THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
October 29th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CCXVII
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Sprint Cup Race Recap: Johnson Hoping History Can Repeat Itself After Martinsville Win
by Jeff Wolfe
Jimmie Johnson felt good about his championship chances before he stepped into his No. 48 Chevrolet Sunday afternoon at Martinsville.
He was feeling a lot better after winning his seventh career race at the .526-mile, paperclip oval. Johnson led 193 of the 500 laps, including the final 15, for his fourth win of the season and first in NASCAR's Chase for the Championship. Martinsville is the seventh race in the Chase and Johnson, a five-time champion, leaves with a two-point lead over Brad Keselowski after starting on the pole and staying at or near the front most of the day. Johnson has won at Martinsville three other times on the way to titles; will this one be the benchmark to a fourth?
"I'm ecstatic about the win today and ecstatic about the points lead, but this is no cakewalk," said Johnson, who has four wins this season and 59 for his career. "These guys bring their best each and every week."
One late obstacle that Johnson had to overcome was the team he was referring to. The No. 2 Dodge and Brad Keselowski, gambled after the next to last caution with 24 laps to go. When pit lane opened, Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. were the only lead lap cars to stay out.
It was quite a risk for Keselowski, who was running sixth before the caution. The driver of the No. 2 Dodge made the call hoping that some other lead lap cars behind him would also do the same, meaning the leaders would have plenty of obstacles in their path before reaching the front. But other than Earnhardt Jr., none did. And when Johnson won the race off pit road, that left him on Keselowski's bumper for the restart in front of 60,000 fans.
"I felt like it was going to be a problem for him and I expected him to drop a little further back," Johnson said. "We've learned our lesson of not pitting late and that came into play today. We've done it before and gotten beat. We made the right decision today."
It took seven laps for Johnson to get past Keselowski and once he did, it looked like the field was clear. However, Johnson did have to hold off Kyle Busch on the final five laps after the final of 11 cautions for 64 laps to secure the win. Busch reached Johnson's bumper once, but was never able to pull alongside the leader.
"He was really slow in 1 and 2 and I should've done it there," Busch said. "I'm really, really disappointed."
The gamble turned out to be neutral move for Keselowski, who ended up finishing sixth on a track where he had a career average finish of 13.4. It was a phenomenal run for a driver who started 32nd and had to avoid trouble, multiple times at one of the sport's trickiest short tracks.
"You can't count this team out," he said. "This team has a tremendous amount of heart. I know this championship is going to come down to Homestead (the final race). We've got to be in position where you've got a shot at it. We'll keep fighting the good fight."
While Johnson, who had two new right-side tires when he passed Keselowski for the lead, felt confident he would get back up front. But he was also impressed that Keselowski didn't drop back more in the final laps.
"I felt like it was going to be a problem for him," Johnson said of Keselowski staying out. "I expected him to drop a little further back. You just can't count out good race teams. When you get to the playoffs, teams step up and show what they're made of."
The rest of the top 10 after Johnson and Busch were Kasey Kahne, Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer, Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, Brian Vickers, Bobby Labonte and Greg Biffle.
The fourth place tied a career-best finish for Almirola, who drives the No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports.
"We were terrible at the beginning and all these guys never gave up," Almirola said. "We kept fighting and fighting and making every change they could to get us better and better. It's a great rebound from last week."
Two drivers who kept fighting and fighting with the cars in the final laps were Bowyer and Gordon. It was in the spring race on a late restart where Bowyer dove under Gordon and Johnson, who were fighting for the lead, on the first turn, causing all three of them to crash. This one wasn't as severe or as crucial of a situation, but also didn't go unnoticed by either driver.
"The 24 at the end, I didn't want to do anything to him and he turned left to block," Bowyer said. "It was just a bad deal. I was like 'Hey, you better not do that.' It is what it is."
Gordon admitted he was caught in the outside lane on the restart and was trying to nudge his way to the bottom.
"We were sitting ducks on the outside," Gordon said. "I was just trying to get down there. I felt like I got down in front of him. It's not the first time with him. We race really hard together. We were just racing hard there."
