THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
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The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 10th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CCXIII
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Kurt Busch Outlasts Johnson, Edwards To Win At Dover
by Brody Jones
Domination, thy name is Jimmie Johnson. At least that was the case at Kansas Speedway for the El Cajon, California native as he led 197 of the 272 laps in the Hollywood Casino 400 en route to his second victory of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, holding off a hard-charging Kasey Kahne in the final laps and breaking a 21-race winless drought to do so.
"This sport is so tough, look at all the second places we have this year [four]. We have been close, but just have not got the job done," Johnson reflected post-race. "We were glad to get the win today."
Johnson started 19th, but used an early caution to take a two-tire pit stop to get out front and was never really seriously contended with the rest of the race, even holding what, at one point, was a 13-second lead. The only real drama for the No. 48 came in the closing stages; Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon's powerplant let go in a puff of smoke with three laps remaining to bring out a caution, dealing a huge blow to Gordon's hopes and aspirations of joining Johnson as a five-time Sprint Cup champion.
This gave Kasey Kahne, who had fresher tires than Johnson, a chance to compete after having a slightly faster car (but a 2.5-second interval) to close down the stretch. The Enumclaw, Washington native did give the No. 48 car all he could handle during the green-white-checkered finish, closing to within two car lengths entering the white flag lap. But it would not be enough to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as Johnson won the race to the checkered flag, beating Kahne by 0.548 seconds.
Kahne would have to settle for second on the afternoon.
"We had good strategy there. [Crew chief] Kenny Francis did a nice job," Kahne reflected post-race; the team took four tires on a debris caution with 26 to go, then steadily worked their way through the field to have a chance. "We had a pretty fast Red Bull Toyota. Jimmie [Johnson] just beat me on the restart. I spun the tires some — he jumped on a little prior to where I thought he would, so he kind of beat me. Brad [Keselowski] gave me a good push. I had a good run and then he [Johnson] just kind of used the whole track up in [Turn] 3 and I was in bad air and had no shot."
Keselowski, who finished third said nothing he and Kahne could have done mattered on that restart.
"Jimmie was the car to beat," Keselowski said, who tweeted later his own finish was satisfactory after an average finish of 2.0 this season at Kansas. "No complaints. If we can keep this up, we'll be tough to beat in quest for the cup."
Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards, who rallied from being a lap down at one point, rounded out the top-5 finishers. It was a miracle comeback for the No. 99 team, who struggled with handling all afternoon yet now takes a slim one-point lead in the Chase standings over Kevin Harvick, who finished sixth. Edwards passed Harvick on the final lap to take over the point lead.
"There's a lot that can happen in the next six races," Edwards said. "There are so many moments that will still define this championship."
Rounding out the top 10 were local favorite Clint Bowyer, pole-sitter Greg Biffle, Marcos Ambrose, and Mark Martin. But this day was all about the No. 48 team, climbing from tenth in points, 29 out of the top spot to third, just four out of the lead with six races remaining.
"I know what my team is capable of," Johnson said. "We showed today what we're capable of when all things -- when we're all performing at the top of our game, and hopefully we can do that for six more weeks."
Tony Stewart, who ran second for much of the race to Johnson, had an unfortunate mishap on his final stop where he accidentally made contact with the throttle while trying to slide into his pit stall and was mired back in 15th at the end of the race. This, coupled with a 28th-place finish at Dover, now knocks the early Chase leader back to seventh in the standings.
Johnson now is tied for ninth in career Sprint Cup victories with Rusty Wallace after scoring his 55th career Sprint Cup triumph; it's also the seventh straight year he's won in the Chase. The average speed of the race was 137.181 mph, slowed by 6 cautions for 25 laps but just two for accidents: in fact, no one had more than a rumpled fender at the race's conclusion. Taking 2 hours, 58 minutes, and 27 seconds to complete this edition of the Kansas event had 19 lead changes among nine drivers with an attendance listed at 82,000 paying fans.
Brody Jones is a Contributor to Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at brody.jones@frontstretch.com.
"That was very, very bad at the beginning of that race, and I cannot thank my guys enough for sticking with it and working hard the whole day," he said. "I cannot believe we finished fifth. It feels like a win. That's the best we've done with the worst -- the most we've done with a car that wasn't capable of winning ever, so I'm really proud of my guys who made good adjustments. I cannot believe from the way the day started, to finish like that is spectacular."
The midrace turnaround was huge points-wise, as Edwards leaves Kansas with sole possession of the lead. That's huge as for awhile, it looked like that not only would he lose the top spot, but he would fall way down in the standings. With two consecutive races now where he was able to overcome misfortune, Edwards' competitors need to be concerned when the No. 99 team ends up having a flawless race.
While Edwards' comeback was the most impressive, Kevin Harvick's rally to finish sixth should not go without notice. After running 15th for most of the afternoon - at one point he was just seconds away from going a lap down - Harvick benefited from several of the late-race cautions. It allowed the No. 29 team to make different pit calls from the leaders, one of which included staying out when the rest pitted after a lap 221 yellow flag. The track position allowed him to stay in the top 10 for the remainder of the race, and the end result was a sixth-place finish. With Edwards sneaking by him on the final restart, Harvick lost the point lead, but remains just one point behind.
Meanwhile, Jimmie Johnson continues to prove why it is foolish to ever consider him out of Chase contention. Sitting 29 points outside the lead in tenth just two races ago, finishes of second at Dover and his win at Kansas have moved the five-time champ right into the thick of things. He is now third in the standings, just four markers behind Edwards for the top spot and with his speed on intermediate tracks so far this postseason, watch out for the No. 48 at Charlotte.
