THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
November 18th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CCXV
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Sprint Cup Race Recap: Hamlin Claims Ford EcoBoost 400; Johnson Wins Sixth Championship
by Justin Tucker
Denny Hamlin's 2013 season could be best described as one of overcoming obstacles. Hamlin who suffered a broken back in a crash at the Auto Club Speedway in March and has spent much of the remainder of the season on the comeback trail. After many weeks of mixed results down the stretch, Hamlin once again found the way to Victory Lane on Sunday by winning the Ford EcoBoost 400.
Hamlin said he was optimistic heading into Sunday's race based off testing in October.
"We came here and tested a month or so ago, a few weeks ago, [and] hit on something that was really good for us," Hamlin said after the win. "You just look at the small victories. That's all I could do is take pride in the small victories that we had here and there, knowing we were getting a little bit better each week."
Hamlin said he hopes the victory will serve as a springboard to a rebound season in 2014.
"Now everyone is starting over clean again in 2014," Hamlin continued. "For me, when you come back after missing four or five races, one or two bad finishes, it was, My Chase hopes are over. You're kind of racing for nothing really. It's hard to find the motivation to perform at 100% when you're trying to find yourself, trying to figure out what feel you need, really when you feel like you're not racing for anything."
Hamlin had to out duel his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth over the closing laps for the win. Kenseth came into Sunday's race trailing Jimmie Johnson by 28 points and needing a victory with max points and a stumble by Johnson to claim the title. Kenseth would do his part, leading a race-high 144 laps on the afternoon, but he would come up 19 points short of Johnson in the final standings as Johnson would finish ninth to claim his sixth championship. Kenseth, although disappointed with not claiming his second championship, was pleased with the effort of his No. 20 team over the season.
"Obviously it's been a great year, best year I've ever had," said Kenseth. "Had a lot of fun racing over at Joe Gibbs Racing. I'm really happy for Denny getting that win. Think that will help us all with some momentum over the off season. Really enjoyed our year."
But even with a series-high seven wins, Kenseth tipped his cap to Johnson and the No. 48 team and their run to the championship.
"Jimmie and that team are obviously unbelievable," he said. "Never seen anything like this in the sport and probably will never see anything like it again. It's amazing with as tight as the rules are, multi-car teams, information sharing, and all that stuff. It's amazing they can figure out how to do that year after year."
Joining Hamlin and Kenseth in the top 5 of Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400 were Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in third, Martin Truex, Jr. in his final ride in the No. 56 in fourth, and Clint Bowyer fifth. Brad Keselowski finished in sixth, while Kyle Busch was seventh. Joey Logano was eighth, Johnson in 9th, and Kevin Harvick in his final effort in the No. 29 would come home tenth.
Sunday's race at Homestead was a formal coronation for Johnson, who just needed to finish 23rd or better to capture his sixth championship. Johnson spent much of the day running in the top 5, but received a scare on lap 194 after a stack up on a restart saw the No. 48 make contact with Kenseth. Paul Menard's blown tire brought out the seventh caution on Lap 207, which allowed Johnson to come to pit road and replace the left front tire, which had been slightly rubbing the fender. From that point on, Johnson was able to control his own destiny and finish ninth to clinch the championship. Johnson spoke of the significance of his sixth championship win after the race.
"This is extremely sweet. I feel like those five years were a blur. And things happen so fast," Johnson said. "It's not that I didn't enjoy it or appreciate it or respect what happened. It just went by so fast it seems like. Now, I'm really going to slow things down here and enjoy it. This is so, so sweet."
A look at Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400 by the numbers. There were 22 lead changes among eight different drivers, and eight cautions for 37 laps slowed the race pace to 130.693 MPH. 26 drivers managed to finish the race on the lead lap.
Justin Tucker is a Newsletter Contributor at Frontstretch. To reach Justin, please contact Newsletter Manager Phil Allaway at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
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Despite the best efforts of Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson would not be denied. Johnson's ninth-place finish Sunday evening was more than enough for him to claim his sixth Sprint Cup Championship. The final margin was 19 points after Kenseth finished second and managed to lead the most laps. Kevin Harvick, who had serious handling problems that forced an unscheduled pit stop early on, came back to finish tenth.
