THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 20th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CLXV
~~~~~~~~~~
What to Watch: Monday
- TruTV's Lizard Lick Towing has a NASCAR theme late tonight. Nationwide Series drivers Ty Dillon and Elliott Sadler join forces with the Lizard Lick Towing & Recovery repo company to play a joke on Austin by sending them to repo his Corvette. The show airs tonight on TruTV at 10:00pm ET; check your local listings for the channel number.
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Johnson's Bad Luck Grants Biffle Michigan Win
by Jeff Wolfe
Greg Biffle thinks he would have had something for Jimmie Johnson.
But in the end, he didn't need anything for the five-time NASCAR champ on the way to winning Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Michigan.
Johnson, who was looking for his first victory at the track, appeared to be in prime shape when he passed Brad Keselowski for the lead with ten laps remaining. But as had been the case with other Hendrick Motorsports engines, Johnson's motor went south with six laps to go, opening the door for Biffle to win for the third time at Michigan - tying a career high for him at any NASCAR track.
"It was going to be a great race no matter what," said the new Sprint Cup point leader, who won his 18th career race in front of an estimated crowd of 83,000. "I felt like I could catch him, but we'll never know. Passing him might have been a different story. But I certainly think that with seven to go, I probably could have pulled up close to him."
Biffle had contended for much of the day. He led three times for 26 laps and was fifth on a green-flag restart with 14 laps remaining. Keselowski took the lead on that one, initially charging ahead before surrendering it to Johnson.
However, Biffle's crew chief, Matt Puccia, liked the chances for the No. 16 at the end, even before Johnson's engine blew.
"I just told him basically when we restarted fifth, we're not out of this," Puccia said. "I knew we had a fast car. We were capable, if we could get to him, to get around him. What happened to Jimmie there, I think we had a good enough car to catch him and pass him normally. But when that happened, we took advantage of it and got around him."
Johnson and his crew chief, Chad Knaus, may have suspected there could be an issue with the Hendrick Motorsports engines. Knaus elected to change theirs after qualifying, which put Johnson in the back of the pack to start Sunday. And that theory may have held some water as first Tony Stewart, who uses Hendrick horsepower, and then Johnson's teammate Jeff Gordon each saw their motors lose cylinders before the halfway point of the race. The early diagnosis for each of those issues was a bad valve spring.
All three were distraught after their exits. Johnson and Stewart were each looking for their fourth victories of the season and Gordon was needing a win or a good finish to help his wild-card chances to make the Chase for the Championship, NASCAR's version of the playoffs.
''The 48 (Johnson) has the most speed and the best history as far as the Chase is concerned,'' Keselowski said. ''We caught a lucky break that was unfortunate for Jimmie. He definitely deserved to win the race. Just didn't play out that way.''
Two Hendrick cars that did last the entire race were the No. 5 of Kasey Kahne, who was third with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. trailing him in fourth.
"I just felt really good about our speed," Kahne said. "Our car has been really fast. We've been pretty consistent as a team. We want to make it to the Chase. That's a big part of our season, something that we're really shooting for. I think our team has done a great job of that."
Kahne's finish was rather impressive, considering an early incident that could have turned out tragic.
Pole sitter Mark Martin was dominating the early portion of the race when he caught lapped traffic. Martin, who led 54 of the first 64 laps, ran up on Juan Pablo Montoya and Bobby Labonte. Montoya, who was fighting to keep from going a lap down was behind Labonte when Labonte spun. Martin and Kahne were caught in the crossfire, spinning out to avoid the mess; but while Kahne escaped with minimal damage, Martin spun onto pit road and slid sideways into an end of the wall that is open for cars to come and go from the garage area. I t was also next to Kahne's pit box, causing his crew to scramble as Martin slid toward them. Luckily, there were no injuries.
"Mark was held up so bad by the two in front of him," Kahne said. "Mark must have been tired or loose or whatever, but he was really struggling to get to the inside or outside of those guys. I got there and I thought I would try to pass Mark. About that time the 47 (Labonte) just got loose from what I could see. I don't know, maybe the 42 (Montoya), I'm not sure if they touched or not, but the 47 started spinning, then we just all tried to miss it."
"I slid through the grass and didn't injure it too much. Just right front damage. Mark took off towards our pit stall, exploded into that wall."
And while NASCAR has made several safety improvements over the years, from the stronger built Car of Tomorrow, SAFER Barriers and HANS devices for drivers to wear, Martin's accident was a reminder that it's still a dangerous sport.
"Over the course of time, we always get complacent and think that we've hit all the buttons on the safety side," Keselowski said. "Then you see something like that. It shows you why you have to never quit working at making these cars and tracks safer because that could have been a lot worse, whether it was for Mark or for the crew members or anybody.
"So it's just one of those moments where you realize you might think that you have safety covered in this sport, but you never do."
Following Earnhardt Jr. to round out the top-10 finishers were Marcos Ambrose in fifth, Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard and Martin Truex, Jr.
