THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
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The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
November 7th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CCXXXVII
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Stewart Dominates To Win Fourth Chase Race
by Phil Allaway
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
After winning the TUMS Fast Relief 500 on October 30th, Tony Stewart told ESPN's Dr. Jerry Punch in Victory Lane that "...[Carl Edwards] better be worried, that's all I have to say. He's not going to have an easy three weeks."
Let's just say that Stewart lived up to that statement on Sunday, cruising to his fourth Chase win in eight races while putting the pressure squarely on Edwards for the title. Leading a race-high 173 laps on Sunday, he took the advantage for the final time when Jeff Burton's gamble fell short. As the No. 31 ran out of fuel, with five laps left Stewart blew by and beat Edwards to the line by a second to take the victory down in Texas.
Following the race, Stewart was very pleased with his dominant run, and even seemed to crack a joke or two.
"I think it was all right," Stewart said in the post-race press conference with a gigantic, Cheshire Cat smile on his face. "I don't know what we could have done any different. We had a good car to start with and... it was close enough [to perfect] that Darian [Grubb] was fine-tuning all day."
Stewart's rival actually congratulated the No. 14 Chevy team, with Edwards shaking Stewart's hand long before they reached Victory Lane. Whether the point leader was playing mind games or simply showing his respect, Stewart claims it doesn't matter; he's going to act like the No. 99 team is not even there for the last two races.
"We're controlling our own destiny," Stewart said. "Today is a perfect example of that. We're worried about what we're doing, not about what they're doing. That's what we intend to do the next two weeks."
The recent run for the No. 14, who went into the Chase without a win ties the record for Chase victories since the format came into existence in 2004; only Jimmie Johnson, twice had as many as Stewart has now. However, his gains in the standings were limited because Edwards did exactly what he had to on Sunday. Despite handling problems early, dropping to as low as seventh he fought back to become Stewart's biggest on-track challenger down the stretch. While coming up short, the advantage now sits at three heading to Phoenix.
"Yeah, proud of our guys for turning what looked like was going to be a bad night overall, or a disaster really in the points, into something that was really manageable, something we can move forward with," Edwards said. "Obviously, we wanted to beat Tony tonight and pad that lead a little bit. At the end of the day we can walk out of here with our heads up. Man, we're just going to hold Tony to it. They're going to have to run that well to beat us these next two races. I think really it's going to be a great battle. I'm excited about it."
Greg Biffle started his 3M Scotch Blue Ford on the pole and led the race early. However, teammate Matt Kenseth was a force early on and appeared to be the class of the field over both championship contenders. He ran down Biffle and took the advantage away on Lap 24. Then, as many of the teams prepared for the overcast skies that were forecasted, the unexpected sunshine made a lot cars difficult to drive. During this portion of the race, Kenseth was more or less the class of the field, pulling out to a lead of nearly five seconds at one point.
The race had a green-flag feel early on. The first two cycles of pit stops were under green, and the field was part-way through a third cycle when the first yellow flew on Lap 113 for debris. The caution put Stewart in position to challenge Kenseth for the lead, and challenge he did. On the restart, Stewart made a move on the No. 17 Ford and briefly snatched the advantage. Kenseth fought back side-by-side for a couple of laps, but it was to no avail. Stewart would go on from there, leading all but 47 of the remaining laps.
The No. 14 car was not legitimately challenged until the second yellow came out for an incident on the backstretch involving Geoff Bodine, Juan Pablo Montoya and Brian Vickers exiting Turn 2. Replays were sketchy, but it looked like Bodine was tapped from behind by Vickers on Lap 202 of 334. Bodine then slid into Montoya, which cut Montoya's right front tire. Vickers took to Twitter after the race and denied this contact, claiming that Bodine spun on his own.
This crash happened during the fourth round of green flag stops, so the order at the front of the field was jumbled up. Kasey Kahne was on pit road when the yellow came out, so he was able to get serviced and stay on the lead lap. When everyone else pitted, this lucky break gave Kahne the lead. For a time after the restart, Stewart, Kahne and new player Marcos Ambrose fought hard up front, but it was Stewart who eventually came out on top. Ambrose appeared to run the tires off his car trying to keep up with Stewart, so Kahne retook second.
If Jimmie Johnson's chances for winning his sixth Sprint Cup title weren't already over entering Sunday's race, they were definitely over after Sunday. On Lap 240, Johnson simply got loose and spun through the grass in the quad-oval out of ninth, bringing out the third caution. When Joey Logano blew an engine to bring out the fourth yellow, the leaders all pitted with 70 laps to go, outside of the pit window. Most of them, with the exception of Kahne, took two tires. Point leader Carl Edwards, who spent most of the up in the top 5 but never challenged for the lead, beat Stewart out of the pits.
After another quick yellow for debris that saw some of the backmarkers on the lead lap pit, Stewart made a move on the restart to take the lead away from Edwards. On two fresh tires, the class of the field stood out. Stewart, Edwards and Kenseth were able to maintain their positions up front, while the front-running Richard Petty Motorsports duo of Ambrose and A.J. Allmendinger dropped back through the field. Kahne was able to race back up to second from eighth by the time the final round of stops began.
Burton inherited the lead after the rest of the leaders pitted, then attempted to steal the race on fuel mileage. The No. 31 Chevy was far enough ahead of Stewart and Edwards, who retook second that if the fuel held out, he could have actually won. Unfortunately, the tank ran dry just past the start-finish line with five to go. Stewart passed Burton for the top spot on the backstretch and simply had to hold on to claim the win.
Behind Stewart and Edwards was Kasey Kahne in third, best out of the non-Chasers. Kenseth eventually dropped back to a fourth-place finish, while Biffle rounded out the top 5. Jeff Gordon was sixth, followed by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in a very quiet seventh. Martin Truex, Jr. was eighth, while Clint Bowyer and A.J. Allmendinger rounded out the top-10.
