said. "I don't have very many close friends on this circuit but he's one of them. He was at my victory celebration and I plan on being at his tonight or tomorrow, whenever it is."
"You only get one chance to get your first win. It's a special thing, especially when you do it here."
Defending winner Jamie McMurray was also on a fuel conservation strategy, passing Menard and leading down the stretch for a time; but as the streategy kicked in, he slowed and settled for a fourth-place finish in order to make his gas last until the end. Matt Kenseth had a strong car most of the day but simply ran out of time, eventually rounding out the top-5 finishers.
Kasey Kahne started off the event by pulling out to a large lead and maintaining it through most of the first 51 laps of the race. Kahne led 48 laps, only relinquishing the top spot for three laps during a round of green flag pit stops from lap 25 through lap 28. Kahne finally lost the lead to Dave Blaney and eventually Dale Earnhardt, Jr. during the second caution of the event for David Reutimann hitting the wall hard thanks to a blown tire in turn 3. While Earnhardt led when the race went back to green, there was no doubt who the Most Popular Driver in Indiana is when Gordon passed him for the lead on lap 60 and the crowd erupted. Gordon led through the midway point when he pitted for fuel, relinquishing the lead to Jimmie Johnson for a lap on a round of green flag pit stops. Menard led for the first time on the next lap before Gordon resumed the lead as Menard pitted for fuel.
Caution flew again for debris on lap 95 and Menard decided to stay out, leading on the restart until lap 105 when Kenseth caught him in turn four and the two made contact thanks to a miscommunication between Menard and his spotter. Kenseth backed off and let Menard gather himself before passing him on the front straight and assuming the point. Another debris caution on lap 115 started the strategy madness that would alter the complexion of the entire race; during that one, Keselowski stayed out on the caution to grab the lead.
But the yellow flag wasn't done flying. One final yellow came on Lap 121 when David Ragan got together with Landon Cassill at the end of the backstretch, the end of a four-wide scuffle gone awry. Cassill spun and the whole field scattered; multiple drivers went through the grass and Kahne spun while trying to avoid the No. 51. Much of the field pitted for tires, fuel and grille cleaning under that yellow; most cars were borderline on making it to the end of the race, while all drivers who stayed out would have to pit shortly after the restart.
The merry-go-round at the lead of the pack began when Keselowski pitted for fuel. Over the next several laps Clint Bowyer, Gordon, Ragan and Stewart all took turns at the front. When Stewart came in for fuel on lap 145, Menard grabbed the top spot and held it for all but five of the remaining laps as he conserved and then held off Gordon for the win.
Menard's father John was also in the media center for the press conference. Asked about the impact of this victory, he put it in context for Menard and his family. "This is Paul's day but in a way, our family has been at the Speedway for so long. We used to sneak Paul in because he was too young to be in the garage but he was always interested in being a race car driver. I'm just a proud papa."
Stewart, like Gordon rallied after his stop to score a sixth-place finish, just ahead of Greg Biffle. Mark Martin ran a strong race, but his fuel supply ran dry in turn 3 on the last lap, which dropped him to eighth place. Brad Keselowski recovered from his pit stop with 30 laps to go to finish ninth, while rounding out the top 10 was Kyle Busch, who had a decent run going in the race before a pit road mishap with Stewart cost him quite a bit of track position.
Next weekend, the Sprint Cup Series makes a return trip to Pocono Raceway for the Good Sam RV Insurance 500.
Johnson was looking to pick up his record-tying fourth career NASCAR victory at the Brickyard and was one of the fastest cars all weekend. He was able to back up his strong practice sessions Sunday, and looked just as quick as Jeff Gordon, who had the car to beat. However, Johnson had a few pit road mishaps; some contact with Brian Vickers affected the aero midrace, and then the No. 48 took four tires on the final pit stop while many other teams decided to get two or not pit at all. Because of that, he was only able to come home with a 19th-place finish.
Kevin Harvick had a very similar race to his outing at Loudon two weeks ago, running midpack most of the event. However, this week, the 2003 Brickyard 400 winner was able to capitalize off pit strategy for a decent finish. Harvick was the first one to short pit on the final green flag run, allowing him to end the day in 11th and move up one position in the points, to third. Harvick's three wins in the regular season have him sitting in a good position for the Chase. As it stands now, he will be tied for the point lead due to his three victories.
The man Harvick would be tied with would be the driver he can't seem to get away from, rival Kyle Busch. Busch finished one spot ahead of Harvick in 10th after overcoming a pit road collision and some slight outside wall contact during the race of his own (doesn't that happen every week?). Busch was also able to go the last green flag cycle without pitting, allowing him to move up one spot in the point standings. Like Harvick, Busch's three wins would give him the point lead going into the Chase as it stands right now.