The Sprint Cup cars will be in action again at 7:30 Saturday at Bristol on ABC, leaving just three races left before the Chase for the Championship begins.
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 20th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CLXV
~~~~~~~~~~
What to Watch: Monday
- TruTV's Lizard Lick Towing has a NASCAR theme late tonight. Nationwide Series drivers Ty Dillon and Elliott Sadler join forces with the Lizard Lick Towing & Recovery repo company to play a joke on Austin by sending them to repo his Corvette. The show airs tonight on TruTV at 10:00pm ET; check your local listings for the channel number.
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Johnson's Bad Luck Grants Biffle Michigan Win
by Jeff Wolfe
Greg Biffle thinks he would have had something for Jimmie Johnson.
But in the end, he didn't need anything for the five-time NASCAR champ on the way to winning Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Michigan.
Johnson, who was looking for his first victory at the track, appeared to be in prime shape when he passed Brad Keselowski for the lead with ten laps remaining. But as had been the case with other Hendrick Motorsports engines, Johnson's motor went south with six laps to go, opening the door for Biffle to win for the third time at Michigan - tying a career high for him at any NASCAR track.
"It was going to be a great race no matter what," said the new Sprint Cup point leader, who won his 18th career race in front of an estimated crowd of 83,000. "I felt like I could catch him, but we'll never know. Passing him might have been a different story. But I certainly think that with seven to go, I probably could have pulled up close to him."
Biffle had contended for much of the day. He led three times for 26 laps and was fifth on a green-flag restart with 14 laps remaining. Keselowski took the lead on that one, initially charging ahead before surrendering it to Johnson.
However, Biffle's crew chief, Matt Puccia, liked the chances for the No. 16 at the end, even before Johnson's engine blew.
"I just told him basically when we restarted fifth, we're not out of this," Puccia said. "I knew we had a fast car. We were capable, if we could get to him, to get around him. What happened to Jimmie there, I think we had a good enough car to catch him and pass him normally. But when that happened, we took advantage of it and got around him."
Johnson and his crew chief, Chad Knaus, may have suspected there could be an issue with the Hendrick Motorsports engines. Knaus elected to change theirs after qualifying, which put Johnson in the back of the pack to start Sunday. And that theory may have held some water as first Tony Stewart, who uses Hendrick horsepower, and then Johnson's teammate Jeff Gordon each saw their motors lose cylinders before the halfway point of the race. The early diagnosis for each of those issues was a bad valve spring.
All three were distraught after their exits. Johnson and Stewart were each looking for their fourth victories of the season and Gordon was needing a win or a good finish to help his wild-card chances to make the Chase for the Championship, NASCAR's version of the playoffs.
''The 48 (Johnson) has the most speed and the best history as far as the Chase is concerned,'' Keselowski said. ''We caught a lucky break that was unfortunate for Jimmie. He definitely deserved to win the race. Just didn't play out that way.''
Two Hendrick cars that did last the entire race were the No. 5 of Kasey Kahne, who was third with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. trailing him in fourth.
"I just felt really good about our speed," Kahne said. "Our car has been really fast. We've been pretty consistent as a team. We want to make it to the Chase. That's a big part of our season, something that we're really shooting for. I think our team has done a great job of that."
Kahne's finish was rather impressive, considering an early incident that could have turned out tragic.
Pole sitter Mark Martin was dominating the early portion of the race when he caught lapped traffic. Martin, who led 54 of the first 64 laps, ran up on Juan Pablo Montoya and Bobby Labonte. Montoya, who was fighting to keep from going a lap down was behind Labonte when Labonte spun. Martin and Kahne were caught in the crossfire, spinning out to avoid the mess; but while Kahne escaped with minimal damage, Martin spun onto pit road and slid sideways into an end of the wall that is open for cars to come and go from the garage area. I t was also next to Kahne's pit box, causing his crew to scramble as Martin slid toward them. Luckily, there were no injuries.
"Mark was held up so bad by the two in front of him," Kahne said. "Mark must have been tired or loose or whatever, but he was really struggling to get to the inside or outside of those guys. I got there and I thought I would try to pass Mark. About that time the 47 (Labonte) just got loose from what I could see. I don't know, maybe the 42 (Montoya), I'm not sure if they touched or not, but the 47 started spinning, then we just all tried to miss it."
"I slid through the grass and didn't injure it too much. Just right front damage. Mark took off towards our pit stall, exploded into that wall."
And while NASCAR has made several safety improvements over the years, from the stronger built Car of Tomorrow, SAFER Barriers and HANS devices for drivers to wear, Martin's accident was a reminder that it's still a dangerous sport.
"Over the course of time, we always get complacent and think that we've hit all the buttons on the safety side," Keselowski said. "Then you see something like that. It shows you why you have to never quit working at making these cars and tracks safer because that could have been a lot worse, whether it was for Mark or for the crew members or anybody.
"So it's just one of those moments where you realize you might think that you have safety covered in this sport, but you never do."
