THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
September 2nd, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CLXIII
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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!
September 2nd, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CLXIII
~~~~~~~~~
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 AdvoCare 500, Four More Clinch Chase Berths
by Justin Tucker
Kyle Busch came into Sunday's AdvoCare 500 with one goal firmly in mind: make the Chase. It was something that he failed to do in 2012, leaving him with a feeling of bitter disappointment and 365 days worth of what might have beens.
Sunday, too started off a struggle... until it mattered most. Busch's pit crew finally got his No. 18 Toyota Camry right on a crucial pit stop, charging ahead of the field on Lap 289 to hold a lead he would never relinquish. Staying out front through several restarts, he held off a hard-charging Joey Logano by .740 seconds to win the AdvoCare 500. That marked Busch's fourth victory of 2013 and, most importantly, clinched his spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
A happy and relieved Busch spoke in Victory Lane about his pit crew and championship aspirations.
"My boys on pit road," Busch said. "They're amazing. I would do anything for them. The championship is No. 1 on anybody's list. You want to be the best in your realm of racing. I'm a NASCAR driver. I want to win a championship. I've yet to collect the big prize. One of these days, it will happen. Maybe it'll be 2013. Hopefully, it is."
Joey Logano would continue his push to the Chase with a strong second-place showing on Sunday night, which moved him up to eighth in the standings with just one race before the Chase. Logano would have the fastest car for much of the night, leading a race-high 78 laps, but he ran out of time down the stretch to reel in Busch and win his second race of 2013. Logano, who lost 11 positions on pit road under caution was struggling with a runner-up result after driving a car he thought should have won.
"It's just frustrating," Logano said. "But in the grand scheme of things, it's a big points day for us to get into the Chase going to Richmond. This helps us a lot. A win would've helped a lot more."
Joining Busch and Logano in the top 5 finishing order on Sunday was Martin Truex, Jr. in third, despite racing with a broken wrist, Kurt Busch in fourth, and Ryan Newman in fifth.
Jeff Gordon finished sixth to keep his Chase hopes alive, while Juan Pablo Montoya was seventh. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished eighth while Kevin Harvick was ninth. Brian Vickers rallied from starting in the rear of the field and a late spin to finish tenth.
Kyle Busch wasn't the only driver to clinch his spot in the Chase on Sunday night. Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards also clinched postseason spots on points. Kasey Kahne, as well clinched at least a "wild card" berth thanks to his two victories. They join Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer and Matt Kenseth in the group of drivers already locked in.
Engine failures would take out two of the race's strongest cars on Sunday. Clint Bowyer, who led 48 laps on the evening and built a seven-second advantage over the middle stage of the race lost an engine on lap 193, ending any shot at a much-needed victory for bonus points in the Chase. Bowyer wound up with a 39th-place finish.
But it was defending Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski whose blown motor made the biggest impact. Keselowski, who is winless in 2013, looked like he had a shot after leading 31 laps. But that's when, all of a sudden the engine on his No. 2 Miller Lite Ford dropped a couple of cylinders. Keselowski began dropping back, trying to nurse his car to the finish, but the engine finally gave way with 18 laps to go, leaving the defending champion 35th. Keselowski is now 28 points behind tenth-place Kurt Busch, 15th in the standings and now in need of a miracle to make the postseason.
"There's just some things you can't control," the reigning champ explained. "I guess we'll look at the positive. We were leading the race when it broke. We were doing all the right things. We just didn't put all the pieces together."
A look at Sunday's AdvoCare 500 by the numbers shows there were 28 lead changes among 13 drivers, while nine cautions for 47 laps slowed the race pace to 135.128 MPH. Next week, the Sprint Cup Series heads to Richmond International Raceway for the final race before the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup. The Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond will go green at 7:44 PM ET Saturday night on ABC.
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 Nearly Loses Lead, But Gains Thanks to Bowyer's Failure
by Phil Allaway
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Kyle Busch Wins AdvoCare 500, Four More Clinch Chase Berths
by Justin Tucker
Kyle Busch came into Sunday's AdvoCare 500 with one goal firmly in mind: make the Chase. It was something that he failed to do in 2012, leaving him with a feeling of bitter disappointment and 365 days worth of what might have beens.
Sunday, too started off a struggle... until it mattered most. Busch's pit crew finally got his No. 18 Toyota Camry right on a crucial pit stop, charging ahead of the field on Lap 289 to hold a lead he would never relinquish. Staying out front through several restarts, he held off a hard-charging Joey Logano by .740 seconds to win the AdvoCare 500. That marked Busch's fourth victory of 2013 and, most importantly, clinched his spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
A happy and relieved Busch spoke in Victory Lane about his pit crew and championship aspirations.
"My boys on pit road," Busch said. "They're amazing. I would do anything for them. The championship is No. 1 on anybody's list. You want to be the best in your realm of racing. I'm a NASCAR driver. I want to win a championship. I've yet to collect the big prize. One of these days, it will happen. Maybe it'll be 2013. Hopefully, it is."
