THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
July 1st, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CXVII
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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.
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
July 1st, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CXVII
~~~~~~~~~
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: Kenseth Wins With Successful Gamble
by Justin Tucker
Matt Kenseth's strength on 1.5 mile race track in 2013 is unquestioned. Coming into Sunday's rain-delayed race at Kentucky Speedway, Kenseth had already collected wins at Las Vegas and Kansas, which are sister tracks to Kentucky. With about 20 laps to go, it took a brave pit call from crew chief Jason Ratcliff and a rare mistake from Jimmie Johnson for Kenseth to cash in at Kentucky for his series-leading fourth win of the season.
With 21 laps to go, Kenseth took no tires on what would prove to be the final stop of the race while Jimmie Johnson opted for two right side tires. On the restart, Johnson would get a bad restart, causing him to be swamped by other drivers. In Turn 1, Johnson would lose the handle on his No. 48 Chevrolet and spin, bringing out one more caution. While Kenseth maintained the lead, Johnson was forced to come back down pit road and change four tires. The stop put Johnson back to 25th-place on the final restart. With the four fresh tires, Johnson would rocket back up through the field to rally to finish ninth. Johnson would lead a race high 182 laps on the afternoon. After the race, Johnson refused an interview with TNT, but stated on the radio that he was upset with Kenseth's conduct on the restart.
With Johnson out of the picture, Kenseth was left to battle Clint Bowyer and Jamie McMurray for the win. A short battle between Bowyer and McMurray was all Kenseth needed as he would manage to hold off McMurray by .699 seconds to claim his 28th career victory.
A jubilant Kenseth thanked his crew after the race.
"I don't even know what to say. Thank you, guys. This is unbelievable. Thank you so much," Kenseth said. "Great job. It was a team effort. You guys make me look so good every week. I couldn't be any happier and prouder to be a part of this."
McMurray, Bowyer, Joey Logano, and Kyle Busch would round out the top 5 on the afternoon at Kentucky. Kurt Busch was sixth, followed by Martin Truex, Jr. and Jeff Gordon. Johnson and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-10.
Sunday's race at Kentucky had its share of bizarre moments. Just after a competition caution, Denny Hamlin cut his right front tire. While trying to nurse the FedEx Toyota to pit road, the tire carcass came off, rolled across some grass and onto the race track in Turn 4. The carcass rolled right in front of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who was battling teammate Jimmie Johnson for the lead. Earnhardt Jr. would make contact with the tire damaging the front of his National Guard Chevrolet. After hitting Earnhardt's splitter, the carcass hit Johnson's right front corner, putting a dent right at the headlight. Johnson's car ended up being just fine, while Earnhardt Jr. struggled with his No. 88 Chevrolet for much of the rest of the race, leaving him with a 12th-place finish.
Defending Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski would take a huge hit towards his chase and repeat hopes on Sunday. On lap 49, Kurt Busch made a move below the yellow line in the tri-oval in order to pass Keselowski. While down there, Busch clipped a drainage grate, getting all four wheels briefly off the ground. This shot Busch up the track and into the left rear of Keselowski's No. 2 Miller Lite Ford. Keselowski spun onto the apron, then back up on the racing surface, where Greg Biffle, Dave Blaney, Travis Kvapil, Paul Menard and Landon Cassill were collected. The wreck was not only huge for Keselowski's chase hopes but for Biffle's as well as he would also be collected in the melee that saw seven cars receive significant damage.
"Sucks to get taken out like that," said Biffle, who in the prior three races had one victory, a second-place finish and three top 10s.
Keselowski wasn't pleased, either.
"No reason to drive like an animal," said Keselowski, who fell out of the top 10 in points for the first time all season. "Apparently, I'm the only one who got that memo."
The aftermath of Sunday's wreck would leave Biffle in 9th and Keselowski in 13th in the standings.
A look at the Quaker State 400 behind the numbers on Sunday. The race saw 11 lead changes, ten cautions for 42 laps, and an average race speed of 131.948 MPH. Jimmie Johnson would lead the most laps at 182.
The Sprint Cup Series heads back to the high banks of Daytona on Saturday night for the Coke Zero 400. Green flag from Daytona is scheduled for 7:49 P.M. ET on TNT.
