THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 26th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CLIX
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Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
August 26th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CLIX
~~~~~~~~~
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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Breaking News: Kurt Busch to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014; Official Announcement Tuesday
by Phil Allaway
Multiple news outlets are reporting this morning that Kurt Busch has signed a multi-year contract to drive for Stewart-Haas Racing in a new fourth team starting in 2014. Sponsorship for the currently unnumbered team is currently unknown. However, Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Gene Haas stated last week that he was willing to run Busch with the logos of Haas Automation, his own personal company.
Busch is very happy to make the move over to Stewart-Haas Racing.
"This is the situation that every driver wants to be in," Busch told FoxSports.com's Lee Spencer. "To have an owner like Gene Haas calling and asking you to come and race how you know how to race and that is to win. Gene is giving me that opportunity."
Busch will finish out the 2013 season in the No. 78 Chevrolet for Furniture Row Racing. After a 31st-place finish at Bristol, Busch is currently 12th in points, six out of the top 10.
The official announcement will be Tuesday afternoon at 2 pm. It has been described as an announcement of a team expansion.
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Sprint Cup Race Recap: Kenseth Claims Irwin Tools Night Race, Chase Berth
by Justin Tucker
Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway saw a scene that we have seen play out twice before already in 2013, Matt Kenseth having to hold off a surging Kasey Kahne in coming to the checkers in the closing laps of a race. At Las Vegas in March and Kansas in April, Kenseth held off furious charges from Kahne to claim those races. Saturday night, Kenseth would once again hold off Kahne to claim his series-leading fifth victory of the season. Kenseth's victory clinched him at the bare minimum, a Wild Card entry into the Chase for the Sprint Cup
Kenseth's victory on Saturday night would come far from easy. After being tagged with a pit road speeding penalty in the early stages of the race, Kenseth would have to rally his No. 20 Toyota back through the field on a night that saw it tough to pass, but Kenseth would be up to the task getting his Toyota back to the front of the field leading a race high 149 laps. Nursing tires well older than the rest of the field, Kenseth would have to rely on his veteran experience to hold off Kahne's No. 5 Chevrolet. Kahne made two moves in the closing laps on the bottom to try to get by the No. 20, but Kenseth in the high line would prevail on both occasions. On the final lap, Kahne could not close the distance enough and Kenseth was able to claim the victory.
An excited Kenseth spoke of the victory and racing Kahne in the closing laps after the race.
"Kasey's as good as they get and he's a clean driver," Kenseth said. "He raced as hard as he could, we ran out of room off (turn) four, we were both digging as hard as we could to try to get it. Kasey's just an unbelievable talent, he wanted it bad. We raced as hard as we could race and used every inch of race track."
On the other side of the coin Kahne was disappointed with a strong second-place effort.
"I don't know," sighed Kahne, winner of the spring race at Bristol. "I just ... I think at the end of the day, I just don't wreck people. I just didn't get it done and I'm upset with myself for not figuring out how to win. I needed a win bad, but I also needed a finish. I just basically ran as hard as I could, tried to pass him two different times and ran on his bumper and hoped he'd screw up, and he really never did."
Joining Kenseth and Kahne in the top 10 of Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race was Juan Pablo Montoya in third, Brian Vickers with another strong Bristol run in fourth, and Joey Logano coming off the heels of his win at Michigan fifth. Paul Menard would come home sixth, Jeff Gordon with his chase hopes on the line would score a seventh-place finish, Marcos Ambrose in eighth, Greg Biffle ninth, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would round out the top 10.
Many of the race favorites would experience tough nights at Bristol on Saturday. Jimmie Johnson would fight an ill-handling car all night long, never getting his No. 48 higher than 12th before getting caught up in an incident with David Reutimann on lap 360. After repairs behind the wall, Johnson settled for a 36th-place finish, 60 laps down.
Carl Edwards had the dominant car for much of the race on Saturday night, leading 119 laps on the evening. However, a valve spring issue on lap 387 would prematurely end Edwards' bid for his second win of the season, leaving Edwards with a 39th-place finish at night's end. Brad Keselowski would take a crushing blow to his chase hopes after being caught up in a seven car wreck on lap 448. Keselowski would limp his No. 2 Miller Lite Ford home to a 30th-place finish. Ryan Newman was caught up in the same lap 448 wreck as Keselowski and would finish 21st, three laps down. Luckily, Newman was able to hold on to the second Wild Card for the Chase at night's end.