Following Earnhardt Jr. to round out the top-10 finishers were Marcos Ambrose in fifth, Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard and Martin Truex, Jr.
The Sprint Cup cars will be in action again at 7:30 Saturday at Bristol on ABC, leaving just three races left before the Chase for the Championship begins.
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
Chasing the Chase: Biffle Benefits in Multiple Ways After Victory
by Jeff Wolfe
No driver clinched a spot in the Chase after Sunday's race. However, Greg Biffle not only emerged as the new points leader in the Sprint Cup Series after his victory at Michigan, but his second victory of the season also will help his place in the standings should he wrap up a postseason bid. Biffle has a 20-point lead over Matt Kenseth and a 22-point margin over Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the point standings.
Remember, the top-10 in points and the two drivers in 11th through 20th with the most wins will make the Chase. The drivers in the top 10 will be placed in the standings based on victories; with two of them now, Biffle will have a chance for an improved standing when NASCAR's version of the playoffs begin.
Jimmie Johnson's blown engine cost him dearly, dropping the driver of the No. 48 car from first to fourth in the points. But he, along with fifth through eighth place (who held serve on Sunday) have a comfortable advantage over 11th on back. It would be a shocker for Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex, Jr. or Kevin Harvick to miss the field.
It wasn't such a good day for some other Chase hopefuls, and some of that was due to mechanical issues. Jeff Gordon's chances to make it as a "wild card' took a big hit when his engine failed on what appeared to be a bad valve spring; he finished 28th. Gordon, who has one win on the season, is now 30 points behind Ryan Newman and only has three races left to bridge the gap. Newman, after finishing eighth on Sunday remains in the 12th and final Chase spot for the moment; that means Gordon will likely have to win a second race to have a shot at the Chase. Current "wild card" leader Kasey Kahne is the only driver outside of the top-10 with two wins this season.
Also in the same situation as Gordon are Marcos Ambrose and Joey Logano. They each have one win one this season, but Ambrose, who finished fifth Sunday, is 50 points behind Newman and Logano, who finished 31st Sunday, is 80 points behind Newman.
Remaining close to the "wild card" in the points standings is Kyle Busch, who is 11 points behind Newman after finishing 13th Sunday. Also, a win would put Carl Edwards in the Chase picture as well. Edwards sits 12th in points, nine ahead of Newman, but is still seeking his first win of the season.
Denny Hamlin sits in tenth in the points standings, but still has a 33-point lead over Kahne. Hamlin has two wins on the season as well, so he still looks secure to make the Chase even if he were to fall out of the top-10. Ditto for Tony Stewart, whose Sunday accident leaves him ninth in points but 34 points ahead of Kahne. Stewart, as long as he stays inside the top 10 would be tied for the top seed in this year's Chase.
Standings: 1) Greg Biffle 823, 2) Matt Kenseth -20, 3) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -22, 4) Jimmie Johnson -28, 5) Brad Keselowski -47, 6) Martin Truex, Jr. -60, 7) Clint Bowyer -66, 9) Kevin Harvick -85, 9) Tony Stewart -95, 10) Denny Hamlin -96.
Wild Cards: Kasey Kahne, 2 wins, 11th in points; Ryan Newman, 1 win, 13th in points.
Race Winners: Matt Kenseth (Daytona 500), Denny Hamlin (Phoenix, Kansas), Tony Stewart (Las Vegas, Fontana, Daytona 2), Brad Keselowski (Bristol, Talladega, Kentucky), Ryan Newman (Martinsville), Greg Biffle (Texas, Michigan 2), Kyle Busch (Richmond), Jimmie Johnson (Darlington, Dover, Indianapolis), Kasey Kahne (Charlotte, New Hampshire), Joey Logano (Pocono 1), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (Michigan 1), Clint Bowyer (Sonoma), Jeff Gordon (Pocono 2), Marcos Ambrose (Watkins Glen).
Tracking The Top 35: The Gap Increases Just a Tad
The gap between the 35th and 36th place cars grew by six points after Sunday's race at Michigan. The top-35 in points are guaranteed a starting spot in each week's race, and as has been the case since the first two months of the season, the margin remains a wide one.
The No. 36 car driven by Dave Blaney finished 38th, but that allowed the car owned by Tommy Baldwin Racing to gain six points and increase its lead to 88 points over the No. 33 driven by Stephen Leicht. That's because Leicht failed to qualify, giving him no points for the race.
The one car not in the top 35 in owner points that had a chance to make up significant ground is the No. 21 driven by Trevor Bayne. He ran in the top 10 for parts of Sunday's race, but had a tire go down late, costing him a lap and relegating him to a 24th-place finish. The No. 21 car, which Bayne is driving in a partial schedule this year, remains 108 points behind the No. 36 car.
Here's your owners point standings around the all-important cutoff...
29) Front Row Motorsports (No. 38 - David Gilliland), 200 points ahead of 36th.
30) BK Racing (No. 93 – Travis Kvapil), 198 points ahead of 36th.