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: Johnson Still Gains Ground Despite Late Spin
by Phil Allaway
Jimmie Johnson was well on his way to yet another Perfect 48 on Sunday. That is, until Brian Vickers blew a tire and crashed, bringing out the ninth yellow of the day. The spin on the restart dropped him all the way to 25th with just 17 laps to go while Carl Edwards was in the top-10. However, Johnson made an epic charge to get all the way back to a ninth-place finish. Meanwhile, Edwards' car fell off a cliff, dropping back to 21st. As a result, Johnson's points lead has increased back up to 38 points. Clint Bowyer's third-place finish keeps him third in points, but puts him just three behind Edwards.Sprint Cup Race Recap: Kenseth Wins With Successful Gamble
by Justin Tucker
Matt Kenseth's strength on 1.5 mile race track in 2013 is unquestioned. Coming into Sunday's rain-delayed race at Kentucky Speedway, Kenseth had already collected wins at Las Vegas and Kansas, which are sister tracks to Kentucky. With about 20 laps to go, it took a brave pit call from crew chief Jason Ratcliff and a rare mistake from Jimmie Johnson for Kenseth to cash in at Kentucky for his series-leading fourth win of the season.
With 21 laps to go, Kenseth took no tires on what would prove to be the final stop of the race while Jimmie Johnson opted for two right side tires. On the restart, Johnson would get a bad restart, causing him to be swamped by other drivers. In Turn 1, Johnson would lose the handle on his No. 48 Chevrolet and spin, bringing out one more caution. While Kenseth maintained the lead, Johnson was forced to come back down pit road and change four tires. The stop put Johnson back to 25th-place on the final restart. With the four fresh tires, Johnson would rocket back up through the field to rally to finish ninth. Johnson would lead a race high 182 laps on the afternoon. After the race, Johnson refused an interview with TNT, but stated on the radio that he was upset with Kenseth's conduct on the restart.
With Johnson out of the picture, Kenseth was left to battle Clint Bowyer and Jamie McMurray for the win. A short battle between Bowyer and McMurray was all Kenseth needed as he would manage to hold off McMurray by .699 seconds to claim his 28th career victory.
A jubilant Kenseth thanked his crew after the race.
"I don't even know what to say. Thank you, guys. This is unbelievable. Thank you so much," Kenseth said. "Great job. It was a team effort. You guys make me look so good every week. I couldn't be any happier and prouder to be a part of this."
McMurray, Bowyer, Joey Logano, and Kyle Busch would round out the top 5 on the afternoon at Kentucky. Kurt Busch was sixth, followed by Martin Truex, Jr. and Jeff Gordon. Johnson and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-10.
Sunday's race at Kentucky had its share of bizarre moments. Just after a competition caution, Denny Hamlin cut his right front tire. While trying to nurse the FedEx Toyota to pit road, the tire carcass came off, rolled across some grass and onto the race track in Turn 4. The carcass rolled right in front of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who was battling teammate Jimmie Johnson for the lead. Earnhardt Jr. would make contact with the tire damaging the front of his National Guard Chevrolet. After hitting Earnhardt's splitter, the carcass hit Johnson's right front corner, putting a dent right at the headlight. Johnson's car ended up being just fine, while Earnhardt Jr. struggled with his No. 88 Chevrolet for much of the rest of the race, leaving him with a 12th-place finish.
Defending Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski would take a huge hit towards his chase and repeat hopes on Sunday. On lap 49, Kurt Busch made a move below the yellow line in the tri-oval in order to pass Keselowski. While down there, Busch clipped a drainage grate, getting all four wheels briefly off the ground. This shot Busch up the track and into the left rear of Keselowski's No. 2 Miller Lite Ford. Keselowski spun onto the apron, then back up on the racing surface, where Greg Biffle, Dave Blaney, Travis Kvapil, Paul Menard and Landon Cassill were collected. The wreck was not only huge for Keselowski's chase hopes but for Biffle's as well as he would also be collected in the melee that saw seven cars receive significant damage.
"Sucks to get taken out like that," said Biffle, who in the prior three races had one victory, a second-place finish and three top 10s.
Keselowski wasn't pleased, either.
"No reason to drive like an animal," said Keselowski, who fell out of the top 10 in points for the first time all season. "Apparently, I'm the only one who got that memo."