Kurt Busch appeared for the early part of the race to be the man to beat but a wheel hub issue would take Busch out of contention for the win. Busch would finish a disappointing 31st, dropping him from ninth to 12th in the standings, six points out of the top 10.
Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol was typical Bristol. True short track beating and banging and drivers running out of patience. Track position and pit strategy would play a huge role all night in determining the race outcome. A look at Saturday's race by the numbers shows that there was 16 lead changes among ninth different drivers with Kenseth leading the most laps with 149, 11 cautions for 74 laps slowed the race pace dramatically to 90.279 MPH. Along with Kenseth, Clint Bowyer also secured his spot in the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup.
With only two races to go before the chase and hopes hanging in the balance, the Sprint Cup Series heads to the Atlanta Motor Speedway for the AdvoCare 500. Green flag is set for 7:46 P.M. ET Sunday night.
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's Wreck Creates a Real Two Man Race At The Top
by Phil Allaway
Surprisingly, Jimmie Johnson's issues continued Saturday night at Bristol. This time, a crash that was not of his own making put the Lowe's Chevrolet behind the wall for repairs. Johnson came back and finished 60 laps down in 36th, but the damage had been done. Clint Bowyer couldn't fully capitalize because of his own crash and fuel mileage issues, but his 14th-place finish closed the margin down to just 18 points, the closest that it has been since Texas in April. Carl Edwards failed to capitalize at all since his engine expired just after Johnson's crash. He actually lost a couple of points to Johnson and is now 35 points behind Bowyer.Sprint Cup Race Recap: Kenseth Claims Irwin Tools Night Race, Chase Berth
by Justin Tucker
Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway saw a scene that we have seen play out twice before already in 2013, Matt Kenseth having to hold off a surging Kasey Kahne in coming to the checkers in the closing laps of a race. At Las Vegas in March and Kansas in April, Kenseth held off furious charges from Kahne to claim those races. Saturday night, Kenseth would once again hold off Kahne to claim his series-leading fifth victory of the season. Kenseth's victory clinched him at the bare minimum, a Wild Card entry into the Chase for the Sprint Cup
Kenseth's victory on Saturday night would come far from easy. After being tagged with a pit road speeding penalty in the early stages of the race, Kenseth would have to rally his No. 20 Toyota back through the field on a night that saw it tough to pass, but Kenseth would be up to the task getting his Toyota back to the front of the field leading a race high 149 laps. Nursing tires well older than the rest of the field, Kenseth would have to rely on his veteran experience to hold off Kahne's No. 5 Chevrolet. Kahne made two moves in the closing laps on the bottom to try to get by the No. 20, but Kenseth in the high line would prevail on both occasions. On the final lap, Kahne could not close the distance enough and Kenseth was able to claim the victory.
An excited Kenseth spoke of the victory and racing Kahne in the closing laps after the race.
"Kasey's as good as they get and he's a clean driver," Kenseth said. "He raced as hard as he could, we ran out of room off (turn) four, we were both digging as hard as we could to try to get it. Kasey's just an unbelievable talent, he wanted it bad. We raced as hard as we could race and used every inch of race track."
On the other side of the coin Kahne was disappointed with a strong second-place effort.
"I don't know," sighed Kahne, winner of the spring race at Bristol. "I just ... I think at the end of the day, I just don't wreck people. I just didn't get it done and I'm upset with myself for not figuring out how to win. I needed a win bad, but I also needed a finish. I just basically ran as hard as I could, tried to pass him two different times and ran on his bumper and hoped he'd screw up, and he really never did."
Joining Kenseth and Kahne in the top 10 of Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race was Juan Pablo Montoya in third, Brian Vickers with another strong Bristol run in fourth, and Joey Logano coming off the heels of his win at Michigan fifth. Paul Menard would come home sixth, Jeff Gordon with his chase hopes on the line would score a seventh-place finish, Marcos Ambrose in eighth, Greg Biffle ninth, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would round out the top 10.
Many of the race favorites would experience tough nights at Bristol on Saturday. Jimmie Johnson would fight an ill-handling car all night long, never getting his No. 48 higher than 12th before getting caught up in an incident with David Reutimann on lap 360. After repairs behind the wall, Johnson settled for a 36th-place finish, 60 laps down.
