THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
September 23th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CLXXVI
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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.
Ryan Newman finished in 16th, while Clint Bowyer was 17th. Kevin Harvick would fight multiple issues with his No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet to finish 20th.
Finally, Kasey Kahne ran well for much of the race before losing control underneath Vickers and sliding into the inside wall on the frontstretch with 48 laps to go. After repairs, Kahne returned to the race, but still finished back in 37th.
A look at Sunday's Sylvania 300 by the numbers. There were 19 lead changes among 11 drivers, Matt Kenseth would lead all drivers with 106 laps led on the afternoon, 7 cautions for 37 laps would slow the race pace to 107.573 MPH, and margin of victory was .533 seconds.
Next week, the Sprint Cup Series heads to The Monster Mile at Dover International Speedway for the third round of the Chase. The AAA 400 at Dover goes green at 2:15 P.M. next Sunday.
Justin Tucker is a Newsletter Contributor at Frontstretch. To reach Justin, please contact Newsletter Manager Phil Allaway at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
Matt Kenseth kept up his form from Chicagoland Speedway and claimed 48 more points with another victory. That allowed him to expand his lead, but only by a few markers since teammate Kyle Busch was right behind him once again. The margin is now 14 points with eight races to go. Jimmie Johnson is still within striking distance, 18 back.
Non-Chase Point Standings (Top 23): 1) Jimmie Johnson 922, 2) Carl Edwards -11, 3) Matt Kenseth -19, 4) Kyle Busch -26, 5) Kevin Harvick -28, 6) Clint Bowyer -80, 7) Kurt Busch -89, 8) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -92, 9) Greg Biffle -93, 10) Jeff Gordon -103, 11) Ryan Newman -117, 12) Brad Keselowski -130, 13) Joey Logano -132, 14) Jamie McMurray -136, 15) Kasey Kahne -143, 16) Martin Truex, Jr. -170, 17) Paul Menard -180, 18) Aric Almirola -203, 19) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -222, 20) Jeff Burton -228, t-21) Juan Pablo Montoya -229, t-21) Marcos Ambrose -229, 23) Tony Stewart -328.
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.
Greg Biffle's third-place finish at Loudon may not have been surprising for a Chase driver, until you look at Biffle's statistics for the season. Last Sunday was Biffle's fourth top 5 this year and best finish since winning the race at Michigan last June.
"It was a miracle," said Biffle. "We didn't pass anybody in the pits, we passed them all on the race track. I feel really good about how far the team has come. We had great pit stops, but we just got good at the end and our car really, really took off. We were able to drive by those guys and get up to third. We probably reeled in the 20 a full straightaway almost and the 18 – catching them – so it was the most fun I've had in a long time, even though we finished third. It was about to be good. The 18 was gonna catch the 20 in the next few laps and I was probably gonna get to the 18's bumper, so it was a lot of fun. I just wish it was the 325, instead of the 300."
As the series heads to Dover International Speedway this weekend, Biffle is currently fifth in the standings, 38 points back from leader Matt Kenseth. Dover has been a good track for Biffle in the past. He has two previous victories on the concrete high banks.
Martin Truex Jr. Dominates at Loudon, Finishes Tenth
Martin Truex, Jr. was easily one of the fastest cars on the track at Loudon, leading a total of 98 laps throughout the course of the day. This was second only to eventual race winner Matt Kenseth's 106. The only thing that kept Truex from finishing in the top 5 was near contact from Brad Keselowski as the laps wound down, and the attempt to avoid any contact saw Truex lose some value track position.
"It was great to lead all those laps today for this team and our sponsor NAPA," said Truex. "New Hampshire has been a tough track for us the last couple of years, so this means a lot. I can't thank my team for how they persevered throughout everything the last couple weeks. I appreciate it."
Truex is still recovering from being removed from the Chase by NASCAR after NASCAR deemed that Michael Waltrip Racing had manipulated the final race of the regular season in Truex's favor in order for that team to make the Chase. Truex was docked 50 driver points which knocked him out of the 12 driver field. Now, he is 16th in points, 40 points behind 14th-place driver Keselowski (NASCAR added a 13th driver to the Chase after the Richmond incident).
To add insult to injury, so to speak, Truex is also driving with a broken wrist that, according to Truex's doctors, isn't healing more than likely due to the strain that is being put on it with Truex continuing to drive.
Joe Gibbs Racing Makes History in Loudon
The first two races of the Chase for the Sprint Cup have been immensely successful for the Joe Gibbs Racing duo of Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch. While Kenseth has swept the first two races, winning at both the opening race at Chicago and then last Sunday at Loudon, Busch has finished right behind Kenseth in second in both races. This is the first time that a team has swept 1-2 in the first two races of the Chase.
"To have a fast car and to be able to do all the right things with adjustments and strategy and pit stops and all that stuff and be out front and win is two different things, so it's just -- I'm thankful to be part of this group, and it's just honestly doesn't really seem real that we won yet today," said Kenseth.
"I can't say enough about the race we ran today," Busch said post-race. "The guys did a great job of working on it for me and getting me better each and every run. I felt like we were making gains. And track position is certainly important, too. A little tough to pass, but that's been the name of the game here at Loudon for years. All in all, though, there, those last couple restarts just making some spots, trying to keep spots there on the last one when I spun my tires too much. But just frustrating sometimes when you feel like you're getting beat on restarts too much."