The aftermath of Sunday's wreck would leave Biffle in 9th and Keselowski in 13th in the standings.
A look at the Quaker State 400 behind the numbers on Sunday. The race saw 11 lead changes, ten cautions for 42 laps, and an average race speed of 131.948 MPH. Jimmie Johnson would lead the most laps at 182.
The Sprint Cup Series heads back to the high banks of Daytona on Saturday night for the Coke Zero 400. Green flag from Daytona is scheduled for 7:49 P.M. ET on TNT.
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: Johnson Still Gains Ground Despite Late Spin
by Phil Allaway
Kevin Harvick had a relatively quiet run on Sunday to pick up another top-10 finish. That was good enough for him to hold serve. Matt Kenseth's fourth victory of the year did not gain him any positions, but it did allow him to make up points on everyone. He's still in fifth, 16 points behind Harvick. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is now back in sole possession of sixth after his 12th-place finish. However, after hitting the carcass of Denny Hamlin's tire early in the race, he was quite pleased to end up there.
Kyle Busch is up one place to seventh this week after finishing fourth. This was despite an early race spin on the backstretch. Martin Truex, Jr.'s improved form continued on Sunday with another top-10 despite a bad car. That moved him up two places to eighth. Greg Biffle dropped from a tie for sixth to ninth after getting caught up in the big crash with Brad Keselowski, Travis Kvapil and others early in the race. Biffle did come back to finish the race, but ended up 116 laps down in 34th.
With his fourth-place finish on Sunday, Joey Logano moved back into the top-10 in points for the first time since Fontana. Due to his early crash, Brad Keselowski fell out of the top-10. He is scored 13th, 14 points out of tenth.
Standings: 1) Jimmie Johnson 610, 2) Carl Edwards -38, 3) Clint Bowyer -41, 4) Kevin Harvick -66, 5) Matt Kenseth -82, 6) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -98, 7) Kyle Busch -110, 8) Martin Truex, Jr. -120, 9) Greg Biffle -121, 10) Joey Logano -131.
Best of the Rest: 11) Kasey Kahne -132, 12) Jeff Gordon -133, 13) Brad Keselowski -145, 14) Kurt Busch -147, 15) Paul Menard -151, t-16) Tony Stewart -153, t-16) Aric Almirola -153, 18) Ryan Newman -162, 19) Jamie McMurray -173, 20) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -177.
Wild Cards: 1) Kasey Kahne (11th in points, one win), 2) Tony Stewart (tied for 16th in points, one win)
Currently Ineligible for Wild Card: 1) David Ragan (29th in points, one win)
Race Winners: Jimmie Johnson (Daytona, Martinsville, Pocono), Carl Edwards (Phoenix), Matt Kenseth (Las Vegas, Kansas, Darlington, Kentucky), Kasey Kahne (Bristol), Kyle Busch (Fontana, Texas), Kevin Harvick (Richmond, Charlotte), David Ragan (Talladega), Tony Stewart (Dover), Greg Biffle (Michigan), Martin Truex, Jr. (Sonoma)
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.
Never Fear, The Underdogs Are Here: Kentucky Edition
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: Casey Mears for Germain Racing; started 31st, finished 18th
Once again, this team continues to show its strength among its peers with Mears gaining 13 positions from start to finish on an intermediate track. What's the secret to Mears' recent gains? It's not just one thing. First, Germain Racing has struggled in the Sprint Cup ranks, mostly because of lack of money, but they are a championship NASCAR team and eventually, that experience is going to pay off as it's beginning to now. Also, with more money to buy better equipment and build better cars, the excellent communication between Mears and crew chief Bootie Barker is starting to pay real dividends as the team is able to produce the kind of cars Mears needs with more regularity.
Given the competition today, finishing in the top 20 is a good day for any of these smaller teams. The overall series points tell the tale-the teams ahead of Mears in the standings have considerably larger budgets and either have full alliances with bigger teams or are a bigger team themselves. A great day would be a top 10, and that's a reachable goal for some of these teams; the No. 13 should be able to get there a time or two this year. They already have more than twice as many top 20's as they did after 17 races a year ago. In short this is a team headed in the right direction.