Carl Edwards had the dominant car for much of the race on Saturday night, leading 119 laps on the evening. However, a valve spring issue on lap 387 would prematurely end Edwards' bid for his second win of the season, leaving Edwards with a 39th-place finish at night's end. Brad Keselowski would take a crushing blow to his chase hopes after being caught up in a seven car wreck on lap 448. Keselowski would limp his No. 2 Miller Lite Ford home to a 30th-place finish. Ryan Newman was caught up in the same lap 448 wreck as Keselowski and would finish 21st, three laps down. Luckily, Newman was able to hold on to the second Wild Card for the Chase at night's end.
Kurt Busch appeared for the early part of the race to be the man to beat but a wheel hub issue would take Busch out of contention for the win. Busch would finish a disappointing 31st, dropping him from ninth to 12th in the standings, six points out of the top 10.
Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol was typical Bristol. True short track beating and banging and drivers running out of patience. Track position and pit strategy would play a huge role all night in determining the race outcome. A look at Saturday's race by the numbers shows that there was 16 lead changes among ninth different drivers with Kenseth leading the most laps with 149, 11 cautions for 74 laps slowed the race pace dramatically to 90.279 MPH. Along with Kenseth, Clint Bowyer also secured his spot in the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup.
With only two races to go before the chase and hopes hanging in the balance, the Sprint Cup Series heads to the Atlanta Motor Speedway for the AdvoCare 500. Green flag is set for 7:46 P.M. ET Sunday night.
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's Wreck Creates a Real Two Man Race At The Top
by Phil Allaway
Kevin Harvick maintained the fourth spot in the standings, but he came out of Bristol a bit upset after getting taken out in a crash with a little more than 50 laps to go. Kyle Busch thought that he had a good chance at taking all three races at Bristol. He won the first two, but spun out in qualifying. That sentenced him to a start at the rear of the field. Busch got up to 11th, but never led a lap. Race winner Matt Kenseth is only three points behind Busch and managed to lock up a Wild Card berth at the bare minimum.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had to deal with fuel issues towards the end of the race, but ran well to finish tenth and hold onto seventh in the standings. Meanwhile, Kasey Kahne's second-place finish boosted him right back into the Chase in eighth. Greg Biffle is up one place to ninth after a consistent top-10, while Joey Logano returns to the top-10 following his fifth-place finish.
Brad Keselowski once again slipped out of the top-10 as a result of getting caught up in the big crash caused by Denny Hamlin's flat tire. He is four points behind Logano. Kurt Busch also slipped out of the top-10, but that was due to a hub failure early in the race while running up front. He is six points out of tenth in 12th.
Point Standings (Top 10): 1) Jimmie Johnson 821, 2) Clint Bowyer -18, 3) Carl Edwards -53, 4) Kevin Harvick -61, 5) Kyle Busch -82, 6) Matt Kenseth -85, 7) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -107, 8) Kasey Kahne -120, 9) Greg Biffle -123, 10) Joey Logano -136.
Driver Point Standings (11-20): 11) Brad Keselowski -140, 12) Kurt Busch -142, 13) Jeff Gordon -147, 14) Martin Truex, Jr. -158, 15) Ryan Newman -162, 16) Jamie McMurray -174, 17) Paul Menard -183, 18) Aric Almirola -205, 19) Tony Stewart -227, 20) Jeff Burton -229.
Owner Point Standings (11-20): 11) 2- Penske Racing -140, 12) 78- Furniture Row Racing -142, 13) 14- Stewart-Haas Racing -144, 14) 24- Hendrick Motorsports -147, 15) 56- Michael Waltrip Racing -158, 16) 39- Stewart-Haas Racing -162, 17) 1- Earnhardt Ganassi Racing -174, 18) 27- Richard Childress Racing -183, 19) 55- Michael Waltrip Racing -184, 20) 43- Richard Petty Motorsports -205.