Bowyer and Gordon, earlier in the race looked to be contenders for the victory. Bowyer, in particular had emerged as the favorite to win when he came in for a green-flag pit stop with 108 laps to go. The driver nearly stalled his car, but it cost him about three extra seconds and the lead. He never made it back to the front.
"As soon as it (the track) got cool, we got a little tight," said Bowyer, who led 154 laps. "Then we had trouble getting out of the pits and lost track position and we never got it back."
Gordon also had his share of success early in the race, leading 92 laps.
"It was really, really strong in the first half of race," Gordon said of his car. "This team made an amazing effort. The last thing we wanted was to be on the outside the last two restarts and that's where we were."
The eighth race of the Chase, the AAA Texas 500 will take place at Texas Motor Speedway next Sunday. It will be a 3 p.m. start on ESPN.
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!
October 29th, 2012
Volume VI, Edition CCXVII
~~~~~~~~~~
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Johnson Hoping History Can Repeat Itself After Martinsville Win
by Jeff Wolfe
Jimmie Johnson felt good about his championship chances before he stepped into his No. 48 Chevrolet Sunday afternoon at Martinsville.
He was feeling a lot better after winning his seventh career race at the .526-mile, paperclip oval. Johnson led 193 of the 500 laps, including the final 15, for his fourth win of the season and first in NASCAR's Chase for the Championship. Martinsville is the seventh race in the Chase and Johnson, a five-time champion, leaves with a two-point lead over Brad Keselowski after starting on the pole and staying at or near the front most of the day. Johnson has won at Martinsville three other times on the way to titles; will this one be the benchmark to a fourth?
"I'm ecstatic about the win today and ecstatic about the points lead, but this is no cakewalk," said Johnson, who has four wins this season and 59 for his career. "These guys bring their best each and every week."
One late obstacle that Johnson had to overcome was the team he was referring to. The No. 2 Dodge and Brad Keselowski, gambled after the next to last caution with 24 laps to go. When pit lane opened, Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. were the only lead lap cars to stay out.
It was quite a risk for Keselowski, who was running sixth before the caution. The driver of the No. 2 Dodge made the call hoping that some other lead lap cars behind him would also do the same, meaning the leaders would have plenty of obstacles in their path before reaching the front. But other than Earnhardt Jr., none did. And when Johnson won the race off pit road, that left him on Keselowski's bumper for the restart in front of 60,000 fans.
"I felt like it was going to be a problem for him and I expected him to drop a little further back," Johnson said. "We've learned our lesson of not pitting late and that came into play today. We've done it before and gotten beat. We made the right decision today."
It took seven laps for Johnson to get past Keselowski and once he did, it looked like the field was clear. However, Johnson did have to hold off Kyle Busch on the final five laps after the final of 11 cautions for 64 laps to secure the win. Busch reached Johnson's bumper once, but was never able to pull alongside the leader.
"He was really slow in 1 and 2 and I should've done it there," Busch said. "I'm really, really disappointed."
The gamble turned out to be neutral move for Keselowski, who ended up finishing sixth on a track where he had a career average finish of 13.4. It was a phenomenal run for a driver who started 32nd and had to avoid trouble, multiple times at one of the sport's trickiest short tracks.
"You can't count this team out," he said. "This team has a tremendous amount of heart. I know this championship is going to come down to Homestead (the final race). We've got to be in position where you've got a shot at it. We'll keep fighting the good fight."
While Johnson, who had two new right-side tires when he passed Keselowski for the lead, felt confident he would get back up front. But he was also impressed that Keselowski didn't drop back more in the final laps.
"I felt like it was going to be a problem for him," Johnson said of Keselowski staying out. "I expected him to drop a little further back. You just can't count out good race teams. When you get to the playoffs, teams step up and show what they're made of."
The rest of the top 10 after Johnson and Busch were Kasey Kahne, Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer, Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, Brian Vickers, Bobby Labonte and Greg Biffle.
The fourth place tied a career-best finish for Almirola, who drives the No. 43 for Richard Petty Motorsports.
"We were terrible at the beginning and all these guys never gave up," Almirola said. "We kept fighting and fighting and making every change they could to get us better and better. It's a great rebound from last week."