Underdog Selection No. 2: AJ Allmendinger for JTG-Daugherty Racing; started 17th, finished 22nd
This team has taken a bit of a tumble this year, falling from best among the small teams to third among them in owner points behind Phoenix Racing and Germain Racing. Still, they're ahead of most of their peers, and the recent panic-mode move of making a mid-year driver change seems a little over the top. What's even more puzzling is that the team apparently intends to flip-flop between Bobby Labonte and other drivers for the remainder of the year. If the problem is equipment (which is the most likely possibility since this team dropped a technical alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing before the 2012 season), it would seem as though having one driver in the seat, whether that's Labonte, Allmendinger, or someone else, would be the best chance of figuring out how to improve the cars. If it's other personnel that need to be changed, the team just makes it more difficult for people to perform if they're preparing cars for multiple drivers.
Allmendinger did have a solid run at Kentucky to follow up a strong qualifying run. For a while it looked as though a top-15 finish might be a possibility, but in the end, the team faded to 22nd. It was their sixth-best run in 17 races so far, definitely not terrible…but not the improvement they're looking for, either.
Underdog Selection No. 3: David Stremme for Swan Racing; started 28th, finished 25th
Yes, Stremme finished one position behind Phoenix Racing's Austin Dillon, and I'm in no way slighting Dillon or detracting from a decent day, but this team deserves a mention this week. Stremme has quietly put together some decent days for this team in 2013, sometimes beating teams in their money bracket who should, on paper, be beating them. This weekend, they were fourth among the other underdogs, and the teams who beat them have more money and more experience.
This team did have an easier start-up in that they had some chassis and equipment from buying out Inception Motorsports at the end of last year, but that they are improving faster than some more established small teams, like Tommy Baldwin Racing and FAS Lane Racing, has been a complete surprise. Yes, they've faced the struggles that new teams face and continue to do so, but they are making the gains that suggest that they could turn themselves into one of the better teams in this group in a few more years. In today's NASCAR, that's a good deal of success.
Underdog Pick of the Week-Daytona: David Gilliland for Front Row Motorsports
In this section, I'll give you my pick among the small teams to have a strong run in the upcoming race.
This week's pick is David Gilliland. I'm going a bit out on a limb with this one, as Gilliland's Daytona average lags a bit behind David Ragan's, Bobby Labonte's, and Casey Mears', but he was second at Talladega this spring behind Ragan, and the pair easily proved this team's mettle on restrictor plate tracks, while Labonte's future is uncertain and Mears has had terrible luck on plate tracks this year. Gilliland could be a surprise in the top 10 this Saturday night.
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 Toyota Save Mart 350 was brought to you by the Letter C for "Clean Air." We know that you probably don't want to hear that, but it ended up being very important on Sunday. Jason Ratcliff's decision to not take tires on the final stop was predicated solely on getting out in front. While some drivers had cars good enough to overcome the clean air advantage (Johnson, namely), others were dependent on the clean air in order to go as quick as they could. - Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Kentucky Stories
by Summer Bedgood
Johnson Overcomes Adversity, Finishes Ninth
For most of Sunday's rain-postponed race in Kentucky, it looked like Jimmie Johnson would be the victor. Johnson, who led a dominating 182 of the 267 laps, seemed unstoppable when even a casing off of Denny Hamlin's car slid up the racetrack and onto Johnson's nose. The damage didn't seem to hurt him and much of the field was seemingly racing for second as the laps wound down.
However, his day would soon turn sour.
Brian Vickers would suffer a tire blowout late in the going, causing a caution that would ultimately setup the final pitstop of the day. Johnson's crew chief Chad Knaus would make a call for two right side tires, but would ultimately lose the race off of pit road to Matt Kenseth, whose crew chief, Jason Ratcliff, opted for fuel only.
Johnson suffered from a poor restart once the race resumed, and slid back several positions. As the field headed into Turn 1, Johnson's car snapped loose, and he slid through the field. Though he would suffer no damage, Johnson would have to head to pit road and work his way up through the field if he was to have any hope of salvaging his day.
He did just that, weaving his way through traffic to ultimately finish in the ninth position while Kenseth went on to win the race.
"We were kind of in an awkward situation in that restart there," Johnson said post-race. "And then we were like three- and four-wide going in the corner, then something happened with the air and just kind of turned me around. … At least we rallied back for a good finish."
