THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
March 25th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition XLII
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Sprint Cup Race Recap: Kyle Busch Wins Drama-Filled Auto Club 400; Stewart and Logano Brawl
by Justin Tucker
Coming into Sunday's Auto Club 400, Joe Gibbs Racing had never won a Sprint Cup Series race at the fast, two-mile Auto Club Speedway in the 24 NSCS races at the track. After 400 miles, it looked like either Joey Logano for Penske Racing or Denny Hamlin for Joe Gibbs Racing would be going to Victory Lane. However, Logano and Hamlin collided in Turn 4. Logano went hard into the outside wall, while Hamlin spun and hit the unprotected concrete inside wall. Kyle Busch was able to slip by while the duo were pre-occupied with themselves to give JGR its first Cup Series win at the track. The victory gives JGR at least one win on every active track in the series.
Following the race, Busch was very happy with his victory and weekend sweep.
"Man, feels so good to finally win with our Interstate Batteries Camry," he said after the race. "We weren't going to win if it wasn't for [Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano] battling. If they would have been single-file and just racing, it would have went down in order. I can't say enough about all of Joe Gibbs Racing. I drove my butt off right there at the end."
Busch, who rolled off in fourth position, led a race high 125 laps for his first Cup series win since Richmond in April 2012. It is his 25th career victory in the Sprint Cup Series.
After getting out of the car on his own, Hamlin would go to the ground. According to a statement from Joe Gibbs Racing, Hamlin complained of lower back pain while in the Infield Care Center. Hamlin was then airlifted to a local hospital for additional care, where he spent Sunday night under observation. NASCAR stated that the airlift was mainly due to the high amount of traffic on the roads after the race.
Matt Kenseth flexed some early muscle as he would take the lead on the initial start from of the race and lead for the first nine laps before Busch made his move and went to the front of the pack on lap 10.
David Stremme would bring out the race's first caution on lap 29 after cutting a left rear tire and spinning off of Turn 2. Joey Logano would prove to be a major factor all day long as on lap 44, shortly after the second caution of the race, he would pass Kyle Busch for the lead off of Turn 2. Logano would lead 41 laps on the day and score his first top-5 finish of the season, coming home third.
Matt Kenseth would continue to prove his move to JGR is paying immediate dividends by bringing home his Dollar General Camry in 7th position. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would continue his strong early season run by finishing second and taking over the Sprint Cup Series points lead after recovering from a disastrous pit stop late in the race. Sunday would mark Dale Jr.'s fourth top-5 in the first five races. Jimmie Johnson, who struggled over much of the race's 400 mile distance, found himself bringing home a 12th-place finish after spending almost the entire race outside the top 20.
Brad Keselowski had his first stumble of 2013 on Sunday. Starting in the rear of the field after an engine change on Friday, Keselowski drove his Miller Lite Ford into the top-20 by lap 15 and would be in the top-10 much of the day until a round of late pit stops and an ill handling Ford would relegate him a 23rd-place finish. Clint Bowyer would also experience fate late in the race with 15 laps to go once the motor in his 5-Hour Energy Camry would expire ending what was looking to be a promising afternoon with a 35th-place finish.
The feel good story of 2013 continues to be Kurt Busch and Furniture Row Racing. Busch would capitalize on a strong top-10 qualifying effort by recording his second top-5 in a row. Kurt leaves Fontana 12th in points, 60 back of Earnhardt Jr.
Greg Biffle finished in sixth after starting from the rear of the field due to an engine change. Matt Kenseth was seventh, followed by Paul Menard in eighth. Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman rounded out the top 10.
After the race is when the real fireworks started as Tony Stewart confronted Joey Logano concerning the final restart. Stewart managed to get a swing on Logano before being separated by crew members on several teams. An obviously upset Stewart said after the race, "What the hell do you think I was mad about?" Stewart would finish 22nd on the afternoon. NASCAR has said they will review the actions of both Stewart and Logano after Sunday's race.
The Sprint Cup Series now has the Easter weekend off before heading to the smallest track on the circuit in two weeks at Martinsville.
Justin Tucker is a Newsletter Contributor at Frontstretch. To reach Justin, please contact Newsletter Manager Phil Allaway at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
Chasing the Chase: Points Taking Shape Following Fontana
by Phil Allaway
The big crash on the final lap, involving Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano caused a fairly large shakeup in the standings. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who successfully avoided the wreck brought his National Guard Chevrolet home in second place. That strong performance, following a race filled with adversity (handling woes, slow pit stops) was good enough to elevate the 38-year-old into the points lead. His advantage is now 12 over previous leader Brad Keselowski. Keselowski ran well on Sunday, in position to go 5-for-5 on top-5 finishes to start 2013 but fell back due to mechanical issues late to finish 23rd. Jimmie Johnson, meanwhile finished an uncharacteristic 12th on Sunday - he's never finished worse than 16th at Fontana - but fresh tires, taken before the final restart kept him high enough to stay a respectable third in the race to the Chase.