Joey Logano would continue his push to the Chase with a strong second-place showing on Sunday night, which moved him up to eighth in the standings with just one race before the Chase. Logano would have the fastest car for much of the night, leading a race-high 78 laps, but he ran out of time down the stretch to reel in Busch and win his second race of 2013. Logano, who lost 11 positions on pit road under caution was struggling with a runner-up result after driving a car he thought should have won.
"It's just frustrating," Logano said. "But in the grand scheme of things, it's a big points day for us to get into the Chase going to Richmond. This helps us a lot. A win would've helped a lot more."
Joining Busch and Logano in the top 5 finishing order on Sunday was Martin Truex, Jr. in third, despite racing with a broken wrist, Kurt Busch in fourth, and Ryan Newman in fifth.
Jeff Gordon finished sixth to keep his Chase hopes alive, while Juan Pablo Montoya was seventh. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished eighth while Kevin Harvick was ninth. Brian Vickers rallied from starting in the rear of the field and a late spin to finish tenth.
Kyle Busch wasn't the only driver to clinch his spot in the Chase on Sunday night. Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards also clinched postseason spots on points. Kasey Kahne, as well clinched at least a "wild card" berth thanks to his two victories. They join Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer and Matt Kenseth in the group of drivers already locked in.
Engine failures would take out two of the race's strongest cars on Sunday. Clint Bowyer, who led 48 laps on the evening and built a seven-second advantage over the middle stage of the race lost an engine on lap 193, ending any shot at a much-needed victory for bonus points in the Chase. Bowyer wound up with a 39th-place finish.
But it was defending Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski whose blown motor made the biggest impact. Keselowski, who is winless in 2013, looked like he had a shot after leading 31 laps. But that's when, all of a sudden the engine on his No. 2 Miller Lite Ford dropped a couple of cylinders. Keselowski began dropping back, trying to nurse his car to the finish, but the engine finally gave way with 18 laps to go, leaving the defending champion 35th. Keselowski is now 28 points behind tenth-place Kurt Busch, 15th in the standings and now in need of a miracle to make the postseason.
"There's just some things you can't control," the reigning champ explained. "I guess we'll look at the positive. We were leading the race when it broke. We were doing all the right things. We just didn't put all the pieces together."
A look at Sunday's AdvoCare 500 by the numbers shows there were 28 lead changes among 13 drivers, while nine cautions for 47 laps slowed the race pace to 135.128 MPH. Next week, the Sprint Cup Series heads to Richmond International Raceway for the final race before the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup. The Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond will go green at 7:44 PM ET Saturday night on ABC.
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 Nearly Loses Lead, But Gains Thanks to Bowyer's Failure
by Phil Allaway
Jimmie Johnson's night barely got underway before trouble struck. On the restart from a competition caution, a chain reaction resulted in significant damage to the front end of the Lowe's Chevrolet. At that point, Johnson was reduced to riding around for the rest of the night. A late spin didn't help his case either, but the five-time champion eventually finished 28th, four laps down. Now, you'd think that would really hurt Johnson in the standings. For about half the race, it did. Then, Clint Bowyer's engine turned traitor not long after halfway, putting him out. That allowed Johnson to gain ten points.
However, the rest of the top-10 championship competitors all gained on Johnson. Kevin Harvick's ninth-place finish moved him up into a tie for third with Carl Edwards. Edwards led early, but fell off late and finished a lap down in 18th. Kyle Busch's victory did not gain him any positions, but it did allow him to gain 30 points on Johnson. He is now just 51 out of the lead, just nine behind Harvick and Edwards.
However, the rest of the top-10 championship competitors all gained on Johnson. Kevin Harvick's ninth-place finish moved him up into a tie for third with Carl Edwards. Edwards led early, but fell off late and finished a lap down in 18th. Kyle Busch's victory did not gain him any positions, but it did allow him to gain 30 points on Johnson. He is now just 51 out of the lead, just nine behind Harvick and Edwards.
Matt Kenseth spent much of Sunday night off-sequence due to a tire issue. However, Kenseth was able to snag a Lucky Dog and bring himself home in 12th. These six drivers are all locked into the Chase on points. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is still seventh, but has some work to do in order to guarantee his Chase berth despite Sunday's top-10 finish. Joey Logano's second-place result moved him up to a season-best eighth in points. He'll still need to take care of business on Saturday night, though.
Greg Biffle recovered from handling issues, early on to finish 15th and hold on to ninth in points. Finally, Kurt Busch's fourth-place finish moved him back into the top 10 in the standings. His cushion is only six points over Jeff Gordon, though and ten over Kasey Kahne. Kahne, who was eighth entering the race, broke his radiator and oil cooler as a result of the same chain reaction incident that ruined Johnson's night.
Greg Biffle recovered from handling issues, early on to finish 15th and hold on to ninth in points. Finally, Kurt Busch's fourth-place finish moved him back into the top 10 in the standings. His cushion is only six points over Jeff Gordon, though and ten over Kasey Kahne. Kahne, who was eighth entering the race, broke his radiator and oil cooler as a result of the same chain reaction incident that ruined Johnson's night.