Driver Wild Cards: 1) Martin Truex, Jr. (14th in points, one win), 2) Ryan Newman (15th in points, one win)
Owner Wild Cards: 1) 14- Stewart-Haas Racing (13th in points, one win), 2) 56- Michael Waltrip Racing (15th in points, one win)
Currently Ineligible for Wild Card: 1) Tony Stewart (19th in points, one win), 2) David Ragan (26th in points, one win)
Race Winners: Jimmie Johnson (Daytona-1, Martinsville, Pocono, Daytona-2), Carl Edwards (Phoenix), Matt Kenseth (Las Vegas, Kansas, Darlington, Kentucky, Bristol-2), Kasey Kahne (Bristol, Pocono-2), Kyle Busch (Auto Club, Texas, Watkins Glen), Kevin Harvick (Richmond, Charlotte), David Ragan (Talladega), Tony Stewart (Dover), Greg Biffle (Michigan), Martin Truex, Jr. (Sonoma), Brian Vickers (Loudon), Ryan Newman (Indianapolis), Joey Logano (Michigan-2)
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: Bristol 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: David Ragan for Front Row Motorsports; started 17th, finished 12th
What makes Ragan's 12th-place finish so impressive? For one, Ragan was the only small-team representative to finish the race on the lead lap. Or how about this: the finish was Ragan's second-best at the bullring by two spots, and that includes his tenure with Roush Fenway Racing. Ragan, who's been accused of being impatient and "a dart without feathers" on more than one occasion, did what many of his underdog counterparts (and even the points leader) couldn't. He stayed out of trouble and finished the race without any major incidents. It sounds simple, but at Bristol, where things can change in an instant, it's easy to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Ragan is 26th in driver points, good enough for second among the small-team drivers. Casey Mears still leads this group by a healthy margin, but Ragan could make a run at him if Mears stumbles or gets caught in someone's trouble as he did Saturday.
Underdog Selection No. 2: David Stremme for Swan Racing; started 38th, finished 17th
Stremme came within 50 laps of the same kind of clean, keep-on-digging finish that Ragan had on Saturday night…and then Brian Vickers and Danny Hamlin happened. The two tangled on a late restart and Stremme was one of three underdogs to get collected in the aftermath. But despite a torn-up race car, Stremme kept it together to finish a very respectable 17th—21 spots better than his starting spot. It's his best finish since Talladega and by far his best on a track where restrictor plates aren't used.
This first-year team continues to impress with their steady improvement and commitment to being competitive. Many people questioned whether they would even be around by August, let alone running well and finishing every race.
Underdog Selection No. 3: Landon Cassill for Circle Sport; started 33rd, finished 23rd
When Circle Sport added a second team, Cassill was moved into the No. 40 as an insurance policy in qualifying, and despite bouncing between the new ride and the No. 33 this month, Cassill has been solid. He's the kind of driver many fans would like to see in a top ride, just to see what he's really capable of, because he's overachieving for this team on a weekly basis.
Cassill finished three laps down at Bristol, but for an underfunded team at that track, that's not bad. He came home ten spots ahead of where he started, and kept his nose clean. That's what this team needs, and Cassill seems to be getting it done despite the obstacles the team faces.
Underdog Pick of the Week-Atlanta: Bobby Labonte for JTG-Daugherty Racing
In this section, I'll give you my pick among the small teams to have a strong run in the upcoming race.
I didn't do too badly last week considering my pick, David Stremme, got caught in a crash not of his doing. He still came away with a top 20 and third among the underdogs.
Now it's on to Atlanta, one of those intermediate tracks that chews up underfunded teams and spits them out. Despite my doubts about his team's commitment to him as the season closes out, Bobby Labonte's six wins—tops among all active drivers—are just too much to overlook. His average finish is also tops among all the underdogs with more than one start, so even though his team isn't up to speed, Labonte is as good as anyone at this track.
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: Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race was brought to you by the Letter B for "Bad Luck." We had an unusually high number of notable drivers run into problems at Bristol. From Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and others getting caught up in wrecks, to Kurt Busch's hub issues and Carl Edwards' valve spring failure, a number of drivers made the short commute home from Eastern Tennessee in a surly mood. - Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Bristol Stories
by Summer Bedgood
Clint Bowyer Clinches Chase Berth
Despite finishing fourteenth after running out of fuel in the waning laps of the Irwin Tools Night Race, Clint Bowyer officially clinched a spot in NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup. He joins Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson as the only drivers who are guaranteed a Chase berth.
The night was an up-and-down one for Bowyer and his No. 15 team, who led 50 laps and was leading when contact from the lapped car of Travis Kvapil sent Bowyer spinning. Bowyer sustained some damage from the No. 47 of Bobby Labonte and had to restart in the back of the pack. Eventually, he worked his way back up into the top 10 and, for the most part, stayed there until he ran out of fuel.
"I'm extremely proud of the guys -- they got it fixed back up," said Bowyer. "We went out there and gave it everything we had and just came up short. Then we ran out of gas there at the end."
Bowyer is currently second in the Sprint Cup Series standings and is 18 points behind points leader Jimmie Johnson. This will be Bowyer's fifth appearance in the Chase since joining the Sprint Cup Series full-time in 2006.