As expected, Kenseth and Busch are also first and second in the points, respectively. Kenseth, who now has seven wins to his credit this year, holds a 14 point lead over Busch heading into Dover and with eight races to go.
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: Sylvania 300
compiled by Summer Bedgood
"Yeah, you never go to the track and hope to just get through a weekend, but yet certainly if I had to pick all the races, this is probably one that I had probably more anxiety over than most just because I really feel like I'm the weak link here. We had a pretty good car in the spring, and I kind of messed it up a little bit, and I was hoping we'd have a good car today and I didn't want to hold them back. I felt a little bit -- I was a little bit worried about this weekend more so than some tracks just because it has been a tough track for me. It's tough to pass, it's easy to get shuffled back on a restart and not get such a good finish. Had a great day on Friday, great day of practice, really, really fast in race trim. We were off just a little bit qualifying, still qualified well, and then really fast on Saturday in race trim. So I felt really confident with my car today. To have a fast car and to be able to do all the right things with adjustments and strategy and pit stops and all that stuff and be out front and win is two different things, so it's just -- I'm thankful to be part of this group, and it's just honestly doesn't really seem real that we won yet today." - Matt Kenseth, race winner
"[The] Race was pretty good. Certainly, we were never as fast this weekend as the 20 was. They just had a special car. Sometimes you unload with them, and they're just phenomenal. The 20 had that here this weekend. We tried everything to try to keep up with him and to get pace with him, but it was tough to do. I can't say enough about the race we ran today. The guys did a great job of working on it for me and getting me better each and every run. I felt like we were making gains. And track position is certainly important, too. A little tough to pass, but that's been the name of the game here at Loudon for years. All in all, though, there, those last couple restarts just making some spots, trying to keep spots there on the last one when I spun my tires too much. But just frustrating sometimes when you feel like you're getting beat on restarts too much." - Kyle Busch, finished second
"It was a miracle. We didn't pass anybody in the pits, we passed them all on the race track. I feel really good about how far the team has come. We had great pit stops, but we just got good at the end and our car really, really took off. We were able to drive by those guys and get up to third. We probably reeled in the 20 a full straightaway almost and the 18 – catching them – so it was the most fun I've had in a long time even though we finished third. It was about to be good. The 18 was gonna catch the 20 in the next few laps and I was probably gonna get to the 18s bumper, so it was a lot of fun. I just wish it was the 325, instead of the 300." - Greg Biffle, finished third
"We weren't where we needed to be to start the race. We just kept working on it and getting it better and then got it to where we were close in the middle part of the race. After that we just tried to get our track position back, so it was a good day for the 3M Fusion. We just came up a little short there at the end. I think we were a little faster than the 18 and the 20 there, but we ran out of time. Who knows what would have happened if we had a few more laps, but we'll take it. This is a track we usually struggle at, but we've been working hard on our short track program, so we'll take it and move on to Dover." - Matt Puccia, crew chief for Greg Biffle
"It was better than we thought it would be. I felt like we were really going to have to scrap for a top-10, maybe a top-5. I truthfully feel like we had a shot to win this race, if not run second or third. Those last couple of restarts lining up on the inside lane just didn't work for anyone. I'd lose a couple of spots and have to get them back. Strong, strong performance. And, again my crew has worked so hard over the last three or four weeks getting ready for Richmond, which didn't go well. Then getting ready for here which went really well. It took a lot of hard work to get the end result, but we've got a nice race car for these flat tracks. I'm looking forward to Phoenix now. It's good to have a good run here knowing we can go to Phoenix and be competitive too." - Jimmie Johnson, finished fourth
"Yeah, our car was really good even after the crash. I told you before the race that if we had good track position at the end I thought we could finish good. It was a really good day for our Linksys car. Just a fun day racing." - Jamie McMurray, finished fifth
"Yeah, I ran out of rear tires trying to hold him off. Couldn't get the power down just off the corner and he was a pretty fast car to begin with. I knew it was going to be difficult to hold him off, but we had a good car yesterday. Almost as good as it was today. Just real happy to be able to rebound from earlier on pit road and get a good finish. The car was fast as heck yesterday, one of the top three cars I thought. Glad we were able to get a decent finish out of it. Just want to win one, I'm trying hard." - Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished sixth
"We had an Aaron's Dream Machine capable of winning today, but this place is all about track position and there was a debris caution that really hurt us. The car ran great all day. Our Toyota had a lot more laps on the tires than most of the people we were battling. A seventh-place finish isn't a victory, but it's still a pretty good day and we'll go to Dover and try to bring home the trophy. Everyone at MWR did a great job today. I want to thank Kenny Wallace for practicing and qualifying the car on Friday and all the guys working with us this weekend." - Brian Vickers, finished seventh
"I'm pleasantly surprised. Obviously, we want to be better than that, but we had one run where we got too loose and I went way back, but Jimmy made good calls and the guys did a good job with the car. At the end, if there were another 100 laps in this thing, I think we could have been up there with Greg, so I was pretty proud of the effort." - Carl Edwards, finished ninth
"It was great to lead all those laps today for this team and our sponsor NAPA. New Hampshire has been a tough track for us the last couple of years so this means a lot. I can't thank my team for how they persevered throughout everything the last couple weeks. I appreciate it." - Martin Truex Jr., finished 10th