Two drivers who kept fighting and fighting with the cars in the final laps were Bowyer and Gordon. It was in the spring race on a late restart where Bowyer dove under Gordon and Johnson, who were fighting for the lead, on the first turn, causing all three of them to crash. This one wasn't as severe or as crucial of a situation, but also didn't go unnoticed by either driver.
"The 24 at the end, I didn't want to do anything to him and he turned left to block," Bowyer said. "It was just a bad deal. I was like 'Hey, you better not do that.' It is what it is."
Gordon admitted he was caught in the outside lane on the restart and was trying to nudge his way to the bottom.
"We were sitting ducks on the outside," Gordon said. "I was just trying to get down there. I felt like I got down in front of him. It's not the first time with him. We race really hard together. We were just racing hard there."
Bowyer and Gordon, earlier in the race looked to be contenders for the victory. Bowyer, in particular had emerged as the favorite to win when he came in for a green-flag pit stop with 108 laps to go. The driver nearly stalled his car, but it cost him about three extra seconds and the lead. He never made it back to the front.
"As soon as it (the track) got cool, we got a little tight," said Bowyer, who led 154 laps. "Then we had trouble getting out of the pits and lost track position and we never got it back."
Gordon also had his share of success early in the race, leading 92 laps.
"It was really, really strong in the first half of race," Gordon said of his car. "This team made an amazing effort. The last thing we wanted was to be on the outside the last two restarts and that's where we were."
The eighth race of the Chase, the AAA Texas 500 will take place at Texas Motor Speedway next Sunday. It will be a 3 p.m. start on ESPN.
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
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Chasing the Chase: Hamlin Fights Back, Then Falls Out of Title Contention with Master Switch Issues
by Jeff Wolfe
Denny Hamlin came into Sunday's race at Martinsville with high hopes. He had two career wins at the track and an average finish of fifth in the last five races.
And Hamlin proved twice that he had a strong car. He was caught speeding on pit road twice, which left him in 30th and 32nd. And each time he drove himself back into the top 10 and even led twice for 12 laps.
But Hamlin couldn't overcome electrical problems with his car as it began stalling on about lap 380. Eventually it quit running and he had to come into the garage on lap 393. While the crew made repairs and Hamlin did return to the track, he finished 33rd, 34 laps back. And more importantly, the finish dropped Hamlin from 20 points out of the Chase lead to start the day to 49 points out, now fifth in standings with just three races remaining in the Chase.
"It ended in disappointment even though we were able to overcome the pit road penalties," Hamlin said. "We had a great car. When these things happen, you just have to suck it up and move on. One day it's going to be our time, it's just not right now. We still drove our tails off to get back up front twice. We passed the 48 car (eventual winner Jimmie Johnson) three or four times."
Hamlin has been in the midst of a rebound season after making the Chase, but not challenging for the title last year. Two years ago, he was the lone challenger for Johnson going into the next to last race, before losing significant ground in race No. 9 at Phoenix. Now, it'll be race No. 7 that haunts him as his title bid falls short once again.
That leaves the title race going forward down to ... two drivers? The big winner in the standings was either Johnson or Brad Keselowski, depending on how you look at it. Johnson won his fourth race of the season and now has a two-point lead over Keselowski with three races to go. Keselowski, who started 32nd, knew Martinsville is not one of his better tracks coming in, but he managed to finish sixth, a result he was glad to take. He had entered the race with a seven-point lead over Johnson.
While Clint Bowyer did move up a spot to third in the standings, his fifth-place finish still leaves him 26 points behind Keselowski. Also moving up a spot in the standings was Kasey Kahne to fourth, coming home with a third-place finish. But he only gained one point on Keselowski, as Kahne did not lead a lap, and sits 29 points out with three races left. All Johnson would need to do is finish fifth or better every event down the stretch to stave off Kahne's bid for the title.
The other Chase drivers to finish in the top 10 were Jeff Gordon and Greg Biffle. Gordon finished seventh and is now 54 points behind Johnson, sixth in the standings. Biffle finished tenth and is ninth in the standings and 69 points out.
Martin Truex, Jr. is now seventh in the standings. He was in line for a respectable day, but was penalized for changing lanes on a restart. He is 63 points behind the leader.