31) Front Row Motorsports (No. 34 - David Ragan), 196 points ahead of 36th.
32) BK Racing (No. 83 - Landon Cassill), 151 points ahead of 36th.
33) Tommy Baldwin Racing / Stewart-Haas Racing (No. 10 – David Reutimann), 131 points ahead of 36th.
34) FAS Lane Racing (No. 32 – T.J. Bell), 123 points ahead of 36th.
35) Tommy Baldwin Racing (No. 36 – Dave Blaney), 88 points ahead of 36th.
36) Richard Childress Racing/LJ Racing (No. 33 – Stephen Leicht), 88 points behind 35th.
37) Wood Brothers Racing (No. 21 - Trevor Bayne), 108 points behind 35th.
38) Inception Motorsports (No. 30 – David Stremme), 122 points behind 35th.
39) Robinson-Blakeney Racing (No. 49 – Jason Leffler), 158 points behind 35th.
40) Front Row Motorsports (No. 26 - Josh Wise), 161 points behind 35th.
41) Phil Parsons Racing (No. 98 – Mike Skinner), 175 points behind 35th.
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
Secret Star of the Race: The Race You Never Saw
It's been a year of both survival and growth for small-time BK Racing. The two-car operation, formed late in the game and playing catchup with Red Bull Racing's former equipment, has had a largely under-the-radar season with drivers Landon Cassill and Travis Kvapil. But as the summer heats up, so has their finishes as the organization starts getting the hang of Sprint Cup racing. Kvapil had his best performance of the year on Sunday, hanging tough with track position while turning a 30th-place start into a 15th-place, lead-lap result that shows how much the team continues to grow.
"My guys fought hard today," said Kvapil. "We went a lap down a couple of times, but never gave up. We kept making the car better and better. When we got back on the lead lap, the car was good enough for us to gain several positions. This weekend showed just how strong our team has grown. Last time we came here we struggled a little bit. Now that we have a race under our belt, along with two test sessions here, our car was a lot better. The more laps we run, the better we'll get. I'm excited about the rest of the season."
Kvapil's teammate Cassill was 25th, the second week in a row both cars have recorded top-25 performances. Is that Chase worthy? Well, not exactly... but in this sport, you've got to walk before you can run. - Tom Bowles
STAT OF THE WEEK: 12.5. That's the average finish for Sam Hornish, Jr. over the last four races driving the No. 22 Dodge, a sign he's getting settled in after being named the permanent "fill-in" while Roger Penske seeks a replacement for 2013. But why isn't Hornish getting a closer look? After all, Kurt Busch won twice in this car in 2011, making the Chase but his average finish? A paltry 14.6 by comparison. - Tom Bowles
~~~~~~~~~~
Quotes To Remember: Pure Michigan 400
"Well, I know that a lot of people don't expect us to win the championship, don't expect us to compete for the title. I don't care what they say or who they want to talk about or what they talk about. We will be a factor when it comes down to Homestead, I promise you that." - Greg Biffle, race winner
"I just think there's big discrepancies in the cars now. There's certain parts and pieces on the cars that are making them quite a bit different to where we're seeing different paces throughout the field. I think there's probably half a dozen to a dozen cars that are drastically faster than the rest of the field. There's parts and pieces on the car that are moving after inspection that make the car more competitive. Some guys have it, some don't. There's a question to the interpretation of the rule. Penske Racing errs on the safe side because we don't want to be the guys that get the big penalty. Obviously there's a question to the interpretation that as of right now it's legal. But I'm sure that Roger doesn't want to be the one caught red-handed. As a group at Penske Racing, we have not felt comfortable enough to risk that name and reputation that Roger has over those parts and pieces. Others have, which is their prerogative. I'm not going to slam them for it." - Brad Keselowski, on recent speed by certain organizations in the field
"Well I think they're going to start calling me silver medal at Penske Racing because we finished second in three out of the last four races. I'm proud of our effort. I just want to get that one more spot. I want to win races and we've been running solid and I'm proud of that but we want that one more spot, too." - Brad Keselowski, finished second
"The restarts are still really tight. You can make up the most ground right there, or lose the most. It's a tough point of the race. But just try to do the best you can there. I think by the time we come back next year, it's going to be even better and wider. I don't think it will take a real long time and we'll be racing all over the track like we used to. Either way, it's smooth. Did a great job repaving. I enjoy coming up here. I like how the track is now and I think next year it will be a little bit racier than it is now." - Kasey Kahne, finished third
"I feel like I was under pressure to just not make any more mistakes. I spun out twice in the last two weeks on my own and that's something I try not to have happen and try not to have that kind of reputation. I felt real bad last night about wrecking the car and all the work the guys had to do to get this car ready for today. They just poured through so many documents and notes on that car to try to put it on the start grid this morning. They did an awesome job." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished fourth
"I feel terrible for [Regan Smith]. I didn't mean to get into him. I got down in there and he came off my side of the car and I was trying to get out of there for him and just caught him on the way past. I feel bad for him. You can't take it back, all you can say is sorry." - Marcos Ambrose, finished 5th on his wreck with Regan Smith