Moving up two spots to fourth in the standings is Brad Keselowski, who turned around his slow start to the season here at Kansas back in June by picking up win No. 1. He didn't get to sweep the races at Kansas this year, but was strong all day, running in the top 10 for most of the afternoon. It was on the second-to-last caution, when crew chief Paul Wolfe had Keselowski stay out while the rest of the leaders pitted, that gave the No. 2 the track position it needed to stay closer to the front. While Johnson was able to make quick work of drivers on older tires, getting the top spot back, the strategy paid off as Keselowski held on to finish third. Four races into the Chase, Keselowski sits only 11 points behind Edwards.
Matt Kenseth ended his day fourth, but it looked like his strong Kansas performance was going to end with a disappointment. After running in the top 5 for most of the race, Kenseth's car fell back with 30 laps remaining, almost falling outside the top 10 on a bad set of adjustments. The second-to-last caution of the day helped Kenseth close the gap, though and he quickly worked his way back into the top 5 with ease. Because of that, the 2003 Cup champion moved up two spots in the standings to fifth.
Last week's winner, Kurt Busch, had an eventful day. The car was never dialed in, with Kurt even radioing in to "get the banana peels out from under the tires." The No. 22 Dodge even went a lap down at one point, but immediately got the lucky dog when a caution came out a lap later. Steve Addington then tried using some late-race pit strategy, keeping Busch out for track position when most of the leaders pitted for gas. From that point on, Busch stayed close to the top spot until the final caution of the day. Busch, who was on older tires, quickly faded as guys who had just put on fresh rubber were able to fly by him. When the checkered flag flew, he crossed the line 13th, a disappointing day that cuts off the much needed momentum he gained last week with the Dover victory. Busch fell back two spots in the standings to sixth.
Tony Stewart looked poised to finish runner-up to Johnson as he ran second for much of the race. However, when he decided to come in on the final caution for four new tires, Stewart slid through his pit stall, costing him many positions, and points, on the stop. He came out 17th, and was only able to work his way back up to 15th on the green-white-checkered as up to a dozen points were given away. It hurt him in the standings, for certain as Smoke dropped four positions to seventh.
Kyle Busch continues his Chase struggles. While he had a very strong car at Kansas, a track that is considered to be one of his worst, Busch was not able to capitalize off of four fresh tires on the final caution and finished 11th. Through four Chase races, Busch has only one top-10 result, a sixth last week at Dover, and has not shown the speed that led to four race wins earlier this season. The former top seed is now 20 points behind the lead, nearly half a race back. However, as we have seen with Jimmie Johnson the last two weeks, all that it takes is a couple of top-2 efforts to get back in it.
Despite a quiet afternoon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. actually moved up to ninth in points. It was a decent day for Junior, as he ran near the top-10 and ended the day with a 14th-place effort, which is his best finish since running third at Chicago three weeks ago. Since Jeff Gordon blew an engine, it helped Earnhardt move up to ninth, where he is 43 points behind the top spot, almost a full race back.
As previously mentioned, Jeff Gordon's blown engine with six laps to go (three laps before the scheduled distance) relegated him to a 34th-place finish. Before the engine started going south, Gordon was very strong, and even ran second to Johnson late in the going before a three-wide scrape with Tony Stewart on a restart upset the handling of his car. Down the stretch, it appeared older tires were terrible for the No. 24 as he slid well outside the top 10 to 15th place; however, in the end it the engine made track position a moot point. Gordon, who was considered to be a favorite to contend for the Chase, is now pretty much out of the running for this year's championship.
Ryan Newman's disappointing Chase campaign continues. Since his eighth-place finish at the opener in Chicago, Newman has now placed 25th, 23rd, and most recently, an 18th-place result at Kansas where the No. 39 was never in contention. He remains 11th in points, 54 markers off the pace.
Rounding out the Chase participants sits Denny Hamlin, who has yet to record a top 10 in the Chase. His 14th-place effort on Sunday was his best performance so far, and showed some promise for the No. 11 Toyota as the car ran in the top 10 throughout the race. He wasn't able to take advantage of four fresh tires on the final stop, though as many others were able to, and had to settle for a solid - but not spectacular - finish. Not only is Hamlin 79 points out of first, but he is a good 25 points behind 11th-place Newman after the sluggish start.
As for the "best of the rest," Kasey Kahne's runner-up finish moved him closer to the 13th spot. He gained five points on Clint Bowyer, whose strong seventh-place result keeps him in 13th. Pole-sitter Greg Biffle also had a strong race, finishing one position behind Bowyer in eighth, but scored as many points due to the one-point bonus for leading a lap.
Standings: 1) Carl Edwards 2161, 2) Kevin Harvick -1, 3) Jimmie Johnson -4, 4) Brad Keselowski -11, 5) Matt Kenseth -12, 6) Kurt Busch -16, 7) Tony Stewart -19, 8) Kyle Busch -20, 9) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -43, 10) Jeff Gordon -47, 11) Ryan Newman -54, 12) Denny Hamlin -79.
Best of the Rest: 13) Clint Bowyer 848, 14) A.J. Allmendinger -20, 15) Greg Biffle -22, 16) Kasey Kahne -31, 17) Mark Martin -39.