Johnson maintains his lead in the points standings, and currently holds a 38 point advantage over second-place Carl Edwards.
Denny Hamlin Suffers Brief Health Scare in Kentucky
After Denny Hamlin was forced to sit out of four points paying races this season following a crash earlier this year in Fontana that resulted in a broken vertebra, the idea was explored that Hamlin sit out the rest of the season in an effort to ensure that he didn't further injure his back. However, as soon as he received medical clearance to return to the racecar, though, Hamlin did, despite knowing that he would need to undergo further surgery at some point this year.
As Hamlin has been fighting and clawing his way up the standings in an effort to put himself in position to make the Chase via a wild card spot, Hamlin has suffered some hard hits, including last weekend in Kentucky.
Hamlin suffered two tire failures during the course of the event, the second of which sent him into the outside wall with a hard impact. Though Hamlin was able to drive his car back to the infield and as a result was not required to visit the Infield Care Center, he decided to do so anyway due to a nasty headache he was dealing with after the crash.
"I had to take a moment when I got out of the car to kind of gather my thoughts, because I didn't feel all that great," Hamlin said. "The medical staff came and checked me out, and we decided to come here and check everything out, and everybody did the procedures you're supposed to do. Really as a driver, it's up to you. When you drive your car back, it's up to you to make the right decision to get checked out or not. Obviously, I believe in the NASCAR medical staff, so this what we do."
Hamlin claims to have hit his knee on the steering wheel during the impact and compared the hit to a crash he sustained during a test at Kansas Speedway last fall. Though there was some concern surrounding his back, Hamlin brushed it off saying, "That was the least of the concerns after this."
Hamlin finished 35th and his hopes of making the Chase are now all but gone.
Ratcliff's Gamble Turns Into Victory
As the field headed down pit road for what would be the final pitstop of the day, Matt Kenseth's crew chief Jason Ratcliff had a decision to make. As he weighed his decisions on what call to make, he opted for track position and made the call for his crew to take fuel only.
He was the only one, as nearly every other frontrunner decided to take two right side tires for a compromise between track position and some much-need rubber.
The track position paid off for Kenseth, as the lane choice on the restart gave him a jump on the field. With Johnson falling back after his own issues, Kenseth easily cruised to victory while Jamie McMurray and Clint Bowyer battled for second behind him.
After the race, Ratcliff was surprised he was the only one to make the call for fuel only.
"I felt like more guys, and actually when we rolled off pit road and I saw what everybody did, I looked to the guy beside me and I'm like, I can't believe we are the only one that did that," Ratcliff said during media availability.
Kenseth and the No. 20 team are now fifth in points, 82 points back.
Letter of the Race: Sunday's Toyota Save Mart 350 was brought to you by the Letter C for "Clean Air." We know that you probably don't want to hear that, but it ended up being very important on Sunday. Jason Ratcliff's decision to not take tires on the final stop was predicated solely on getting out in front. While some drivers had cars good enough to overcome the clean air advantage (Johnson, namely), others were dependent on the clean air in order to go as quick as they could. - Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Kentucky Stories
by Summer Bedgood
Johnson Overcomes Adversity, Finishes Ninth
For most of Sunday's rain-postponed race in Kentucky, it looked like Jimmie Johnson would be the victor. Johnson, who led a dominating 182 of the 267 laps, seemed unstoppable when even a casing off of Denny Hamlin's car slid up the racetrack and onto Johnson's nose. The damage didn't seem to hurt him and much of the field was seemingly racing for second as the laps wound down.
However, his day would soon turn sour.
Brian Vickers would suffer a tire blowout late in the going, causing a caution that would ultimately setup the final pitstop of the day. Johnson's crew chief Chad Knaus would make a call for two right side tires, but would ultimately lose the race off of pit road to Matt Kenseth, whose crew chief, Jason Ratcliff, opted for fuel only.
Johnson suffered from a poor restart once the race resumed, and slid back several positions. As the field headed into Turn 1, Johnson's car snapped loose, and he slid through the field. Though he would suffer no damage, Johnson would have to head to pit road and work his way up through the field if he was to have any hope of salvaging his day.
He did just that, weaving his way through traffic to ultimately finish in the ninth position while Kenseth went on to win the race.