This race had just five cautions for 21 laps, resulting in a healthy average speed of 152.705 miles an hour. Attendance was listed at 151,000, down slightly from 156,000 last year although large swaths of empty seats could be spotted throughout the 1.5-mile oval.
Two races now remain in the Sprint Cup season; these drivers will head to the repaved 1.017-mile Phoenix oval for racing this Sunday.
Phil Allaway is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via e-mail at amy.henderson@frontstretch.com.
"Although we would have loved to have won today in our Aflac Fusion, to be three points ahead and then to have the third and fourth-place guys farther behind, it looks like it's truly gonna come down to Tony and I," he said. "And that's gonna be a lot of fun."
With Stewart just three points back and the next closest challenger 33 behind, it does indeed look like it will be down to Stewart and Edwards. That's ironic considering these two men both battled for the title in 2005, finishing first and tied for second, respectively in the last year Jimmie Johnson didn't win the title.
Tony Stewart, of course with Sunday's domination continued his amazing 2011 Chase run. By winning at Texas, Stewart joins Jimmie Johnson as the only two drivers to have scored four victories in one Chase. His fourth of the year overall, that victory also moves him into a series tie for the lead in wins. By leading the most laps, Stewart accumulated the most points one can score in a race (48), allowing him to trim Edwards' lead by five.
Kevin Harvick stays third in the points, but dropped to 33 behind Edwards. Texas was a quiet day for the RCR driver, who ran 8th-15th for most of the day and struggled with the handling of his car. Crew chief Gil Martin made a gamble on the final green flag pit stop, opting to take two tires in exchange for track position. For a time, that put Harvick ahead of the leaders but the call didn't pay off in the long run. Limping the car home, Harvick faded all the way back to 13th by the checkered flag.
Looking to rebound from what was likely a championship-ending wreck at Martinsville, Matt Kenseth flexed some muscle early in the No. 17 Ford. The most recent Texas winner led 87 of the first 118 laps, excelling in clean air before Stewart took over the top spot. Kenseth wasn't able to lead after that, but still remained one of the faster cars on the day and finished fourth. The hard-fought effort moves him up one spot to fourth in the standings.
For the second straight week, Brad Keselowski had a top-10 run end with a disappointing result. The defending Nationwide Series champion's day started off slow, as he quickly fell from his top-10 starting position with handling woes. The car recovered briefly, using long green-flag runs to jump to as high as around fifth place. But a pit stop on lap 271 essentially ended his day when making contact with Denny Hamlin on pit road. The team spent extra time trying to repair the damage, then stayed out longer than contenders on fuel, hoping to draw a caution. It never happened; Keselowski slumped to 24th, one lap down and fell one spot in the points to fifth overall.
Being over one full race behind the lead and with only two races left, it is safe to conclude Jimmie Johnson is not going to win his sixth straight Sprint Cup title. As a matter of fact, he is now in danger of finishing outside the top 5 in the series standings for the first time in his ten-year career. Johnson made a strong mid-race run towards the lead early at Texas, where he moved up to as high as fourth before his drive stalled. Things then took a turn for the worse on lap 241, when Johnson spun out on his own coming off of turn 4. The damage was minimal, but he was never a factor after that, forced to battle back from the tail end of the lead lap in 25th. J.J. was only able to rally back to 14th, remaining sixth in the standings but drifting 55 off the top spot.
Despite a quiet showing in the Chase, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is up to seventh in the standings. By finishing seventh at Texas, it marked the first time since since Pocono in June that he has back-to-back top-10 finishes. With Kurt Busch struggling, and Kyle Busch sitting out, it helped move Earnhardt up two positions in points.
Jeff Gordon also moved up two spots in the standings to eighth. It was a strong day for the four-time champ, who ran in the top 10 for much of the afternoon. Prior to Gordon's final pit stop, it looked as if he was going to be a threat for the win, but the handle on his car suddenly fell off, causing him to short pit. As a result, he came home in sixth place and is now 81 points behind Edwards.
Falling to ninth in points is Kurt Busch. His day was so quiet that his brother got more coverage from the pit box; a loose condition plagued the car for most of the day, dropping him a lap down and leaving the normally aggressive driver speechless on the radio for how to fix it. The 2004 champ then tried to stretch his tank on fuel, to no avail; he was one of several drivers who pitted with ten laps remaining and ended the day in 30th.
Denny Hamlin's frustrating 2011 campaign continues. After sweeping both Texas events last year, Hamlin was a non-factor in Sunday's race, finishing 20th. He was up to a solid seventh with several laps remaining, but the team was also not able to stretch their fuel mileage to the end, forcing them to pit. For the first time in the Chase, though, Hamlin finally cracks the top-10 in points, 99 markers behind Edwards although he's one of three Chasers eliminated from title contention.
As a result of his actions from the truck race Friday night, Kyle Busch was forced to watch his car from the sidelines. Substitute driver Michael McDowell wasn't able to get the car to the front, as he battled a loose condition all day and missed the pits during a green-flag stop. Busch had to watch McDowell pilot his ride to a 33rd-place result, three laps off the pace in an effort that obviously gave him zero points towards the driver's championship. It really hurt the Chase's number one seed in the standings, eliminating him from title contention mathematically while dropping him four spots to eleventh in points.
Rounding out the top 12 continues to be Ryan Newman, who faced an uphill climb from the very beginning. According to the team's official Twitter page, an unknown piece of metal got between the right front wheel and hub. Bending the wheel, the piece caused a nasty vibration that forced Newman to make an unscheduled stop, leaving him two laps off the pace. It took Newman nearly the whole event to gain his laps back. Through it all, he was in contention to win with 10 laps to go, passing leader Jeff Burton while stretching his gas. Short on fuel, however, the No. 39 team wasn't able to make it all the way on one less stop than the leaders - he was forced to pit with a handful of laps remaining. The end result was a 16th-place finish, officially eliminating Newman from the championship.