Tracking The Top 35: Kvapil and Front Row Motorsports Close The Gap on TRG Motorspors
Travis Kvapil, returning to Front Row Motorsports' No. 38 this week, drove the No. 38 car to a very respectable 27th-place finish, two laps off the pace. In doing so, the team was able to gain ten valuable points on the TRG Motorsports team, whose driver Andy Lally went out of the event just 72 laps in due to overheating. Lally was only able to snag 37th, and his cushion over that 36th spot is no longer as comfortable as it once was.
There was also a swap between the 32nd and 33rd spots this week, as Tommy Baldwin Racing was able to leapfrog Germain Racing. Unfortunately, it was for economic reasons; driver Casey Mears pulled in the garage after 16 laps due to "brake issues." As a result, they were left with a 42nd-place outing. TBR, on the other hand, ended the day in 31st with Dave Blaney behind the wheel.
31) Front Row Motorsports (No. 34 - David Gilliland), +129 points ahead of 36th.
32) Tommy Baldwin Racing (No. 36 - Dave Blaney), +55 points ahead of 36th.
33) Germain Racing (No. 13 - Casey Mears), +50 points ahead of 36th.
34) FAS Lane Racing (No. 32 - Mike Bliss), +48 points ahead of 36th.
35) TRG Motorsports (No. 71 - Andy Lally), +28 points ahead of 36th.
36) Front Row Motorsports (No. 38 - Travis Kvapil), -28 points behind 35th.
37) Robby Gordon Motorsports (No. 7 - Reed Sorenson), -90 points behind 35th.
38) Wood Brothers Racing (No. 21 - Trevor Bayne), -134 points behind 35th.
39) MaxQ Motorsports (No. 37 - Josh Wise), -213 points behind 35th.
STAT OF THE WEEK: 50. That's the number of laps led this season for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. through 30 events. Believe it or not, despite a career "resurgence" for NASCAR's Most Popular Driver in terms of consistency the numbers don't translate to running up front - if it holds, this total will be the lowest for him since 1999. – Tom Bowles
Friday's Answer:
Q: Originally, the Conrod Straight was a flat-out blast all the way from Forrest's Elbow to Murray's Corner right before the start-finish line. However, in 1987, the "Caltex Chase" was added. Why?
A: Two reasons. First, the then-James Hardie 1000 was made into a round of the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) that year. As a result, the race was run under the rules of the FIA instead of just the Australian rules. Conrod Straight was determined to be too long and thus, had to be shortened (The FIA rules also introduced the Safety Car to Bathurst for the first time).
Secondly, there was a horrific crash in the 1986 race that claimed the life of Mike Burgmann early in the race just about where the Chase is now. There is no footage of the crash itself, just aftermath footage. It appears that Burgmann's Holden Commodore spun out at near top speed, hit an earthen bank head-on and rolled multiple times. The engine was shoved back so far that it ended up where Burgmann would have been sitting. We won't link to that aftermath clip because it was a really, really nasty crash.
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 Tom Bowles
-- Sitting In The Stands: A Fans' View by S.D. Grady
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
The Yellow Stripe by Danny Peters
Danny is back with a commentary piece based on recent events in NASCAR.
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Kansas-Charlotte Edition by Summer Dreyer
Summer takes a look at post-Kansas numbers to see who's got the most momentum heading into Charlotte... and beyond.
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 10th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CCXIII
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Kurt Busch Outlasts Johnson, Edwards To Win At Dover
by Brody Jones
Domination, thy name is Jimmie Johnson. At least that was the case at Kansas Speedway for the El Cajon, California native as he led 197 of the 272 laps in the Hollywood Casino 400 en route to his second victory of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, holding off a hard-charging Kasey Kahne in the final laps and breaking a 21-race winless drought to do so.
"This sport is so tough, look at all the second places we have this year [four]. We have been close, but just have not got the job done," Johnson reflected post-race. "We were glad to get the win today."
Johnson started 19th, but used an early caution to take a two-tire pit stop to get out front and was never really seriously contended with the rest of the race, even holding what, at one point, was a 13-second lead. The only real drama for the No. 48 came in the closing stages; Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon's powerplant let go in a puff of smoke with three laps remaining to bring out a caution, dealing a huge blow to Gordon's hopes and aspirations of joining Johnson as a five-time Sprint Cup champion.
This gave Kasey Kahne, who had fresher tires than Johnson, a chance to compete after having a slightly faster car (but a 2.5-second interval) to close down the stretch. The Enumclaw, Washington native did give the No. 48 car all he could handle during the green-white-checkered finish, closing to within two car lengths entering the white flag lap. But it would not be enough to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as Johnson won the race to the checkered flag, beating Kahne by 0.548 seconds.
Kahne would have to settle for second on the afternoon.
"We had good strategy there. [Crew chief] Kenny Francis did a nice job," Kahne reflected post-race; the team took four tires on a debris caution with 26 to go, then steadily worked their way through the field to have a chance. "We had a pretty fast Red Bull Toyota. Jimmie [Johnson] just beat me on the restart. I spun the tires some — he jumped on a little prior to where I thought he would, so he kind of beat me. Brad [Keselowski] gave me a good push. I had a good run and then he [Johnson] just kind of used the whole track up in [Turn] 3 and I was in bad air and had no shot."
Keselowski, who finished third said nothing he and Kahne could have done mattered on that restart.
"Jimmie was the car to beat," Keselowski said, who tweeted later his own finish was satisfactory after an average finish of 2.0 this season at Kansas. "No complaints. If we can keep this up, we'll be tough to beat in quest for the cup."
Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards, who rallied from being a lap down at one point, rounded out the top-5 finishers. It was a miracle comeback for the No. 99 team, who struggled with handling all afternoon yet now takes a slim one-point lead in the Chase standings over Kevin Harvick, who finished sixth. Edwards passed Harvick on the final lap to take over the point lead.
"There's a lot that can happen in the next six races," Edwards said. "There are so many moments that will still define this championship."
Rounding out the top 10 were local favorite Clint Bowyer, pole-sitter Greg Biffle, Marcos Ambrose, and Mark Martin. But this day was all about the No. 48 team, climbing from tenth in points, 29 out of the top spot to third, just four out of the lead with six races remaining.
"I know what my team is capable of," Johnson said. "We showed today what we're capable of when all things -- when we're all performing at the top of our game, and hopefully we can do that for six more weeks."
Tony Stewart, who ran second for much of the race to Johnson, had an unfortunate mishap on his final stop where he accidentally made contact with the throttle while trying to slide into his pit stall and was mired back in 15th at the end of the race. This, coupled with a 28th-place finish at Dover, now knocks the early Chase leader back to seventh in the standings.
Johnson now is tied for ninth in career Sprint Cup victories with Rusty Wallace after scoring his 55th career Sprint Cup triumph; it's also the seventh straight year he's won in the Chase. The average speed of the race was 137.181 mph, slowed by 6 cautions for 25 laps but just two for accidents: in fact, no one had more than a rumpled fender at the race's conclusion. Taking 2 hours, 58 minutes, and 27 seconds to complete this edition of the Kansas event had 19 lead changes among nine drivers with an attendance listed at 82,000 paying fans.
Brody Jones is a Contributor to Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via e-mail at brody.jones@frontstretch.com.
Tracking The Chasers: Furious Rally By Edwards Gives Him Top Spot
by Garrett Horton
"That was very, very bad at the beginning of that race, and I cannot thank my guys enough for sticking with it and working hard the whole day," he said. "I cannot believe we finished fifth. It feels like a win. That's the best we've done with the worst -- the most we've done with a car that wasn't capable of winning ever, so I'm really proud of my guys who made good adjustments. I cannot believe from the way the day started, to finish like that is spectacular."
The midrace turnaround was huge points-wise, as Edwards leaves Kansas with sole possession of the lead. That's huge as for awhile, it looked like that not only would he lose the top spot, but he would fall way down in the standings. With two consecutive races now where he was able to overcome misfortune, Edwards' competitors need to be concerned when the No. 99 team ends up having a flawless race.
While Edwards' comeback was the most impressive, Kevin Harvick's rally to finish sixth should not go without notice. After running 15th for most of the afternoon - at one point he was just seconds away from going a lap down - Harvick benefited from several of the late-race cautions. It allowed the No. 29 team to make different pit calls from the leaders, one of which included staying out when the rest pitted after a lap 221 yellow flag. The track position allowed him to stay in the top 10 for the remainder of the race, and the end result was a sixth-place finish. With Edwards sneaking by him on the final restart, Harvick lost the point lead, but remains just one point behind.
Meanwhile, Jimmie Johnson continues to prove why it is foolish to ever consider him out of Chase contention. Sitting 29 points outside the lead in tenth just two races ago, finishes of second at Dover and his win at Kansas have moved the five-time champ right into the thick of things. He is now third in the standings, just four markers behind Edwards for the top spot and with his speed on intermediate tracks so far this postseason, watch out for the No. 48 at Charlotte.
Moving up two spots to fourth in the standings is Brad Keselowski, who turned around his slow start to the season here at Kansas back in June by picking up win No. 1. He didn't get to sweep the races at Kansas this year, but was strong all day, running in the top 10 for most of the afternoon. It was on the second-to-last caution, when crew chief Paul Wolfe had Keselowski stay out while the rest of the leaders pitted, that gave the No. 2 the track position it needed to stay closer to the front. While Johnson was able to make quick work of drivers on older tires, getting the top spot back, the strategy paid off as Keselowski held on to finish third. Four races into the Chase, Keselowski sits only 11 points behind Edwards.
Matt Kenseth ended his day fourth, but it looked like his strong Kansas performance was going to end with a disappointment. After running in the top 5 for most of the race, Kenseth's car fell back with 30 laps remaining, almost falling outside the top 10 on a bad set of adjustments. The second-to-last caution of the day helped Kenseth close the gap, though and he quickly worked his way back into the top 5 with ease. Because of that, the 2003 Cup champion moved up two spots in the standings to fifth.
Last week's winner, Kurt Busch, had an eventful day. The car was never dialed in, with Kurt even radioing in to "get the banana peels out from under the tires." The No. 22 Dodge even went a lap down at one point, but immediately got the lucky dog when a caution came out a lap later. Steve Addington then tried using some late-race pit strategy, keeping Busch out for track position when most of the leaders pitted for gas. From that point on, Busch stayed close to the top spot until the final caution of the day. Busch, who was on older tires, quickly faded as guys who had just put on fresh rubber were able to fly by him. When the checkered flag flew, he crossed the line 13th, a disappointing day that cuts off the much needed momentum he gained last week with the Dover victory. Busch fell back two spots in the standings to sixth.
Tony Stewart looked poised to finish runner-up to Johnson as he ran second for much of the race. However, when he decided to come in on the final caution for four new tires, Stewart slid through his pit stall, costing him many positions, and points, on the stop. He came out 17th, and was only able to work his way back up to 15th on the green-white-checkered as up to a dozen points were given away. It hurt him in the standings, for certain as Smoke dropped four positions to seventh.