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
November 18th, 2013
Volume VII, Edition CCXV
~~~~~~~~~
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: Hamlin Claims Ford EcoBoost 400; Johnson Wins Sixth Championship
by Justin Tucker
Denny Hamlin's 2013 season could be best described as one of overcoming obstacles. Hamlin who suffered a broken back in a crash at the Auto Club Speedway in March and has spent much of the remainder of the season on the comeback trail. After many weeks of mixed results down the stretch, Hamlin once again found the way to Victory Lane on Sunday by winning the Ford EcoBoost 400.
Hamlin said he was optimistic heading into Sunday's race based off testing in October.
"We came here and tested a month or so ago, a few weeks ago, [and] hit on something that was really good for us," Hamlin said after the win. "You just look at the small victories. That's all I could do is take pride in the small victories that we had here and there, knowing we were getting a little bit better each week."
Hamlin said he hopes the victory will serve as a springboard to a rebound season in 2014.
"Now everyone is starting over clean again in 2014," Hamlin continued. "For me, when you come back after missing four or five races, one or two bad finishes, it was, My Chase hopes are over. You're kind of racing for nothing really. It's hard to find the motivation to perform at 100% when you're trying to find yourself, trying to figure out what feel you need, really when you feel like you're not racing for anything."
Hamlin had to out duel his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth over the closing laps for the win. Kenseth came into Sunday's race trailing Jimmie Johnson by 28 points and needing a victory with max points and a stumble by Johnson to claim the title. Kenseth would do his part, leading a race-high 144 laps on the afternoon, but he would come up 19 points short of Johnson in the final standings as Johnson would finish ninth to claim his sixth championship. Kenseth, although disappointed with not claiming his second championship, was pleased with the effort of his No. 20 team over the season.
"Obviously it's been a great year, best year I've ever had," said Kenseth. "Had a lot of fun racing over at Joe Gibbs Racing. I'm really happy for Denny getting that win. Think that will help us all with some momentum over the off season. Really enjoyed our year."
But even with a series-high seven wins, Kenseth tipped his cap to Johnson and the No. 48 team and their run to the championship.
"Jimmie and that team are obviously unbelievable," he said. "Never seen anything like this in the sport and probably will never see anything like it again. It's amazing with as tight as the rules are, multi-car teams, information sharing, and all that stuff. It's amazing they can figure out how to do that year after year."
Joining Hamlin and Kenseth in the top 5 of Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400 were Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in third, Martin Truex, Jr. in his final ride in the No. 56 in fourth, and Clint Bowyer fifth. Brad Keselowski finished in sixth, while Kyle Busch was seventh. Joey Logano was eighth, Johnson in 9th, and Kevin Harvick in his final effort in the No. 29 would come home tenth.
Sunday's race at Homestead was a formal coronation for Johnson, who just needed to finish 23rd or better to capture his sixth championship. Johnson spent much of the day running in the top 5, but received a scare on lap 194 after a stack up on a restart saw the No. 48 make contact with Kenseth. Paul Menard's blown tire brought out the seventh caution on Lap 207, which allowed Johnson to come to pit road and replace the left front tire, which had been slightly rubbing the fender. From that point on, Johnson was able to control his own destiny and finish ninth to clinch the championship. Johnson spoke of the significance of his sixth championship win after the race.
"This is extremely sweet. I feel like those five years were a blur. And things happen so fast," Johnson said. "It's not that I didn't enjoy it or appreciate it or respect what happened. It just went by so fast it seems like. Now, I'm really going to slow things down here and enjoy it. This is so, so sweet."
A look at Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400 by the numbers. There were 22 lead changes among eight different drivers, and eight cautions for 37 laps slowed the race pace to 130.693 MPH. 26 drivers managed to finish the race on the lead lap.
Justin Tucker is a Newsletter Contributor at Frontstretch. To reach Justin, please contact Newsletter Manager Phil Allaway at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com.
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Chasing The Chase: Bad Luck All But Hands Johnson The Title On A Platter
by Phil Allaway
by Phil Allaway
Kyle Busch finished a career-best fourth in points after finishing seventh on Sunday. However, just one point behind was Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who might have had the best car late in the race, but some contact between himself and Kenseth while trying to take second may have hurt the National Guard Chevrolet. Earnhardt, Jr. eventually settled for third. Jeff Gordon claimed the sixth spot in points after finishing 11th.