Carl Edwards, after being around 10th all day made a late charge to finish fourth; that's where he stands in the Chase, as of now tied with teammate Greg Biffle. Race winner Kyle Busch jumped up four places to sixth, while Kasey Kahne remains in seventh. Paul Menard continued his quietly consistent start to the season with an eighth place result on Sunday; that top 10, fighting back after a flat tire knocked him up to eighth in points.
Despite ending the race with hard wall contact, Joey Logano moved up three places to ninth after finishing third (it was originally fifth, but was changed following a scoring check). Denny Hamlin took a big hit, not only on the concrete wall, but in the points as well, dropping four places to tenth. He's 54 behind the top spot.
Matt Kenseth moves up to 11th and the first Wild Card position following his seventh-place finish at Fontana. With no one else outside the top 10 in points having visited Victory Lane, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. is the next driver eligible in 12th. Who don't you see? Clint Bowyer, last year's title runner-up whose late engine failure dropped him from fourth to 14th in the points.
Standings: 1) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 199, 2) Brad Keselowski -12, 3) Jimmie Johnson -16, t-4) Carl Edwards -35, t-4) Greg Biffle -35, 6) Kyle Busch -36, 7) Kasey Kahne -40, 8) Paul Menard -45, 9) Joey Logano -53, 10) Denny Hamlin -54, 11) Matt Kenseth -58, 12) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -60.
Best of the Rest: t-13) Kurt Busch -62, t-13) Clint Bowyer -62, 15) Kevin Harvick -69, t-16) Jamie McMurray -74, t-16) Aric Almirola -74, 18) Jeff Gordon -76.
Wild Cards: 1) Matt Kenseth (one win, 11th in points), 2) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (12th in points)
Race Winners: Jimmie Johnson (Daytona), Carl Edwards (Phoenix), Matt Kenseth (Las Vegas), Kasey Kahne (Bristol), Kyle Busch (Fontana).
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
Underdog Central At Bristol: Kurt Busch Once Again Impresses
by Amy Henderson
Editor's Note: This year, we're going to switch things up a little bit. Instead of just focusing upon one underdog (or underreported) car in the Secret Star section, we will point out three smaller teams that put up good finishes each week.
Underdog Selection No. 1: Kurt Busch for Furniture Row Racing; started 10th, finished 5th
How much of a difference is having Busch in the driver's seat, coupled with a strong alliance with Richard Childress Racing, making for Furniture Row Racing? Well, in just five races so far this year, Busch has a pair of top-5 finishes. That's nearly half of the team's total top-5 tally of five… ever. And Busch wasn't satisfied to bring home a top 5 in California; he made a bold move for the lead on a late restart, but fell just short of being able to make it stick.
Still, Busch bested his pseudo-teammates from RCR on Sunday again. Part of that is stability. Kevin Harvick has already announced his departure from RCR at the end of the year, and Jeff Burton's job may be in jeopardy as well. Part of that is talent, too — though Paul Menard sits highest in points for the RCR trio, Busch is without question a more talented driver. Busch's dominance over the main RCR stable does bear keeping an eye on for a couple of reasons. One, will owner Childress allow the satellite operation to continue to best the drivers racing under his own name? Also, could Childress be eying Busch to fill the seat in the No. 31 next year if sponsors are unhappy with Burton's performance? It might be a less-than-perfect situation as far as having a made-to-order mentor for Austin Dillon, who will move into a (most likely) renumbered No. 29 next year. Busch isn't exactly the first name that pops to mind when thinking of the best guy to show a youngster the ropes, but RCR needs to elevate their performance, and Busch can do that. He is definitely worth watching in context with that organization as the year progresses.
Underdog Selection No. 2: Casey Mears for Germain Racing; started 11th, finished 15th
Whether having GEICO on board 100% this year, funding the entire schedule, has made a bigger difference because of the increase in budget or the increase in the team's self-esteem is hard to gauge, but something has clicked so far with the No. 13 bunch. It's their ability to fight back from adversity, so effectively in 2013 that stands out to many. Mears qualified 11th this weekend, but quickly fell back to the mid-20's during the race with an ill-handling car; it looked like shades of 2012, when the team struggled mightily on the intermediate tracks. At Fontana last year, Mears started 33rd and finished 23rd. But this week, the team found a little something more, using late-race strategy and the perfect line through some late-race mayhem to work up to 15th by the checkered.
That's not just a one-week anomaly; it's a trend. Mears finished in the top 15 just once in all of 2012, at Sonoma. This year, he's done it three times in five weeks. Perhaps most telling was Mears' post-race tweet that the team had hoped for better -- they were disappointed in a result that, a year ago they would have given their eye teeth for. That speaks volumes about how far this team has come. Another possibility for the improvement? How about the team's faith in Mears? The driver spent several seasons before joining Germain Racing bouncing from team to team, crew chief to crew chief, sometimes within the same organizations, sometimes to a new one, even though he did win a a race and grab some top finishes. Now, Mears has a team and sponsor who believe in him, plus a crew chief with whom he's had time to build a strong relationship and it's paying off.