Kyle Busch continues his Chase struggles. While he had a very strong car at Kansas, a track that is considered to be one of his worst, Busch was not able to capitalize off of four fresh tires on the final caution and finished 11th. Through four Chase races, Busch has only one top-10 result, a sixth last week at Dover, and has not shown the speed that led to four race wins earlier this season. The former top seed is now 20 points behind the lead, nearly half a race back. However, as we have seen with Jimmie Johnson the last two weeks, all that it takes is a couple of top-2 efforts to get back in it.
Despite a quiet afternoon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. actually moved up to ninth in points. It was a decent day for Junior, as he ran near the top-10 and ended the day with a 14th-place effort, which is his best finish since running third at Chicago three weeks ago. Since Jeff Gordon blew an engine, it helped Earnhardt move up to ninth, where he is 43 points behind the top spot, almost a full race back.
As previously mentioned, Jeff Gordon's blown engine with six laps to go (three laps before the scheduled distance) relegated him to a 34th-place finish. Before the engine started going south, Gordon was very strong, and even ran second to Johnson late in the going before a three-wide scrape with Tony Stewart on a restart upset the handling of his car. Down the stretch, it appeared older tires were terrible for the No. 24 as he slid well outside the top 10 to 15th place; however, in the end it the engine made track position a moot point. Gordon, who was considered to be a favorite to contend for the Chase, is now pretty much out of the running for this year's championship.
Ryan Newman's disappointing Chase campaign continues. Since his eighth-place finish at the opener in Chicago, Newman has now placed 25th, 23rd, and most recently, an 18th-place result at Kansas where the No. 39 was never in contention. He remains 11th in points, 54 markers off the pace.
Rounding out the Chase participants sits Denny Hamlin, who has yet to record a top 10 in the Chase. His 14th-place effort on Sunday was his best performance so far, and showed some promise for the No. 11 Toyota as the car ran in the top 10 throughout the race. He wasn't able to take advantage of four fresh tires on the final stop, though as many others were able to, and had to settle for a solid - but not spectacular - finish. Not only is Hamlin 79 points out of first, but he is a good 25 points behind 11th-place Newman after the sluggish start.
As for the "best of the rest," Kasey Kahne's runner-up finish moved him closer to the 13th spot. He gained five points on Clint Bowyer, whose strong seventh-place result keeps him in 13th. Pole-sitter Greg Biffle also had a strong race, finishing one position behind Bowyer in eighth, but scored as many points due to the one-point bonus for leading a lap.
Standings: 1) Carl Edwards 2161, 2) Kevin Harvick -1, 3) Jimmie Johnson -4, 4) Brad Keselowski -11, 5) Matt Kenseth -12, 6) Kurt Busch -16, 7) Tony Stewart -19, 8) Kyle Busch -20, 9) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -43, 10) Jeff Gordon -47, 11) Ryan Newman -54, 12) Denny Hamlin -79.
Best of the Rest: 13) Clint Bowyer 848, 14) A.J. Allmendinger -20, 15) Greg Biffle -22, 16) Kasey Kahne -31, 17) Mark Martin -39.
Tracking The Top 35: Kvapil and Front Row Motorsports Close The Gap on TRG Motorspors
Travis Kvapil, returning to Front Row Motorsports' No. 38 this week, drove the No. 38 car to a very respectable 27th-place finish, two laps off the pace. In doing so, the team was able to gain ten valuable points on the TRG Motorsports team, whose driver Andy Lally went out of the event just 72 laps in due to overheating. Lally was only able to snag 37th, and his cushion over that 36th spot is no longer as comfortable as it once was.
There was also a swap between the 32nd and 33rd spots this week, as Tommy Baldwin Racing was able to leapfrog Germain Racing. Unfortunately, it was for economic reasons; driver Casey Mears pulled in the garage after 16 laps due to "brake issues." As a result, they were left with a 42nd-place outing. TBR, on the other hand, ended the day in 31st with Dave Blaney behind the wheel.
31) Front Row Motorsports (No. 34 - David Gilliland), +129 points ahead of 36th.
32) Tommy Baldwin Racing (No. 36 - Dave Blaney), +55 points ahead of 36th.
33) Germain Racing (No. 13 - Casey Mears), +50 points ahead of 36th.
34) FAS Lane Racing (No. 32 - Mike Bliss), +48 points ahead of 36th.
35) TRG Motorsports (No. 71 - Andy Lally), +28 points ahead of 36th.
36) Front Row Motorsports (No. 38 - Travis Kvapil), -28 points behind 35th.
37) Robby Gordon Motorsports (No. 7 - Reed Sorenson), -90 points behind 35th.
38) Wood Brothers Racing (No. 21 - Trevor Bayne), -134 points behind 35th.
39) MaxQ Motorsports (No. 37 - Josh Wise), -213 points behind 35th.
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: 50. That's the number of laps led this season for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. through 30 events. Believe it or not, despite a career "resurgence" for NASCAR's Most Popular Driver in terms of consistency the numbers don't translate to running up front - if it holds, this total will be the lowest for him since 1999. – Tom Bowles
Running Their Mouth: 2011 Hollywood Casino 400
by Brody Jones
Best Quote:
"No, not really. I'd love to win at Homestead, the last race of the season. That's a good way to go out. But, I don't really know. You can't say Talladega anymore because you don't even race at Talladega anymore; you just kind of run around together and it's just really silly. So, I don't know. I don't go to Talladega with any kind of idea of what the hell is going to happen. I've got as good a chance of anybody of finishing last as I do first in that race. But, Charlotte may be a good one for us. We're going to try; obviously, it's a special place and I haven't won there in a points race and I'd love to do that. So, that would be a good one." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., 14th, on what track he'd most like to win at before the end of the season
Even though Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s chances of winning the Chase are about as good as the proverbial snowball in hell, there's no question a victory in the postseason would be just as sweet for the Hendrick Motorsports driver as winning the Sprint Cup championship. Perhaps even more so; Dale has taken a lot of flak from fans and critics for not having won a race in over three years. It's not like the perennial "Most Popular Driver" hasn't been close. He came within a few laps of a win at Martinsville in the spring and a heart-breaking 500 yards from a win at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "June-Bug" needs to crack the winner's circle just to silence his detractors, and the driver himself knows this fact all too well.