Just one point behind Gordon was Clint Bowyer in seventh. Bowyer gained a spot in the standings after earning a fifth-place finish. Joey Logano also gained a place to eighth after passing Johnson on the final lap for an eighth-place finish. Bowyer and Logano leapfrogged Greg Biffle, who had an unsatisfactory 24th-place finish.
Kurt Busch attempted to improve his finish with a two-tire strategy on the final pit stop, but the track surface made it impossible. Busch dropped from third on the final restart to a 21st-place finish. Regardless, the run was good enough to give the elder Busch brother the final spot on stage at the banquet in Las Vegas. He ended up 23 points ahead of Ryan Newman in 11th. In Homestead, Newman was very anonymous on his way to a 17th-place finish. Kasey Kahne struggled in the middle of the race, losing a lap before getting a Lucky Dog and racing back to 13th at the finish. That was enough for him to keep the 12th spot. Carl Edwards was one position in front of Kahne at the finish, but ended up one point behind him in the points.
Outside of the Chase, Brad Keselowski ended up best of the lot, finishing sixth on Sunday and claiming 14th in points by 34 over a slumping Jamie McMurray, who finished in 30th.
Final Chase Point Standings: 1) Jimmie Johnson 2419, 2) Matt Kenseth -19, 3) Kevin Harvick -34, 4) Kyle Busch -55, 5) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -56, 6) Jeff Gordon -82, 7) Clint Bowyer -83, 8) Joey Logano -96, 9) Greg Biffle -98, 10) Kurt Busch -110, 11) Ryan Newman -133, 12) Kasey Kahne -136, 13) Carl Edwards -137.
Best of the Rest (14-23): 14) Brad Keselowski 1041, 15) Jamie McMurray -34, 16) Martin Truex, Jr. -43, 17) Paul Menard -92, 18) Aric Almirola -128, 19) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -132, 20) Jeff Burton -135, 21) Juan Pablo Montoya -147, 22) Marcos Ambrose -169, 23) Denny Hamlin -288.
Non-Chase Point Standings (top-23): 1) Jimmie Johnson 1248, 2) Kevin Harvick -41, 3) Matt Kenseth -56, 4) Kyle Busch -85, 5) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -104, 6) Carl Edwards -130, 7) Clint Bowyer -133, 8) Jeff Gordon -161, 9) Greg Biffle -171, t-10) Joey Logano -177, t-10) Kurt Busch -177, 12) Brad Keselowski -207, 13) Ryan Newman -221, 14) Kasey Kahne -226, 15) Jamie McMurray -241, 16) Martin Truex, Jr. -250, 17) Paul Menard -299, 18) Aric Almirola -335, 19) Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. -339, 20) Jeff Burton -342, 21) Juan Pablo Montoya -354, 22) Marcos Ambrose -376, 23) Denny Hamlin -495.
Race Winners: Jimmie Johnson (Daytona-1, Martinsville-1, Pocono-1, Daytona-2, Dover-2, Texas-2), Carl Edwards (Phoenix-1, Richmond-2), Matt Kenseth (Las Vegas, Kansas-1, Darlington, Kentucky, Bristol-2, Chicagoland, New Hampshire-2), Kasey Kahne (Bristol-1, Pocono-2), Kyle Busch (Fontana, Texas-1, Watkins Glen, Atlanta), Kevin Harvick (Richmond-1, Charlotte, Kansas-2, Phoenix-2), David Ragan (Talladega), Tony Stewart (Dover-1), Greg Biffle (Michigan-1), Martin Truex, Jr. (Sonoma), Brian Vickers (New Hampshire-1), Ryan Newman (Indianapolis), Joey Logano (Michigan-2), Brad Keselowski (Charlotte-2), Jamie McMurray (Talladega-2), Jeff Gordon (Martinsville-2), Denny Hamlin (Homestead).
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.