Underdog Selection No. 3: AJ Allmendinger for Phoenix Racing; started 26th, finished 16th
Talk about the Little Engine that Could. Phoenix Racing continues to surprise in 2013, holding onto a top-10 spot in owner points thanks to the efforts of three different drivers. This week, everybody knew Allmendinger was there as he was near the top of the practice charts on Friday and Saturday. Even a disappointing 26th-place starting spot and tough going early didn't deter the California native; he hung tough, used pit strategy to work his way up and posted a 16th-place result.
The fact that's actually Allmendinger's worst finish this year, and the team's second-worst says a lot. Think about it. Prior to the start of this season, Phoenix Racing hadn't finished better than 21st since Atlanta last September. Now, 16th is the worst they've done while racing with two castoff drivers and one rookie who needs seat time. It seems that owner James Finch has a pretty good eye for talent; he isn't afraid of giving second chances. While in 2012, that may have backfired with Kurt Busch, to a certain degree so far this season it's paying off.
Is your favorite driver among NASCAR's underdogs? Are you frustrated with the lack of coverage they receive during the race broadcasts? Amy has all the small teams covered each and every week in The Big Six. Be sure to check it out to see how your favorites fared!
Amy Henderson is a Co-Managing Editor and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. She can be reached via e-mail at amy.henderson@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Writer_Amy.
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Letter of the Race: Sunday's Food City 500 was brought to you by the Letter U, for Unexpected Excitement. Let's just be honest with ourselves: Auto Club Speedway hasn't had the best track record over the past few years. Races have traditionally been spread out, quiet affairs that didn't have all much action, or even all that much racing for position. Sunday's Auto Club 400 was an exception to that rule. There was plenty of side-by-side competition, multiple grooves and fireworks, especially late in the race. Granted, most everyone will focus on the final 11 laps, but there was good, quality racing almost all day. - Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Fontana Stories
by Summer Bedgood
Denny Hamlin Being Kept Overnight
After being transported by helicopter from Auto Club Speedway following a last lap crash with former teammate Joey Logano, USA Today's Jeff Gluck is reporting that Hamlin will be kept overnight at a local hospital in Fontana, California.
Hamlin was racing Logano for the lead when Logano slid up the racetrack and into Hamlin's left rear. Hamlin slid down into the infield and hit an area of the wall with no SAFER Barrier that had a slight ramp up into the wall. While Hamlin did exit the car under his own power, he collapsed as soon as he stepped out and was taken to the Infield Care Center by ambulance. He was taken by helicopter to a local hospital, though the helicopter was for precautionary reasons because of traffic in the area.
While nothing has been released regarding the extent of Hamlin's injuries, several of people in the industry, including girlfriend Jordan Fish, expressed some concern over his back issues.
Next week is an off week for the series, which may give Hamlin some much-needed recovery time if the injury turns out to be serious.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Leading the Points
Lost in all the chaos between Logano and Hamlin was the fact that NASCAR's Most Popular Driver was the points leader following Auto Club 400. Earnhardt Jr. was second in the race to Kyle Busch, his third top-5 finish in five races this season.
Earnhardt has been in the top three throughout all of 2013 this far, though he hasn't led the points since August of last year.
NASCAR Switches Final Running Order
Following the on-track chaos that was Fontana, the finishing order was revised by NASCAR. In the results that were first released, Logano was scored sixth.
However, after further review, NASCAR decided to move Logano up to the third position. Kurt Busch, who was originally scored as third, was dropped back to fifth. The change was announced after Busch had already done his mandatory availability for top-3 finishers in the press room. As reasoning for the changes, NASCAR claimed Logano did maintain a reasonable speed earlier than initially acknowledged when the yellow flag waved, freezing the field. That allowed him to keep his position instead of if he stopped and never crossed the finish line.
Summer Bedgood is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. She can be reached via e-mail at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @SummerBedgood.