Most Controversial Quote:
"I think we know what direction to go in — whether we can get there or not — got to have cooperation from everyone. People need to be open-minded to make changes. We'll just see where it goes from there." - Denny Hamlin, 16th
One certainly have to wonder who and/or if Denny Hamlin's comment about people needing to be open-minded about changes on his team can just be chalked up to a frustrated driver, or if it was a shot at anyone in particular. Certainly, the Virginia native has been the biggest disappointment of the 2011 season; Murphy's Law has been in effect for the No. 11 team. Hamlin has taken some steps personally to rectify the problem, including seeing a sports psychologist, but is it working? Quotes like this one show the driver of the No. 11 is certainly determined to turn things around, but the big question is whether everyone is on the same page? Time will certainly tell.
Funniest Quote:
"I think he should just pack it up. It's over, he is too far back (laughter). I don't know. He is going to be tough I think." - Carl Edwards, fifth, on Jimmie's Chase chances after Sunday's race
Sarcasm is just one of the many services Carl Edwards has to offer. But, in all seriousness, in the last two races, it has been hard to ignore Jimmie Johnson after many wanted to count him out following a less than impressive start to the Chase. While the Columbia, Missouri native and Kevin Harvick are currently on top of the standings, they've got to be sweating bullets at the thought of "Mr. Five-Time" being right on their heels. With eight drivers now separated by a scant 20 points in the Chase this year, and a new points system in place, consistency is more important than ever - and the No. 48 bunch has shown, time and again they're capable of being more consistent than anyone over the course of this ten-race playoff.
Crew Chief Quote Of The Week:
"I am really excited, I really am, It is just an honor to be able to work with Jimmie and Hendrick Motorsports and everybody we have and all the support from Lowe's, not to sound like a commercial but we have a pretty special thing going on right now and it is great to be a part of." - Chad Knaus, winning crew chief
It's been said a thousand times, but Chad Knaus is truly the modern era version of the late, great Smokey Yunick. Knaus, who has been a wizard with the wrenches, certainly has the track record to prove he's up there among the greatest crew chiefs ever in NASCAR history. It's hard to argue with 55 career wins, plus the fact that he and driver Jimmie Johnson have as much long-term chemistry as Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. While the wins haven't been quite as frequent in 2011, the Lowe's crew chief and driver have generally been more consistent this year than in years past, especially compared to last year's relative inconsistency. Will this lead to a sixth straight championship? It very well could.
Best Of The Rest:
"The biggest thing to me would be to leave on a good note. There's a lot of people there working really hard and unsure about maybe their future and where they're going to work next year, and they're still putting everything they have into our race cars each week. That's pretty awesome on their part. Kenny Francis (crew chief) is doing — just always is looking, him and Keith Rodman, they're always looking to make the car just a little bit better, how can I do this, how can I do that, so we're always working together trying to do that. I'm fortunate to go with him (Kenny Francis) next year, so we're working on things for next year as well as just trying to finish strong this year." - Kasey Kahne, runner-up
"I talked to some of the guys from the track last night; sometimes they have to tear them up because of the weather. All these tracks in the Midwest, whether it's Michigan, Kentucky or Kansas, they go through all that frost cycle with the winters and the springs where they frost, de-thaw, frost, de-thaw, and it just kills this track. There are big potholes that I guess they're having trouble keeping down. Nobody wants us to have another incident like we did at Daytona. It's tough. It's unfortunate when tracks have to do that. I hope that technology has developed or exists that can hold up a little bit longer so we can use these tracks further and further and further because I think that we see better racing as the tracks get older. I think this track, in particular, has become very racy. I think there is as much side-by-side racing as you're going to see in this style of race car here at Kansas. I think that it's bittersweet for everyone and the sport." - Brad Keselowski, third, on Kansas' upcoming repave
"Well everybody on our Budweiser Chevrolet did a good job. I am ready to get out of Kansas, I am tired of eventful days. We had an eventful one yesterday and an eventful one today. These guys didn't give up. We put four tires on the next to last stop and I knew that we were going to be close to the cut-off point there coming to that last caution, and I saw the No. 22 hint to stay out, so I stayed out and everybody else pitted. We should have pitted there, that is my fault, but good job for our Budweiser guys and get on out of here!" - Kevin Harvick, sixth
"Yeah, it always is. Every time you get here another year goes by as it is. But we'll be here again." - Clint Bowyer, seventh, on how tough it is to not win at his home track
"Our car wasn't that good. We worked really hard on it to get it better. We still struggled some and I don't know what happened with the speeding on pit road. That was stupid. I was the same number that I had been all day. One good thing about it is that I must have been right on the number all day and the bad thing about it is that I got over it one time. We were fourth, fifth, a couple of times there. I wasn't that good in traffic. My car just wasn't that good in traffic. That is where I got hurt there at the end." - Greg Biffle, eighth
"We stole one there. We've had some really good runs and we stayed out. It is good to get a bit lucky at the end there. We really worked hard all day. The DeWalt team really kept trying some stuff and actually got it going pretty good there the last 80 laps and were able to get back on the lead lap and back in the top 10." - Marcos Ambrose, ninth
"I don't know what it is about this track, but it's just always been tough for us. From the time we rolled off the truck, Peter (Sospenzo) and the guys worked on trying to make it better all weekend. And we did get it better, but track conditions changed during the race and it just seemed like we were always chasing it. I can't wait to get to Charlotte, though. It's great racing at home and it's a track we run well at, so I'm really looking forward to next weekend." - David Gilliland, 32nd
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: Kansas-2 Race Recap
by Matt McLaughlin
Monday Morning Teardown: Another Fall, Another Championship For Five-Time
by Ron Lemasters
David vs. Goliath: A Quiet, Efficient 400 Miles for the Little Guys at Kansas
by Bryan Davis Keith
Bowles' Eye View: Will Four-Time Ever Have His Chance At Five?