"We had a really, really fast car and nothing to show for it. That's kind of been the story of 2013." - Brad Keselowski, finished 11th
"We didn't hit it right on the adjustments today. It was nobody's fault, we all agreed what adjustments to make and it just didn't work out. We struggled with the handling and couldn't make a move to the front with our Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet. While we aren't pleased with where we finished (13th), we fought for every position and gave it our best effort. There's still a long ways to go in this Chase. When you're off the way we were today and still finish 13th, I guess it's not all that bad. But we know we can do much better and we'll keep on plugging away." - Kurt Busch, finished 13th
"This is Loudon for me. It was nothing different. It's just such a tricky race track to get around. At times we had a top seven or eighth-place car, and I think we did even at the end of the race, but we took four there at the end because when we took two earlier, we were really slow. So we thought we would be on the aggressive side instead of being on the defense side. Anytime you're on defense you have the chance of getting wrecked and we'd rather be aggressive and passing cars. I didn't have as good of a last restart as I needed. I got passed by a couple and passed about three instead, so you had to be in the right lane on that last restart to get a few more and we probably could have finished in the top 10 today. But it's just so hard to pass. It is the hardest race track in the world to pass. It's the most frustrating place I think I've ever been to, so I'm just glad to leave." - Joey Logano, finished 14th
"I'm highly disappointed in myself. The team put me in a great position. We had a decent car and then track position made it into a great car. So it was obviously important to maintain that. I just came in and slid through. I hadn't come close to sliding through all day and I guess just leading, I carried a little bit more speed in there and crossed the splitter over the line by an inch and that's all it takes to make a difference between a chance at winning and finishing 15th." - Jeff Gordon, finished 15th
"The 5-hour ENERGY Toyota was fast all weekend, but we stubbed our toe a little today. We just had a hard time in traffic and couldn't get through the corner like we would have liked. We gambled on track position and I thought we'd be fine, but that caution right after our pit stop killed us. It was a tough day overall for the team, but we aren't done yet. There is still some time in this deal and we plan to make some noise before it's over." - Clint Bowyer, finished 17th
"I thought I won the race there I was driving so hard and finished 18th. We've been battling consistency here over a run in the race and the good news is we were better today at the end than we were at the start, so we'll just keep plugging away here and try to fix our woes." - Marcos Ambrose, finished 18th
"I really don't know what happened. Just racing and I'm not sure if there was contact or if I just spun. I seriously don't really remember how it happened." - Kasey Kahne, finished 37th
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Q: Jeff Burton had a great opening segment of the 2000 MBNA.com 400 at Dover International Speedway. He led laps and was one of the fastest drivers on track. However, everything went awry just before halfway. What happened?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Thursday's Answer:
Q: The 2003 Sylvania 300 at then-New Hampshire International Speedway was won by Jimmie Johnson. However, an incident in the race led to a substantial change in NASCAR rules. What happened?
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
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
September 23th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CLXXVI
~~~~~~~~~
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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Sprint Cup Race Recap: Kenseth Goes Back to Back, Wins at New Hampshire
by Justin Tucker
Matt Kenseth by all accounts is having a career defining season. Coming into Sunday's Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire, Kenseth had already won a career-high six races and was looking to become the first driver since Richard Petty to win in his 500th career Cup Series start. Kenseth would continue his storybook season on Sunday, holding off his teammate Kyle Busch in the closing laps for the second consecutive week to claim the Sylvania 300 for his first career win at New Hampshire. Kenseth would join Greg Biffle (2008) and Tony Stewart (2011) as the only drivers to win the first two races of the Chase.
Kenseth and Busch would score their second consecutive 1-2 finish for Joe Gibbs Racing as the organization would pick up its fourth Cup Series win in the last five races.
Kenseth spoke of his past struggles at New Hampshire and praised his team following the win.
"For me to win at Loudon, it's more than a stretch, more than a dream," Kenseth said. "This is probably one of my worst places. This just shows you how good this team is."
Joe Gibbs Racing has won five of the last seven Sprint Cup Series races dating back to Kyle Busch's win at Watkins Glen in August. Busch, who came home second on Sunday, expressed disappointment with the finish.
"There's somebody faster, so it doesn't matter how fast I am," Busch said.
Kenseth praised the entire organization when speaking of their success in 2013.
"It's been a great start for JGR," Kenseth said. "I just feel like the luckiest guy in the world to be standing here."
Chase drivers would dominate much of the top 10 at Loudon on Sunday. Joining Kenseth and Busch in the top 10 were Greg Biffle in third, Jimmie Johnson with his second consecutive top 5 finish in fourth, and Jamie McMurray would rally from an early spin to round out the top 5.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would come home sixth, while July winner Brian Vickers finished seventh. Four-time Loudon winner Jeff Burton finished eighth, followed by Carl Edwards in ninth. Martin Truex, Jr. who dominated much of the early stages of the race, finished tenth.
While Kenseth, Kyle Busch and Johnson strengthened their position in the championship hunt, other chasers would not have as good of days at Loudon. Kurt Busch would be scored in 13th, while Joey Logano was 14th. Jeff Gordon came home 15th after a disasterous pit stop late in the race dropped him from the lead to 22nd.