Quotes to Remember: Auto Club 400
"Yeah, that was pretty wild. We had a good car and came real close to winning there but then everybody started taking tires and tires were really big at the end because the place is really slick and worn out. We were lucky there at the end and came in and got some fresh tires and that sort of fixed our mistakes and helped us to get a good finish. We had a good car and had some wheel issues, but was real happy about how we finished and made it up. We had a good enough car to run there, and were happy to get the finish." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished second
"We worked it last week. [Hamlin] probably shouldn't have done what he did last week, so that's what he gets. And besides that, I think our Auto Club Ford was very strong all day. I was very happy with the car we had. We were super fast, led a lot of laps. Nothing to hang our head down about, that's for sure. We were very proud of that. Doug Yates, thank you so much for the motor. That thing ran the last seven, eight laps with no water in it, just pushing water over 300 degrees. So it's really amazing for those guys. So thank you guys, everyone in the engine shop to get a solid run out here today. I look forward to get back to the race track and try it again. - Joey Logano, finished third
"Yeah, we had to have tires. Man, that was just an unbelievable race. It is so cool to come here to California and have a standard old school NASCAR race where tires make a difference. It was really a great show. I hope the fans enjoyed it. That is about as good as it gets. Congrats to Kyle (Busch), he hung on. I knew the third-place guy was going to win. I could just feel the tension up there between Joey and Denny. I had a feeling the third-place guy would win. Kyle and I had a heck of a battle for third and he got me and he won the race. He did a good job." - Carl Edwards, finished fourth
"We worked on it and in the end, I could have followed Kyle and just wanted to apologize to him for putting it three and four-wide on the restart because I am hungry and going for the win and it's not normally a move you would make if you are pushing a brother. I could have pushed him out to the lead earlier and maybe he could have held off the 22 and the 11 but I messed him up on the restart and I told him, I am going for the win with this Furniture Row Chevrolet SS and I am not going for anything less." - Kurt Busch, finished fifth
"It was an up and down day and with about 100 to go or 75 to go we got a set of tires that we couldn't drive the car on and we were too loose and over adjusted and came back and were pretty good at the end. I don't know about when the caution came out. I saw them wrecking and I came out of the gas. The 78 passed us and Carl and I am not sure how they are going to do that. Overall a top-five finish for us is a great day." - Greg Biffle, finished sixth
"It was up and down, just got to do the best job there, we sort of missed it a little bit. That last restart, the 17 (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.), he ran into the back of me and knocked me sideways and lost about eight spots and then couldn't quite get back there. I thought we had good strategy, good stops — a great job at fixing all our problems, we were just off all day." - Matt Kenseth, finished seventh
"Well, Joey (Logano) spun the tires on the restart. Everybody had trouble with that so, but it's not my fault that he spun the tires. For a guy that has been complaining about how everybody else is driving here and then (for) him to do that it's a double standard. He makes the choice. He makes the decision to run us down there and when you run a driver down there then you take responsibility for what happens after that. He is a tough guy on pit road as soon as one of his crew guys gets in the middle of it. Until then he's a scared little kid. Then he wants to sit there and throw a water bottle at me. He is going to learn a lesson. He can run his mouth on Twitter and stuff all he wants tonight. I've got plenty of people that are going to watch for that. It's time he learns a lesson. He's run his mouth long enough. He has sat there and done this double standard and he's nothing but a little rich kid that has never had to work in his life. He's going to learn from us working guys that had to work our way up how it works." - Tony Stewart, finished 22nd
"We just had a tough Friday and Saturday and we regrouped for Sunday and put a new set-up on the car and stayed optimistic. The car started off a little bit loose but once we dialed that in, it was decent. At the end of the race, I really thought it was pretty good. So I felt better at the end of the race than I did in qualifying. So we made big improvements. We all want better than 26th, that's what we had today and it will be better next time." - Danica Patrick, finished 26th
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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.
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Thinkin' Out Loud: Fontana's Wild NASCAR Race Recap
by Mike Neff
Pace Laps: The Latest On Hamlin's Health, Sizzling Starts And New TV Deals
by the Frontstretch Staff
The Big Six: Questions Answered After The Auto Club 400
by Amy Henderson
Near Catastrophe Mixed With Fontana Excitement: 3 Reasons How And Why
by Summer Bedgood
Happiness Is... What Happened All Weekend In Racing
by P. Huston Ladner
Nationwide Breakdown: Royal Purple 300
by Kevin Rutherford
-- Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
March 25th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition XLII
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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.
~~~~~~~~~~
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Kyle Busch Wins Drama-Filled Auto Club 400; Stewart and Logano Brawl
by Justin Tucker
Coming into Sunday's Auto Club 400, Joe Gibbs Racing had never won a Sprint Cup Series race at the fast, two-mile Auto Club Speedway in the 24 NSCS races at the track. After 400 miles, it looked like either Joey Logano for Penske Racing or Denny Hamlin for Joe Gibbs Racing would be going to Victory Lane. However, Logano and Hamlin collided in Turn 4. Logano went hard into the outside wall, while Hamlin spun and hit the unprotected concrete inside wall. Kyle Busch was able to slip by while the duo were pre-occupied with themselves to give JGR its first Cup Series win at the track. The victory gives JGR at least one win on every active track in the series.
Following the race, Busch was very happy with his victory and weekend sweep.
"Man, feels so good to finally win with our Interstate Batteries Camry," he said after the race. "We weren't going to win if it wasn't for [Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano] battling. If they would have been single-file and just racing, it would have went down in order. I can't say enough about all of Joe Gibbs Racing. I drove my butt off right there at the end."
Busch, who rolled off in fourth position, led a race high 125 laps for his first Cup series win since Richmond in April 2012. It is his 25th career victory in the Sprint Cup Series.