by Tom Bowles
The Big Six: Questions Answered After The Hollywood Casino 400
by Amy Henderson
Nationwide Series Breakdown: Kansas Lottery 300
by Bryan Davis Keith
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 the 1996 UAW-GM Teamwork 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Robby Gordon qualified the No. 14 DEI-owned Racing For Kids Chevrolet for the event. Unfortunately, Gordon proceeded to crash the car in practice. The team had to acquire a car in order to start the race. Where did the team get their back-up car from, and what happened to it during the race?
"No, not really. I'd love to win at Homestead, the last race of the season. That's a good way to go out. But, I don't really know. You can't say Talladega anymore because you don't even race at Talladega anymore; you just kind of run around together and it's just really silly. So, I don't know. I don't go to Talladega with any kind of idea of what the hell is going to happen. I've got as good a chance of anybody of finishing last as I do first in that race. But, Charlotte may be a good one for us. We're going to try; obviously, it's a special place and I haven't won there in a points race and I'd love to do that. So, that would be a good one." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., 14th, on what track he'd most like to win at before the end of the season
Even though Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s chances of winning the Chase are about as good as the proverbial snowball in hell, there's no question a victory in the postseason would be just as sweet for the Hendrick Motorsports driver as winning the Sprint Cup championship. Perhaps even more so; Dale has taken a lot of flak from fans and critics for not having won a race in over three years. It's not like the perennial "Most Popular Driver" hasn't been close. He came within a few laps of a win at Martinsville in the spring and a heart-breaking 500 yards from a win at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "June-Bug" needs to crack the winner's circle just to silence his detractors, and the driver himself knows this fact all too well.
Most Controversial Quote:
"I think we know what direction to go in — whether we can get there or not — got to have cooperation from everyone. People need to be open-minded to make changes. We'll just see where it goes from there." - Denny Hamlin, 16th
One certainly have to wonder who and/or if Denny Hamlin's comment about people needing to be open-minded about changes on his team can just be chalked up to a frustrated driver, or if it was a shot at anyone in particular. Certainly, the Virginia native has been the biggest disappointment of the 2011 season; Murphy's Law has been in effect for the No. 11 team. Hamlin has taken some steps personally to rectify the problem, including seeing a sports psychologist, but is it working? Quotes like this one show the driver of the No. 11 is certainly determined to turn things around, but the big question is whether everyone is on the same page? Time will certainly tell.
Funniest Quote:
"I think he should just pack it up. It's over, he is too far back (laughter). I don't know. He is going to be tough I think." - Carl Edwards, fifth, on Jimmie's Chase chances after Sunday's race
Sarcasm is just one of the many services Carl Edwards has to offer. But, in all seriousness, in the last two races, it has been hard to ignore Jimmie Johnson after many wanted to count him out following a less than impressive start to the Chase. While the Columbia, Missouri native and Kevin Harvick are currently on top of the standings, they've got to be sweating bullets at the thought of "Mr. Five-Time" being right on their heels. With eight drivers now separated by a scant 20 points in the Chase this year, and a new points system in place, consistency is more important than ever - and the No. 48 bunch has shown, time and again they're capable of being more consistent than anyone over the course of this ten-race playoff.
Crew Chief Quote Of The Week:
"I am really excited, I really am, It is just an honor to be able to work with Jimmie and Hendrick Motorsports and everybody we have and all the support from Lowe's, not to sound like a commercial but we have a pretty special thing going on right now and it is great to be a part of." - Chad Knaus, winning crew chief
It's been said a thousand times, but Chad Knaus is truly the modern era version of the late, great Smokey Yunick. Knaus, who has been a wizard with the wrenches, certainly has the track record to prove he's up there among the greatest crew chiefs ever in NASCAR history. It's hard to argue with 55 career wins, plus the fact that he and driver Jimmie Johnson have as much long-term chemistry as Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. While the wins haven't been quite as frequent in 2011, the Lowe's crew chief and driver have generally been more consistent this year than in years past, especially compared to last year's relative inconsistency. Will this lead to a sixth straight championship? It very well could.