Busch Falls Short of Bristol Sweep
After winning the Truck Series and Nationwide Series race at Bristol leading up to Saturday, Busch went into the Irwin Tools Night Race looking to sweep the entire weekend for the second time in his career.
He would ultimately fall short. After crashing in qualifying, Busch would be forced to start from the rear of the field. Although Busch would eventually work his way into the top 10 and stayed there for much of the race, Busch would eventually finish 11th.
Busch was not a factor for the win at all, failing to lead even one lap.
"Bittersweet," said crew chief Dave Rogers. "In the end I think I should be satisfied with almost a top 10, but truthfully I'm really discouraged. Because it's still Kyle Busch, and it's still Bristol. He's one of the best there ever was here. Obviously, the equipment JGR is producing is good enough to win."
Busch has three wins this season, and sits fifth in points with 82 points separating him from leader Jimmie Johnson.
Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick Clash in Bristol
Bristol did not fail to live up to the temper tantrum reputation that it has come to be known for in the NASCAR community. With around 52 laps left in the Irwin Tools Night Race, Hamlin made contact with Brian Vickers that cut his right front tire. Hamlin rode right up into the high line and oncoming traffic and a huge wreck ensued.
One of the drivers involved was Kevin Harvick. Both Hamlin's and Harvick's cars were destroyed, and a frustrated Harvick pulled his damaged racecar into Hamlin's pit box. Hamlin drove his car onto pit road and pushed Harvick out of his box. While the NASCAR officials threw a red flag, Harvick got out of his car at the entrance to pit road and walked over to Hamlin's car. The two had a quick discussion and told their sides of the story.
"I just saw the No. 11 shoot across the race track," said Harvick. "It looked like he was trying to swerve at somebody. He said the No. 56 got into him and so I just wanted to know what happened."
Hamlin recounted the story to the media post-race.
"He (Kevin Harvick) was under the impression that I caused it," Hamlin said. "He didn't see the replay. I talked to him. Luckily, we were able to talk right away and hash it out. The 55 (Brian Vickers) just cut down on us right in the middle of the straightaway and it cut my right front tire. I'm just in the car and a steering wheel holder at that point. It caused a huge accident. It sucks, but I didn't cause it. I was one of the guys who got cut off. We can't catch a break. We were as solid of a car as we were today — we had a car that could run in the top-five and I thought we were better than the 5 (Kasey Kahne). Who knows what would have happened. We cannot catch a break. You've got to laugh at it at this point. It's somewhat humorous."
Hamlin and Harvick finished 28th and 34th, respectively.
Letter of the Race: Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race was brought to you by the Letter B for "Bad Luck." We had an unusually high number of notable drivers run into problems at Bristol. From Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and others getting caught up in wrecks, to Kurt Busch's hub issues and Carl Edwards' valve spring failure, a number of drivers made the short commute home from Eastern Tennessee in a surly mood. - Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Bristol Stories
by Summer Bedgood
Clint Bowyer Clinches Chase Berth
Despite finishing fourteenth after running out of fuel in the waning laps of the Irwin Tools Night Race, Clint Bowyer officially clinched a spot in NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup. He joins Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson as the only drivers who are guaranteed a Chase berth.
The night was an up-and-down one for Bowyer and his No. 15 team, who led 50 laps and was leading when contact from the lapped car of Travis Kvapil sent Bowyer spinning. Bowyer sustained some damage from the No. 47 of Bobby Labonte and had to restart in the back of the pack. Eventually, he worked his way back up into the top 10 and, for the most part, stayed there until he ran out of fuel.
"I'm extremely proud of the guys -- they got it fixed back up," said Bowyer. "We went out there and gave it everything we had and just came up short. Then we ran out of gas there at the end."
Bowyer is currently second in the Sprint Cup Series standings and is 18 points behind points leader Jimmie Johnson. This will be Bowyer's fifth appearance in the Chase since joining the Sprint Cup Series full-time in 2006.
Busch Falls Short of Bristol Sweep
After winning the Truck Series and Nationwide Series race at Bristol leading up to Saturday, Busch went into the Irwin Tools Night Race looking to sweep the entire weekend for the second time in his career.
He would ultimately fall short. After crashing in qualifying, Busch would be forced to start from the rear of the field. Although Busch would eventually work his way into the top 10 and stayed there for much of the race, Busch would eventually finish 11th.
Busch was not a factor for the win at all, failing to lead even one lap.