The race did see the return of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. after missing the past two weeks due to a concussion. Earnhardt Jr. was looking at a top-10 finish before a late-race accident, caused by tangling with Carl Edwards left him with a 21st-place result. He is in the 12th and final Chase spot, 140 points behind.
Other Chase driver finishes were Matt Kenseth in 14th, Tony Stewart in 27th as he battled an ill-handling car most of the day and Kevin Harvick in 32nd due to engine problems.
Chase for the Championship Standings: 1) Jimmie Johnson 2291, 2) Brad Keselowski -2, 3) Clint Bowyer -26, 4) Kasey Kahne -29, 5) Denny Hamlin -49, 6) Jeff Gordon -54, 7) Martin Truex, Jr. -63, 8) Matt Kenseth -65, 9) Greg Biffle -69, 10) Tony Stewart -71, 11) Kevin Harvick -88, 12) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -140.
Best of the Rest: 13) Kyle Busch 1006, 14) Carl Edwards -69, 15) Ryan Newman -70, 16) Paul Menard -85, 17) Joey Logano -121, 18) Marcos Ambrose -126.
Race Winners: Matt Kenseth (Daytona 500. Talladega 2, Kansas 2), Denny Hamlin (Phoenix, Kansas, Bristol 2, Atlanta, New Hampshire 2), Tony Stewart (Las Vegas, Fontana, Daytona 2), Brad Keselowski (Bristol, Talladega, Kentucky, Chicagoland 2, Dover 2), Ryan Newman (Martinsville), Greg Biffle (Texas, Michigan 2), Kyle Busch (Richmond), Jimmie Johnson (Darlington, Dover, Indianapolis, Martinsville 2), Kasey Kahne (Charlotte, New Hampshire), Joey Logano (Pocono 1), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (Michigan 1), Clint Bowyer (Sonoma, Richmond 2, Charlotte 2), Jeff Gordon (Pocono 2), Marcos Ambrose (Watkins Glen).
Tracking The Top 35: The Gap Shrinks Once Again
The gap between the 35th and 36th place remained significant after Sunday's race at Martinsville as it grew by nine points to 90. 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 35th and sits in the 35th spot, while the No. 21 car driven by Trevor Bayne did not participate and sits in 36th. Bayne is driving a partial schedule for the Wood Brothers this season. At this point, Blaney and TBR are all but guaranteed a starting spot in the final three races of the year.
Here's your owners point standings around the all-important cutoff...
29) Front Row Motorsports (No. 34 - David Ragan), 280 points ahead of 36th.
30) Front Row Motorsports (No. 38 - David Gilliland), 275 points ahead of 36th.
31) Germain Racing (No. 13 – Casey Mears), 250 points ahead of 36th.
32) BK Racing (No. 83 - Landon Cassill), 242 points ahead of 36th.
33) Tommy Baldwin Racing / Stewart-Haas Racing (No. 10 – David Reutimann), 160 points ahead of 36th.
34) FAS Lane Racing (No. 32 – Ken Schrader), 156 points ahead of 36th.
35) Tommy Baldwin Racing (No. 36 – Dave Blaney), 90 points ahead of 36th.
36) Wood Brothers Racing (No. 21 - Trevor Bayne), 90 points behind 35th.
37) Circle Point, LLC (No. 33 – Stephen Leicht), 148 points behind 35th.
38) Inception Motorsports (No. 30 – David Stremme), 170 points behind 35th.
39) Phil Parsons Racing (No. 98 – Michael McDowell), 208 points behind 35th.
40) Front Row Motorsports (No. 26 – Josh Wise), 238 points behind 35th.
41) Robinson-Blakeney Motorsports (No. 49 – Jason Leffler), 242 points behind 35th.
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
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Secret Star of the Week: The Race You Never Saw
For Bobby Labonte and JTG-Daugherty Racing, the 2012 season has been a major disappointment. A former Cup champion, in 2000 this driver has been anonymous for most of the year. Yes, Labonte has only two DNF's, but he's had only one top-10 finish, a tenth in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona in July, for the entire season. On unrestricted tracks, Labonte's best finishes entering Sunday were a pair of 14ths at Bristol (August) and Dover (September). The car, while coming home clean is typically mired in 20th on back.