Standings: 1) Carl Edwards 2316, 2) Tony Stewart -3, 3) Kevin Harvick -33, 4) Matt Kenseth -38, 5) Brad Keselowski -49, 6) Jimmie Johnson -55, 7) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -79, 8) Jeff Gordon -81, 9) Kurt Busch -87, 10) Denny Hamlin -99, 11) Kyle Busch -100, 12) Ryan Newman -103.
As for the best of the rest, Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle both moved closer to that 13th spot. Both drivers finished in the top-5, with Kahne coming home in third and Biffle taking the fifth spot. But despite Biffle's solid run, he fell to 15th in points as Kahne's podium finish moved him past the Roush Fenway driver. Kahne is now 18 points behind Bowyer, who also had a good day, finishing in the ninth spot.
Best of the Rest: 13) Clint Bowyer 975, 14) Kasey Kahne -18, 15) Greg Biffle -19, 16) A.J. Allmendinger -29, 17) Marcos Ambrose -80.
Tracking The Top 35: TRG Motorsports Makes A Small Dent in Their Deficit
On Sunday, rookie Andy Lally hopped back into the driver's seat of the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Ford, returning to the primary car after Hermie Sadler subbed in at Martinsville. Starting the day shotgun in the field, a distant 43rd expectations were limited for the single-car outfit; however, Lally piloted the No. 71 machine to a respectable 29th-place finish. That was good enough to beat his closest rival, Travis Kvapil, who was driving for Front Row Motorsports this weekend in the No. 38 and ended the day a struggling 31st. With two races remaining, TRG is now just 11 points behind FRM for that final spot in the top-35.
31) Front Row Motorsports (No. 34 - David Gilliland), +104 points ahead of 36th.
32) Germain Racing (No. 13 - Casey Mears), +62 points ahead of 36th.
33) Tommy Baldwin Racing (No. 36 - Geoff Bodine), +55 points ahead of 36th.
34) FAS Lane Racing (No. 32 - Mike Bliss), +27 points ahead of 36th.
35) Front Row Motorsports (No. 38 - Travis Kvapil), +11 points ahead of 36th.
36) TRG Motorsports (No. 71 - Andy Lally), -11 points behind 35th.
37) Wood Brothers Racing (No. 21 - Trevor Bayne), -126 points behind 35th.
38) Robby Gordon Motorsports (No. 7 - Reed Sorenson), -129 points behind 35th.
39) MaxQ Motorsports (No. 37 - Mike Skinner), -270 points behind 35th.
No wonder why his 10th-place performance left this California native hungry for another batch of "chocolate chip" competition. Early on, it was Marcos Ambrose, not the No. 43 Ford showing some RPM muscle, his Tasmanian teammate even battling for the lead with Tony Stewart around halfway. But over the final 150 miles, the No. 9 Ford faded back in the pack, simply struggling to snag an 11th while the consistency of Allmendinger's handling stole the show.
"That was probably the most comfortable I've ever felt on a mile-and-a-half," he confirmed, driving a car that remained comfortable in traffic. "It was fun. From the start, we were just passing cars and making good adjustments."
Starting 26th, the 'Dinger felt so confident after climbing up 15-20 spots his team even tried a two-tire strategy late in the race. However, the cautions didn't fall their way and instead of fighting for maybe third or fourth, the final green-flag run became more of a struggle to simply maintain.
"We didn't need that extra caution," he admitted, bunching up the cars and giving others an opportunity to catch him easier on four fresh Goodyears. "We went backwards. It was a good fight to get back to 10th, but, overall and more importantly, that's something to build on."
"I felt like it was definitely the best I've ever felt in a car around one of these places."
Considering intermediates make up half the Chase schedule, that's exactly the answer you want from a driver aiming to be a bona fide playoff contender come 2012. – Tom Bowles
STAT OF THE WEEK: 5.6. That's Carl Edwards' average finish through eight Chase races to date. If that holds, it would be the second-best championship performance all-time since the current playoff format began in 2004; only Jimmie Johnson's 5.0 average, achieved in part through four consecutive victories in 2007 ranks higher.
Some say Edwards could be an undeserving titlist on the heels of just one 2011 victory. But considering this season's work as a whole, including this stat, 757 laps led and five runner-up results no one can accuse him of "stroking" his way to the head table at Homestead. – Tom Bowles
Friday's Answer:
Q: The 2002 Boomtown Casino 500k was not the best time for Sam Hornish, Jr. when he failed to finish after colliding with Eddie Cheever in Turn 3 and crashing. However, he had other issues earlier in the race under caution. What happened?
A: Early in the race, Hornish left pit road under caution before his pit crew could get the right rear wheel nut fully tight on his No. 4 Pennzoil-sponsored G-Force. On the apron, the nut came off and allowed the wheel to separate itself from the car. Hornish was able to drive back to pit road on three wheels and get a new tire and wheel nut in order to continue, though. The incident can be seen in this clip of race highlights at the 1:55 mark.
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
-- Numbers Game by Brett Poirier
-- 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 gives us a commentary piece based on recent events in NASCAR.
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Fort Worth-Avondale Edition by TBA
We'll take a look at post-Texas numbers to see who's got the most momentum heading into Phoenix... and beyond.
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
November 7th, 2011
Volume V, Edition CCXXXVII
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Stewart Dominates To Win Fourth Chase Race
by Phil Allaway
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
After winning the TUMS Fast Relief 500 on October 30th, Tony Stewart told ESPN's Dr. Jerry Punch in Victory Lane that "...[Carl Edwards] better be worried, that's all I have to say. He's not going to have an easy three weeks."