Sprint Cup Race Recap: Kenseth Goes Back to Back, Wins at New Hampshire
by Justin Tucker
Matt Kenseth by all accounts is having a career defining season. Coming into Sunday's Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire, Kenseth had already won a career-high six races and was looking to become the first driver since Richard Petty to win in his 500th career Cup Series start. Kenseth would continue his storybook season on Sunday, holding off his teammate Kyle Busch in the closing laps for the second consecutive week to claim the Sylvania 300 for his first career win at New Hampshire. Kenseth would join Greg Biffle (2008) and Tony Stewart (2011) as the only drivers to win the first two races of the Chase.
Kenseth and Busch would score their second consecutive 1-2 finish for Joe Gibbs Racing as the organization would pick up its fourth Cup Series win in the last five races.
Kenseth spoke of his past struggles at New Hampshire and praised his team following the win.
"For me to win at Loudon, it's more than a stretch, more than a dream," Kenseth said. "This is probably one of my worst places. This just shows you how good this team is."
Joe Gibbs Racing has won five of the last seven Sprint Cup Series races dating back to Kyle Busch's win at Watkins Glen in August. Busch, who came home second on Sunday, expressed disappointment with the finish.
"There's somebody faster, so it doesn't matter how fast I am," Busch said.
Kenseth praised the entire organization when speaking of their success in 2013.
"It's been a great start for JGR," Kenseth said. "I just feel like the luckiest guy in the world to be standing here."
Chase drivers would dominate much of the top 10 at Loudon on Sunday. Joining Kenseth and Busch in the top 10 were Greg Biffle in third, Jimmie Johnson with his second consecutive top 5 finish in fourth, and Jamie McMurray would rally from an early spin to round out the top 5.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. would come home sixth, while July winner Brian Vickers finished seventh. Four-time Loudon winner Jeff Burton finished eighth, followed by Carl Edwards in ninth. Martin Truex, Jr. who dominated much of the early stages of the race, finished tenth.
While Kenseth, Kyle Busch and Johnson strengthened their position in the championship hunt, other chasers would not have as good of days at Loudon. Kurt Busch would be scored in 13th, while Joey Logano was 14th. Jeff Gordon came home 15th after a disasterous pit stop late in the race dropped him from the lead to 22nd.
Ryan Newman finished in 16th, while Clint Bowyer was 17th. Kevin Harvick would fight multiple issues with his No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet to finish 20th.
Finally, Kasey Kahne ran well for much of the race before losing control underneath Vickers and sliding into the inside wall on the frontstretch with 48 laps to go. After repairs, Kahne returned to the race, but still finished back in 37th.
A look at Sunday's Sylvania 300 by the numbers. There were 19 lead changes among 11 drivers, Matt Kenseth would lead all drivers with 106 laps led on the afternoon, 7 cautions for 37 laps would slow the race pace to 107.573 MPH, and margin of victory was .533 seconds.
Next week, the Sprint Cup Series heads to The Monster Mile at Dover International Speedway for the third round of the Chase. The AAA 400 at Dover goes green at 2:15 P.M. next Sunday.
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: Kenseth Expands Chase Lead With Another Victory
by Phil Allaway
by Phil Allaway
Despite spending a good chunk of Sunday's race outside of the top-15, Carl Edwards charged in the final segment of the event to finish ninth. That was enough to move him up to fourth in points. Greg Biffle made the biggest move this week, gaining six places to move up to fifth after a third-place finish. That finish also seemed to come out of nowhere, thanks to pit strategy. Kevin Harvick dropped two places to sixth in the standings after a very quiet run to 20th.
Kurt Busch dropped out of the tie for sixth after finishing 13th Sunday. Compared to where he was running for much of the event, Kurt is likely pleased with the fact that the No. 78 finished in the top-15. Two points behind Kurt is Jeff Gordon in eighth, also down one place in the points. Gordon was one of the best drivers all day, but he was never able to recover from a terrible stop where he pitted from the lead and exited in 22nd. Ryan Newman, despite winning the pole and leading early, ended up with a disappointing 16th-place finish. This dropped him to ninth in points.
Clint Bowyer is down one place to tenth in points after finishing 17th. Bowyer fell victim to a bad pit stop strategy that forced him to pit under green. The caution then came out when David Gilliland broke his oil cooler, immediately burning him. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. used an alternate pit strategy of his own, but this one actually worked, rewarding the 39-year old with a sixth-place finish and a two place gain in points. Joey Logano remains 12th, while Kasey Kahne dropped to 13th after a late race crash.
Chase Point Standings: 1) Matt Kenseth 2111, 2) Kyle Busch -14, 3) Jimmie Johnson -18, 4) Carl Edwards -36, 5) Greg Biffle -38, 6) Kevin Harvick -39, 7) Kurt Busch -40, 8) Jeff Gordon -42, 9) Ryan Newman -47, 10) Clint Bowyer -48, 10) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -62, 12) Joey Logano -69, 13) Kasey Kahne -71.