"We were kind of in an awkward situation in that restart there," Johnson said post-race. "And then we were like three- and four-wide going in the corner, then something happened with the air and just kind of turned me around. … At least we rallied back for a good finish."
Johnson maintains his lead in the points standings, and currently holds a 38 point advantage over second-place Carl Edwards.
Denny Hamlin Suffers Brief Health Scare in Kentucky
After Denny Hamlin was forced to sit out of four points paying races this season following a crash earlier this year in Fontana that resulted in a broken vertebra, the idea was explored that Hamlin sit out the rest of the season in an effort to ensure that he didn't further injure his back. However, as soon as he received medical clearance to return to the racecar, though, Hamlin did, despite knowing that he would need to undergo further surgery at some point this year.
As Hamlin has been fighting and clawing his way up the standings in an effort to put himself in position to make the Chase via a wild card spot, Hamlin has suffered some hard hits, including last weekend in Kentucky.
Hamlin suffered two tire failures during the course of the event, the second of which sent him into the outside wall with a hard impact. Though Hamlin was able to drive his car back to the infield and as a result was not required to visit the Infield Care Center, he decided to do so anyway due to a nasty headache he was dealing with after the crash.
"I had to take a moment when I got out of the car to kind of gather my thoughts, because I didn't feel all that great," Hamlin said. "The medical staff came and checked me out, and we decided to come here and check everything out, and everybody did the procedures you're supposed to do. Really as a driver, it's up to you. When you drive your car back, it's up to you to make the right decision to get checked out or not. Obviously, I believe in the NASCAR medical staff, so this what we do."
Hamlin claims to have hit his knee on the steering wheel during the impact and compared the hit to a crash he sustained during a test at Kansas Speedway last fall. Though there was some concern surrounding his back, Hamlin brushed it off saying, "That was the least of the concerns after this."
Hamlin finished 35th and his hopes of making the Chase are now all but gone.
Ratcliff's Gamble Turns Into Victory
As the field headed down pit road for what would be the final pitstop of the day, Matt Kenseth's crew chief Jason Ratcliff had a decision to make. As he weighed his decisions on what call to make, he opted for track position and made the call for his crew to take fuel only.
He was the only one, as nearly every other frontrunner decided to take two right side tires for a compromise between track position and some much-need rubber.
The track position paid off for Kenseth, as the lane choice on the restart gave him a jump on the field. With Johnson falling back after his own issues, Kenseth easily cruised to victory while Jamie McMurray and Clint Bowyer battled for second behind him.
After the race, Ratcliff was surprised he was the only one to make the call for fuel only.
"I felt like more guys, and actually when we rolled off pit road and I saw what everybody did, I looked to the guy beside me and I'm like, I can't believe we are the only one that did that," Ratcliff said during media availability.
Kenseth and the No. 20 team are now fifth in points, 82 points back.
Summer Bedgood is a Senior Writer for Frontstretch. She can be reached via e-mail at summer.bedgood@frontstretch.com. Follow her on Twitter at @SummerBedgood.
Quotes to Remember: Quaker State 400
compiled by Summer Bedgood
"I didn't roll the dice, Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) did. I thought he was slightly crazy when that happened. First of all, I just have to thank the Lord for putting me here — this is such a great team and [a] great opportunity for me. It's just been an unbelievable season and year of my life honestly. Also need to thank Sprint, Dollar General, Home Depot, Husky Tools, Toyota — thanks to our partners. Jason did a great job — I didn't think there was any way that we were going to hold on for that win. He made the right call at the right time and those guys got it done." - Matt Kenseth, race winner
"I kind of knew that if we could get Matt (Kenseth) position that he would make a good fight out of it and he obviously did. We got a couple good restarts there. Once he got out front and got rolling — the 1 (Jamie McMurray) car was coming and there were some good cars behind us there, but I knew that was going to be our only shot to get it done today. In the position we're in now with the 20 car — we've had some success at the start of the season and we can take some shots like this and we can take some chances. This was one where I came short a few times on the Nationwide side as a crew chief and this is one that is really special to me. To get it in the Cup Series is a huge, huge deal. I have to thank these guys — everybody at Joe Gibbs Racing — just a tremendous win. Probably, they're all my favorites, but this one is a standout for the year for me for sure." - Jason Ratcliff, winning crew chief
"Yes, it was a really good day for us. I wasn't sure after Happy Hour what we had. We've had really quick cars for the last two months, and have not been able to capitalize on it. We've had really unfortunate luck. But cool to have a really good run. I was quite a bit quicker than him (Clint Bowyer), and I guess the No. 20 (Matt Kenseth) wasn't on tires, so you are just fighting to get by as quick as you can because you never know when a caution is going to come out, or how it is going to play out." - Jamie McMurray, finished second