Matt Kenseth looked to be one of a select few that could run the same pace Jeff Gordon ran. The 2003 Sprint Cup champion led a handful of laps and was ahead of Gordon before the final stops began. However, Gordon was much quicker on the last run, and Kenseth had to settle for fifth. His seventh top-5 of the year has Kenseth sitting comfortably inside the top-10, fifth in points with little chance of falling out down the stretch.
Kurt Busch looked strong at the drop of the green flag, but once he tapped the wall on lap 2, things went south. The slight contact caused minor handling problems for Busch, but was still able to run in the top-10. After avoiding Cassill's spin, Busch had to drive through the grass, causing his engine to overheat. The team then gambled on the final green flag run, stretching their fuel load. The strategy was a little too conservative, and Busch slowly drove his way to a 21st-place result. He fell back three spots in the standings to sixth.
As for Gordon, his charge back to the front came up just a tad short to race winner Paul Menard, but there is arguably no driver hotter right now than the four-time Brickyard winner. In the last ten races, Gordon has gone from 17th to seventh in the standings and only Kenseth and Kurt Busch have accumulated more points in that span. Behind him sits Ryan Newman, who wasn't able to carry over his momentum from the New Hampshire win. Starting the day in 23rd, he was able to work his way into the top 20, but not much higher. The No. 39 crew played the pit strategy card correct, however, and ended the day in a respectable 12th place. He remains eighth in points and has a Loudon victory to fall back on should he drop out of the top-10.
Newman's boss and teammate Tony Stewart had an eventful day, finishing in sixth place. It didn't start off easy, as he had to overcome a commitment cone violation, a run in with the wall, and a pit road collision with Kyle Busch. He was able to take advantage of being in the back all day by pitting on the last caution flag, though, allowing him to get off sync with the leaders. As a result, Stewart was able to make a quick two-tire pit stop with 16 laps to go as a dominating leader. Those seconds up front paid off; he rallied all the way back up just outside the top-5, and now is sitting ninth in the points.
For awhile, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. looked ready to break out of his midseason slump. Earnhardt led for several laps by staying out under caution, and was able to stay in the top ten for most of the day. However, they were one of the many victims of fuel strategy, and ended the day in 16th. He has now fallen to tenth in points, just 19 ahead of 11th place Denny Hamlin who holds the first "wild card" spot. Who's the other? Believe it or not, Indy winner Paul Menard who with the victory moves up to 14th in points, seven ahead of Daytona winner David Ragan for a spot in the postseason..
Standings: 1) Carl Edwards 682; 2) Jimmie Johnson -11; 3) Kevin Harvick -12; t-4) Kyle Busch -16; t-4) Matt Kenseth -16; 6) Kurt Busch -18; 7) Jeff Gordon -52; 8) Ryan Newman -64; 9) Tony Stewart -73; 10) Dale Earnhardt Jr. -76.
Wildcard Drivers: Denny Hamlin (11th in points, one win), Paul Menard (14th in points, one win)
Note: While Brad Keselowski and Regan Smith both have victories this year, neither are in contention for the Chase because they are not inside the top-20 in points. In order to qualify as a wildcard driver, you must be 20th or higher in the standings. Keselowski is currently 21st, while Smith is 26th. Also, Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne is not eligible for the Chase because he is not running for Sprint Cup points.
Tracking The Top 35: TRG Moves Into 35th, Robby Gordon Motorsports Out
Friday's Answer:
Q: The 1995 Brickyard 400, won by Dale Earnhardt, was delayed for hours due to rain. Once the race got started, it was a very clean 400 mile run, however, there was one close call for Earnhardt and the rest of the leaders. What happened?
A: Just after a round of green flag pit stops, Jeff Burton got loose exiting Turn 2 just in front of Earnhardt. Burton's No. 8 Raybestos Ford hit the wall, got loose again, overcorrected, then spun into the inside wall right in front of Rusty Wallace. Neither Earnhardt nor Wallace hit Burton, but it put quite a scare into the leaders. The crash can be seen at the 5:25 mark of this clip.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
Coming Tuesday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from TBA
-- Sitting In The Stands: A Fans' View by S.D. Grady
This Week's Topic: Good Manners on the Race Track
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
The Yellow Stripe by Danny Peters
Danny is back with another captivating commentary.
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Indianapolis-Pocono Edition by Summer Dreyer
Summer takes a look at post-Indy numbers to see who's got the most momentum heading into the off-week... and beyond.
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 1st, 2011
Volume V, Edition CL
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Menard Uses Fuel Strategy To Take First Career Win at Indianapolis
by Mike Neff
John Menard has been coming to Indianapolis for over three decades, pouring owner and sponsor money into open-wheel cars only to see them fail spectacularly to win a race. Running out of fuel on the last lap, crashing near the first he's found just about every way possible to see it all fall apart.
Finally, after all these years it was his son, of all people that took him over the hump - in a stock car.