Not this weekend. Sunday afternoon saw Labonte start in a decent 18th and quietly keep himself in that area for much of the race. After getting lapped during a round of green-flag pit stops, Labonte got the Lucky Dog when Denny Hamlin's car slowed to a near stop on Lap 393 and drew the caution. From there, Labonte avoided incidents and moved up the order to finish ninth. That made it Labonte's best finish of the 2012 season to date. - Phil Allaway
STAT OF THE WEEK: 13.2. That's the average finish for Brian Vickers this season after an eighth-place result in the last of his scheduled starts for the No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota. How good a season was it for the 29-year-old? Despite running a part-time season, his three top-5 finishes were one less than his career high of four for a full, 36-race schedule (he accomplished the feat in 2006). The number also equaled his total from last year, his final season with Team Red Bull. - Tom Bowles
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Quotes to Remember: TUMS Fast Relief 500
"As was the case in Kansas last week, our performance today was better than the finish. We were running in the top-five or top-six when I got hit and spun out. That knocked us back in track position and it was a battle from that point on. The spin was obviously a major blow to us today, but we also had a vibration in the Furniture Row/Farm American Chevrolet for the majority of the race and that affected the car's handling. The guys did an outstanding job. After getting spun out, it was a matter of being patient and getting back on the lead lap." - Kurt Busch, finished 15th
"It was a good rebound by our Quicken Loans team. Our car was entirely too tight, and it wasn't working from about the second run of the race on. We made wedge and track bar changes, and it didn't help. We made air pressure changes, and it didn't change anything. Nothing was working, but we kept taking big swings at it, and we kept trying to fix it. We got two laps down, but we were able to use the wave-around to our advantage and get back on the lead lap and drive up to 11th there at the end. It would have been nice to have gotten a top 10 in my first race back with [crew chief Matt Borland], but I'm proud of what we did as a team today. It's a good start for us." - Ryan Newman, finished 11th.
"We struggled early and got behind a little bit. We spun out there but were able to work on it and get ourselves a pretty decent car. Earlier in the race, it was kind of hot, a little bit slick; the rubber was being put down. I felt like I could run with those guys for the first few laps, then fall away, let them go, keep my stuff cool in case it did turn into a long run, that I could come up there in the long haul and pressure them there at the end." - Kyle Busch, finished second
"No matter what we did to the car – and we made a lot of adjustments – it didn't do anything to make it better." - Tony Stewart, finished 27th
"The motor wouldn't run all day. Couldn't restart in second gear. Just hasn't been a great year. If it isn't one thing, it's another. At least we got the car handling pretty good and we were up inside the top 10. Motor blew-up." - Kevin Harvick, finished 32nd (Blown Engine)
"My race was good -- not as good as we wanted. I think when you come into a day with a car you think can win and you don't win with it you're always frustrated no matter how well you do. It was another top 10 -- we've had a lot of those this year, which is great. Should have been another top 5 and maybe even a win so you can't complain about that." - Brian Vickers, finished eighth
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Thinkin' Out Loud: Martinsville-2 Race Recap
by Mike Neff
Pace Laps: NASCAR Chase Down to Two?, Bernard Gets the Axe & Big-Time Buescher
by the Frontstretch Staff
The Big Six: Questions Answered After the TUMS Fast Relief 500
by Amy Henderson
Perception Creates An Imperfect Reality: Sixth Place vs. Title No. 6
by Tom Bowles
From This Weekend:
Tracking the Trucks: Kroger 200
by Amy Henderson
Under Pressure: Is There Enough Urgency In NASCAR?
by Amy Henderson
Chasing the Chase: Hamlin Fights Back, Then Falls Out of Title Contention with Master Switch Issues
by Jeff Wolfe
Denny Hamlin came into Sunday's race at Martinsville with high hopes. He had two career wins at the track and an average finish of fifth in the last five races.
And Hamlin proved twice that he had a strong car. He was caught speeding on pit road twice, which left him in 30th and 32nd. And each time he drove himself back into the top 10 and even led twice for 12 laps.