Point Standings (Top 10): 1) Jimmie Johnson 837, 2) Clint Bowyer -28, t-3) Kevin Harvick -42, t-3) Carl Edwards -42, 5) Kyle Busch -51, 6) Matt Kenseth -69, 7) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -87, 8) Joey Logano -108, 9) Greg Biffle -110, 10) Kurt Busch -118.
Driver Point Standings (11-20): 11) Jeff Gordon -124, 12) Kasey Kahne -128, 13) Martin Truex, Jr. -133, 14) Ryan Newman -138, 15) Brad Keselowski -146, 16) Jamie McMurray -157, 17) Paul Menard -179, 18) Aric Almirola -197, 19) Juan Pablo Montoya -209, 20) Marcos Ambrose -216.
Owner Point Standings (11-20): 11) 24- Hendrick Motorsports -124, 12) 5- Hendrick Motorsports -128, 13) 56- Michael Waltrip Racing -133, 14) 39- Stewart-Haas Racing -138, 15) 14- Stewart-Haas Racing -141, 16) 2- Penske Racing -146, 17) 1- Earnhardt Ganassi Racing -157, 18) 55- Michael Waltrip Racing -166, 19) 27- Richard Childress Racing -179, 20) 43- Richard Petty Motorsports -197.
Driver Wild Cards: 1) Kasey Kahne (12th in points, two wins), 2) Martin Truex, Jr. (13th in points, one win)
Owner Wild Cards: 1) 5 - Hendrick Motorsports (12th in points, two wins), 2) 56 - Michael Waltrip Racing (13th in points, one win)
Currently Ineligible for Wild Card: 1) Ryan Newman (14th in points, one win), 2) Tony Stewart (23rd in points, one win), 2) David Ragan (25th 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, Atlanta), 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: Atlanta 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: AJ Allmendinger for JTG-Daugherty Racing; started 13th, finished 14th
It was a little strange to see Allmendinger listed in this ride, for this race before Bobby Labonte was injured in a bicycling accident this week; after all, no active driver has more wins at this track than Labonte. The 2014 full-time driver of this car, however, surprised this weekend with his top-15 qualifying effort and finish. This team has slipped a bit among its peers this year; Labonte led this group in driver points a year ago, but a couple of other wheelmen are getting better results in 2013. Will Allmendinger turn things around? He's a talented veteran, with two Nationwide wins this year, but he can't do it alone. Labonte wasn't the only reason this team slipped, meaning other improvements have to occur for JTG to experience long-term growth.
Underdog Selection No. 2: David Gilliland for Front Row Motorsports; started 31st, finished 17th
Front Row has been making some noise of late, and this week, it was Gilliland with the organization's top finish. It was an impressive gain throughout the day, picking up 14 spots from start to finish for a solid lead-lap result. This team has had its moments this year, with their 1-2 Talladega success, but they've quietly been improving on other tracks as well. Ragan, the winner at 'Dega moved up to 25th in driver points this week while Gilliland was netting his best run since Daytona in July. If they can find consistency, Front Row Motorsports can continue reaching new heights come 2014.
Underdog Selection No. 3: Casey Mears for Germain Racing; started 19th, finished 22nd
Mears had a decent run, overcoming a pit road incident and picking up several spots late in the race, but this team's weakness continues to be the intermediate tracks, the bread and butter of the series. Still, Mears has been rock solid this year, and he's not on top of the standings among the small teams for no reason. This team has improved vastly…but there's room for more.
Underdog Pick of the Week - Richmond: David Ragan 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. Bobby Labonte, my pick for Atlanta, got hurt and was unable to race.
Now it's on to Richmond, and while these teams aren't battling for Chase berths, they're duking it out for supremacy among their own. Bobby Labonte, with four top 5s and a top-20 average, would have been the obvious pick, but he's likely out after breaking ribs, so Ragan gets the nod for Richmond. He has three top-5 finishes at the D-shaped, three-quarter-mile oval and his 20.5 average matches reigning champion Brad Keselowski's. It's also a spot higher than AJ Allmendinger's and four places better than Casey Mears' average finish. Ragan can be a bit hit or miss on the short tracks, but if he avoids trouble, he can top the small teams this week.
Are you frustrated with the lack of coverage NASCAR's underdogs 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 S for "Spinning Tires." The 17-year-old track surface at Atlanta Motor Speedway has very little grip. This made it very hard to launch on restarts. Sunday's race saw multiple drivers who restarted in second drop down the order because they just could not put the power down. It's a great shame. - Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Stories
by Summer Bedgood and Phil Allaway
Letter of the Race: Saturday night's Irwin Tools Night Race was brought to you by the Letter S for "Spinning Tires." The 17-year-old track surface at Atlanta Motor Speedway has very little grip. This made it very hard to launch on restarts. Sunday's race saw multiple drivers who restarted in second drop down the order because they just could not put the power down. It's a great shame. - Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Stories
by Summer Bedgood and Phil Allaway
Max Papis Slapped After Chevrolet Silverado 250
The last lap of Sunday afternoon's Chevrolet Silverado 250k de-evolved into a free-for-all. Chase Elliott and Ty Dillon had contact in the final turn, resulting in Dillon going into the tires. Behind Elliott and Dillon, Mike Skeen and Max Papis collided, putting both drivers into the tires as well.