Non-Chase Point Standings (Top 23): 1) Jimmie Johnson 922, 2) Carl Edwards -11, 3) Matt Kenseth -19, 4) Kyle Busch -26, 5) Kevin Harvick -28, 6) Clint Bowyer -80, 7) Kurt Busch -89, 8) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -92, 9) Greg Biffle -93, 10) Jeff Gordon -103, 11) Ryan Newman -117, 12) Brad Keselowski -130, 13) Joey Logano -132, 14) Jamie McMurray -136, 15) Kasey Kahne -143, 16) Martin Truex, Jr. -170, 17) Paul Menard -180, 18) Aric Almirola -203, 19) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -222, 20) Jeff Burton -228, t-21) Juan Pablo Montoya -229, t-21) Marcos Ambrose -229, 23) Tony Stewart -328.
Best of the Rest Points (14-23): 14) Brad Keselowski 792, 15) Jamie McMurray -6, 16) Martin Truex, Jr. -40, 17) Paul Menard -50, 18) Aric Almirola -73, 19) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -96, 20) Jeff Burton -98, t-21) Juan Pablo Montoya -99, t-21) Marcos Ambrose -99, 23) Tony Stewart -198.
Race Winners: Jimmie Johnson (Daytona-1, Martinsville, Pocono, Daytona-2), Carl Edwards (Phoenix, Richmond-2), Matt Kenseth (Las Vegas, Kansas, Darlington, Kentucky, Bristol-2, Chicagoland, Loudon-2), Kasey Kahne (Bristol, Pocono-2), Kyle Busch (Auto Club, Texas, Watkins Glen, Atlanta), Kevin Harvick (Richmond-1, Charlotte), David Ragan (Talladega), Tony Stewart (Dover), Greg Biffle (Michigan), Martin Truex, Jr. (Sonoma), Brian Vickers (Loudon-1), 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: Loudon-2 Edition
by Amy Henderson
Editor's Note: This year, we're going to switch things up a little bit. Instead of just focusing upon one underdog (or underreported) car in the Secret Star section, we will point out three smaller teams that put up good finishes each week.
Underdog Selection No. 1: Casey Mears for Germain Racing; started 34th, finished 25th
Mears and Co. finished at the top of the small-team ladder this week, and based on how they've raced this year, they should be. But top 20's have turned to top 25's as the season wears on and the bigger teams regain their advantage with the Gen-6 cars. This team needs to pick things up just a notch to finish the season strong. The good news: Talladega. Mears had a top-2 finish in the bag in the fall race a year ago before a bad Tony Stewart block put him in the wall on the final lap. The No. 13 bunch had a top 10 at Daytona in July as well…they have a shot to end the year with a top 5, if not a win.
Underdog Selection No. 2: David Reutimann and Travis Kvapil for BK Racing; started 35th and 30th, finished 26th and 28th
This week's finish is exactly what a two-car small team needs to have. Not only were both Reutimann and Kvapil unscathed and in the top 30, they finished close together. That's a sign that the team is on the right track with its equipment. If one driver is racing well but not the other, it's an indication that something is missing that the team can't make up for, but if they're having similar finishes, it gives the team a solid platform to build on. This team needs to improve a bit more, but they're looking more solid than they did in the first half of the season.
Underdog Selection No. 3: Michael McDowell for Phoenix Racing; started 27th, finished 30th
McDowell's finish wasn't stellar; like Germain Racing, Phoenix had a strong start but has fallen back a bit as the bigger teams have gotten a foothold with the updated race car and regained their usual places toward the front. McDowell is a much better driver than he often gets credit for, and he did a credible job with a team he'd never worked with before. This team, with new leadership from owner Harry Scott, Jr. and a full-time driver in Justin Allgaier, shows some potential for 2014, but they've backslid a bit in 2013 as a revolving door of drivers is taking its toll.
Underdog Pick of the Week-Dover II: David Reutimann for BK Racing
In this section, I'll give you my pick among the small teams to have a strong run in the upcoming race.
My pick for New Hampshire was JJ Yeley, who had an unassuming day in 33rd, about mid-pack among the little guys. Nostradamus, I was not this week.
This week, we're off to Dover, a track that's really hard on these little teams. My pick for the Monster Mile is David Reutimann. He has a top-5 finish at the track, and a not-too-bad average finish of 20.5. Bobby Labonte has a better average and 11 top 5's, but he's not on the entry list, and while Casey Mears has more top 10's at Dover and had a strong 16th-place in June, his average is two spots lower, and his team hasn't looked as strong as they did the first time around.
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!
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: Loudon-2 Edition
by Amy Henderson
Editor's Note: This year, we're going to switch things up a little bit. Instead of just focusing upon one underdog (or underreported) car in the Secret Star section, we will point out three smaller teams that put up good finishes each week.
Underdog Selection No. 1: Casey Mears for Germain Racing; started 34th, finished 25th
Mears and Co. finished at the top of the small-team ladder this week, and based on how they've raced this year, they should be. But top 20's have turned to top 25's as the season wears on and the bigger teams regain their advantage with the Gen-6 cars. This team needs to pick things up just a notch to finish the season strong. The good news: Talladega. Mears had a top-2 finish in the bag in the fall race a year ago before a bad Tony Stewart block put him in the wall on the final lap. The No. 13 bunch had a top 10 at Daytona in July as well…they have a shot to end the year with a top 5, if not a win.