After getting out of the car on his own, Hamlin would go to the ground. According to a statement from Joe Gibbs Racing, Hamlin complained of lower back pain while in the Infield Care Center. Hamlin was then airlifted to a local hospital for additional care, where he spent Sunday night under observation. NASCAR stated that the airlift was mainly due to the high amount of traffic on the roads after the race.
Matt Kenseth flexed some early muscle as he would take the lead on the initial start from of the race and lead for the first nine laps before Busch made his move and went to the front of the pack on lap 10.
David Stremme would bring out the race's first caution on lap 29 after cutting a left rear tire and spinning off of Turn 2. Joey Logano would prove to be a major factor all day long as on lap 44, shortly after the second caution of the race, he would pass Kyle Busch for the lead off of Turn 2. Logano would lead 41 laps on the day and score his first top-5 finish of the season, coming home third.
Matt Kenseth would continue to prove his move to JGR is paying immediate dividends by bringing home his Dollar General Camry in 7th position. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would continue his strong early season run by finishing second and taking over the Sprint Cup Series points lead after recovering from a disastrous pit stop late in the race. Sunday would mark Dale Jr.'s fourth top-5 in the first five races. Jimmie Johnson, who struggled over much of the race's 400 mile distance, found himself bringing home a 12th-place finish after spending almost the entire race outside the top 20.
Brad Keselowski had his first stumble of 2013 on Sunday. Starting in the rear of the field after an engine change on Friday, Keselowski drove his Miller Lite Ford into the top-20 by lap 15 and would be in the top-10 much of the day until a round of late pit stops and an ill handling Ford would relegate him a 23rd-place finish. Clint Bowyer would also experience fate late in the race with 15 laps to go once the motor in his 5-Hour Energy Camry would expire ending what was looking to be a promising afternoon with a 35th-place finish.
The feel good story of 2013 continues to be Kurt Busch and Furniture Row Racing. Busch would capitalize on a strong top-10 qualifying effort by recording his second top-5 in a row. Kurt leaves Fontana 12th in points, 60 back of Earnhardt Jr.
Greg Biffle finished in sixth after starting from the rear of the field due to an engine change. Matt Kenseth was seventh, followed by Paul Menard in eighth. Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman rounded out the top 10.
After the race is when the real fireworks started as Tony Stewart confronted Joey Logano concerning the final restart. Stewart managed to get a swing on Logano before being separated by crew members on several teams. An obviously upset Stewart said after the race, "What the hell do you think I was mad about?" Stewart would finish 22nd on the afternoon. NASCAR has said they will review the actions of both Stewart and Logano after Sunday's race.
The Sprint Cup Series now has the Easter weekend off before heading to the smallest track on the circuit in two weeks at Martinsville.
Justin Tucker is a Newsletter Contributor at Frontstretch. To reach Justin, please contact Newsletter Manager Phil Allaway at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
Chasing the Chase: Points Taking Shape Following Fontana
by Phil Allaway
The big crash on the final lap, involving Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano caused a fairly large shakeup in the standings. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who successfully avoided the wreck brought his National Guard Chevrolet home in second place. That strong performance, following a race filled with adversity (handling woes, slow pit stops) was good enough to elevate the 38-year-old into the points lead. His advantage is now 12 over previous leader Brad Keselowski. Keselowski ran well on Sunday, in position to go 5-for-5 on top-5 finishes to start 2013 but fell back due to mechanical issues late to finish 23rd. Jimmie Johnson, meanwhile finished an uncharacteristic 12th on Sunday - he's never finished worse than 16th at Fontana - but fresh tires, taken before the final restart kept him high enough to stay a respectable third in the race to the Chase.
Carl Edwards, after being around 10th all day made a late charge to finish fourth; that's where he stands in the Chase, as of now tied with teammate Greg Biffle. Race winner Kyle Busch jumped up four places to sixth, while Kasey Kahne remains in seventh. Paul Menard continued his quietly consistent start to the season with an eighth place result on Sunday; that top 10, fighting back after a flat tire knocked him up to eighth in points.
Despite ending the race with hard wall contact, Joey Logano moved up three places to ninth after finishing third (it was originally fifth, but was changed following a scoring check). Denny Hamlin took a big hit, not only on the concrete wall, but in the points as well, dropping four places to tenth. He's 54 behind the top spot.
Matt Kenseth moves up to 11th and the first Wild Card position following his seventh-place finish at Fontana. With no one else outside the top 10 in points having visited Victory Lane, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. is the next driver eligible in 12th. Who don't you see? Clint Bowyer, last year's title runner-up whose late engine failure dropped him from fourth to 14th in the points.
Standings: 1) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 199, 2) Brad Keselowski -12, 3) Jimmie Johnson -16, t-4) Carl Edwards -35, t-4) Greg Biffle -35, 6) Kyle Busch -36, 7) Kasey Kahne -40, 8) Paul Menard -45, 9) Joey Logano -53, 10) Denny Hamlin -54, 11) Matt Kenseth -58, 12) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -60.