"Bittersweet," said crew chief Dave Rogers. "In the end I think I should be satisfied with almost a top 10, but truthfully I'm really discouraged. Because it's still Kyle Busch, and it's still Bristol. He's one of the best there ever was here. Obviously, the equipment JGR is producing is good enough to win."
Busch has three wins this season, and sits fifth in points with 82 points separating him from leader Jimmie Johnson.
Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick Clash in Bristol
Bristol did not fail to live up to the temper tantrum reputation that it has come to be known for in the NASCAR community. With around 52 laps left in the Irwin Tools Night Race, Hamlin made contact with Brian Vickers that cut his right front tire. Hamlin rode right up into the high line and oncoming traffic and a huge wreck ensued.
One of the drivers involved was Kevin Harvick. Both Hamlin's and Harvick's cars were destroyed, and a frustrated Harvick pulled his damaged racecar into Hamlin's pit box. Hamlin drove his car onto pit road and pushed Harvick out of his box. While the NASCAR officials threw a red flag, Harvick got out of his car at the entrance to pit road and walked over to Hamlin's car. The two had a quick discussion and told their sides of the story.
"I just saw the No. 11 shoot across the race track," said Harvick. "It looked like he was trying to swerve at somebody. He said the No. 56 got into him and so I just wanted to know what happened."
Hamlin recounted the story to the media post-race.
"He (Kevin Harvick) was under the impression that I caused it," Hamlin said. "He didn't see the replay. I talked to him. Luckily, we were able to talk right away and hash it out. The 55 (Brian Vickers) just cut down on us right in the middle of the straightaway and it cut my right front tire. I'm just in the car and a steering wheel holder at that point. It caused a huge accident. It sucks, but I didn't cause it. I was one of the guys who got cut off. We can't catch a break. We were as solid of a car as we were today — we had a car that could run in the top-five and I thought we were better than the 5 (Kasey Kahne). Who knows what would have happened. We cannot catch a break. You've got to laugh at it at this point. It's somewhat humorous."
Hamlin and Harvick finished 28th and 34th, respectively.
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: Irwin Tools Night Race
compiled by Summer Bedgood
"I think Kasey (Kahne) was getting tired of battling me. Kasey's just an unbelievable talent — we've finished first-second a couple times this year. He wanted it bad. We raced as hard as we could race and used every inch of race track. I had just enough to hold it — just enough fuel and just enough tires. Really have to thank Dollar General and this whole team — so proud of this team behind me. Man, we won the Bristol night race — this is so awesome." - Matt Kenseth, race winner
"Well, we felt like we left something here in the spring. We felt like we had a good car here. You never know how these things are going to turn out, but we were looking forward to coming back to Bristol and getting another opportunity to do that. We weren't as good as we hoped we would be when we unloaded or hit the track on Friday, but we made a lot of changes. Guys did a lot of good adjustments on the car. Car had some speed tonight as Matt (Kenseth) mentioned. He said he put me in a box. He put himself in a box and dug his way right out of it. He did a good job on 200-plus-lap right-side tires. I told him we got our money's worth out of everything. His air-conditioner quit, so we got the money's worth out of that one, money's worth out of the tires, maybe half a gallon left of fuel there at the end. Everything worked out for us right to the end, and it was the same old Bristol — dramatic finish right at the end." - Jason Ratcliff, winning crew chief
"We had a really good Farmers Insurance Chevrolet. We were fast. Kenny (Francis, crew chief) made a great call to get the tires and not worry about fuel and I just didn't get it done. I didn't win. I had the better car. The guys did a great job in the pits and I feel bad [that] I didn't win. We needed this. It would have been big for us. But, we ended up second. It was still a good points day and we'll try to get one in Atlanta." - Kasey Kahne, finished second
"Our Target Chevy was strong all day. When we restarted I started gaining on him. I thought 'oh we are looking pretty good here'. I tried running the top in (Turns) 3 and 4 and it was so way dirty and I lost a bit of ground there and started kind of equalizing. I just kept getting tighter and tighter, so it didn't happen. That was all we had, believe me." - Juan Pablo Montoya, finished third
"It's a lot of hard work and no one giving up on this Aaron's team — these guys did a good job. We were way, way too tight to start the race and we lost a little bit of track position. We were the last car not to pit on the last pit stop and that was a dangerous position to be in. We lost a lot of track position. It gave us an opportunity to work on the race car. The guys made a great call and a lot of good calls through the race to make the car a lot better. We had an incredible car there at the end. Once we got to fourth, I was really hoping for a caution because I think we would have given Matt (Kenseth) a run for his money, but congratulations to those guys. I have the opportunity to work with Dollar General and I'm happy for that whole group. Really proud of this Aaron's team — it was a great night for us." - Brian Vickers, finished fourth