On Sunday, Menard made his fuel load in his car last until the 160th lap and held off a hard-charging Jeff Gordon to claim not only his family's first victory at Indianapolis, but also the first win of his Sprint Cup career. Leading 21 laps, the 30-year old from Wisconsin finally cashed in on the Cup level at the equivalent of his hometown track, breaking an 0-for-166 streak on the circuit.
Menard was asked in the post race press conference if this win would be more gratifying because people have always held his father's sponsorship deal against him.
"We're winners in Sprint Cup and that's a big deal," Menard said. "To do it at Indy is even a bigger deal. You can't change people's opinions and that's okay with me. We're going to celebrate this and we're going to work hard for Pocono."
The driver earned this one; in a race that featured a myriad of fuel strategies, Menard was the best at saving his gas until the end. Gordon took the checkered flag second with plenty of fuel, but tires that had been worn out by his charge back through the field after making an extra stop.
"I knew, shortly after that last pit stop, that there were some guys that were going to try to stretch it on fuel and all I could do was run as hard as I could to put pressure on them and hope that I got there in time," Gordon said. "We got there just a little bit short. Paul did a great job saving fuel because when I got there, even Regan [Smith] and other guys, they were still pretty much checking up when I got there. It was easy to get by them. But Paul had saved enough to where he could go back to a full pace. By that time, my car was just too tight behind him."
Regan Smith came close to putting the second crown jewel race trophy of the year on his mantle but settled for third position - one of many drivers simply happy for Menard, a well-respected driver inside the garage area and out.
"I certainly can't be disappointed with third, and in particular when somebody like Paul wins," Smith said. "I don't have very many close friends on this circuit but he's one of them. He was at my victory celebration and I plan on being at his tonight or tomorrow, whenever it is."
"You only get one chance to get your first win. It's a special thing, especially when you do it here."
Defending winner Jamie McMurray was also on a fuel conservation strategy, passing Menard and leading down the stretch for a time; but as the streategy kicked in, he slowed and settled for a fourth-place finish in order to make his gas last until the end. Matt Kenseth had a strong car most of the day but simply ran out of time, eventually rounding out the top-5 finishers.
Kasey Kahne started off the event by pulling out to a large lead and maintaining it through most of the first 51 laps of the race. Kahne led 48 laps, only relinquishing the top spot for three laps during a round of green flag pit stops from lap 25 through lap 28. Kahne finally lost the lead to Dave Blaney and eventually Dale Earnhardt, Jr. during the second caution of the event for David Reutimann hitting the wall hard thanks to a blown tire in turn 3. While Earnhardt led when the race went back to green, there was no doubt who the Most Popular Driver in Indiana is when Gordon passed him for the lead on lap 60 and the crowd erupted. Gordon led through the midway point when he pitted for fuel, relinquishing the lead to Jimmie Johnson for a lap on a round of green flag pit stops. Menard led for the first time on the next lap before Gordon resumed the lead as Menard pitted for fuel.
Caution flew again for debris on lap 95 and Menard decided to stay out, leading on the restart until lap 105 when Kenseth caught him in turn four and the two made contact thanks to a miscommunication between Menard and his spotter. Kenseth backed off and let Menard gather himself before passing him on the front straight and assuming the point. Another debris caution on lap 115 started the strategy madness that would alter the complexion of the entire race; during that one, Keselowski stayed out on the caution to grab the lead.
But the yellow flag wasn't done flying. One final yellow came on Lap 121 when David Ragan got together with Landon Cassill at the end of the backstretch, the end of a four-wide scuffle gone awry. Cassill spun and the whole field scattered; multiple drivers went through the grass and Kahne spun while trying to avoid the No. 51. Much of the field pitted for tires, fuel and grille cleaning under that yellow; most cars were borderline on making it to the end of the race, while all drivers who stayed out would have to pit shortly after the restart.
The merry-go-round at the lead of the pack began when Keselowski pitted for fuel. Over the next several laps Clint Bowyer, Gordon, Ragan and Stewart all took turns at the front. When Stewart came in for fuel on lap 145, Menard grabbed the top spot and held it for all but five of the remaining laps as he conserved and then held off Gordon for the win.
Menard's father John was also in the media center for the press conference. Asked about the impact of this victory, he put it in context for Menard and his family. "This is Paul's day but in a way, our family has been at the Speedway for so long. We used to sneak Paul in because he was too young to be in the garage but he was always interested in being a race car driver. I'm just a proud papa."
Stewart, like Gordon rallied after his stop to score a sixth-place finish, just ahead of Greg Biffle. Mark Martin ran a strong race, but his fuel supply ran dry in turn 3 on the last lap, which dropped him to eighth place. Brad Keselowski recovered from his pit stop with 30 laps to go to finish ninth, while rounding out the top 10 was Kyle Busch, who had a decent run going in the race before a pit road mishap with Stewart cost him quite a bit of track position.