Both drivers took exception to the issue, arguing with each other on the cool-down lap at multiple points. Once back in the garage, all heck broke loose. One of Skeen's crewmembers tried to pull Papis out of the truck, only to be pulled away by multiple NTS Motorsports crew members. Some pushing and shoving erupted as well.
Papis then did an interview with FOX Sports 1's Hermie Sadler. In that interview, he claimed that Skeen made "an amateur move" at the last turn after he'd been beating on Papis' truck for the previous three laps. After the interview, Papis was confronted by Kelly Heaphy, Skeen's girlfriend. Heaphy was very angry with Papis' conduct and slapped him across the face. Papis claims that the slap dislocated his jaw.
Papis then did an interview with FOX Sports 1's Hermie Sadler. In that interview, he claimed that Skeen made "an amateur move" at the last turn after he'd been beating on Papis' truck for the previous three laps. After the interview, Papis was confronted by Kelly Heaphy, Skeen's girlfriend. Heaphy was very angry with Papis' conduct and slapped him across the face. Papis claims that the slap dislocated his jaw.
Papis described the situation thusly.
"I got out of the truck and got assaulted by some of the mechanics of the 6 truck," Papis told FOXSports.com's Lee Spencer. "That was really poor as well. I just didn't want to create extra problems. I got out of the truck and went to talk to [Skeen] — but he didn't want to stand up for his own issues. I got out, and this lady came running up to me and she started screaming and hit me so hard that she dislocated my jaw. But I'm not hitting anyone, especially a lady. This was a wife or, whatever, a girlfriend of that kid. I thank my wife for being cool about this stuff. That was between me and that guy right there — I don't even know his name — the 6 driver. It was not between the crew. It was not between me and his girlfriend, wife, whatever she was. I've got to think about what I want to do here. I talked to NASCAR about it, and I'm not very happy about what happened."
"I got out of the truck and got assaulted by some of the mechanics of the 6 truck," Papis told FOXSports.com's Lee Spencer. "That was really poor as well. I just didn't want to create extra problems. I got out of the truck and went to talk to [Skeen] — but he didn't want to stand up for his own issues. I got out, and this lady came running up to me and she started screaming and hit me so hard that she dislocated my jaw. But I'm not hitting anyone, especially a lady. This was a wife or, whatever, a girlfriend of that kid. I thank my wife for being cool about this stuff. That was between me and that guy right there — I don't even know his name — the 6 driver. It was not between the crew. It was not between me and his girlfriend, wife, whatever she was. I've got to think about what I want to do here. I talked to NASCAR about it, and I'm not very happy about what happened."
Skeen acknowledged his girlfriend's role in the proceedings.
"[Slapping Papis is] not something that I would have encouraged," Skeen said after the race. "But it happened. I figure her temper got the best of her. He was saying some pretty nasty stuff on TV, and she felt it was unjustified."
"[Slapping Papis is] not something that I would have encouraged," Skeen said after the race. "But it happened. I figure her temper got the best of her. He was saying some pretty nasty stuff on TV, and she felt it was unjustified."
Skeen also claimed that Papis barged into the Sharp Gallaher Racing transporter in an attempt to get to the lounge and confront him. Heaphy was apparently "pulled down the stairs" in the process.
Heaphy was standing just outside of FOX Sports 1's camera shot when Papis was being interviewed for the race telecast, so she heard everything that Papis told Hermie Sadler. The slap, which was caught on live television, occurred less than a minute after the interview.
For Skeen, this was the second weekend in a row that saw him embroiled in controversy. Last weekend in Sonoma, Skeen had contact with James Sofronas' Audi R8 on the first lap of the Pirelli World Challenge event, held in support of the Izod IndyCar Series GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma. Officials black-flagged Skeen, claiming the incident was avoidable, but Skeen never obeyed the black flag. On Lap 18 of 27, series officials pulled Skeen's scorecard after his team's arguments against the penalty fell on deaf ears. Skeen still finished the race second on the road, but was scored 11th in class at the finish. The driver was then fined 20 points and his team fined $11,000 for failing to obey the Chief Steward.
Martin Truex, Jr. Finishes Third With Broken Wrist
Martin Truex, Jr. broke his wrist last week at Bristol Motor Speedway, but apparently no one told him that. Truex started the race with a blue cast on his wrist, and ended with it broken and slightly melted from the heat and sweat in the car.
Despite the physical handicap, Truex was running towards the front as the laps wound down in Atlanta, coming home third behind race winner Kyle Busch and dominant driver Joey Logano.