But Hamlin couldn't overcome electrical problems with his car as it began stalling on about lap 380. Eventually it quit running and he had to come into the garage on lap 393. While the crew made repairs and Hamlin did return to the track, he finished 33rd, 34 laps back. And more importantly, the finish dropped Hamlin from 20 points out of the Chase lead to start the day to 49 points out, now fifth in standings with just three races remaining in the Chase.
"It ended in disappointment even though we were able to overcome the pit road penalties," Hamlin said. "We had a great car. When these things happen, you just have to suck it up and move on. One day it's going to be our time, it's just not right now. We still drove our tails off to get back up front twice. We passed the 48 car (eventual winner Jimmie Johnson) three or four times."
Hamlin has been in the midst of a rebound season after making the Chase, but not challenging for the title last year. Two years ago, he was the lone challenger for Johnson going into the next to last race, before losing significant ground in race No. 9 at Phoenix. Now, it'll be race No. 7 that haunts him as his title bid falls short once again.
That leaves the title race going forward down to ... two drivers? The big winner in the standings was either Johnson or Brad Keselowski, depending on how you look at it. Johnson won his fourth race of the season and now has a two-point lead over Keselowski with three races to go. Keselowski, who started 32nd, knew Martinsville is not one of his better tracks coming in, but he managed to finish sixth, a result he was glad to take. He had entered the race with a seven-point lead over Johnson.
While Clint Bowyer did move up a spot to third in the standings, his fifth-place finish still leaves him 26 points behind Keselowski. Also moving up a spot in the standings was Kasey Kahne to fourth, coming home with a third-place finish. But he only gained one point on Keselowski, as Kahne did not lead a lap, and sits 29 points out with three races left. All Johnson would need to do is finish fifth or better every event down the stretch to stave off Kahne's bid for the title.
The other Chase drivers to finish in the top 10 were Jeff Gordon and Greg Biffle. Gordon finished seventh and is now 54 points behind Johnson, sixth in the standings. Biffle finished tenth and is ninth in the standings and 69 points out.
Martin Truex, Jr. is now seventh in the standings. He was in line for a respectable day, but was penalized for changing lanes on a restart. He is 63 points behind the leader.
The race did see the return of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. after missing the past two weeks due to a concussion. Earnhardt Jr. was looking at a top-10 finish before a late-race accident, caused by tangling with Carl Edwards left him with a 21st-place result. He is in the 12th and final Chase spot, 140 points behind.
Other Chase driver finishes were Matt Kenseth in 14th, Tony Stewart in 27th as he battled an ill-handling car most of the day and Kevin Harvick in 32nd due to engine problems.
Chase for the Championship Standings: 1) Jimmie Johnson 2291, 2) Brad Keselowski -2, 3) Clint Bowyer -26, 4) Kasey Kahne -29, 5) Denny Hamlin -49, 6) Jeff Gordon -54, 7) Martin Truex, Jr. -63, 8) Matt Kenseth -65, 9) Greg Biffle -69, 10) Tony Stewart -71, 11) Kevin Harvick -88, 12) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -140.
Best of the Rest: 13) Kyle Busch 1006, 14) Carl Edwards -69, 15) Ryan Newman -70, 16) Paul Menard -85, 17) Joey Logano -121, 18) Marcos Ambrose -126.
Race Winners: Matt Kenseth (Daytona 500. Talladega 2, Kansas 2), Denny Hamlin (Phoenix, Kansas, Bristol 2, Atlanta, New Hampshire 2), Tony Stewart (Las Vegas, Fontana, Daytona 2), Brad Keselowski (Bristol, Talladega, Kentucky, Chicagoland 2, Dover 2), Ryan Newman (Martinsville), Greg Biffle (Texas, Michigan 2), Kyle Busch (Richmond), Jimmie Johnson (Darlington, Dover, Indianapolis, Martinsville 2), Kasey Kahne (Charlotte, New Hampshire), Joey Logano (Pocono 1), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (Michigan 1), Clint Bowyer (Sonoma, Richmond 2, Charlotte 2), Jeff Gordon (Pocono 2), Marcos Ambrose (Watkins Glen).