Underdog Selection No. 2: David Reutimann and Travis Kvapil for BK Racing; started 35th and 30th, finished 26th and 28th
This week's finish is exactly what a two-car small team needs to have. Not only were both Reutimann and Kvapil unscathed and in the top 30, they finished close together. That's a sign that the team is on the right track with its equipment. If one driver is racing well but not the other, it's an indication that something is missing that the team can't make up for, but if they're having similar finishes, it gives the team a solid platform to build on. This team needs to improve a bit more, but they're looking more solid than they did in the first half of the season.
Underdog Selection No. 3: Michael McDowell for Phoenix Racing; started 27th, finished 30th
McDowell's finish wasn't stellar; like Germain Racing, Phoenix had a strong start but has fallen back a bit as the bigger teams have gotten a foothold with the updated race car and regained their usual places toward the front. McDowell is a much better driver than he often gets credit for, and he did a credible job with a team he'd never worked with before. This team, with new leadership from owner Harry Scott, Jr. and a full-time driver in Justin Allgaier, shows some potential for 2014, but they've backslid a bit in 2013 as a revolving door of drivers is taking its toll.
Underdog Pick of the Week-Dover II: David Reutimann for BK Racing
In this section, I'll give you my pick among the small teams to have a strong run in the upcoming race.
My pick for New Hampshire was JJ Yeley, who had an unassuming day in 33rd, about mid-pack among the little guys. Nostradamus, I was not this week.
This week, we're off to Dover, a track that's really hard on these little teams. My pick for the Monster Mile is David Reutimann. He has a top-5 finish at the track, and a not-too-bad average finish of 20.5. Bobby Labonte has a better average and 11 top 5's, but he's not on the entry list, and while Casey Mears has more top 10's at Dover and had a strong 16th-place in June, his average is two spots lower, and his team hasn't looked as strong as they did the first time around.
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: Sunday's Sylvania 300 was brought to you by the Letter T for "Track Position." I suppose it's not really a surprise at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but track position was absolutely crucial on Sunday. Jeff Gordon was unable to recover from sliding through his pit box while leading. Clint Bowyer was on an alternate pit strategy and got burned by a caution. Passing wasn't necessary impossible, but very, very tricky. - Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Stories: Loudon
by Summer Bedgood
Biffle Finishes Third, Earns Best Finish Since MichiganLetter of the Race: Sunday's Sylvania 300 was brought to you by the Letter T for "Track Position." I suppose it's not really a surprise at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but track position was absolutely crucial on Sunday. Jeff Gordon was unable to recover from sliding through his pit box while leading. Clint Bowyer was on an alternate pit strategy and got burned by a caution. Passing wasn't necessary impossible, but very, very tricky. - Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Stories: Loudon
by Summer Bedgood
Greg Biffle's third-place finish at Loudon may not have been surprising for a Chase driver, until you look at Biffle's statistics for the season. Last Sunday was Biffle's fourth top 5 this year and best finish since winning the race at Michigan last June.
"It was a miracle," said Biffle. "We didn't pass anybody in the pits, we passed them all on the race track. I feel really good about how far the team has come. We had great pit stops, but we just got good at the end and our car really, really took off. We were able to drive by those guys and get up to third. We probably reeled in the 20 a full straightaway almost and the 18 – catching them – so it was the most fun I've had in a long time, even though we finished third. It was about to be good. The 18 was gonna catch the 20 in the next few laps and I was probably gonna get to the 18's bumper, so it was a lot of fun. I just wish it was the 325, instead of the 300."
As the series heads to Dover International Speedway this weekend, Biffle is currently fifth in the standings, 38 points back from leader Matt Kenseth. Dover has been a good track for Biffle in the past. He has two previous victories on the concrete high banks.
Martin Truex Jr. Dominates at Loudon, Finishes Tenth
Martin Truex, Jr. was easily one of the fastest cars on the track at Loudon, leading a total of 98 laps throughout the course of the day. This was second only to eventual race winner Matt Kenseth's 106. The only thing that kept Truex from finishing in the top 5 was near contact from Brad Keselowski as the laps wound down, and the attempt to avoid any contact saw Truex lose some value track position.
"It was great to lead all those laps today for this team and our sponsor NAPA," said Truex. "New Hampshire has been a tough track for us the last couple of years, so this means a lot. I can't thank my team for how they persevered throughout everything the last couple weeks. I appreciate it."
Truex is still recovering from being removed from the Chase by NASCAR after NASCAR deemed that Michael Waltrip Racing had manipulated the final race of the regular season in Truex's favor in order for that team to make the Chase. Truex was docked 50 driver points which knocked him out of the 12 driver field. Now, he is 16th in points, 40 points behind 14th-place driver Keselowski (NASCAR added a 13th driver to the Chase after the Richmond incident).
To add insult to injury, so to speak, Truex is also driving with a broken wrist that, according to Truex's doctors, isn't healing more than likely due to the strain that is being put on it with Truex continuing to drive.
Joe Gibbs Racing Makes History in Loudon
The first two races of the Chase for the Sprint Cup have been immensely successful for the Joe Gibbs Racing duo of Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch. While Kenseth has swept the first two races, winning at both the opening race at Chicago and then last Sunday at Loudon, Busch has finished right behind Kenseth in second in both races. This is the first time that a team has swept 1-2 in the first two races of the Chase.