Truex heads into Richmond barely hanging on to the final "wild card" spot, however. He holds only a five-point advantage over the next eligible driver, Ryan Newman.
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: AdvoCare 500
compiled by Summer Bedgood
"It was [a joke] at first. That's why we race 500 miles, I guess. Man, I don't know where it came from, but these guys -- Dave Rogers (crew chief) -- the guys never gave up. They made some really good calls and I commend them. It was all their race today. I appreciate them hanging in there with me, although I was pretty graphic sometimes, but that's what this sport is all about. I'm passionate about winning, man. I just want to be the best and to be the best sometimes you've got to beat the best and that's what these 42 other competitors out here are -- they're the best in the world. This M&M's Camry, though came to life there at the end thanks to these guys right here behind me." - Kyle Busch, race winner
"Even when Kyle gets frustrated, he's still telling you what the car is doing. He got frustrated and gave me a lot of nothing there for a minute and then two laps later he came over and said, 'OK, I didn't tell you much because I don't know. I got this going on. I got that going on. I can't sort it out. I can't give you good direction, man, just try something.' So, even when he gets frustrated, he's still trying to give you good feedback. You know, there's times you want to say, 'Hey, calm down,' but you just look at the stopwatch. At no point -- really, I didn't think he got that frustrated tonight, but even when he did if you looked at the stopwatch, he never slowed down. He kept running the same lap times, told me that he was still focused behind the wheel. He was just aggravated the car wasn't doing what he wanted it to." - Dave Rogers, winning crew chief
"I think my best finish here before was about 43rd (laughing), but my guys gave me a great car here at this racetrack. This was a great Shell/Pennzoil Ford. It took probably six laps to get it going and we proved that we had the long run car... we were trying to get there. I just needed five more laps for me to have a shot at it. It's just so frustrating when you've got the winning car and you don't win. That's three straight top fives with this car, though, and that's impressive. We'll take that... and it was a big points day for us for Richmond next week, so we have nothing to hold our heads down about."
"At the same time, I'm mad at myself on that one restart when we started third. I was a little too close to Kyle and when he spun his tires, I had to check up not to hit him, and I can't pass him before the start/finish line, so I gave the 56 a big run and he got underneath me. Then you get shuffled out to the back and it's just a cluster after that, but it was a hard-fought day. The guys did great. Second sucks, but we can't be too mad about it." - Joey Logano, finished second
"It was a good battle, that's for sure. We really needed to win this thing, to be honest with you. I really wanted to win it. As bad as my wrist was hurting, and as bad as the car was for a lot of the race, I was pretty excited there at the end and felt like I was giving it more than I maybe could have or had before. Just came up a little bit short. Had a great restart there on Kyle (Busch) and almost had him cleared. We were just too tight all night long. Going to the rear with 100 (laps) to go was a pretty large kick in the pants and just had to fight hard to get back to the front. I was surprised we made it there. I really didn't think we could. The car wasn't very good at that point. Chad (Johnston, crew chief) made a few adjustments to it and we just kept our head down and kept digging and had some good restarts and was able to make it up there -- just didn't have quite enough at the end to get by Kyle (Busch). Even if we could have cleared him, I'm not sure I could have held him off. The car got really tight at the end again. A good night. It could always be better. It could always be worse, too. Proud that we were able to fight through it tonight. I was in pretty large amounts of pain there, so glad it's over with." - Martin Truex, Jr., finished third
"We control our own destiny, don't have to work from behind and that's exactly where we want to be going into Richmond. We had handling problems, but our Furniture Row guys never gave up. We made some major swings with the setup throughout the race and I can't believe we finished with a top 5. We didn't have a top-5 car tonight but that one restart turned things around for us. I can't tell you what I did right, but it all went right." - Kurt Busch, finished fourth
"We had an excellent Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet SS and it just got away from us a little bit. You know, the track changed quite a bit and we just couldn't battle up front there for the lead and for the win like I thought we could have. Little disappointed in that, but a great effort by the team all weekend long and we will take the momentum of these last two decent finishes, solid runs, and fast race cars and take it to Richmond and see what we can do." - Jeff Gordon, finished sixth
"It was a good night for the Target team. We had some trouble keeping up with the changing track conditions during the first half of the race, but the guys made great changes and the car was good at the end. Happy that we were able to bring home another top-10 finish for Target tonight." - Juan Pablo Montoya, finished seventh
"I was real thankful the car was as good as it was. We have struggled here and not ran great here the last several trips. It's so hard and it's such a struggle to get a car that has a good balance and we did. The car had great speed at the end of the race; we just got restarted in the wrong lane a couple of times and lost some spots there. All in all, I'm real pleased with the way the car performed and the job the guys did." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished eighth