"That was the hardest fought top five I've ever had in my life. We had a right-front knocked in once. We got blocked in by the 11 once. We got a piece of garbage on the front. Every time this happened we had to go all the way to the back, so we came from the back three times to get a top-five finish. They can't put us down and can't keep us down. This team is awesome. We deserve to make this Chase and if we keep doing this on days that they're trying to put us down, we deserve it. I'm just really proud of everybody on this Shell/Pennzoil Ford team. They're all excited about this top five. I feel like I had the winning car all night. I feel like I had the fastest car and the only car that could really pass people. We went from 20th there with 40 or 50 to go to finishing fifth. We're proud of that." - Joey Logano, finished fifth
"That's two top-10s in two weeks and we've got to take that. We've had a good few weeks here and I've just got to thank everybody at Richard Petty Motorsports for giving me the opportunity to run like that. We didn't start off great and we didn't finish great handling-wise, but we fought hard all night and got some track position at the end that really helped us a lot." - Marcos Ambrose, finished eighth
"Yeah, I think so because, to be honest with you, we weren't all that great right off the truck. We were a little bit tight and I had to drive the heck out of it and run it right on the edge to get any speed out of it. Things worked out for a top-10 and some of the guys we were racing had trouble too, so it will probably end up being OK for us." - Greg Biffle, finished ninth
"We had a good car especially at the end. I'm real happy with the speed we had, just we weren't sure about making it on fuel. The No. 15 ran out and he was even saving as much as we were. Just a risk we couldn't take. Just a risk we couldn't take tonight, but gave up about maybe five points there and hopefully just making sure we got the fuel to finish the race and getting a 10th-place finish will pay off for us here in the next couple of weeks." - Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished tenth
"It was a pretty good day for us. We had a fast Peanut Patch Ford, but we had to work hard for it all night. The guys in the pits did a good job. We dodged a couple wrecks and got a little bit of damage. It kind of looks like we just ran a race at Darlington. It was a lot of fun and a top-15 finish is an improvement from our qualifying spot. It was a good day. We always want more, but we'll learn from it and move on to Atlanta." - David Ragan, finished 12th
"Man, our car was so fast. I felt like we had a shot at winning and then I got spun out there by a lapper of all things. When I got hit up there, it hit that left-front tire and the car never turned the center as good the rest of the night. Extremely proud of the guys — they got it fixed back up. We went out there and gave it everything we had and just came up short. Then we ran out of gas there at the end." - Clint Bowyer, finished 14th
"We struggled at the beginning of the race hitting the racetrack really, really bad. Then I screwed us up in the pits. Pitted long, and we weren't able to get it rectified before the tires got changed, which put us a lap down. We still didn't have the car fixed yet, so we continued to work on the car and at about halfway, we got the car pretty competitive. At that point, we had taken a gamble and lost a couple more laps by pitting under the green, and then having a caution come out on the lap where we came back out. We had some tough luck and a few things that we could've done better, but we were pretty fast at the end. That's why I go home feeling good about it because we were able to improve the car and get it competitive and that's hard to do with the short pit stops that we get here. The guys did a good job. I think we'll be better. Our practice time was so short yesterday and we had so much trouble, we just needed another day to be ready for tonight, really." - Mark Martin, finished 20th
"Overall, I would honestly say we are still on a good streak of running strong. There is nothing you can do about getting into the wall and having damage. We came back as best as we could and made the car as good as it was at the end. That is a positive. My goal honestly in my mind is like 'man if we can come away with a top 30 with having these problems then that is alright' and we finished 26th through attrition and staying out of trouble. We will take it and move on." - Danica Patrick, finished 26th
"He (Kevin Harvick) was under the impression that I caused it. He didn't see the replay. I talked to him. Luckily, we were able to talk right away and hash it out. The 55 (Brian Vickers) just cut down on us right in the middle of the straightaway and it cut my right front tire. I'm just in the car and a steering wheel holder at that point. It caused a huge accident. It sucks, but I didn't cause it. I was one of the guys who got cut off. We can't catch a break. We were as solid of a car as we were today — we had a car that could run in the top-five and I thought we were better than the 5 (Kasey Kahne). Who knows what would have happened. We cannot catch a break. You've got to laugh at it at this point. It's somewhat humorous." - Denny Hamlin, finished 28th
"I said every team is worried and concerned. If you're not in right now, I don't care if you're running eighth or you're running 13th, every team is worried and concerned – not just mine." - Brad Keselowski, finished 30th