"To have a fast car and to be able to do all the right things with adjustments and strategy and pit stops and all that stuff and be out front and win is two different things, so it's just -- I'm thankful to be part of this group, and it's just honestly doesn't really seem real that we won yet today," said Kenseth.
"I can't say enough about the race we ran today," Busch said post-race. "The guys did a great job of working on it for me and getting me better each and every run. I felt like we were making gains. And track position is certainly important, too. A little tough to pass, but that's been the name of the game here at Loudon for years. All in all, though, there, those last couple restarts just making some spots, trying to keep spots there on the last one when I spun my tires too much. But just frustrating sometimes when you feel like you're getting beat on restarts too much."
As expected, Kenseth and Busch are also first and second in the points, respectively. Kenseth, who now has seven wins to his credit this year, holds a 14 point lead over Busch heading into Dover and with eight races to go.
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: Sylvania 300
compiled by Summer Bedgood
"Yeah, you never go to the track and hope to just get through a weekend, but yet certainly if I had to pick all the races, this is probably one that I had probably more anxiety over than most just because I really feel like I'm the weak link here. We had a pretty good car in the spring, and I kind of messed it up a little bit, and I was hoping we'd have a good car today and I didn't want to hold them back. I felt a little bit -- I was a little bit worried about this weekend more so than some tracks just because it has been a tough track for me. It's tough to pass, it's easy to get shuffled back on a restart and not get such a good finish. Had a great day on Friday, great day of practice, really, really fast in race trim. We were off just a little bit qualifying, still qualified well, and then really fast on Saturday in race trim. So I felt really confident with my car today. To have a fast car and to be able to do all the right things with adjustments and strategy and pit stops and all that stuff and be out front and win is two different things, so it's just -- I'm thankful to be part of this group, and it's just honestly doesn't really seem real that we won yet today." - Matt Kenseth, race winner
"[The] Race was pretty good. Certainly, we were never as fast this weekend as the 20 was. They just had a special car. Sometimes you unload with them, and they're just phenomenal. The 20 had that here this weekend. We tried everything to try to keep up with him and to get pace with him, but it was tough to do. I can't say enough about the race we ran today. The guys did a great job of working on it for me and getting me better each and every run. I felt like we were making gains. And track position is certainly important, too. A little tough to pass, but that's been the name of the game here at Loudon for years. All in all, though, there, those last couple restarts just making some spots, trying to keep spots there on the last one when I spun my tires too much. But just frustrating sometimes when you feel like you're getting beat on restarts too much." - Kyle Busch, finished second
"It was a miracle. We didn't pass anybody in the pits, we passed them all on the race track. I feel really good about how far the team has come. We had great pit stops, but we just got good at the end and our car really, really took off. We were able to drive by those guys and get up to third. We probably reeled in the 20 a full straightaway almost and the 18 – catching them – so it was the most fun I've had in a long time even though we finished third. It was about to be good. The 18 was gonna catch the 20 in the next few laps and I was probably gonna get to the 18s bumper, so it was a lot of fun. I just wish it was the 325, instead of the 300." - Greg Biffle, finished third
"We weren't where we needed to be to start the race. We just kept working on it and getting it better and then got it to where we were close in the middle part of the race. After that we just tried to get our track position back, so it was a good day for the 3M Fusion. We just came up a little short there at the end. I think we were a little faster than the 18 and the 20 there, but we ran out of time. Who knows what would have happened if we had a few more laps, but we'll take it. This is a track we usually struggle at, but we've been working hard on our short track program, so we'll take it and move on to Dover." - Matt Puccia, crew chief for Greg Biffle
"It was better than we thought it would be. I felt like we were really going to have to scrap for a top-10, maybe a top-5. I truthfully feel like we had a shot to win this race, if not run second or third. Those last couple of restarts lining up on the inside lane just didn't work for anyone. I'd lose a couple of spots and have to get them back. Strong, strong performance. And, again my crew has worked so hard over the last three or four weeks getting ready for Richmond, which didn't go well. Then getting ready for here which went really well. It took a lot of hard work to get the end result, but we've got a nice race car for these flat tracks. I'm looking forward to Phoenix now. It's good to have a good run here knowing we can go to Phoenix and be competitive too." - Jimmie Johnson, finished fourth
"Yeah, our car was really good even after the crash. I told you before the race that if we had good track position at the end I thought we could finish good. It was a really good day for our Linksys car. Just a fun day racing." - Jamie McMurray, finished fifth
"Yeah, I ran out of rear tires trying to hold him off. Couldn't get the power down just off the corner and he was a pretty fast car to begin with. I knew it was going to be difficult to hold him off, but we had a good car yesterday. Almost as good as it was today. Just real happy to be able to rebound from earlier on pit road and get a good finish. The car was fast as heck yesterday, one of the top three cars I thought. Glad we were able to get a decent finish out of it. Just want to win one, I'm trying hard." - Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished sixth
"We had an Aaron's Dream Machine capable of winning today, but this place is all about track position and there was a debris caution that really hurt us. The car ran great all day. Our Toyota had a lot more laps on the tires than most of the people we were battling. A seventh-place finish isn't a victory, but it's still a pretty good day and we'll go to Dover and try to bring home the trophy. Everyone at MWR did a great job today. I want to thank Kenny Wallace for practicing and qualifying the car on Friday and all the guys working with us this weekend." - Brian Vickers, finished seventh