"Obviously, we're happy to be in the Chase. Our day wasn't very good. Our car was just terribly tight all night long and drove nothing like it did in practice. We'll work on that and try to figure that out. But all in all, it's been an OK season so far... you want to put yourself in position to race for the championship and everybody has done a good job doing that. So, we'll go to Richmond next week and try to win another race. [But] I come to this racetrack expecting to have a chance to win the race and we were off all night." - Kevin Harvick, finished ninth
"Yeah, it was hard earned by everyone. These guys did a good job. We were experimenting in practice with some setups and, man, we were so close to getting it figured out and I think if we would have we would have crushed them tonight. But, we couldn't quite get it to work in time and we ended up kind of throwing the kitchen sink at it last night and because of that, the guys did a great job. We had a few things to adjust on the car, but we got a lot better and we finally got us where we were getting track position and then we got caught in the middle down there and spun, got loose. But the guys got it fixed and we go back out there and still got a top-10." - Brian Vickers, finished tenth
"I'm just really proud of my team. We fought all night. We didn't have the fastest car, but we got ourselves in a good position. If there hadn't been another restart there, I just needed clean air on the nose and when I didn't get it there on that last restart I was in trouble. But I'm really proud of my guys. It was a decent night. It's not the finish that we wanted, but we sure ran strong." - Marcos Ambrose, finished 13th
"We ran in the top 20 all night and were pretty much on the lead lap all night long. We got lapped once, but got the Lucky Dog right away, so I'm just real proud of my guys. We felt good about our car after practice. I felt like it was good in race trim and it was when the race started, so we just tuned on it and were up there racing that next set of cars, so I'm real proud of my guys and our effort today." - David Gilliland, finished 17th
"We don't agree on what happened and finally [Jeff Gordon] got frustrated enough with the conversation that he just walked away, which might be smart. We were racing really early and he just slides on me and I thought it was really out of character for him and I didn't understand what was going on there, so I did everything I could to not wreck us both. So naturally, the next time we were around each other I raced him as hard as I could, and then going down the back straightaway I thought he just ran into my door and it kind of tore up our right side. He thought I ran into him, so I think it was a case where both of us were mad at each other. He wasn't very happy with our conversation, but at the end of the day I felt like he was the aggressor and didn't give me much of an opportunity to drive my race car that first time. That was pretty tough, so I don't understand it, but the bigger picture for us is we had a pretty bad night with our Subway Fusion. It started out so good, I thought we could win the race, and then at the end it was too tight, so we've got to work on some stuff." - Carl Edwards, finished 18th
"At this point, it's not frustration. I'm beyond frustration. At this point, you're just looking above going, 'This must be some kind of test to prove how strong we are and what our character is' because I believe in the people I'm around. I think they're doing the right things, but it's just not working. So I'm reserved to this being a test and I love challenges. This is gonna be one helluva challenge." - Brad Keselowski, finished 35th (Blown Engine)
"The motor finished us off, but we -- I don't know what we've got to do, but we can't seem to finish a race. Our night was ruined because of a penalty putting us two laps down and putting us in a box there that we couldn't overcome -- three laps down at one point, so we got back to one and we got wrecked by the 27 (Paul Menard), blew the tire, blew the fender off and blew another engine. I don't know. It's frustrating. I wish I had an answer for the penalty because I just don't understand why I got penalized twice under green for fixing my car with my nose outside the box -- why that should have been a two-lap penalty, I don't understand. To me, I thought that the official was confused. He looked confused and all the other officials were laughing as they're holding me there because they know that he's not supposed to be. That part was frustrating. Besides that, we weren't going to finish anyway because we had motor issues, so that part of it is experimental. We're trying some different things. We know that. That's part of being the 'guinea pig' for the rest of the year is that you're going to have these mechanical failures because you're trying to get better. We have nothing to gain from this point on other than save face, but at this point we'd just like to finish a race. It's just -- I hate it for my sponsors because we're just getting kicked in the nuts every weekend by something and I just can't catch a break." - Denny Hamlin, finished 38th (Blown Engine)
"Well, it certainly sucks. You know, it's part of it. I mean, everybody has engine issues. We're pushing hard for the Chase to try to win a championship -- certainly on the engine category, with our chassis, everything. Real proud of (Brian) Pattie (crew chief) and all the gang. We [were] off a little bit. I think we were probably a sixth or fifth-place car yesterday. I told them all to make some adjustments and go for a win. And as soon as the track got going, into the night there we gained some grip and our car really took off. It was ours to lose and, unfortunately we found a way to lose. I'm going to have a beer." - Clint Bowyer, finished 39th (Blown Engine)
"I think my best finish here before was about 43rd (laughing), but my guys gave me a great car here at this racetrack. This was a great Shell/Pennzoil Ford. It took probably six laps to get it going and we proved that we had the long run car... we were trying to get there. I just needed five more laps for me to have a shot at it. It's just so frustrating when you've got the winning car and you don't win. That's three straight top fives with this car, though, and that's impressive. We'll take that... and it was a big points day for us for Richmond next week, so we have nothing to hold our heads down about."