Tracking The Top 35: The Gap Shrinks Once Again
The gap between the 35th and 36th place remained significant after Sunday's race at Martinsville as it grew by nine points to 90. 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 35th and sits in the 35th spot, while the No. 21 car driven by Trevor Bayne did not participate and sits in 36th. Bayne is driving a partial schedule for the Wood Brothers this season. At this point, Blaney and TBR are all but guaranteed a starting spot in the final three races of the year.
Here's your owners point standings around the all-important cutoff...
29) Front Row Motorsports (No. 34 - David Ragan), 280 points ahead of 36th.
30) Front Row Motorsports (No. 38 - David Gilliland), 275 points ahead of 36th.
31) Germain Racing (No. 13 – Casey Mears), 250 points ahead of 36th.
32) BK Racing (No. 83 - Landon Cassill), 242 points ahead of 36th.
33) Tommy Baldwin Racing / Stewart-Haas Racing (No. 10 – David Reutimann), 160 points ahead of 36th.
34) FAS Lane Racing (No. 32 – Ken Schrader), 156 points ahead of 36th.
35) Tommy Baldwin Racing (No. 36 – Dave Blaney), 90 points ahead of 36th.
36) Wood Brothers Racing (No. 21 - Trevor Bayne), 90 points behind 35th.
37) Circle Point, LLC (No. 33 – Stephen Leicht), 148 points behind 35th.
38) Inception Motorsports (No. 30 – David Stremme), 170 points behind 35th.
39) Phil Parsons Racing (No. 98 – Michael McDowell), 208 points behind 35th.
40) Front Row Motorsports (No. 26 – Josh Wise), 238 points behind 35th.
41) Robinson-Blakeney Motorsports (No. 49 – Jason Leffler), 242 points behind 35th.
Jeff Wolfe is a Contributor for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at jeff.wolfe@frontstretch.com.
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Secret Star of the Week: The Race You Never Saw
For Bobby Labonte and JTG-Daugherty Racing, the 2012 season has been a major disappointment. A former Cup champion, in 2000 this driver has been anonymous for most of the year. Yes, Labonte has only two DNF's, but he's had only one top-10 finish, a tenth in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona in July, for the entire season. On unrestricted tracks, Labonte's best finishes entering Sunday were a pair of 14ths at Bristol (August) and Dover (September). The car, while coming home clean is typically mired in 20th on back.
Not this weekend. Sunday afternoon saw Labonte start in a decent 18th and quietly keep himself in that area for much of the race. After getting lapped during a round of green-flag pit stops, Labonte got the Lucky Dog when Denny Hamlin's car slowed to a near stop on Lap 393 and drew the caution. From there, Labonte avoided incidents and moved up the order to finish ninth. That made it Labonte's best finish of the 2012 season to date. - Phil Allaway
STAT OF THE WEEK: 13.2. That's the average finish for Brian Vickers this season after an eighth-place result in the last of his scheduled starts for the No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota. How good a season was it for the 29-year-old? Despite running a part-time season, his three top-5 finishes were one less than his career high of four for a full, 36-race schedule (he accomplished the feat in 2006). The number also equaled his total from last year, his final season with Team Red Bull. - Tom Bowles
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Quotes to Remember: TUMS Fast Relief 500
"As was the case in Kansas last week, our performance today was better than the finish. We were running in the top-five or top-six when I got hit and spun out. That knocked us back in track position and it was a battle from that point on. The spin was obviously a major blow to us today, but we also had a vibration in the Furniture Row/Farm American Chevrolet for the majority of the race and that affected the car's handling. The guys did an outstanding job. After getting spun out, it was a matter of being patient and getting back on the lead lap." - Kurt Busch, finished 15th
"It was a good rebound by our Quicken Loans team. Our car was entirely too tight, and it wasn't working from about the second run of the race on. We made wedge and track bar changes, and it didn't help. We made air pressure changes, and it didn't change anything. Nothing was working, but we kept taking big swings at it, and we kept trying to fix it. We got two laps down, but we were able to use the wave-around to our advantage and get back on the lead lap and drive up to 11th there at the end. It would have been nice to have gotten a top 10 in my first race back with [crew chief Matt Borland], but I'm proud of what we did as a team today. It's a good start for us." - Ryan Newman, finished 11th.