"You just can't pass. It will age and it will keep getting better. This race was better than last time and it will keep improving." - Clint Bowyer, finished 7th
"It's a one-groove race track and that makes it hard to race and hard to pass. You've got guys being a little bit over-aggressive on the restarts and making it three-wide and we just happened to be in the wrong lane on that last two restarts. Overall, a good day. That's what we needed to do. We just need top-10 finishes from now until Richmond and we get in the Chase and then we'll start playing hard ball." - Martin Truex, Jr., finished 10th
"Everyone worked really hard and Kyle (Busch) did a great job. I just didn't put the right shocks and springs and bars in it — didn't have enough speed in it. Kyle did a great job of staying focused and looking at the big picture. Unfortunately, I didn't bring a fast enough race car — my fault." - Dave Rogers, Kyle Busch's crew chief on their 13th-place finish
"Well anything that could go wrong today did. We finally got the car handling better and then we had an incident with the 47 and then the 20. I hated seeing that happen to Mark (Martin), he had a great run going and the 47 just got loose in front of me and I checked up. Mark had nowhere to go. It was a rough day." - Juan Pablo Montoya, finished 26th
"I'm disappointed that we got tore up, but man, what a hot rod. That was a pretty freak angle that I got at that. I'm not sure what you could do. It could have been really bad if I would have got in that hole a little deeper where it caught me in the door instead of in the crush area back there." - Mark Martin, finished 35th on his race-ending wreck
~~~~~~~~~~
COME JOIN THE FRONTSTRETCH FAMILY!
If you are interested, contact frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com. Please include references to your past work in your e-mail.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Thinkin' Out Loud: Michigan-2 Race Recap
by Mike Neff
Pace Laps: NASCAR's Regular Season Rewards, Old Dogs Learn New Tricks And Caution Crisis
by the Frontstretch Staff
A 'Pure' Michigan 400 - Back To Business As Usual At MIS
by Vito Pugliese
Seizing A NASCAR Window Of Opportunity
by Tom Bowles
The Big Six: Questions Answered After the Pure Michigan 400
by Amy Henderson
Nationwide Series Breakdown: NAPA Auto Parts 200
by Bryan Davis Keith
Tracking the Trucks: VFW 200
by Beth Lunkenheimer
~~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The 1993 Bud 500 at Bristol was won from the pole by Mark Martin, despite Rusty Wallace leading more than 80 percent of the race by himself. However, the early portions of the race were marred by a big wreck in Turn 1. What happened?
Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: The 2003 GFS Marketplace 400 is undoubtedly best known for the Kurt Busch-Jimmy Spencer rivalry coming to a head, resulting in Spencer punching Busch after the race and getting suspended for Bristol. However, the race also had a big crash in Turn 2 involving Kenny Wallace and Todd Bodine. What happened?
A: Wallace and Kurt Busch were side-by-side for 25th in Turn 2 when Bodine, driving the BelCar Racing No. 54 tried to go in between them. Busch appeared to go up the track slightly and sideswiped Bodine. This got Bodine loose and sent him up the track into Wallace. Wallace, who had nowhere to go, ran into the back of Bodine and turned him head-on into the wall.
It was a savage hit by itself, but what made it worse is that Wallace's Stacker 2 Dodge wedged underneath Bodine's and effectively balanced Bodine's car on its tail-end. A fire was sparked when Bodine's car landed on Wallace's hood as well. Luckily both drivers walked away, but they were both out (Wallace and Bodine finished 42nd and 43rd, respectively). The crash can be seen at the 4:55 mark of this clip.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take 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 by Tom Bowles
-- Fan's View Commentary by S.D. Grady
-- Numbers Game: Pure Michigan 400 by Garrett Horton
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup by StarCoach Race Tours: Michigan / Bristol Edition by Brett Poirier
With just three races left until the Chase, Brett takes a look at which drivers are in perfect position to make the field... and which ones are already taking a look ahead towards 2013.
This year, we have an interesting new weekly feature for our readers where we'll have a special guest stop by on a weekly basis to discuss the technical aspects of our sport.
The Yellow Stripe by Danny Peters
Danny is back with another commentary to make you think.
-----------------------------
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2012 Frontstretch.com
Chasing the Chase: Biffle Benefits in Multiple Ways After Victory
by Jeff Wolfe
No driver clinched a spot in the Chase after Sunday's race. However, Greg Biffle not only emerged as the new points leader in the Sprint Cup Series after his victory at Michigan, but his second victory of the season also will help his place in the standings should he wrap up a postseason bid. Biffle has a 20-point lead over Matt Kenseth and a 22-point margin over Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the point standings.
Remember, the top-10 in points and the two drivers in 11th through 20th with the most wins will make the Chase. The drivers in the top 10 will be placed in the standings based on victories; with two of them now, Biffle will have a chance for an improved standing when NASCAR's version of the playoffs begin.