Next weekend, the Sprint Cup Series makes a return trip to Pocono Raceway for the Good Sam RV Insurance 500.
Mike Neff is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at mike.neff@frontstretch.com.
Tracking The Chasers: Point Lead Changes Hands Once Again
by Garrett Horton
Johnson was looking to pick up his record-tying fourth career NASCAR victory at the Brickyard and was one of the fastest cars all weekend. He was able to back up his strong practice sessions Sunday, and looked just as quick as Jeff Gordon, who had the car to beat. However, Johnson had a few pit road mishaps; some contact with Brian Vickers affected the aero midrace, and then the No. 48 took four tires on the final pit stop while many other teams decided to get two or not pit at all. Because of that, he was only able to come home with a 19th-place finish.
Kevin Harvick had a very similar race to his outing at Loudon two weeks ago, running midpack most of the event. However, this week, the 2003 Brickyard 400 winner was able to capitalize off pit strategy for a decent finish. Harvick was the first one to short pit on the final green flag run, allowing him to end the day in 11th and move up one position in the points, to third. Harvick's three wins in the regular season have him sitting in a good position for the Chase. As it stands now, he will be tied for the point lead due to his three victories.
The man Harvick would be tied with would be the driver he can't seem to get away from, rival Kyle Busch. Busch finished one spot ahead of Harvick in 10th after overcoming a pit road collision and some slight outside wall contact during the race of his own (doesn't that happen every week?). Busch was also able to go the last green flag cycle without pitting, allowing him to move up one spot in the point standings. Like Harvick, Busch's three wins would give him the point lead going into the Chase as it stands right now.
Matt Kenseth looked to be one of a select few that could run the same pace Jeff Gordon ran. The 2003 Sprint Cup champion led a handful of laps and was ahead of Gordon before the final stops began. However, Gordon was much quicker on the last run, and Kenseth had to settle for fifth. His seventh top-5 of the year has Kenseth sitting comfortably inside the top-10, fifth in points with little chance of falling out down the stretch.
Kurt Busch looked strong at the drop of the green flag, but once he tapped the wall on lap 2, things went south. The slight contact caused minor handling problems for Busch, but was still able to run in the top-10. After avoiding Cassill's spin, Busch had to drive through the grass, causing his engine to overheat. The team then gambled on the final green flag run, stretching their fuel load. The strategy was a little too conservative, and Busch slowly drove his way to a 21st-place result. He fell back three spots in the standings to sixth.
As for Gordon, his charge back to the front came up just a tad short to race winner Paul Menard, but there is arguably no driver hotter right now than the four-time Brickyard winner. In the last ten races, Gordon has gone from 17th to seventh in the standings and only Kenseth and Kurt Busch have accumulated more points in that span. Behind him sits Ryan Newman, who wasn't able to carry over his momentum from the New Hampshire win. Starting the day in 23rd, he was able to work his way into the top 20, but not much higher. The No. 39 crew played the pit strategy card correct, however, and ended the day in a respectable 12th place. He remains eighth in points and has a Loudon victory to fall back on should he drop out of the top-10.
Newman's boss and teammate Tony Stewart had an eventful day, finishing in sixth place. It didn't start off easy, as he had to overcome a commitment cone violation, a run in with the wall, and a pit road collision with Kyle Busch. He was able to take advantage of being in the back all day by pitting on the last caution flag, though, allowing him to get off sync with the leaders. As a result, Stewart was able to make a quick two-tire pit stop with 16 laps to go as a dominating leader. Those seconds up front paid off; he rallied all the way back up just outside the top-5, and now is sitting ninth in the points.
For awhile, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. looked ready to break out of his midseason slump. Earnhardt led for several laps by staying out under caution, and was able to stay in the top ten for most of the day. However, they were one of the many victims of fuel strategy, and ended the day in 16th. He has now fallen to tenth in points, just 19 ahead of 11th place Denny Hamlin who holds the first "wild card" spot. Who's the other? Believe it or not, Indy winner Paul Menard who with the victory moves up to 14th in points, seven ahead of Daytona winner David Ragan for a spot in the postseason..
Standings: 1) Carl Edwards 682; 2) Jimmie Johnson -11; 3) Kevin Harvick -12; t-4) Kyle Busch -16; t-4) Matt Kenseth -16; 6) Kurt Busch -18; 7) Jeff Gordon -52; 8) Ryan Newman -64; 9) Tony Stewart -73; 10) Dale Earnhardt Jr. -76.
Wildcard Drivers: Denny Hamlin (11th in points, one win), Paul Menard (14th in points, one win)
Note: While Brad Keselowski and Regan Smith both have victories this year, neither are in contention for the Chase because they are not inside the top-20 in points. In order to qualify as a wildcard driver, you must be 20th or higher in the standings. Keselowski is currently 21st, while Smith is 26th. Also, Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne is not eligible for the Chase because he is not running for Sprint Cup points.