"Yeah, I guess we had a right-rear hub fail where the studs pulled through or they weren't tightened or assembled. I don't know just a right-rear hub failure. Now we have to go back and diagnosis that. When you are 20 laps down there is nothing you can do. We just rode around and we are down, but we are not out. I guess at the end of the race, we gained a bunch of points back with guys having trouble. My thoughts all through the race were we just have to go to Atlanta and Richmond and win them both." - Kurt Busch, finished 31st
"I just saw the No. 11 shoot across the race track. It looked like he was trying to swerve at somebody. He said the No. 56 got into him and so I just wanted to know what happened." - Kevin Harvick, finished 34th
"I'm doing fine, just disappointed. Honestly, I didn't see anything. They just started jamming up and I just tried to follow the 29 (Kevin Harvick) through and we got smashed in the fence a couple times. Just frustrating, we had a great car all night long. We ran towards the front all night, but just didn't have enough gas to make it to the end there and had to pit. Once you get in the back here towards the end, they start wrecking and you're an innocent victim. Just frustrated right now because we had a good car and we didn't deserve that tonight." - Martin Truex Jr., finished 35th
"We will definitely come back next week and do all we can. We had a decent finish. Last week I really thought we had a shot to win and had an engine failure. This racing stuff happens. Luckily, we had a big points lead that we can kind of deal with right now. We've locked into the Chase. We certainly want to clean things up and have some great finishes rolling into the Chase. We'll keep after it, and be back again next week. We'll go to Atlanta and do all we can there. And then Richmond. I feel like we had a really good test. There is still a lot of racing left. And once the Chase starts, it is its own animal. So, we'll just wait and see what happens during those ten (races)." - Jimmie Johnson, finished 36th
"I didn't have any warning. I've just got to thank all the guys. That's the most fun I've had in a race car in a long time. Jimmy did a great job. The car was almost perfect and the engine ran awesome until it broke. We had great pit stops and I think we've got some good things to get forward to. This is what we needed, a race like this – with the engine aside – I think we were the dominant car here tonight. We've got some good races coming up." - Carl Edwards, finished 39th
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
The Big Six: Questions Answered After The Irwin Tools Night Race
by Amy Henderson
Clean Race Speaks Volumes About Kahne's Character
by Summer Bedgood
by Amy Henderson
Clean Race Speaks Volumes About Kahne's Character
by Summer Bedgood
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Geoff Bodine's 1994 season was encapsulated by dominant victories, engine failures and huge crashes. At Atlanta, Bodine qualified fourth and led 34 laps. However, the race ended with his 15th DNF of the year. What happened?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: At the 1993 Food City 250, Robert Pressley had a pretty good race weekend, for the most part. He qualified third and led 42 laps in the race. However, the finish was not what he desired. What happened?
A: On Lap 120, Pressley got in the back of Richard Lasater in Turn 3, spinning Lasater into the wall. Pressley was tapped from behind by Rodney Combs and spun himself. Pressley was then hit by Tracy Leslie, who was driven into Pressley's No. 59 by Chuck Bown. To top things off, Pressley's rear end hit Combs again, dislodging the rear decklid. The crash can be seen here.
Pressley ended up puncturing his radiator in the crash and had to go behind the wall for repairs. He would eventually return to the race and finished 21st, 44 laps down. Lasater was out on the spot, while Combs and Leslie were eliminated in later crashes. Bown, despite significant damage in this crash, still managed to finish fifth.
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: Irwin Tools Night Race 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: Irwin Tools Night Race 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 Bristol and get us ready for Atlanta.
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Bristol-Atlanta Edition by Brad Morgan
Brad gives up something to look forward to going into Atlanta. He's 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. This week, The focus is on Roger Penske and the gambles he's taken to get his team where they are today.
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 gives up something to look forward to going into Atlanta. He's 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. This week, The focus is on Roger Penske and the gambles he's taken to get his team where they are today.
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.
Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
This past weekend, the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series were all in action at Bristol Motor Speedway. How did ESPN and FOX Sports 1 do last weekend? Find out in our weekly TV critique.
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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
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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