Jimmie Johnson's blown engine cost him dearly, dropping the driver of the No. 48 car from first to fourth in the points. But he, along with fifth through eighth place (who held serve on Sunday) have a comfortable advantage over 11th on back. It would be a shocker for Johnson, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex, Jr. or Kevin Harvick to miss the field.
It wasn't such a good day for some other Chase hopefuls, and some of that was due to mechanical issues. Jeff Gordon's chances to make it as a "wild card' took a big hit when his engine failed on what appeared to be a bad valve spring; he finished 28th. Gordon, who has one win on the season, is now 30 points behind Ryan Newman and only has three races left to bridge the gap. Newman, after finishing eighth on Sunday remains in the 12th and final Chase spot for the moment; that means Gordon will likely have to win a second race to have a shot at the Chase. Current "wild card" leader Kasey Kahne is the only driver outside of the top-10 with two wins this season.
Also in the same situation as Gordon are Marcos Ambrose and Joey Logano. They each have one win one this season, but Ambrose, who finished fifth Sunday, is 50 points behind Newman and Logano, who finished 31st Sunday, is 80 points behind Newman.
Remaining close to the "wild card" in the points standings is Kyle Busch, who is 11 points behind Newman after finishing 13th Sunday. Also, a win would put Carl Edwards in the Chase picture as well. Edwards sits 12th in points, nine ahead of Newman, but is still seeking his first win of the season.
Denny Hamlin sits in tenth in the points standings, but still has a 33-point lead over Kahne. Hamlin has two wins on the season as well, so he still looks secure to make the Chase even if he were to fall out of the top-10. Ditto for Tony Stewart, whose Sunday accident leaves him ninth in points but 34 points ahead of Kahne. Stewart, as long as he stays inside the top 10 would be tied for the top seed in this year's Chase.
Standings: 1) Greg Biffle 823, 2) Matt Kenseth -20, 3) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -22, 4) Jimmie Johnson -28, 5) Brad Keselowski -47, 6) Martin Truex, Jr. -60, 7) Clint Bowyer -66, 9) Kevin Harvick -85, 9) Tony Stewart -95, 10) Denny Hamlin -96.
Wild Cards: Kasey Kahne, 2 wins, 11th in points; Ryan Newman, 1 win, 13th in points.
Race Winners: Matt Kenseth (Daytona 500), Denny Hamlin (Phoenix, Kansas), Tony Stewart (Las Vegas, Fontana, Daytona 2), Brad Keselowski (Bristol, Talladega, Kentucky), Ryan Newman (Martinsville), Greg Biffle (Texas, Michigan 2), Kyle Busch (Richmond), Jimmie Johnson (Darlington, Dover, Indianapolis), Kasey Kahne (Charlotte, New Hampshire), Joey Logano (Pocono 1), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (Michigan 1), Clint Bowyer (Sonoma), Jeff Gordon (Pocono 2), Marcos Ambrose (Watkins Glen).
Tracking The Top 35: The Gap Increases Just a Tad
The gap between the 35th and 36th place cars grew by six points after Sunday's race at Michigan. The top-35 in points are guaranteed a starting spot in each week's race, and as has been the case since the first two months of the season, the margin remains a wide one.
The No. 36 car driven by Dave Blaney finished 38th, but that allowed the car owned by Tommy Baldwin Racing to gain six points and increase its lead to 88 points over the No. 33 driven by Stephen Leicht. That's because Leicht failed to qualify, giving him no points for the race.
The one car not in the top 35 in owner points that had a chance to make up significant ground is the No. 21 driven by Trevor Bayne. He ran in the top 10 for parts of Sunday's race, but had a tire go down late, costing him a lap and relegating him to a 24th-place finish. The No. 21 car, which Bayne is driving in a partial schedule this year, remains 108 points behind the No. 36 car.
Here's your owners point standings around the all-important cutoff...
29) Front Row Motorsports (No. 38 - David Gilliland), 200 points ahead of 36th.
30) BK Racing (No. 93 – Travis Kvapil), 198 points ahead of 36th.
31) Front Row Motorsports (No. 34 - David Ragan), 196 points ahead of 36th.
32) BK Racing (No. 83 - Landon Cassill), 151 points ahead of 36th.
33) Tommy Baldwin Racing / Stewart-Haas Racing (No. 10 – David Reutimann), 131 points ahead of 36th.
34) FAS Lane Racing (No. 32 – T.J. Bell), 123 points ahead of 36th.
35) Tommy Baldwin Racing (No. 36 – Dave Blaney), 88 points ahead of 36th.
36) Richard Childress Racing/LJ Racing (No. 33 – Stephen Leicht), 88 points behind 35th.
37) Wood Brothers Racing (No. 21 - Trevor Bayne), 108 points behind 35th.
38) Inception Motorsports (No. 30 – David Stremme), 122 points behind 35th.
39) Robinson-Blakeney Racing (No. 49 – Jason Leffler), 158 points behind 35th.