Let's just say that Stewart lived up to that statement on Sunday, cruising to his fourth Chase win in eight races while putting the pressure squarely on Edwards for the title. Leading a race-high 173 laps on Sunday, he took the advantage for the final time when Jeff Burton's gamble fell short. As the No. 31 ran out of fuel, with five laps left Stewart blew by and beat Edwards to the line by a second to take the victory down in Texas.
Following the race, Stewart was very pleased with his dominant run, and even seemed to crack a joke or two.
"I think it was all right," Stewart said in the post-race press conference with a gigantic, Cheshire Cat smile on his face. "I don't know what we could have done any different. We had a good car to start with and... it was close enough [to perfect] that Darian [Grubb] was fine-tuning all day."
Stewart's rival actually congratulated the No. 14 Chevy team, with Edwards shaking Stewart's hand long before they reached Victory Lane. Whether the point leader was playing mind games or simply showing his respect, Stewart claims it doesn't matter; he's going to act like the No. 99 team is not even there for the last two races.
"We're controlling our own destiny," Stewart said. "Today is a perfect example of that. We're worried about what we're doing, not about what they're doing. That's what we intend to do the next two weeks."
The recent run for the No. 14, who went into the Chase without a win ties the record for Chase victories since the format came into existence in 2004; only Jimmie Johnson, twice had as many as Stewart has now. However, his gains in the standings were limited because Edwards did exactly what he had to on Sunday. Despite handling problems early, dropping to as low as seventh he fought back to become Stewart's biggest on-track challenger down the stretch. While coming up short, the advantage now sits at three heading to Phoenix.
"Yeah, proud of our guys for turning what looked like was going to be a bad night overall, or a disaster really in the points, into something that was really manageable, something we can move forward with," Edwards said. "Obviously, we wanted to beat Tony tonight and pad that lead a little bit. At the end of the day we can walk out of here with our heads up. Man, we're just going to hold Tony to it. They're going to have to run that well to beat us these next two races. I think really it's going to be a great battle. I'm excited about it."
Greg Biffle started his 3M Scotch Blue Ford on the pole and led the race early. However, teammate Matt Kenseth was a force early on and appeared to be the class of the field over both championship contenders. He ran down Biffle and took the advantage away on Lap 24. Then, as many of the teams prepared for the overcast skies that were forecasted, the unexpected sunshine made a lot cars difficult to drive. During this portion of the race, Kenseth was more or less the class of the field, pulling out to a lead of nearly five seconds at one point.
The race had a green-flag feel early on. The first two cycles of pit stops were under green, and the field was part-way through a third cycle when the first yellow flew on Lap 113 for debris. The caution put Stewart in position to challenge Kenseth for the lead, and challenge he did. On the restart, Stewart made a move on the No. 17 Ford and briefly snatched the advantage. Kenseth fought back side-by-side for a couple of laps, but it was to no avail. Stewart would go on from there, leading all but 47 of the remaining laps.
The No. 14 car was not legitimately challenged until the second yellow came out for an incident on the backstretch involving Geoff Bodine, Juan Pablo Montoya and Brian Vickers exiting Turn 2. Replays were sketchy, but it looked like Bodine was tapped from behind by Vickers on Lap 202 of 334. Bodine then slid into Montoya, which cut Montoya's right front tire. Vickers took to Twitter after the race and denied this contact, claiming that Bodine spun on his own.
This crash happened during the fourth round of green flag stops, so the order at the front of the field was jumbled up. Kasey Kahne was on pit road when the yellow came out, so he was able to get serviced and stay on the lead lap. When everyone else pitted, this lucky break gave Kahne the lead. For a time after the restart, Stewart, Kahne and new player Marcos Ambrose fought hard up front, but it was Stewart who eventually came out on top. Ambrose appeared to run the tires off his car trying to keep up with Stewart, so Kahne retook second.
If Jimmie Johnson's chances for winning his sixth Sprint Cup title weren't already over entering Sunday's race, they were definitely over after Sunday. On Lap 240, Johnson simply got loose and spun through the grass in the quad-oval out of ninth, bringing out the third caution. When Joey Logano blew an engine to bring out the fourth yellow, the leaders all pitted with 70 laps to go, outside of the pit window. Most of them, with the exception of Kahne, took two tires. Point leader Carl Edwards, who spent most of the up in the top 5 but never challenged for the lead, beat Stewart out of the pits.
After another quick yellow for debris that saw some of the backmarkers on the lead lap pit, Stewart made a move on the restart to take the lead away from Edwards. On two fresh tires, the class of the field stood out. Stewart, Edwards and Kenseth were able to maintain their positions up front, while the front-running Richard Petty Motorsports duo of Ambrose and A.J. Allmendinger dropped back through the field. Kahne was able to race back up to second from eighth by the time the final round of stops began.
Burton inherited the lead after the rest of the leaders pitted, then attempted to steal the race on fuel mileage. The No. 31 Chevy was far enough ahead of Stewart and Edwards, who retook second that if the fuel held out, he could have actually won. Unfortunately, the tank ran dry just past the start-finish line with five to go. Stewart passed Burton for the top spot on the backstretch and simply had to hold on to claim the win.
Behind Stewart and Edwards was Kasey Kahne in third, best out of the non-Chasers. Kenseth eventually dropped back to a fourth-place finish, while Biffle rounded out the top 5. Jeff Gordon was sixth, followed by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in a very quiet seventh. Martin Truex, Jr. was eighth, while Clint Bowyer and A.J. Allmendinger rounded out the top-10.
This race had just five cautions for 21 laps, resulting in a healthy average speed of 152.705 miles an hour. Attendance was listed at 151,000, down slightly from 156,000 last year although large swaths of empty seats could be spotted throughout the 1.5-mile oval.