Best of the Rest: t-13) Kurt Busch -62, t-13) Clint Bowyer -62, 15) Kevin Harvick -69, t-16) Jamie McMurray -74, t-16) Aric Almirola -74, 18) Jeff Gordon -76.
Wild Cards: 1) Matt Kenseth (one win, 11th in points), 2) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (12th in points)
Race Winners: Jimmie Johnson (Daytona), Carl Edwards (Phoenix), Matt Kenseth (Las Vegas), Kasey Kahne (Bristol), Kyle Busch (Fontana).
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
Underdog Central At Bristol: Kurt Busch Once Again Impresses
by Amy Henderson
Editor's Note: This year, we're going to switch things up a little bit. Instead of just focusing upon one underdog (or underreported) car in the Secret Star section, we will point out three smaller teams that put up good finishes each week.
Underdog Selection No. 1: Kurt Busch for Furniture Row Racing; started 10th, finished 5th
How much of a difference is having Busch in the driver's seat, coupled with a strong alliance with Richard Childress Racing, making for Furniture Row Racing? Well, in just five races so far this year, Busch has a pair of top-5 finishes. That's nearly half of the team's total top-5 tally of five… ever. And Busch wasn't satisfied to bring home a top 5 in California; he made a bold move for the lead on a late restart, but fell just short of being able to make it stick.
Still, Busch bested his pseudo-teammates from RCR on Sunday again. Part of that is stability. Kevin Harvick has already announced his departure from RCR at the end of the year, and Jeff Burton's job may be in jeopardy as well. Part of that is talent, too — though Paul Menard sits highest in points for the RCR trio, Busch is without question a more talented driver. Busch's dominance over the main RCR stable does bear keeping an eye on for a couple of reasons. One, will owner Childress allow the satellite operation to continue to best the drivers racing under his own name? Also, could Childress be eying Busch to fill the seat in the No. 31 next year if sponsors are unhappy with Burton's performance? It might be a less-than-perfect situation as far as having a made-to-order mentor for Austin Dillon, who will move into a (most likely) renumbered No. 29 next year. Busch isn't exactly the first name that pops to mind when thinking of the best guy to show a youngster the ropes, but RCR needs to elevate their performance, and Busch can do that. He is definitely worth watching in context with that organization as the year progresses.
Underdog Selection No. 2: Casey Mears for Germain Racing; started 11th, finished 15th
Whether having GEICO on board 100% this year, funding the entire schedule, has made a bigger difference because of the increase in budget or the increase in the team's self-esteem is hard to gauge, but something has clicked so far with the No. 13 bunch. It's their ability to fight back from adversity, so effectively in 2013 that stands out to many. Mears qualified 11th this weekend, but quickly fell back to the mid-20's during the race with an ill-handling car; it looked like shades of 2012, when the team struggled mightily on the intermediate tracks. At Fontana last year, Mears started 33rd and finished 23rd. But this week, the team found a little something more, using late-race strategy and the perfect line through some late-race mayhem to work up to 15th by the checkered.
That's not just a one-week anomaly; it's a trend. Mears finished in the top 15 just once in all of 2012, at Sonoma. This year, he's done it three times in five weeks. Perhaps most telling was Mears' post-race tweet that the team had hoped for better -- they were disappointed in a result that, a year ago they would have given their eye teeth for. That speaks volumes about how far this team has come. Another possibility for the improvement? How about the team's faith in Mears? The driver spent several seasons before joining Germain Racing bouncing from team to team, crew chief to crew chief, sometimes within the same organizations, sometimes to a new one, even though he did win a a race and grab some top finishes. Now, Mears has a team and sponsor who believe in him, plus a crew chief with whom he's had time to build a strong relationship and it's paying off.
Underdog Selection No. 3: AJ Allmendinger for Phoenix Racing; started 26th, finished 16th
Talk about the Little Engine that Could. Phoenix Racing continues to surprise in 2013, holding onto a top-10 spot in owner points thanks to the efforts of three different drivers. This week, everybody knew Allmendinger was there as he was near the top of the practice charts on Friday and Saturday. Even a disappointing 26th-place starting spot and tough going early didn't deter the California native; he hung tough, used pit strategy to work his way up and posted a 16th-place result.
The fact that's actually Allmendinger's worst finish this year, and the team's second-worst says a lot. Think about it. Prior to the start of this season, Phoenix Racing hadn't finished better than 21st since Atlanta last September. Now, 16th is the worst they've done while racing with two castoff drivers and one rookie who needs seat time. It seems that owner James Finch has a pretty good eye for talent; he isn't afraid of giving second chances. While in 2012, that may have backfired with Kurt Busch, to a certain degree so far this season it's paying off.
Is your favorite driver among NASCAR's underdogs? Are you frustrated with the lack of coverage they receive during the race broadcasts? Amy has all the small teams covered each and every week in The Big Six. Be sure to check it out to see how your favorites fared!