40) Front Row Motorsports (No. 26 - Josh Wise), 161 points behind 35th.
41) Phil Parsons Racing (No. 98 – Mike Skinner), 175 points behind 35th.
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
~~~~~~~~~~
Secret Star of the Race: The Race You Never Saw
It's been a year of both survival and growth for small-time BK Racing. The two-car operation, formed late in the game and playing catchup with Red Bull Racing's former equipment, has had a largely under-the-radar season with drivers Landon Cassill and Travis Kvapil. But as the summer heats up, so has their finishes as the organization starts getting the hang of Sprint Cup racing. Kvapil had his best performance of the year on Sunday, hanging tough with track position while turning a 30th-place start into a 15th-place, lead-lap result that shows how much the team continues to grow.
"My guys fought hard today," said Kvapil. "We went a lap down a couple of times, but never gave up. We kept making the car better and better. When we got back on the lead lap, the car was good enough for us to gain several positions. This weekend showed just how strong our team has grown. Last time we came here we struggled a little bit. Now that we have a race under our belt, along with two test sessions here, our car was a lot better. The more laps we run, the better we'll get. I'm excited about the rest of the season."
Kvapil's teammate Cassill was 25th, the second week in a row both cars have recorded top-25 performances. Is that Chase worthy? Well, not exactly... but in this sport, you've got to walk before you can run. - Tom Bowles
STAT OF THE WEEK: 12.5. That's the average finish for Sam Hornish, Jr. over the last four races driving the No. 22 Dodge, a sign he's getting settled in after being named the permanent "fill-in" while Roger Penske seeks a replacement for 2013. But why isn't Hornish getting a closer look? After all, Kurt Busch won twice in this car in 2011, making the Chase but his average finish? A paltry 14.6 by comparison. - Tom Bowles
~~~~~~~~~~
Quotes To Remember: Pure Michigan 400
"Well, I know that a lot of people don't expect us to win the championship, don't expect us to compete for the title. I don't care what they say or who they want to talk about or what they talk about. We will be a factor when it comes down to Homestead, I promise you that." - Greg Biffle, race winner
"I just think there's big discrepancies in the cars now. There's certain parts and pieces on the cars that are making them quite a bit different to where we're seeing different paces throughout the field. I think there's probably half a dozen to a dozen cars that are drastically faster than the rest of the field. There's parts and pieces on the car that are moving after inspection that make the car more competitive. Some guys have it, some don't. There's a question to the interpretation of the rule. Penske Racing errs on the safe side because we don't want to be the guys that get the big penalty. Obviously there's a question to the interpretation that as of right now it's legal. But I'm sure that Roger doesn't want to be the one caught red-handed. As a group at Penske Racing, we have not felt comfortable enough to risk that name and reputation that Roger has over those parts and pieces. Others have, which is their prerogative. I'm not going to slam them for it." - Brad Keselowski, on recent speed by certain organizations in the field
"Well I think they're going to start calling me silver medal at Penske Racing because we finished second in three out of the last four races. I'm proud of our effort. I just want to get that one more spot. I want to win races and we've been running solid and I'm proud of that but we want that one more spot, too." - Brad Keselowski, finished second
"The restarts are still really tight. You can make up the most ground right there, or lose the most. It's a tough point of the race. But just try to do the best you can there. I think by the time we come back next year, it's going to be even better and wider. I don't think it will take a real long time and we'll be racing all over the track like we used to. Either way, it's smooth. Did a great job repaving. I enjoy coming up here. I like how the track is now and I think next year it will be a little bit racier than it is now." - Kasey Kahne, finished third
"I feel like I was under pressure to just not make any more mistakes. I spun out twice in the last two weeks on my own and that's something I try not to have happen and try not to have that kind of reputation. I felt real bad last night about wrecking the car and all the work the guys had to do to get this car ready for today. They just poured through so many documents and notes on that car to try to put it on the start grid this morning. They did an awesome job." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished fourth
"I feel terrible for [Regan Smith]. I didn't mean to get into him. I got down in there and he came off my side of the car and I was trying to get out of there for him and just caught him on the way past. I feel bad for him. You can't take it back, all you can say is sorry." - Marcos Ambrose, finished 5th on his wreck with Regan Smith
"You just can't pass. It will age and it will keep getting better. This race was better than last time and it will keep improving." - Clint Bowyer, finished 7th
"It's a one-groove race track and that makes it hard to race and hard to pass. You've got guys being a little bit over-aggressive on the restarts and making it three-wide and we just happened to be in the wrong lane on that last two restarts. Overall, a good day. That's what we needed to do. We just need top-10 finishes from now until Richmond and we get in the Chase and then we'll start playing hard ball." - Martin Truex, Jr., finished 10th
"Everyone worked really hard and Kyle (Busch) did a great job. I just didn't put the right shocks and springs and bars in it — didn't have enough speed in it. Kyle did a great job of staying focused and looking at the big picture. Unfortunately, I didn't bring a fast enough race car — my fault." - Dave Rogers, Kyle Busch's crew chief on their 13th-place finish
"Well anything that could go wrong today did. We finally got the car handling better and then we had an incident with the 47 and then the 20. I hated seeing that happen to Mark (Martin), he had a great run going and the 47 just got loose in front of me and I checked up. Mark had nowhere to go. It was a rough day." - Juan Pablo Montoya, finished 26th
"I'm disappointed that we got tore up, but man, what a hot rod. That was a pretty freak angle that I got at that. I'm not sure what you could do. It could have been really bad if I would have got in that hole a little deeper where it caught me in the door instead of in the crush area back there." - Mark Martin, finished 35th on his race-ending wreck
~~~~~~~~~~
COME JOIN THE FRONTSTRETCH FAMILY!