Two races now remain in the Sprint Cup season; these drivers will head to the repaved 1.017-mile Phoenix oval for racing this Sunday.
Phil Allaway is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. She can be reached via e-mail at amy.henderson@frontstretch.com.
Tracking The Chasers: Edwards' Consistency Continues To Outshine Stewart's Victories
by Garrett Horton
"Although we would have loved to have won today in our Aflac Fusion, to be three points ahead and then to have the third and fourth-place guys farther behind, it looks like it's truly gonna come down to Tony and I," he said. "And that's gonna be a lot of fun."
With Stewart just three points back and the next closest challenger 33 behind, it does indeed look like it will be down to Stewart and Edwards. That's ironic considering these two men both battled for the title in 2005, finishing first and tied for second, respectively in the last year Jimmie Johnson didn't win the title.
Tony Stewart, of course with Sunday's domination continued his amazing 2011 Chase run. By winning at Texas, Stewart joins Jimmie Johnson as the only two drivers to have scored four victories in one Chase. His fourth of the year overall, that victory also moves him into a series tie for the lead in wins. By leading the most laps, Stewart accumulated the most points one can score in a race (48), allowing him to trim Edwards' lead by five.
Kevin Harvick stays third in the points, but dropped to 33 behind Edwards. Texas was a quiet day for the RCR driver, who ran 8th-15th for most of the day and struggled with the handling of his car. Crew chief Gil Martin made a gamble on the final green flag pit stop, opting to take two tires in exchange for track position. For a time, that put Harvick ahead of the leaders but the call didn't pay off in the long run. Limping the car home, Harvick faded all the way back to 13th by the checkered flag.
Looking to rebound from what was likely a championship-ending wreck at Martinsville, Matt Kenseth flexed some muscle early in the No. 17 Ford. The most recent Texas winner led 87 of the first 118 laps, excelling in clean air before Stewart took over the top spot. Kenseth wasn't able to lead after that, but still remained one of the faster cars on the day and finished fourth. The hard-fought effort moves him up one spot to fourth in the standings.
For the second straight week, Brad Keselowski had a top-10 run end with a disappointing result. The defending Nationwide Series champion's day started off slow, as he quickly fell from his top-10 starting position with handling woes. The car recovered briefly, using long green-flag runs to jump to as high as around fifth place. But a pit stop on lap 271 essentially ended his day when making contact with Denny Hamlin on pit road. The team spent extra time trying to repair the damage, then stayed out longer than contenders on fuel, hoping to draw a caution. It never happened; Keselowski slumped to 24th, one lap down and fell one spot in the points to fifth overall.
Being over one full race behind the lead and with only two races left, it is safe to conclude Jimmie Johnson is not going to win his sixth straight Sprint Cup title. As a matter of fact, he is now in danger of finishing outside the top 5 in the series standings for the first time in his ten-year career. Johnson made a strong mid-race run towards the lead early at Texas, where he moved up to as high as fourth before his drive stalled. Things then took a turn for the worse on lap 241, when Johnson spun out on his own coming off of turn 4. The damage was minimal, but he was never a factor after that, forced to battle back from the tail end of the lead lap in 25th. J.J. was only able to rally back to 14th, remaining sixth in the standings but drifting 55 off the top spot.
Despite a quiet showing in the Chase, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is up to seventh in the standings. By finishing seventh at Texas, it marked the first time since since Pocono in June that he has back-to-back top-10 finishes. With Kurt Busch struggling, and Kyle Busch sitting out, it helped move Earnhardt up two positions in points.
Jeff Gordon also moved up two spots in the standings to eighth. It was a strong day for the four-time champ, who ran in the top 10 for much of the afternoon. Prior to Gordon's final pit stop, it looked as if he was going to be a threat for the win, but the handle on his car suddenly fell off, causing him to short pit. As a result, he came home in sixth place and is now 81 points behind Edwards.
Falling to ninth in points is Kurt Busch. His day was so quiet that his brother got more coverage from the pit box; a loose condition plagued the car for most of the day, dropping him a lap down and leaving the normally aggressive driver speechless on the radio for how to fix it. The 2004 champ then tried to stretch his tank on fuel, to no avail; he was one of several drivers who pitted with ten laps remaining and ended the day in 30th.
Denny Hamlin's frustrating 2011 campaign continues. After sweeping both Texas events last year, Hamlin was a non-factor in Sunday's race, finishing 20th. He was up to a solid seventh with several laps remaining, but the team was also not able to stretch their fuel mileage to the end, forcing them to pit. For the first time in the Chase, though, Hamlin finally cracks the top-10 in points, 99 markers behind Edwards although he's one of three Chasers eliminated from title contention.
As a result of his actions from the truck race Friday night, Kyle Busch was forced to watch his car from the sidelines. Substitute driver Michael McDowell wasn't able to get the car to the front, as he battled a loose condition all day and missed the pits during a green-flag stop. Busch had to watch McDowell pilot his ride to a 33rd-place result, three laps off the pace in an effort that obviously gave him zero points towards the driver's championship. It really hurt the Chase's number one seed in the standings, eliminating him from title contention mathematically while dropping him four spots to eleventh in points.
Rounding out the top 12 continues to be Ryan Newman, who faced an uphill climb from the very beginning. According to the team's official Twitter page, an unknown piece of metal got between the right front wheel and hub. Bending the wheel, the piece caused a nasty vibration that forced Newman to make an unscheduled stop, leaving him two laps off the pace. It took Newman nearly the whole event to gain his laps back. Through it all, he was in contention to win with 10 laps to go, passing leader Jeff Burton while stretching his gas. Short on fuel, however, the No. 39 team wasn't able to make it all the way on one less stop than the leaders - he was forced to pit with a handful of laps remaining. The end result was a 16th-place finish, officially eliminating Newman from the championship.