"At the same time, I'm mad at myself on that one restart when we started third. I was a little too close to Kyle and when he spun his tires, I had to check up not to hit him, and I can't pass him before the start/finish line, so I gave the 56 a big run and he got underneath me. Then you get shuffled out to the back and it's just a cluster after that, but it was a hard-fought day. The guys did great. Second sucks, but we can't be too mad about it." - Joey Logano, finished second
"It was a good battle, that's for sure. We really needed to win this thing, to be honest with you. I really wanted to win it. As bad as my wrist was hurting, and as bad as the car was for a lot of the race, I was pretty excited there at the end and felt like I was giving it more than I maybe could have or had before. Just came up a little bit short. Had a great restart there on Kyle (Busch) and almost had him cleared. We were just too tight all night long. Going to the rear with 100 (laps) to go was a pretty large kick in the pants and just had to fight hard to get back to the front. I was surprised we made it there. I really didn't think we could. The car wasn't very good at that point. Chad (Johnston, crew chief) made a few adjustments to it and we just kept our head down and kept digging and had some good restarts and was able to make it up there -- just didn't have quite enough at the end to get by Kyle (Busch). Even if we could have cleared him, I'm not sure I could have held him off. The car got really tight at the end again. A good night. It could always be better. It could always be worse, too. Proud that we were able to fight through it tonight. I was in pretty large amounts of pain there, so glad it's over with." - Martin Truex, Jr., finished third
"We control our own destiny, don't have to work from behind and that's exactly where we want to be going into Richmond. We had handling problems, but our Furniture Row guys never gave up. We made some major swings with the setup throughout the race and I can't believe we finished with a top 5. We didn't have a top-5 car tonight but that one restart turned things around for us. I can't tell you what I did right, but it all went right." - Kurt Busch, finished fourth
"We had an excellent Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet SS and it just got away from us a little bit. You know, the track changed quite a bit and we just couldn't battle up front there for the lead and for the win like I thought we could have. Little disappointed in that, but a great effort by the team all weekend long and we will take the momentum of these last two decent finishes, solid runs, and fast race cars and take it to Richmond and see what we can do." - Jeff Gordon, finished sixth
"It was a good night for the Target team. We had some trouble keeping up with the changing track conditions during the first half of the race, but the guys made great changes and the car was good at the end. Happy that we were able to bring home another top-10 finish for Target tonight." - Juan Pablo Montoya, finished seventh
"I was real thankful the car was as good as it was. We have struggled here and not ran great here the last several trips. It's so hard and it's such a struggle to get a car that has a good balance and we did. The car had great speed at the end of the race; we just got restarted in the wrong lane a couple of times and lost some spots there. All in all, I'm real pleased with the way the car performed and the job the guys did." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished eighth
"Obviously, we're happy to be in the Chase. Our day wasn't very good. Our car was just terribly tight all night long and drove nothing like it did in practice. We'll work on that and try to figure that out. But all in all, it's been an OK season so far... you want to put yourself in position to race for the championship and everybody has done a good job doing that. So, we'll go to Richmond next week and try to win another race. [But] I come to this racetrack expecting to have a chance to win the race and we were off all night." - Kevin Harvick, finished ninth
"Yeah, it was hard earned by everyone. These guys did a good job. We were experimenting in practice with some setups and, man, we were so close to getting it figured out and I think if we would have we would have crushed them tonight. But, we couldn't quite get it to work in time and we ended up kind of throwing the kitchen sink at it last night and because of that, the guys did a great job. We had a few things to adjust on the car, but we got a lot better and we finally got us where we were getting track position and then we got caught in the middle down there and spun, got loose. But the guys got it fixed and we go back out there and still got a top-10." - Brian Vickers, finished tenth
"I'm just really proud of my team. We fought all night. We didn't have the fastest car, but we got ourselves in a good position. If there hadn't been another restart there, I just needed clean air on the nose and when I didn't get it there on that last restart I was in trouble. But I'm really proud of my guys. It was a decent night. It's not the finish that we wanted, but we sure ran strong." - Marcos Ambrose, finished 13th
"We ran in the top 20 all night and were pretty much on the lead lap all night long. We got lapped once, but got the Lucky Dog right away, so I'm just real proud of my guys. We felt good about our car after practice. I felt like it was good in race trim and it was when the race started, so we just tuned on it and were up there racing that next set of cars, so I'm real proud of my guys and our effort today." - David Gilliland, finished 17th
"We don't agree on what happened and finally [Jeff Gordon] got frustrated enough with the conversation that he just walked away, which might be smart. We were racing really early and he just slides on me and I thought it was really out of character for him and I didn't understand what was going on there, so I did everything I could to not wreck us both. So naturally, the next time we were around each other I raced him as hard as I could, and then going down the back straightaway I thought he just ran into my door and it kind of tore up our right side. He thought I ran into him, so I think it was a case where both of us were mad at each other. He wasn't very happy with our conversation, but at the end of the day I felt like he was the aggressor and didn't give me much of an opportunity to drive my race car that first time. That was pretty tough, so I don't understand it, but the bigger picture for us is we had a pretty bad night with our Subway Fusion. It started out so good, I thought we could win the race, and then at the end it was too tight, so we've got to work on some stuff." - Carl Edwards, finished 18th