"I'm pleasantly surprised. Obviously, we want to be better than that, but we had one run where we got too loose and I went way back, but Jimmy made good calls and the guys did a good job with the car. At the end, if there were another 100 laps in this thing, I think we could have been up there with Greg, so I was pretty proud of the effort." - Carl Edwards, finished ninth
"It was great to lead all those laps today for this team and our sponsor NAPA. New Hampshire has been a tough track for us the last couple of years so this means a lot. I can't thank my team for how they persevered throughout everything the last couple weeks. I appreciate it." - Martin Truex Jr., finished 10th
"We had a really, really fast car and nothing to show for it. That's kind of been the story of 2013." - Brad Keselowski, finished 11th
"We didn't hit it right on the adjustments today. It was nobody's fault, we all agreed what adjustments to make and it just didn't work out. We struggled with the handling and couldn't make a move to the front with our Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet. While we aren't pleased with where we finished (13th), we fought for every position and gave it our best effort. There's still a long ways to go in this Chase. When you're off the way we were today and still finish 13th, I guess it's not all that bad. But we know we can do much better and we'll keep on plugging away." - Kurt Busch, finished 13th
"This is Loudon for me. It was nothing different. It's just such a tricky race track to get around. At times we had a top seven or eighth-place car, and I think we did even at the end of the race, but we took four there at the end because when we took two earlier, we were really slow. So we thought we would be on the aggressive side instead of being on the defense side. Anytime you're on defense you have the chance of getting wrecked and we'd rather be aggressive and passing cars. I didn't have as good of a last restart as I needed. I got passed by a couple and passed about three instead, so you had to be in the right lane on that last restart to get a few more and we probably could have finished in the top 10 today. But it's just so hard to pass. It is the hardest race track in the world to pass. It's the most frustrating place I think I've ever been to, so I'm just glad to leave." - Joey Logano, finished 14th
"I'm highly disappointed in myself. The team put me in a great position. We had a decent car and then track position made it into a great car. So it was obviously important to maintain that. I just came in and slid through. I hadn't come close to sliding through all day and I guess just leading, I carried a little bit more speed in there and crossed the splitter over the line by an inch and that's all it takes to make a difference between a chance at winning and finishing 15th." - Jeff Gordon, finished 15th
"The 5-hour ENERGY Toyota was fast all weekend, but we stubbed our toe a little today. We just had a hard time in traffic and couldn't get through the corner like we would have liked. We gambled on track position and I thought we'd be fine, but that caution right after our pit stop killed us. It was a tough day overall for the team, but we aren't done yet. There is still some time in this deal and we plan to make some noise before it's over." - Clint Bowyer, finished 17th
"I thought I won the race there I was driving so hard and finished 18th. We've been battling consistency here over a run in the race and the good news is we were better today at the end than we were at the start, so we'll just keep plugging away here and try to fix our woes." - Marcos Ambrose, finished 18th
"I really don't know what happened. Just racing and I'm not sure if there was contact or if I just spun. I seriously don't really remember how it happened." - Kasey Kahne, finished 37th
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
by the Frontstretch Staff
The Big Six: Questions Answered After The Sylvania 300
by Amy Henderson
Clear Separation Two Races Into Chase: Why Others Have Fallen Back
by Summer Bedgood
by Amy Henderson
Clear Separation Two Races Into Chase: Why Others Have Fallen Back
by Summer Bedgood
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: Jeff Burton had a great opening segment of the 2000 MBNA.com 400 at Dover International Speedway. He led laps and was one of the fastest drivers on track. However, everything went awry just before halfway. What happened?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Thursday's Answer:
Q: The 2003 Sylvania 300 at then-New Hampshire International Speedway was won by Jimmie Johnson. However, an incident in the race led to a substantial change in NASCAR rules. What happened?
A: Shortly after halfway, Dale Jarrett spun and hit the wall exiting Turn 4. The UPS Ford was heavily damaged and came to rest in the middle of the track. Now, the field did not get the caution at the line, so drivers attempted to race back to the line, just barely missing Jarrett a lap later. The wreck can be seen here.
Jarrett was ok, but he was out on the spot. The near constant violations of the "Gentlemen's Agreement" came to a head here. A few days later, NASCAR officially banned racing back to cautions and instituted the current field freezing that we have today. The beneficiary rule was also created here. Benny Parsons, then of NBC/TNT, coined the term, "Lucky Dog," a few weeks later. Aaron's later co-opted it as their own.
Jarrett was ok, but he was out on the spot. The near constant violations of the "Gentlemen's Agreement" came to a head here. A few days later, NASCAR officially banned racing back to cautions and instituted the current field freezing that we have today. The beneficiary rule was also created here. Benny Parsons, then of NBC/TNT, coined the term, "Lucky Dog," a few weeks later. Aaron's later co-opted it as their own.
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: Sylvania 300 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: Sylvania 300 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 New Hampshire and get us ready for Dover.
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: New Hampshire-Dover Edition by Brad Morgan
Brad gives up something to look forward to going into Dover. 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.
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 Dover. 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.
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 Series raced at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Meanwhile, the Nationwide and ARCA Racing Series were both in action at Kentucky Speedway. How did ESPN and FOX Sports 2 do last weekend? Find out in our weekly TV critique.
-----------------------------Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
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