Standings: 1) Carl Edwards 2316, 2) Tony Stewart -3, 3) Kevin Harvick -33, 4) Matt Kenseth -38, 5) Brad Keselowski -49, 6) Jimmie Johnson -55, 7) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -79, 8) Jeff Gordon -81, 9) Kurt Busch -87, 10) Denny Hamlin -99, 11) Kyle Busch -100, 12) Ryan Newman -103.
As for the best of the rest, Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle both moved closer to that 13th spot. Both drivers finished in the top-5, with Kahne coming home in third and Biffle taking the fifth spot. But despite Biffle's solid run, he fell to 15th in points as Kahne's podium finish moved him past the Roush Fenway driver. Kahne is now 18 points behind Bowyer, who also had a good day, finishing in the ninth spot.
Best of the Rest: 13) Clint Bowyer 975, 14) Kasey Kahne -18, 15) Greg Biffle -19, 16) A.J. Allmendinger -29, 17) Marcos Ambrose -80.
Tracking The Top 35: TRG Motorsports Makes A Small Dent in Their Deficit
On Sunday, rookie Andy Lally hopped back into the driver's seat of the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Ford, returning to the primary car after Hermie Sadler subbed in at Martinsville. Starting the day shotgun in the field, a distant 43rd expectations were limited for the single-car outfit; however, Lally piloted the No. 71 machine to a respectable 29th-place finish. That was good enough to beat his closest rival, Travis Kvapil, who was driving for Front Row Motorsports this weekend in the No. 38 and ended the day a struggling 31st. With two races remaining, TRG is now just 11 points behind FRM for that final spot in the top-35.
31) Front Row Motorsports (No. 34 - David Gilliland), +104 points ahead of 36th.
32) Germain Racing (No. 13 - Casey Mears), +62 points ahead of 36th.
33) Tommy Baldwin Racing (No. 36 - Geoff Bodine), +55 points ahead of 36th.
34) FAS Lane Racing (No. 32 - Mike Bliss), +27 points ahead of 36th.
35) Front Row Motorsports (No. 38 - Travis Kvapil), +11 points ahead of 36th.
36) TRG Motorsports (No. 71 - Andy Lally), -11 points behind 35th.
37) Wood Brothers Racing (No. 21 - Trevor Bayne), -126 points behind 35th.
38) Robby Gordon Motorsports (No. 7 - Reed Sorenson), -129 points behind 35th.
39) MaxQ Motorsports (No. 37 - Mike Skinner), -270 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!
John Potts runs our Fan Q & A, and with two more weeks left there's a limited time to sneak in your questions and comments! 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 Run You Never Saw
Intermediates have always been at or near the top of A.J. Allmendinger's "needs improvement" list. In five full seasons on the Sprint Cup circuit, the open-wheel convert has led just 14 laps at tracks one-and-a-half to two miles in length. This season, despite sitting a career-high 16th in points just three of his eight top-10 finishes had come on these "cookie-cutter" ovals entering Texas.No wonder why his 10th-place performance left this California native hungry for another batch of "chocolate chip" competition. Early on, it was Marcos Ambrose, not the No. 43 Ford showing some RPM muscle, his Tasmanian teammate even battling for the lead with Tony Stewart around halfway. But over the final 150 miles, the No. 9 Ford faded back in the pack, simply struggling to snag an 11th while the consistency of Allmendinger's handling stole the show.
"That was probably the most comfortable I've ever felt on a mile-and-a-half," he confirmed, driving a car that remained comfortable in traffic. "It was fun. From the start, we were just passing cars and making good adjustments."
Starting 26th, the 'Dinger felt so confident after climbing up 15-20 spots his team even tried a two-tire strategy late in the race. However, the cautions didn't fall their way and instead of fighting for maybe third or fourth, the final green-flag run became more of a struggle to simply maintain.
"We didn't need that extra caution," he admitted, bunching up the cars and giving others an opportunity to catch him easier on four fresh Goodyears. "We went backwards. It was a good fight to get back to 10th, but, overall and more importantly, that's something to build on."
"I felt like it was definitely the best I've ever felt in a car around one of these places."
Considering intermediates make up half the Chase schedule, that's exactly the answer you want from a driver aiming to be a bona fide playoff contender come 2012. – Tom Bowles
STAT OF THE WEEK: 5.6. That's Carl Edwards' average finish through eight Chase races to date. If that holds, it would be the second-best championship performance all-time since the current playoff format began in 2004; only Jimmie Johnson's 5.0 average, achieved in part through four consecutive victories in 2007 ranks higher.
Some say Edwards could be an undeserving titlist on the heels of just one 2011 victory. But considering this season's work as a whole, including this stat, 757 laps led and five runner-up results no one can accuse him of "stroking" his way to the head table at Homestead. – Tom Bowles
Running Their Mouth: 2011 AAA Texas 500
by Brody Jones
Each Monday, we go through media reports, interviews, PR, and all of our own stuff to find the best quotes from the Sprint Cup race, capturing the story of how the weekend unfolded. It's the most original commentary you'll ever find: the truth, coming straight out of the mouths of the drivers, crew members, and car owners themselves. Here's a sneak peek at what they all were thinking following Sunday's 500-miler down in Texas:
Best Quote:
"I told you guys that last week, nobody listens to me when I talk anymore. No, I mean we are set on it man, this is just the way it is going to be." - Tony Stewart, race winner, on mind over matter in his pursuit for a third Sprint Cup title
Tony Stewart proved he can not only talk the talk, but walk the walk, in terms of his championship pursuit. After words of warning last Sunday that Edwards better be nervous the last three weeks, he backed up what could be considered a Namath-esque statement with a resounding win at Texas, doing so in dominating fashion by leading 173 of 334 laps on the afternoon. The two-time Sprint Cup champion has proven to be this year's Jimmie Johnson, running just well enough to make the Chase only to really turn up the heat once the playoffs began. With a scant three races to go, the pressure now is most definitely on current points leader Edwards as experience, momentum, and mental fortitude has shifted to the No. 14 camp.