Amy Henderson is a Co-Managing Editor and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. She can be reached via e-mail at amy.henderson@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Writer_Amy.
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Letter of the Race: Sunday's Food City 500 was brought to you by the Letter U, for Unexpected Excitement. Let's just be honest with ourselves: Auto Club Speedway hasn't had the best track record over the past few years. Races have traditionally been spread out, quiet affairs that didn't have all much action, or even all that much racing for position. Sunday's Auto Club 400 was an exception to that rule. There was plenty of side-by-side competition, multiple grooves and fireworks, especially late in the race. Granted, most everyone will focus on the final 11 laps, but there was good, quality racing almost all day. - Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Fontana Stories
by Summer Bedgood
Denny Hamlin Being Kept Overnight
After being transported by helicopter from Auto Club Speedway following a last lap crash with former teammate Joey Logano, USA Today's Jeff Gluck is reporting that Hamlin will be kept overnight at a local hospital in Fontana, California.
Hamlin was racing Logano for the lead when Logano slid up the racetrack and into Hamlin's left rear. Hamlin slid down into the infield and hit an area of the wall with no SAFER Barrier that had a slight ramp up into the wall. While Hamlin did exit the car under his own power, he collapsed as soon as he stepped out and was taken to the Infield Care Center by ambulance. He was taken by helicopter to a local hospital, though the helicopter was for precautionary reasons because of traffic in the area.
While nothing has been released regarding the extent of Hamlin's injuries, several of people in the industry, including girlfriend Jordan Fish, expressed some concern over his back issues.
Next week is an off week for the series, which may give Hamlin some much-needed recovery time if the injury turns out to be serious.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Leading the Points
Lost in all the chaos between Logano and Hamlin was the fact that NASCAR's Most Popular Driver was the points leader following Auto Club 400. Earnhardt Jr. was second in the race to Kyle Busch, his third top-5 finish in five races this season.
Earnhardt has been in the top three throughout all of 2013 this far, though he hasn't led the points since August of last year.
NASCAR Switches Final Running Order
Following the on-track chaos that was Fontana, the finishing order was revised by NASCAR. In the results that were first released, Logano was scored sixth.
However, after further review, NASCAR decided to move Logano up to the third position. Kurt Busch, who was originally scored as third, was dropped back to fifth. The change was announced after Busch had already done his mandatory availability for top-3 finishers in the press room. As reasoning for the changes, NASCAR claimed Logano did maintain a reasonable speed earlier than initially acknowledged when the yellow flag waved, freezing the field. That allowed him to keep his position instead of if he stopped and never crossed the finish line.
Summer Bedgood is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. She can be reached via e-mail at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @SummerBedgood.
Quotes to Remember: Auto Club 400
"Yeah, that was pretty wild. We had a good car and came real close to winning there but then everybody started taking tires and tires were really big at the end because the place is really slick and worn out. We were lucky there at the end and came in and got some fresh tires and that sort of fixed our mistakes and helped us to get a good finish. We had a good car and had some wheel issues, but was real happy about how we finished and made it up. We had a good enough car to run there, and were happy to get the finish." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished second
"We worked it last week. [Hamlin] probably shouldn't have done what he did last week, so that's what he gets. And besides that, I think our Auto Club Ford was very strong all day. I was very happy with the car we had. We were super fast, led a lot of laps. Nothing to hang our head down about, that's for sure. We were very proud of that. Doug Yates, thank you so much for the motor. That thing ran the last seven, eight laps with no water in it, just pushing water over 300 degrees. So it's really amazing for those guys. So thank you guys, everyone in the engine shop to get a solid run out here today. I look forward to get back to the race track and try it again. - Joey Logano, finished third
"Yeah, we had to have tires. Man, that was just an unbelievable race. It is so cool to come here to California and have a standard old school NASCAR race where tires make a difference. It was really a great show. I hope the fans enjoyed it. That is about as good as it gets. Congrats to Kyle (Busch), he hung on. I knew the third-place guy was going to win. I could just feel the tension up there between Joey and Denny. I had a feeling the third-place guy would win. Kyle and I had a heck of a battle for third and he got me and he won the race. He did a good job." - Carl Edwards, finished fourth
"We worked on it and in the end, I could have followed Kyle and just wanted to apologize to him for putting it three and four-wide on the restart because I am hungry and going for the win and it's not normally a move you would make if you are pushing a brother. I could have pushed him out to the lead earlier and maybe he could have held off the 22 and the 11 but I messed him up on the restart and I told him, I am going for the win with this Furniture Row Chevrolet SS and I am not going for anything less." - Kurt Busch, finished fifth
"It was an up and down day and with about 100 to go or 75 to go we got a set of tires that we couldn't drive the car on and we were too loose and over adjusted and came back and were pretty good at the end. I don't know about when the caution came out. I saw them wrecking and I came out of the gas. The 78 passed us and Carl and I am not sure how they are going to do that. Overall a top-five finish for us is a great day." - Greg Biffle, finished sixth