"Well, to be honest with you, I was blocking hoping I was running out of laps. It was just too many to be blocking like that. I knew he (Jamie McMurray) was a lot faster. I was either going to get myself wrecked or let it go and I chose to let it go. Good day for us. Obviously when you get that close at the end you can smell a chance at the win – just not our day yet. I'm proud of the way our team is working together and keeps clicking off solid finishes. This is what we have to do this time of year and hopefully those wins will come when the time is right." - Clint Bowyer, finished third
"I felt like we were good enough to win for a little bit. I thought we were as good as the 20 or even better. It is all about getting the clean air. It was hard to pass out there. The guys did a great job with the Shell Pennzoil Ford. We lost track position on the restart before the last one and then we made up a lot at the end. We were sitting pretty in fourth when the caution came out and that usually puts you second or third at first. I was hoping for one more caution because I thought I was in the cat-bird seat if that happened." - Joey Logano, finished fourth
"We had a decent race car today — it wasn't great. I knew unloading here that it was going to be a tough weekend and a tough race. This is the most ill-handling you're going to have, but whoever is the least ill-handling car is going to win. We had our work cut out for us today — that's for sure, getting spun out early and then coming back through and working hard. The Doublemint Camry was good and at points in the race it seemed it was really consistent for me to drive. I don't think the left side tire was the right tire choice for coming here, but we all had to deal through it. We did the best we could and we ended up with a top-five. All things considered, it was a good day for us. You always want to be better and we see our teammate in victory lane so we know there's something better out there." - Kyle Busch, finished fifth
"We dodged a lot of bullets today. We didn't have a very good car all day long. Track position was important and we got it a few times and we lost it a few times. One time, we pitted and [the] caution came out and we had to take the wave around. Just could never get the car right today — really loose in and really tight off. The track didn't seem like it was really any different from the start to the finish — it really never changed. We just never could get the car in the race track and I feel very lucky to finish where we did. We were bad all day, but the one run was really bad and we were seventh or eighth before we put tires on and we tried to make it better and we made it worse and fell back to 18th or 20th or something and then had to work our way back and it was difficult. These are the kind of days that we need when we don't have a good car. Just persevere, fight through it and get a top-10." - Martin Truex, Jr., finished seventh
"We had an awesome fast Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet that is for sure. I think we passed more cars than anybody. These pit stops just aren't going our way. If we try to stretch it doesn't work our way. If we try to pit early it doesn't work our way. I don't know, you just have to keep working hard at it and hope they fall your way eventually. Pit stops were great when we had them. The car was awesome on the race track. It took a little while for it to come in and that last restart I kind of timed it and the No. 18 (Kyle Busch) spun his tires and stacked us up, then cars were four-wide. That didn't certainly work out in our favor." - Jeff Gordon, finished eighth
"I don't know. We were kind of in an awkward situation in that restart there. And then we were like three and four wide going in the corner, then something happened with the air and just kind of turned me around. Unfortunate, but at least we rallied back for a good finish. The No. 20 (Matt Kenseth) broke the pace car speed, which you aren't supposed to, but they aren't calling guys on that so I need to start trying that in the future." - Jimmie Johnson, finished ninth
"You just fix [the splitter] and keep going. The guys did a good job on pit road all day long working on it and trying to fix everything. I'm not sure we got everything back where it is supposed to be, but we did well-enough to get a decent finish out it. Just proud of how hard the team worked. Did a good job for qualifying, and put a good car out there for the race. Can't do anything about what happened out there on the race track with that casing. They worked hard on it to get it right, and get it good enough where we could run well. So, they deserve a lot of credit today." - Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished 12th
"Man, I don't understand what happened there. We just got back in traffic and we were terrible at the end. I thought we were really good out front when we had track position. We were really good when we were out front. There at the end, I just couldn't make anything happen. It was definitely a frustrating situation there. We are going to have to try to figure that out. That was really surprising. It was kind of a different experience there. We were feeling really good and having a good time out there for a little while but it turned out terribly. I guess that is the way it goes." - Carl Edwards, finished 21st
"Man, that was a hard hit. It was a hard fought day — the guys and everyone on this Aaron's Dream Machine did a great job making it better. We were way too tight to start, but man, we had a good car there at the end. We drove up to the front, we pitted and we were one car length away from making it to pit road before the caution came out and the lights came on right before we crossed the line. We would have come out in the lead if we would have made it and unfortunately we came out at the tail end of the field then clawed our way back to the top-5. We were running great right there with two tires — those guys had four and just lost a tire. Not really sure what happened, it just blew going into three. Really hard hit. I just hate it.