Crew Chief Quote Of The Week:
"Everybody, the whole crew just did an awesome job. This Office Depot / Mobil 1 team is a great group of guys - there is no quit in them. That is four out of eight, let's go for two more!" - Darian Grubb, winning crew chief
One has to give Darian Grubb a great deal of the credit for the No. 14 team's success in the Chase, as winning four out of eight of races (tying the record under this format) is no small feat. Grubb and Stewart have literally come from nowhere to be contenders, finding their groove and their setups to challenge in the closest title race in recent memory. If Grubb and his driver can keep firing on all eight cylinders, as they have for much of the Chase, then Smoke could very well capture his third career championship and be the first driver without a win in the first 26 races to take the Chase.
Hard-Luck Quote of the Week:
"I lost a cylinder about 10 laps ago or so. The valve train, probably the same thing that we've been fighting most of the year. We just ran terrible all day and really thought we were going to be able to make up some ground on the thing. We just weren't fast the whole time we were out there. Story of our year — we just have to find some speed in these cars. I don't know. We used to be fast — we have to figure something out." - Joey Logano, 37th
Poor Joey Logano. This was pegged to be the breakout year for the youngster, but instead, it's more or less been a disaster of Hindenburg proportions. Engine failures and wrecked cars have constantly afflicted this team, stunted their progress all season long and led to a disappointing 24th in the season standings. With Logano's disappointing run in NASCAR to date, one has to wonder how much longer Joe Gibbs will keep "Sliced Bread" in the team's vaunted No. 20 car if performance doesn't pick up noticeably in 2012.
Best of the Rest:
"I just told him 'good job.' He did a great job today. Those guys stepped it up and I'm proud of my guys for hanging on and for still having the points lead. At the end of the day, we're going to the final two races. Although we would have loved to have won today in our Aflac Fusion, to be three points ahead and then to have the third and fourth-place guys farther behind, it looks like it's truly gonna come down to Tony and I and that's gonna be a lot of fun." - Carl Edwards, runner-up on what he told Tony Stewart after the race
"Last week, those guys wrecked in front of us. Went four laps down. The Red Bull team just keeps doing a good job. They're working hard. It's pretty impressive for a lot of them not knowing their future, not knowing what's going on there, if there will be a two-car team or one-car team to keep putting the cars on the track like they are. I'm happy to come to the track and drive and work with Kenny Francis (crew chief) and the whole team." - Kasey Kahne, third
"I'll tell you, it's incredible. It is kind of fun to watch those two battling. What these next two weeks are going to be like is going to be incredible. I don't think anybody expected Tony to have a Chase like this, but, you know what, he's a champion. He's a great driver and when they get their setups in the cars to where they are right now, watch out for those cars. Carl's not done yet. Those guys are solid and really strong. I'll tell you, Phoenix is going to be interesting. To me, Phoenix is the unknown with this new pavement and I think we are all going to be anxious to see not only how the race goes, but how this championship unfolds." - Jeff Gordon, sixth, on the points battle between Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards
"Yeah, it's exciting. It's a great opportunity to be in great equipment and had some fun today. Obviously, not at all the result we were looking for. Just long green flag runs. Didn't get a long time to work on it. We had a few opportunities there to take the wave-around and get a lap back. Just none of it really played out all that well for us today, but still thankful for the opportunity. It's great to be in great equipment and hopefully we get an opportunity to do it again." - Michael McDowell, 33rd (substitute driver for Kyle Busch).
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: Texas-2 Race Recap
by Matt McLaughlin
Monday Morning Teardown: Two Men, Two Weeks, One Title: Let The Fireworks Begin
by Ron Lemasters
David vs. Goliath: Geoff Bodine's Rough Return Lowlight For Underdogs
by Beth Lunkenheimer
From Cocky To Crippled: The Snowball Effect Spiraling At Gibbs
by Tom Bowles
The Big Six: Questions Answered After The AAA Texas 500
by Amy Henderson
Nationwide Series Breakdown: O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge
by Bryan Davis Keith
DON'T FORGET ABOUT:
The Latest On Jeremy Mayfield: Frontstretch Podcast November 4th
by Doug Turnbull
Busch Drew the Line in "Boys, Have At It," But Why Did NASCAR Let It Get This Far?
by Amy Henderson
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: The Kobalt Tools 500k at Phoenix was added to the schedule in 1988 to replace the Winston Western 500k at Riverside International Raceway. Riverside was due to be shut down by the time the race would have been held in 1988 (that didn't actually come to pass, but hey, better safe than sorry right?). So let's go for a trivia question that celebrates the old road course to start the week. At Riverside, former IndyCar driver Dick Simon had a huge crash on the expansive backstretch back in 1982. What happened?
"I told you guys that last week, nobody listens to me when I talk anymore. No, I mean we are set on it man, this is just the way it is going to be." - Tony Stewart, race winner, on mind over matter in his pursuit for a third Sprint Cup title
Tony Stewart proved he can not only talk the talk, but walk the walk, in terms of his championship pursuit. After words of warning last Sunday that Edwards better be nervous the last three weeks, he backed up what could be considered a Namath-esque statement with a resounding win at Texas, doing so in dominating fashion by leading 173 of 334 laps on the afternoon. The two-time Sprint Cup champion has proven to be this year's Jimmie Johnson, running just well enough to make the Chase only to really turn up the heat once the playoffs began. With a scant three races to go, the pressure now is most definitely on current points leader Edwards as experience, momentum, and mental fortitude has shifted to the No. 14 camp.