Hey Frontstretch Readers,
We are looking for someone who shares our enthusiasm for NASCAR and has an experienced background in web design. Specifically, we are looking for someone who can help maintain and enhance our website, increase our SEO, and upgrade our publishing platform while producing a limited amount of content throughout the season. This job presents a perfect opportunity for someone with a technical background, a person who wants their work to gain national exposure.
~~~~~~~~~~
ADVERTISEMENT
Are you looking to advertise your website, product or brand? A good way to get your name out there is via direct advertising here in the Frontstretch Newsletter! Interested parties can contact us at tony.lumbis@frontstretch.com for details.
~~~~~~~~~~
TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Thinkin' Out Loud: Michigan-2 Race Recap
by Mike Neff
Pace Laps: NASCAR's Regular Season Rewards, Old Dogs Learn New Tricks And Caution Crisis
by the Frontstretch Staff
A 'Pure' Michigan 400 - Back To Business As Usual At MIS
by Vito Pugliese
Seizing A NASCAR Window Of Opportunity
by Tom Bowles
The Big Six: Questions Answered After the Pure Michigan 400
by Amy Henderson
Nationwide Series Breakdown: NAPA Auto Parts 200
by Bryan Davis Keith
Tracking the Trucks: VFW 200
by Beth Lunkenheimer
~~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The 1993 Bud 500 at Bristol was won from the pole by Mark Martin, despite Rusty Wallace leading more than 80 percent of the race by himself. However, the early portions of the race were marred by a big wreck in Turn 1. What happened?
Check back Monday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: The 2003 GFS Marketplace 400 is undoubtedly best known for the Kurt Busch-Jimmy Spencer rivalry coming to a head, resulting in Spencer punching Busch after the race and getting suspended for Bristol. However, the race also had a big crash in Turn 2 involving Kenny Wallace and Todd Bodine. What happened?
A: Wallace and Kurt Busch were side-by-side for 25th in Turn 2 when Bodine, driving the BelCar Racing No. 54 tried to go in between them. Busch appeared to go up the track slightly and sideswiped Bodine. This got Bodine loose and sent him up the track into Wallace. Wallace, who had nowhere to go, ran into the back of Bodine and turned him head-on into the wall.
It was a savage hit by itself, but what made it worse is that Wallace's Stacker 2 Dodge wedged underneath Bodine's and effectively balanced Bodine's car on its tail-end. A fire was sparked when Bodine's car landed on Wallace's hood as well. Luckily both drivers walked away, but they were both out (Wallace and Bodine finished 42nd and 43rd, respectively). The crash can be seen at the 4:55 mark of this clip.
Frontstretch Trivia Guarantee: Take 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 by Tom Bowles
-- Fan's View Commentary by S.D. Grady
-- Numbers Game: Pure Michigan 400 by Garrett Horton
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup by StarCoach Race Tours: Michigan / Bristol Edition by Brett Poirier
With just three races left until the Chase, Brett takes a look at which drivers are in perfect position to make the field... and which ones are already taking a look ahead towards 2013.
Five Points To Ponder by Bryan Davis Keith
Bryan has his weekly edition of talking points to wrap up Michigan and get us ready for Bristol.
Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
The Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series were both in action at Michigan this past weekend. Meanwhile, the Nationwide Series made their annual trek up to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. Were these race telecasts up to snuff? Find out in this week's TV Critique.
This year, we have an interesting new weekly feature for our readers where we'll have a special guest stop by on a weekly basis to discuss the technical aspects of our sport.
The Yellow Stripe by Danny Peters
Danny is back with another commentary to make you think.
-----------------------------
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Got something to say about an article you've seen in the newsletter? It's as easy as replying directly to this message or sending an email to editors@frontstretch.com. We'll take the best comments and publish them here!
©2012 Frontstretch.com
Feel free to forward this newsletter if you have any friends who loves
NASCAR and great NASCAR commentary. They can subscribe to the Frontstetch by visiting http://www.frontstretch.com/notice/9557/.
If you want to stop your Frontstretch Newsletter subscription, we're sorry
to see you go. Just send an email to
TheFrontstretch+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com from the address that you
recieve the Frontstretch Newsletter.
No comments:
Post a Comment