Tracking The Top 35: TRG Moves Into 35th, Robby Gordon Motorsports Out
Andy Lally helped TRG get into the top-35 with a respectable 26th-place finish on Sunday, but one could argue Robby Gordon helped them out more than anyone. Worried about his motor all weekend, Gordon's engine in the No. 7 expired early, leaving them sitting in the garage in last while fully opening the door for the No. 71 to leapfrog past. With Gordon's team doing more start and parks as of late, it was just a matter of time before TRG Motorsports pushed ahead anyways; TRG is now 10 points to the good over RGM, but still has work to do to get to the teams ahead of them. For now, however, they are locked in for the next race at Pocono.
Top 35 Summary:
31) Phoenix Racing (No. 51 - Landon Cassill), +116 ahead of 36th place.
32) Tommy Baldwin Racing (No. 36 – Dave Blaney), +60 ahead of 36th place.
33) FAS Lane Racing (No. 32 – Mike Bliss), +56 ahead of 36th place.
34) Germain Racing (No. 13 – Casey Mears), +43 ahead of 36th place.
35) TRG Motorsports (No. 71 - Andy Lally), +10 ahead of 36th place.
36) Robby Gordon Motorsports (No. 7 – Robby Gordon), -10 behind 35th place.
37) Front Row Motorsports (No. 38 – Travis Kvapil), -23 behind 35th place.
38) Wood Brothers Racing (No. 21 – Trevor Bayne), -31 behind 35th place.
39) Front Row/MaxQ Hybrid Team (No. 37 – Tony Raines/Scott Speed), -98 behind 35th place.
Garrett Horton is a Contributor to Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at garrett.horton@frontstretch.com.
Got NASCAR-related questions or comments about 2011? John's got answers!
A new year means a new columnist to answer all your pressing questions about the sport! Our legendary flagman John Potts is taking over our Fan Q & A, so be sure to stack his inbox with plenty of queries and comments for the New Year! Send them his way at john.potts@frontstretch.com; and if you're lucky, you'll get your name in print when he does his weekly column answering back to you – the fans!
Secret Star of the Race: The Race You Never Saw
STAT OF THE WEEK: 1. This represents the number of cars that viewers saw cross the finish line at the end of Sunday's Brickyard 400. ESPN did their traditional zooming in on the flagstand after Paul Menard crossed the stripe and then cut to his pit crew celebrating. Let's just say that there were quite a few fans that were not all that pleased with that. - Phil Allaway
Running Their Mouth: 2011 Brickyard 400 presented by BigMachineRecords.com
by Brody Jones
Best Quote
"This is the one I wanted to win. My family, my Dad has had IndyCars here since the late '70s, 35 years or so. For 35 years he's been trying, so giving him his first win here after all those years of trying is pretty special. Can't wait to kiss the bricks. We're the inaugural Sprint Summer Shootout winner. That's cool. Man, it's Indy." - Paul Menard, race winner, on how much it meant for him and his family to win at Indy
Let this officially be the end of all the talk of Paul Menard, according to detractors, only being in NASCAR on account of his father's money. The bottom line is Menard did a masterful job of saving fuel and holding off all comers in the closing laps, including a hard-charging Jeff Gordon. To say he "backed into the win" is an erroneous statement. Menard has, in the last two years, put together some of the best results of his career. While he may not be the most popular driver on the circuit in terms of fan base (although his "Empire" on Facebook is sure to grow substantially after this), this win has been a long time coming for the soft-spoken, low-key driver who is now in position to score a wild-card spot in the Chase.
Worst Quote
"It is a huge win for him. I'm happy for Paul, although I was irritated after the race since he ran me off the race track on that restart, but I'm happy he got the win. I wish it wouldn't have come down to fuel mileage, but I'm glad that he got the win. He's been running awfully good this year and he deserves a good win." - Matt Kenseth, fifth, on Paul Menard winning the Brickyard 400
It seemed like Matt Kenseth paid race winner Paul Menard a bit of a backhanded compliment post-race, following an incident during the event where Paul sent Matt Kenseth in the grass while trying to protect his position on the track. Kenseth's verbal dart comes across as a bit of sour grapes. That said? One can't entirely blame Kenseth for the post-race disgust over having to settle for fifth due to fuel mileage when he had one of the top cars to contend with during the race.
Most Controversial Quote
"I don't care about John Menard, but I am really happy for Paul Menard. Paul's been around this place for a long time, he's been here since he was a kid. It couldn't have happened to a better guy, that is a pretty deserving win right there. I'm happy for him getting his first one that way." - Tony Stewart, sixth, on the Menard family's big day
Tony Stewart's bad blood with John Menard dates back to the years Stewart drove for him in the Indy Racing League, and was further elaborated upon in Tony Stewart's autobiography a few years back. Characteristically, Smoke didn't pull any punches on his sentiments toward Paul's father. But, in terms of Tony's take on Paul, he seems to have softened his stance on John's son after making some harsh comments about Paul in his rookie Cup season. Once again, Tony Stewart gives a brutally honest answer to an honest question and one cannot fault him in the least bit for that.