Crew Chief Quote Of The Week:
"Everybody, the whole crew just did an awesome job. This Office Depot / Mobil 1 team is a great group of guys - there is no quit in them. That is four out of eight, let's go for two more!" - Darian Grubb, winning crew chief
One has to give Darian Grubb a great deal of the credit for the No. 14 team's success in the Chase, as winning four out of eight of races (tying the record under this format) is no small feat. Grubb and Stewart have literally come from nowhere to be contenders, finding their groove and their setups to challenge in the closest title race in recent memory. If Grubb and his driver can keep firing on all eight cylinders, as they have for much of the Chase, then Smoke could very well capture his third career championship and be the first driver without a win in the first 26 races to take the Chase.
Hard-Luck Quote of the Week:
"I lost a cylinder about 10 laps ago or so. The valve train, probably the same thing that we've been fighting most of the year. We just ran terrible all day and really thought we were going to be able to make up some ground on the thing. We just weren't fast the whole time we were out there. Story of our year — we just have to find some speed in these cars. I don't know. We used to be fast — we have to figure something out." - Joey Logano, 37th
Poor Joey Logano. This was pegged to be the breakout year for the youngster, but instead, it's more or less been a disaster of Hindenburg proportions. Engine failures and wrecked cars have constantly afflicted this team, stunted their progress all season long and led to a disappointing 24th in the season standings. With Logano's disappointing run in NASCAR to date, one has to wonder how much longer Joe Gibbs will keep "Sliced Bread" in the team's vaunted No. 20 car if performance doesn't pick up noticeably in 2012.
Best of the Rest:
"I just told him 'good job.' He did a great job today. Those guys stepped it up and I'm proud of my guys for hanging on and for still having the points lead. At the end of the day, we're going to the final two races. Although we would have loved to have won today in our Aflac Fusion, to be three points ahead and then to have the third and fourth-place guys farther behind, it looks like it's truly gonna come down to Tony and I and that's gonna be a lot of fun." - Carl Edwards, runner-up on what he told Tony Stewart after the race
"Last week, those guys wrecked in front of us. Went four laps down. The Red Bull team just keeps doing a good job. They're working hard. It's pretty impressive for a lot of them not knowing their future, not knowing what's going on there, if there will be a two-car team or one-car team to keep putting the cars on the track like they are. I'm happy to come to the track and drive and work with Kenny Francis (crew chief) and the whole team." - Kasey Kahne, third
"I'll tell you, it's incredible. It is kind of fun to watch those two battling. What these next two weeks are going to be like is going to be incredible. I don't think anybody expected Tony to have a Chase like this, but, you know what, he's a champion. He's a great driver and when they get their setups in the cars to where they are right now, watch out for those cars. Carl's not done yet. Those guys are solid and really strong. I'll tell you, Phoenix is going to be interesting. To me, Phoenix is the unknown with this new pavement and I think we are all going to be anxious to see not only how the race goes, but how this championship unfolds." - Jeff Gordon, sixth, on the points battle between Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards
"Yeah, it's exciting. It's a great opportunity to be in great equipment and had some fun today. Obviously, not at all the result we were looking for. Just long green flag runs. Didn't get a long time to work on it. We had a few opportunities there to take the wave-around and get a lap back. Just none of it really played out all that well for us today, but still thankful for the opportunity. It's great to be in great equipment and hopefully we get an opportunity to do it again." - Michael McDowell, 33rd (substitute driver for Kyle Busch).
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: Texas-2 Race Recap
by Matt McLaughlin
Monday Morning Teardown: Two Men, Two Weeks, One Title: Let The Fireworks Begin
by Ron Lemasters
David vs. Goliath: Geoff Bodine's Rough Return Lowlight For Underdogs
by Beth Lunkenheimer
From Cocky To Crippled: The Snowball Effect Spiraling At Gibbs
by Tom Bowles
The Big Six: Questions Answered After The AAA Texas 500
by Amy Henderson
Nationwide Series Breakdown: O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge
by Bryan Davis Keith
DON'T FORGET ABOUT:
The Latest On Jeremy Mayfield: Frontstretch Podcast November 4th
by Doug Turnbull
Busch Drew the Line in "Boys, Have At It," But Why Did NASCAR Let It Get This Far?
by Amy Henderson
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: The Kobalt Tools 500k at Phoenix was added to the schedule in 1988 to replace the Winston Western 500k at Riverside International Raceway. Riverside was due to be shut down by the time the race would have been held in 1988 (that didn't actually come to pass, but hey, better safe than sorry right?). So let's go for a trivia question that celebrates the old road course to start the week. At Riverside, former IndyCar driver Dick Simon had a huge crash on the expansive backstretch back in 1982. What happened?
Friday's Answer:
Q: The 2002 Boomtown Casino 500k was not the best time for Sam Hornish, Jr. when he failed to finish after colliding with Eddie Cheever in Turn 3 and crashing. However, he had other issues earlier in the race under caution. What happened?
A: Early in the race, Hornish left pit road under caution before his pit crew could get the right rear wheel nut fully tight on his No. 4 Pennzoil-sponsored G-Force. On the apron, the nut came off and allowed the wheel to separate itself from the car. Hornish was able to drive back to pit road on three wheels and get a new tire and wheel nut in order to continue, though. The incident can be seen in this clip of race highlights at the 1:55 mark.
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
-- Numbers Game by Brett Poirier
-- 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 gives us a commentary piece based on recent events in NASCAR.
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Fort Worth-Avondale Edition by TBA
We'll take a look at post-Texas numbers to see who's got the most momentum heading into Phoenix... and beyond.
Five Points To Ponder by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan is back with his weekly edition of talking points to tie up Texas 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 Texas for a 500-lap race, with the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series serving as main support. 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 is back with a list of predictions and calls to get us set for the final three weeks of NASCAR competition.
------------------------------
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