Best Of The Rest:
"The biggest thing to me would be to leave on a good note. There's a lot of people there working really hard and unsure about maybe their future and where they're going to work next year, and they're still putting everything they have into our race cars each week. That's pretty awesome on their part. Kenny Francis (crew chief) is doing — just always is looking, him and Keith Rodman, they're always looking to make the car just a little bit better, how can I do this, how can I do that, so we're always working together trying to do that. I'm fortunate to go with him (Kenny Francis) next year, so we're working on things for next year as well as just trying to finish strong this year." - Kasey Kahne, runner-up
"I talked to some of the guys from the track last night; sometimes they have to tear them up because of the weather. All these tracks in the Midwest, whether it's Michigan, Kentucky or Kansas, they go through all that frost cycle with the winters and the springs where they frost, de-thaw, frost, de-thaw, and it just kills this track. There are big potholes that I guess they're having trouble keeping down. Nobody wants us to have another incident like we did at Daytona. It's tough. It's unfortunate when tracks have to do that. I hope that technology has developed or exists that can hold up a little bit longer so we can use these tracks further and further and further because I think that we see better racing as the tracks get older. I think this track, in particular, has become very racy. I think there is as much side-by-side racing as you're going to see in this style of race car here at Kansas. I think that it's bittersweet for everyone and the sport." - Brad Keselowski, third, on Kansas' upcoming repave
"Well everybody on our Budweiser Chevrolet did a good job. I am ready to get out of Kansas, I am tired of eventful days. We had an eventful one yesterday and an eventful one today. These guys didn't give up. We put four tires on the next to last stop and I knew that we were going to be close to the cut-off point there coming to that last caution, and I saw the No. 22 hint to stay out, so I stayed out and everybody else pitted. We should have pitted there, that is my fault, but good job for our Budweiser guys and get on out of here!" - Kevin Harvick, sixth
"Yeah, it always is. Every time you get here another year goes by as it is. But we'll be here again." - Clint Bowyer, seventh, on how tough it is to not win at his home track
"Our car wasn't that good. We worked really hard on it to get it better. We still struggled some and I don't know what happened with the speeding on pit road. That was stupid. I was the same number that I had been all day. One good thing about it is that I must have been right on the number all day and the bad thing about it is that I got over it one time. We were fourth, fifth, a couple of times there. I wasn't that good in traffic. My car just wasn't that good in traffic. That is where I got hurt there at the end." - Greg Biffle, eighth
"We stole one there. We've had some really good runs and we stayed out. It is good to get a bit lucky at the end there. We really worked hard all day. The DeWalt team really kept trying some stuff and actually got it going pretty good there the last 80 laps and were able to get back on the lead lap and back in the top 10." - Marcos Ambrose, ninth
"I don't know what it is about this track, but it's just always been tough for us. From the time we rolled off the truck, Peter (Sospenzo) and the guys worked on trying to make it better all weekend. And we did get it better, but track conditions changed during the race and it just seemed like we were always chasing it. I can't wait to get to Charlotte, though. It's great racing at home and it's a track we run well at, so I'm really looking forward to next weekend." - David Gilliland, 32nd
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: Kansas-2 Race Recap
by Matt McLaughlin
Monday Morning Teardown: Another Fall, Another Championship For Five-Time
by Ron Lemasters
David vs. Goliath: A Quiet, Efficient 400 Miles for the Little Guys at Kansas
by Bryan Davis Keith
Bowles' Eye View: Will Four-Time Ever Have His Chance At Five?
by Tom Bowles
The Big Six: Questions Answered After The Hollywood Casino 400
by Amy Henderson
Nationwide Series Breakdown: Kansas Lottery 300
by Bryan Davis Keith
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 the 1996 UAW-GM Teamwork 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Robby Gordon qualified the No. 14 DEI-owned Racing For Kids Chevrolet for the event. Unfortunately, Gordon proceeded to crash the car in practice. The team had to acquire a car in order to start the race. Where did the team get their back-up car from, and what happened to it during the race?
Friday's Answer:
Q: Originally, the Conrod Straight was a flat-out blast all the way from Forrest's Elbow to Murray's Corner right before the start-finish line. However, in 1987, the "Caltex Chase" was added. Why?
A: Two reasons. First, the then-James Hardie 1000 was made into a round of the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) that year. As a result, the race was run under the rules of the FIA instead of just the Australian rules. Conrod Straight was determined to be too long and thus, had to be shortened (The FIA rules also introduced the Safety Car to Bathurst for the first time).
Secondly, there was a horrific crash in the 1986 race that claimed the life of Mike Burgmann early in the race just about where the Chase is now. There is no footage of the crash itself, just aftermath footage. It appears that Burgmann's Holden Commodore spun out at near top speed, hit an earthen bank head-on and rolled multiple times. The engine was shoved back so far that it ended up where Burgmann would have been sitting. We won't link to that aftermath clip because it was a really, really nasty crash.
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 Tom Bowles
-- Sitting In The Stands: A Fans' View by S.D. Grady
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
The Yellow Stripe by Danny Peters
Danny is back with a commentary piece based on recent events in NASCAR.
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Kansas-Charlotte Edition by Summer Dreyer
Summer takes a look at post-Kansas numbers to see who's got the most momentum heading into Charlotte... and beyond.
Five Points To Ponder by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan's back with his weekly edition of talking points to tie up Charlotte and get us set for the week of NASCAR news ahead.
Talking NASCAR TV by Phil Allaway
This past weekend, the Sprint Cup Series made their second visit of the year to Kansas for a 400-mile race, with the Nationwide Series serving as main support. The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards served as the Teritary series on Friday night. Were the race telecasts up to snuff, or were they missing something? Find out in this week's edition of the TV Critique.
Fact Or Fiction by Tom Bowles
Tom's back with a look at some intriguing subplots heading into this weekend's exploits in Charlotte.
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