Funniest Quote
"Yeah, [I was stuck] behind whoever was in front of me [laughs]; as long as he had enough gas! I caught the No. 4 [Kasey Kahne] by a lucky break. He got bound up behind a guy who was running out of fuel and I got a spot there, but otherwise I didn't go up through there. Some guys did. Now the No. 2 [Keselowski] ran up through there pretty good. I don't know if he had different tires or put tires on, but some guys were fast enough to get up through there and some of us weren't." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., 16th
While 16th place is hardly anything to get excited about, at least Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had a humorous take on where he wound up finishing. Some drivers following their final green flag pit stops were able to regain track position, like Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth. But others, like Earnhardt Jr., were left bogged down midpack by faulty handling, spoiling what could have been a potential top-10 finish for Dale Jr. at the Brickyard.
Best Of The Rest
"Well, I wanted it really bad you know leading up to that, but on the last lap I knew I was too tight behind [Paul] and if he didn't run out, I wasn't going to get him. I needed a few laps to work on him, well I guess I needed a few more laps for him to run out of fuel, too." - Jeff Gordon, runner-up, on how bad he wanted to win in the closing laps
"Well, that is the most bittersweet third-place of all time because you can see the leaders. I saw the No. 27 and I knew he was on the same strategy as us and I wanted to go and he went and we decided to pull the reins back a little bit hoping some more of them would run out of fuel. Then I saw the No. 24 come and I thought, 'we are in trouble now' because he doesn't have to save at all, so that kind of made our decision for us. The bittersweet part is because I'm so happy for Paul Menard down there. I know what this race means to that family and to him in particular. I can't wait to get to Victory Lane and congratulate him, that's a really cool deal." - Regan Smith, third, on putting his Brickyard 400 race into perspective
"It was really close. I was confused because initially I thought he said two laps then I thought he said half, I just wanted to know if it was half or two and how much I needed to save. I got by the No. 27 because I wanted to be leading the race. I knew it was going to be easier to defend than it was going to be to try to pass when everyone decided to take off. We got a little bit lucky today, but [I'm] really happy. We've had a tough year and a lot of things go wrong and a lot of bad luck and its very nice to have good luck. We had Johnny Morris here from Bass Pro Shops today and the folks from LiftMaster. Had a good Chevy and had a good finish." - Jamie McMurray, fourth, on how close he was on fuel
"The car was tight most of the race; when we put on right-side tires only, that's when our Shell/Pennzoil Dodge came to life. We lost track position when the 51 [Landon Cassill] crashed and we had to go through the grass. We had to come down pit road three times. The temp was pegged. That put us the last car on the lead lap, but it had us close to our fuel window. Hitting the grass did extensive damage underneath the car and it got tighter and tighter. We were fortunate that we had the fuel to make it to the end, but with the damage, we just couldn't maintain track position. Our car was good in practice, we qualified well and we were making changes that helped the handling. We didn't need to get caught up in that mishap." - Kurt Busch, 21st
"We started off terrible — kind of like we expected. I hate that we finished 25th. We got the car pretty good. The guys kept getting the car better. Got to the point that at least we had decent speed in it. We couldn't make it on fuel — we don't get good fuel mileage and that's a problem. That's what we get for not getting good fuel mileage — we finish 25th. We did a good job getting better, but it's frustrating — getting the car better and being better and then having a fuel mileage race. Seems like anyone can win these things these days — you have to get lucky these days more than anything." - Joey Logano, 25th
"That was awful. I wish we would have just pitted five laps into the run with everybody else so I didn't feel so sick to my stomach having to pit there. We had a few times where we had to pit when we didn't want to with grass getting kicked up into our grille a few times. When you get back in the pack like that, those things are gonna happen. We were just unfortunate to have it happen to us three times and have to pit so many times. It was a hard-fought day for a 30th-place finish. It doesn't feel like that, but we learned a lot. I was glad to be here, but I definitely want to be running better than that." - Trevor Bayne, 30th
"Just a bummer. The motor felt like it misfired a little bit in qualifying and it looks like we may have lost an engine early. I'm not sure what to say. I'm really bummed out. I love racing at Indy. I'm disappointed. This is really going to hurt us in the top-35 in the owner point standings." - Robby Gordon, 43rd
Brody Jones is a Contributor to Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at brody.jones@frontstretch.com.
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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 how NASCAR, it's 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:
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Brickyard 400 Race Recap
by Matt McLaughlin
Money Can't Buy Happiness... But In NASCAR, It Can Buy You Time
by Tom Bowles
Monday Morning Teardown: Finish Doesn't Save Brickyard's Bacon
by Ron Lemasters
Bubble Breakdown: A Day Of Near Misses For Cassill, Bayne
by the Frontstretch Staff
The Big Six: Brickyard 400
by Amy Henderson
Nationwide Series Breakdown: Kroger 200
by Bryan Davis Keith
Tracking The Trucks: AAA Insurance 200
by Beth Lunkenheimer
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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.