It was great to have the Louisville Cardinals on the car this week. Thank Aaron's for putting them on there and especially here in the state of Kentucky. Love to have gotten them a victory, but unfortunately it just wasn't our day. Just didn't have luck on our side and then this tire just kind of put a fork in it. We had a good car. I think if we would have had four tires and track position there at the end we could have given those guys a run for their money." - Brian Vickers, finished 31st (Crashed Out)
"It was frustrating for sure. That move there onto the apron was definitely uncalled for. I don't know what Kurt (Busch) was doing down there. Unfortunately, it collected us and a bunch of other cars and it really put us in a bad spot. We were just holding onto the top-10 there and we were one bad race away from falling out and I am sure with that finish we have. I am proud of the guys working hard. It was a close call whether or not we could get that thing fixed to get back out there. The guys were able to do it and gain us back another six spots which could be really huge as we go through the next couple of months. I am proud of that effort but the rest of it I feel was out of our control." - Paul Wolfe, crew chief for Brad Keselowski, finished 33rd
"Definitely have to proceed on. I have a test in Indy tomorrow that we're going to do to try to get better and get to performing better. Really today it was the best performance for us in a while. Hopefully at least something to build off of even though we don't have a good finish." - Denny Hamlin, finished 35th (Crashed Out)
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
The Big Six: Questions Answered After the Quaker State 400
by Amy Henderson
This Just In: Jimmie Johnson Is Stupidly Whining About Restarts Again
by Summer Bedgood
by Amy Henderson
This Just In: Jimmie Johnson Is Stupidly Whining About Restarts Again
by Summer Bedgood
by Kevin Rutherford
by Beth Lunkenheimer
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The Nationwide Series added a second race at Daytona International Speedway for the 2002 season. Joe Nemechek won the race from pole and led 76 laps. However, he had to hold off a snarling pack for the final three laps after a big wreck. What happened?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: From 2001 until last year, the Rolex Series held a "200-mile" race at Watkins Glen on the undercard of the Sprint Cup Series. The 2004 Sahlen's 200 is rather infamous for a huge crash. What happened?
A: Just before the halfway point of the race, the heavens opened. In all honesty, the situation was not all that different from what happened in Saturday's Continental Series race at Watkins Glen, which will air Sunday at 4pm on SPEED. Roughly eight different cars that were struggling to get back to pit road on slick tires flew off the road at Turn 11, smashing into the styrofoam blocks and each other. The craziness can be seen here.
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: Quaker State 400 by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Coming Tuesday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News by Tom Bowles
-- Fan's View Commentary by S.D. Grady
-- Numbers Game: Quaker State 400 by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Five Points To Ponder by P. Huston Ladner
Huston returns for his weekly edition of talking points, which will wrap up the action at Kentucky and get us ready for the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Huston returns for his weekly edition of talking points, which will wrap up the action at Kentucky and get us ready for the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
This past weekend, all three of NASCAR's National Series were at Kentucky Speedway. How were these races broadcast, and were they broadcast well? Find out in our weekly TV Critique.
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Kentucky-Daytona Edition by Brad Morgan
Brad gets us set for Daytona while tracking the trends of the past few weeks to see which drivers are on a tear... or tearing their hair out.
Racing To The Point 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.
Brad gets us set for Daytona while tracking the trends of the past few weeks to see which drivers are on a tear... or tearing their hair out.
Racing To The Point 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.
-----------------------------
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©2013 Frontstretch.com
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
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©2013 Frontstretch.com
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