"It was up and down, just got to do the best job there, we sort of missed it a little bit. That last restart, the 17 (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.), he ran into the back of me and knocked me sideways and lost about eight spots and then couldn't quite get back there. I thought we had good strategy, good stops — a great job at fixing all our problems, we were just off all day." - Matt Kenseth, finished seventh
"Well, Joey (Logano) spun the tires on the restart. Everybody had trouble with that so, but it's not my fault that he spun the tires. For a guy that has been complaining about how everybody else is driving here and then (for) him to do that it's a double standard. He makes the choice. He makes the decision to run us down there and when you run a driver down there then you take responsibility for what happens after that. He is a tough guy on pit road as soon as one of his crew guys gets in the middle of it. Until then he's a scared little kid. Then he wants to sit there and throw a water bottle at me. He is going to learn a lesson. He can run his mouth on Twitter and stuff all he wants tonight. I've got plenty of people that are going to watch for that. It's time he learns a lesson. He's run his mouth long enough. He has sat there and done this double standard and he's nothing but a little rich kid that has never had to work in his life. He's going to learn from us working guys that had to work our way up how it works." - Tony Stewart, finished 22nd
"We just had a tough Friday and Saturday and we regrouped for Sunday and put a new set-up on the car and stayed optimistic. The car started off a little bit loose but once we dialed that in, it was decent. At the end of the race, I really thought it was pretty good. So I felt better at the end of the race than I did in qualifying. So we made big improvements. We all want better than 26th, that's what we had today and it will be better next time." - Danica Patrick, finished 26th
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Thinkin' Out Loud: Fontana's Wild NASCAR Race Recap
by Mike Neff
Pace Laps: The Latest On Hamlin's Health, Sizzling Starts And New TV Deals
by the Frontstretch Staff
The Big Six: Questions Answered After The Auto Club 400
by Amy Henderson
Near Catastrophe Mixed With Fontana Excitement: 3 Reasons How And Why
by Summer Bedgood
Happiness Is... What Happened All Weekend In Racing
by P. Huston Ladner
Nationwide Breakdown: Royal Purple 300
by Kevin Rutherford
~~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Speaking of the 2001 Marlboro 500 from last Friday's question, the race was run over a distance of 440 miles. Why was this so?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: In 2001, NASCAR was forced to boot Kyle Busch from the seat of the No. 99 Eldon Ford at then-California Speedway. West Series regular Tim Woods, III ended up subbing. Why was Busch removed from the seat?
A: The Truck Series race at then-California Speedway was run as support to the Marlboro 500 for CART. If you watched the race, you probably wouldn't be able to easily tell that Marlboro sponsored it. However, they did. Busch was pulled from the truck because Marlboro objected to his presence at the track (he was 16 at the time). Shortly thereafter, NASCAR instituted their minimum age rule, which still holds for the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series
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: Auto Club 400 by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
We'll take a look at which drivers are in position to really enjoy this upcoming off week, and who would rather race on Easter Sunday to get some more momentum.
Speedy Discoveries by Brett Poirier
Brett is back with another commentary to make you think.
Going By The Numbers by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin enlightens us with his weekly statistics column based on trends we've been seeing in the Cup Series so far this season.
-----------------------------
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!
©2013 Frontstretch.com
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Speaking of the 2001 Marlboro 500 from last Friday's question, the race was run over a distance of 440 miles. Why was this so?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: In 2001, NASCAR was forced to boot Kyle Busch from the seat of the No. 99 Eldon Ford at then-California Speedway. West Series regular Tim Woods, III ended up subbing. Why was Busch removed from the seat?
A: The Truck Series race at then-California Speedway was run as support to the Marlboro 500 for CART. If you watched the race, you probably wouldn't be able to easily tell that Marlboro sponsored it. However, they did. Busch was pulled from the truck because Marlboro objected to his presence at the track (he was 16 at the time). Shortly thereafter, NASCAR instituted their minimum age rule, which still holds for the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series
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: Auto Club 400 by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Five Points To Ponder by Danny Peters
Danny returns for his weekly edition of talking points, which will wrap up the action at Fontana and get us ready for Easter break.
Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
This past weekend, the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series were in action at Auto Club Speedway for an unexpectedly exciting couple of races. Meanwhile, the Izod IndyCar Series made their season debut in St. Petersburg, Florida. Were the telecasts of these events "up to snuff?" Find out in this week's TV Critique.
We'll take a look at which drivers are in position to really enjoy this upcoming off week, and who would rather race on Easter Sunday to get some more momentum.
Speedy Discoveries by Brett Poirier
Brett is back with another commentary to make you think.
Going By The Numbers by Kevin Rutherford
Kevin enlightens us with his weekly statistics column based on trends we've been seeing in the Cup Series so far this season.
-----------------------------
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!
©2013 Frontstretch.com
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