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In 1989, Pocono Raceway had two unusual occurrences happen during the June event. What happened?
"This is the one I wanted to win. My family, my Dad has had IndyCars here since the late '70s, 35 years or so. For 35 years he's been trying, so giving him his first win here after all those years of trying is pretty special. Can't wait to kiss the bricks. We're the inaugural Sprint Summer Shootout winner. That's cool. Man, it's Indy." - Paul Menard, race winner, on how much it meant for him and his family to win at Indy
Let this officially be the end of all the talk of Paul Menard, according to detractors, only being in NASCAR on account of his father's money. The bottom line is Menard did a masterful job of saving fuel and holding off all comers in the closing laps, including a hard-charging Jeff Gordon. To say he "backed into the win" is an erroneous statement. Menard has, in the last two years, put together some of the best results of his career. While he may not be the most popular driver on the circuit in terms of fan base (although his "Empire" on Facebook is sure to grow substantially after this), this win has been a long time coming for the soft-spoken, low-key driver who is now in position to score a wild-card spot in the Chase.
Worst Quote
"It is a huge win for him. I'm happy for Paul, although I was irritated after the race since he ran me off the race track on that restart, but I'm happy he got the win. I wish it wouldn't have come down to fuel mileage, but I'm glad that he got the win. He's been running awfully good this year and he deserves a good win." - Matt Kenseth, fifth, on Paul Menard winning the Brickyard 400
It seemed like Matt Kenseth paid race winner Paul Menard a bit of a backhanded compliment post-race, following an incident during the event where Paul sent Matt Kenseth in the grass while trying to protect his position on the track. Kenseth's verbal dart comes across as a bit of sour grapes. That said? One can't entirely blame Kenseth for the post-race disgust over having to settle for fifth due to fuel mileage when he had one of the top cars to contend with during the race.
Most Controversial Quote
"I don't care about John Menard, but I am really happy for Paul Menard. Paul's been around this place for a long time, he's been here since he was a kid. It couldn't have happened to a better guy, that is a pretty deserving win right there. I'm happy for him getting his first one that way." - Tony Stewart, sixth, on the Menard family's big day
Tony Stewart's bad blood with John Menard dates back to the years Stewart drove for him in the Indy Racing League, and was further elaborated upon in Tony Stewart's autobiography a few years back. Characteristically, Smoke didn't pull any punches on his sentiments toward Paul's father. But, in terms of Tony's take on Paul, he seems to have softened his stance on John's son after making some harsh comments about Paul in his rookie Cup season. Once again, Tony Stewart gives a brutally honest answer to an honest question and one cannot fault him in the least bit for that.
Funniest Quote
"Yeah, [I was stuck] behind whoever was in front of me [laughs]; as long as he had enough gas! I caught the No. 4 [Kasey Kahne] by a lucky break. He got bound up behind a guy who was running out of fuel and I got a spot there, but otherwise I didn't go up through there. Some guys did. Now the No. 2 [Keselowski] ran up through there pretty good. I don't know if he had different tires or put tires on, but some guys were fast enough to get up through there and some of us weren't." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., 16th
While 16th place is hardly anything to get excited about, at least Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had a humorous take on where he wound up finishing. Some drivers following their final green flag pit stops were able to regain track position, like Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth. But others, like Earnhardt Jr., were left bogged down midpack by faulty handling, spoiling what could have been a potential top-10 finish for Dale Jr. at the Brickyard.