"We struggled early and got behind a little bit. We spun out there but were able to work on it and get ourselves a pretty decent car. Earlier in the race, it was kind of hot, a little bit slick; the rubber was being put down. I felt like I could run with those guys for the first few laps, then fall away, let them go, keep my stuff cool in case it did turn into a long run, that I could come up there in the long haul and pressure them there at the end." - Kyle Busch, finished second
"No matter what we did to the car – and we made a lot of adjustments – it didn't do anything to make it better." - Tony Stewart, finished 27th
"The motor wouldn't run all day. Couldn't restart in second gear. Just hasn't been a great year. If it isn't one thing, it's another. At least we got the car handling pretty good and we were up inside the top 10. Motor blew-up." - Kevin Harvick, finished 32nd (Blown Engine)
"My race was good -- not as good as we wanted. I think when you come into a day with a car you think can win and you don't win with it you're always frustrated no matter how well you do. It was another top 10 -- we've had a lot of those this year, which is great. Should have been another top 5 and maybe even a win so you can't complain about that." - Brian Vickers, finished eighth
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Thinkin' Out Loud: Martinsville-2 Race Recap
by Mike Neff
Pace Laps: NASCAR Chase Down to Two?, Bernard Gets the Axe & Big-Time Buescher
by the Frontstretch Staff
The Big Six: Questions Answered After the TUMS Fast Relief 500
by Amy Henderson
Perception Creates An Imperfect Reality: Sixth Place vs. Title No. 6
by Tom Bowles
From This Weekend:
Tracking the Trucks: Kroger 200
by Amy Henderson
Under Pressure: Is There Enough Urgency In NASCAR?
by Amy Henderson
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In the first few years that the Cup Series raced at Texas Motor Speedway, Jeff Gordon simply had no luck on the 1.5-mile quad-oval. The 1999 Primestar 500 was no different. What happened to put Gordon out of the race early on?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: The 1999 NAPA AutoCare 500 saw Tony Stewart pick up the worst finish of his rookie season, a 41st, 108 laps down at the finish. What happened to put him that far behind?
A: If you saw the feature that ESPN aired during NASCAR Countdown, prior to the Hollywood Casino 400, then you saw a clip of Stewart's reaction to the crash. Early on in the race, Stewart was spun out entering Turn 1 by Kenny Irwin, Jr., a former USAC and sometimes teammate of Stewart's. Tony was none too pleased with Irwin and threw his heat shields (or "booties") at Irwin after exiting his wounded Pontiac.
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: TUMS Fast Relief 500 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: Martinsville / Fort Worth Edition by Brett Poirier
The Chase is here, which means Brett takes a look at which drivers are in position to take the field by storm... 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 the 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
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In the first few years that the Cup Series raced at Texas Motor Speedway, Jeff Gordon simply had no luck on the 1.5-mile quad-oval. The 1999 Primestar 500 was no different. What happened to put Gordon out of the race early on?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: The 1999 NAPA AutoCare 500 saw Tony Stewart pick up the worst finish of his rookie season, a 41st, 108 laps down at the finish. What happened to put him that far behind?
A: If you saw the feature that ESPN aired during NASCAR Countdown, prior to the Hollywood Casino 400, then you saw a clip of Stewart's reaction to the crash. Early on in the race, Stewart was spun out entering Turn 1 by Kenny Irwin, Jr., a former USAC and sometimes teammate of Stewart's. Tony was none too pleased with Irwin and threw his heat shields (or "booties") at Irwin after exiting his wounded Pontiac.
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: TUMS Fast Relief 500 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: Martinsville / Fort Worth Edition by Brett Poirier
The Chase is here, which means Brett takes a look at which drivers are in position to take the field by storm... and which ones are already taking a look ahead towards 2013.
Five Points To Ponder by Bryan Keith
Bryan has his weekly edition of talking points to wrap up Martinsville and get us ready for Texas.
Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
This past weekend, the Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series were both in action at Martinsville Speedway. Were the telecasts of these events "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 the 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
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