"At this point, it's not frustration. I'm beyond frustration. At this point, you're just looking above going, 'This must be some kind of test to prove how strong we are and what our character is' because I believe in the people I'm around. I think they're doing the right things, but it's just not working. So I'm reserved to this being a test and I love challenges. This is gonna be one helluva challenge." - Brad Keselowski, finished 35th (Blown Engine)
"The motor finished us off, but we -- I don't know what we've got to do, but we can't seem to finish a race. Our night was ruined because of a penalty putting us two laps down and putting us in a box there that we couldn't overcome -- three laps down at one point, so we got back to one and we got wrecked by the 27 (Paul Menard), blew the tire, blew the fender off and blew another engine. I don't know. It's frustrating. I wish I had an answer for the penalty because I just don't understand why I got penalized twice under green for fixing my car with my nose outside the box -- why that should have been a two-lap penalty, I don't understand. To me, I thought that the official was confused. He looked confused and all the other officials were laughing as they're holding me there because they know that he's not supposed to be. That part was frustrating. Besides that, we weren't going to finish anyway because we had motor issues, so that part of it is experimental. We're trying some different things. We know that. That's part of being the 'guinea pig' for the rest of the year is that you're going to have these mechanical failures because you're trying to get better. We have nothing to gain from this point on other than save face, but at this point we'd just like to finish a race. It's just -- I hate it for my sponsors because we're just getting kicked in the nuts every weekend by something and I just can't catch a break." - Denny Hamlin, finished 38th (Blown Engine)
"Well, it certainly sucks. You know, it's part of it. I mean, everybody has engine issues. We're pushing hard for the Chase to try to win a championship -- certainly on the engine category, with our chassis, everything. Real proud of (Brian) Pattie (crew chief) and all the gang. We [were] off a little bit. I think we were probably a sixth or fifth-place car yesterday. I told them all to make some adjustments and go for a win. And as soon as the track got going, into the night there we gained some grip and our car really took off. It was ours to lose and, unfortunately we found a way to lose. I'm going to have a beer." - Clint Bowyer, finished 39th (Blown Engine)
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
The Big Six: Questions Answered After The AdvoCare 500
by Amy Henderson
Chasing The Chase Contenders After Atlanta: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
by Summer Bedgood
by Amy Henderson
Chasing The Chase Contenders After Atlanta: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
by Summer Bedgood
by Beth Lunkenheimer
From Saturday:
~~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: In September, 1991, Richmond International Raceway held their very first night race for the Winston Cup Series. However, for Larry Pearson, this particular event did not last all that long. What happened?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: For years, the now-ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards would run their season finale at Atlanta as the primary support to Cup. The 1996 General Tire / Hoosier 500k was a wreckfest, for lack of better words, almost from the start. Mickey Hudspeth, driving an ex-Brett Bodine Ford, qualified very well, but it went wrong in a big way shortly after the start. What happened?
A: Hudspeth had started tenth and was running well until he clipped the apron on a newly repaved section of Turn 3. The transition caused Hudspeth to lose control and slide into the wall. The wall contact rolled Hudspeth over. While that happened, he was hit by John Gill. Dill Whittymore, Billy Thomas, Kevin Ray, Blaise Alexander, Mike Swaim, Jr. and Ron Burchette were all collected. Roger Blackstock also spun trying to avoid the crash. The crash can be seen here.
Hudspeth and Gill both suffered serious injuries in the crash. Hudspeth, who at the time was an up-and-coming driver that had come up from the former NASCAR Sportsman Series, lost his left arm in the incident. He never raced again in ARCA. However, it did not mean the end of Hudspeth's driving career. He spent the next four years racing in the Hooters ProCup Series with a prosthetic arm.
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: AdvoCare 500 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: AdvoCare 500 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 Atlanta and get us ready for Richmond. Among them: Brad Keselowski's Chase chances now, what an Atlanta victory means for Kyle Busch and one man's gutty performance.
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Atlanta-Richmond Edition by Brad Morgan
Brad gives up something to look forward to going into Richmond. 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, he reacts to the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing signing of Kyle Larson and whether the results will immediately match the hype.
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. This week, he takes a look at recent Chase trends to find out Who's In and Who's Out, according to the "math experts" after Richmond.
Brad gives up something to look forward to going into Richmond. 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, he reacts to the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing signing of Kyle Larson and whether the results will immediately match the hype.
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. This week, he takes a look at recent Chase trends to find out Who's In and Who's Out, according to the "math experts" after Richmond.
Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
This past weekend, the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series were in action at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Meanwhile, the Camping World Truck Series took their first trip to Canada in order to race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. How did ESPN and FOX Sports 1 do last weekend? Find out in our weekly TV critique.
-----------------------------
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©2013 Frontstretch.com
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
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©2013 Frontstretch.com
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