Best Of The Rest
"Well, I wanted it really bad you know leading up to that, but on the last lap I knew I was too tight behind [Paul] and if he didn't run out, I wasn't going to get him. I needed a few laps to work on him, well I guess I needed a few more laps for him to run out of fuel, too." - Jeff Gordon, runner-up, on how bad he wanted to win in the closing laps
"Well, that is the most bittersweet third-place of all time because you can see the leaders. I saw the No. 27 and I knew he was on the same strategy as us and I wanted to go and he went and we decided to pull the reins back a little bit hoping some more of them would run out of fuel. Then I saw the No. 24 come and I thought, 'we are in trouble now' because he doesn't have to save at all, so that kind of made our decision for us. The bittersweet part is because I'm so happy for Paul Menard down there. I know what this race means to that family and to him in particular. I can't wait to get to Victory Lane and congratulate him, that's a really cool deal." - Regan Smith, third, on putting his Brickyard 400 race into perspective
"It was really close. I was confused because initially I thought he said two laps then I thought he said half, I just wanted to know if it was half or two and how much I needed to save. I got by the No. 27 because I wanted to be leading the race. I knew it was going to be easier to defend than it was going to be to try to pass when everyone decided to take off. We got a little bit lucky today, but [I'm] really happy. We've had a tough year and a lot of things go wrong and a lot of bad luck and its very nice to have good luck. We had Johnny Morris here from Bass Pro Shops today and the folks from LiftMaster. Had a good Chevy and had a good finish." - Jamie McMurray, fourth, on how close he was on fuel
"The car was tight most of the race; when we put on right-side tires only, that's when our Shell/Pennzoil Dodge came to life. We lost track position when the 51 [Landon Cassill] crashed and we had to go through the grass. We had to come down pit road three times. The temp was pegged. That put us the last car on the lead lap, but it had us close to our fuel window. Hitting the grass did extensive damage underneath the car and it got tighter and tighter. We were fortunate that we had the fuel to make it to the end, but with the damage, we just couldn't maintain track position. Our car was good in practice, we qualified well and we were making changes that helped the handling. We didn't need to get caught up in that mishap." - Kurt Busch, 21st
"We started off terrible — kind of like we expected. I hate that we finished 25th. We got the car pretty good. The guys kept getting the car better. Got to the point that at least we had decent speed in it. We couldn't make it on fuel — we don't get good fuel mileage and that's a problem. That's what we get for not getting good fuel mileage — we finish 25th. We did a good job getting better, but it's frustrating — getting the car better and being better and then having a fuel mileage race. Seems like anyone can win these things these days — you have to get lucky these days more than anything." - Joey Logano, 25th
"That was awful. I wish we would have just pitted five laps into the run with everybody else so I didn't feel so sick to my stomach having to pit there. We had a few times where we had to pit when we didn't want to with grass getting kicked up into our grille a few times. When you get back in the pack like that, those things are gonna happen. We were just unfortunate to have it happen to us three times and have to pit so many times. It was a hard-fought day for a 30th-place finish. It doesn't feel like that, but we learned a lot. I was glad to be here, but I definitely want to be running better than that." - Trevor Bayne, 30th
"Just a bummer. The motor felt like it misfired a little bit in qualifying and it looks like we may have lost an engine early. I'm not sure what to say. I'm really bummed out. I love racing at Indy. I'm disappointed. This is really going to hurt us in the top-35 in the owner point standings." - Robby Gordon, 43rd
Brody Jones is a Contributor to Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at brody.jones@frontstretch.com.
ADVERTISEMENT
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 how NASCAR, it's 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:
Matt McLaughlin's Thinkin' Out Loud: Brickyard 400 Race Recap
by Matt McLaughlin
Money Can't Buy Happiness... But In NASCAR, It Can Buy You Time
by Tom Bowles
Monday Morning Teardown: Finish Doesn't Save Brickyard's Bacon
by Ron Lemasters
Bubble Breakdown: A Day Of Near Misses For Cassill, Bayne
by the Frontstretch Staff
The Big Six: Brickyard 400
by Amy Henderson
Nationwide Series Breakdown: Kroger 200
by Bryan Davis Keith
Tracking The Trucks: AAA Insurance 200
by Beth Lunkenheimer
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In 1989, Pocono Raceway had two unusual occurrences happen during the June event. What happened?
Friday's Answer:
Q: The 1995 Brickyard 400, won by Dale Earnhardt, was delayed for hours due to rain. Once the race got started, it was a very clean 400 mile run, however, there was one close call for Earnhardt and the rest of the leaders. What happened?
A: Just after a round of green flag pit stops, Jeff Burton got loose exiting Turn 2 just in front of Earnhardt. Burton's No. 8 Raybestos Ford hit the wall, got loose again, overcorrected, then spun into the inside wall right in front of Rusty Wallace. Neither Earnhardt nor Wallace hit Burton, but it put quite a scare into the leaders. The crash can be seen at the 5:25 mark of this clip.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: If we mess up, you get the shirt off our backs! If we've provided an incorrect answer to the Frontstretch Trivia question, be the first to email the corrected trivia answer to trivia@frontstretch.com and we'll send you a Frontstretch T-Shirt ... FREE!
Coming Tuesday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News from TBA
-- Sitting In The Stands: A Fans' View by S.D. Grady
This Week's Topic: Good Manners on the Race Track
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
The Yellow Stripe by Danny Peters
Danny is back with another captivating commentary.
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Indianapolis-Pocono Edition by Summer Dreyer
Summer takes a look at post-Indy numbers to see who's got the most momentum heading into the off-week... and beyond.
Five Points To Ponder by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan's back with his weekly edition of talking points to prepare you for the upcoming off-week.
Talking NASCAR TV by Phil Allaway
This past weekend, the Sprint Cup Series made their annual visit to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400. Meanwhile, the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series raced just a few miles away at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis for might have been the final time. Were the race telecasts up to snuff, or where they missing something? Find out on this week's edition of the TV Critique.
5th Column TBA
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