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Never Fear, The Underdogs Are Here: Homestead 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: Kyle Larson for Phoenix Racing; started 20th, finished 15th
There's no doubt that Larson is an exceptional talent; he's displayed that at every level he's raced at. His run this week was a bit deceiving in that the No. 51 was given extra support from Earnahrdt Ganassi Racing for what was basically a rented third EGR ride this week. Still, Larson's run was impressive; one day after winning the Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year title, he grabbed a top-15 Cup finish and had a couple of tense moments that could have been disastrous—but they weren't, because Larson was able to drive out of them. He'll be looking for the Cup ROTY title next, and his battle for that honor with Austin Dillon is shaping up to be a good one. Dillon has an edge on equipment, while Larson has an advantage in raw talent.
Underdog Selection No. 2: Parker Kligerman for Swan Racing; started 30th, finished 25th
If this team hasn't offered Kligerman the seat full-time for 2014, they're missing an opportunity. The team has performed fairly well in 2013, all things considered, generally exceeding expectations after buying out start-and-park operation Inception Motorsports last year. They've shown that they can compete with their peers and beat them, and Kligerman has been the best of the bunch--his 21st-place average finish is the best of any driver with two or more races in the No. 30, and he's grabbed a pair of decent finishes in the car despite the lack of funding. All in all, he's been a much better fit than Cole Whitt.
Underdog Selection No. 3: David Gilliland for Front Row Motorsports; started 31st, finished 27th
Gilliland has very quietly stepped up his performance this year; he was the best of the FRM bunch again this week, without benefit of David Ragan's recent bad luck this time. And a look at the points chart reveals something else…Gilliland finishes 2013 second in points among his small-team peers to Casey Mears. He had a solid if unexceptional day at Homestead…perhaps it's time to rethink FRM's No. 1 driver.
Is your favorite driver among NASCAR's underdogs? Are you frustrated with the lack of coverage they receive during the race broadcasts? Amy has all the small teams covered each and every week in The Big Six. Be sure to check it out to see how your favorites fared!
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Letter of the Race: Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400 was brought to you by the letter "C," for Coronation. Let's just be honest with ourselves. Jimmie Johnson was going to win the championship regardless of what Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick did on Sunday. The only way they could spoil the party was if heck somehow went down for the second year in a row. That didn't happen. The "C" could also stand for contrarian due to Johnson purposefully running the low line for nearly the entire race while everyone else was up near the wall. - Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Stories: Homestead
by Summer Bedgood
Matt Kenseth Finishes Second In Race, ChaseLetter of the Race: Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400 was brought to you by the letter "C," for Coronation. Let's just be honest with ourselves. Jimmie Johnson was going to win the championship regardless of what Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick did on Sunday. The only way they could spoil the party was if heck somehow went down for the second year in a row. That didn't happen. The "C" could also stand for contrarian due to Johnson purposefully running the low line for nearly the entire race while everyone else was up near the wall. - Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Stories: Homestead
by Summer Bedgood
If Matt Kenseth won the race and led the most laps, Jimmie Johnson needed only to finish 23rd or better and it wouldn't matter.
Though it seemed hopeless for Kenseth, he did his best to put out his end of the bargain. Kenseth led a total of 144 laps throughout the entire race, the most of any other driver. Though he would ultimately lose to teammate Denny Hamlin in the race, it wouldn't matter as Johnson would finish in the ninth position, well ahead of that 23rd place mark.
Kenseth's second-place finish was good enough for him to maintain his second-place position in the standings. Johnson would beat Kenseth by 19 points in the final Sprint Cup Series standings. Johnson won six races all season, while Kenseth won seven.
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Wins Rookie of the Year
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. is a rookie no more, though Homestead did earn him the 2013 Rookie of the Year honors. Stenhouse finished 22nd in the final race out of the season, beating out girlfriend Danica Patrick for the honors.
Stenhouse moved up to the Sprint Cup Series this season to drive the No. 17 for Roush Fenway Racing after winning back-to-back championships in the Nationwide Series. Stenhouse ultimately finished 19th in points with one top 5, three top 10s, and an average finish of 18.9.
Stenhouse is without a primary sponsor next year, as Best Buy will not return to the team in 2014.
Three Drivers Potentially Run Their Last Race
Though the 2014 field is not yet set, three drivers may have run their final Sprint Cup Series race last Sunday at Homestead. Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, and Ken Schrader either are retiring completely or going into semi-retirement next year for a variety of reasons and had mixed results.
Martin was the highest finishing of the trio, finishing 19th on Sunday night. Martin was driving the No. 14 for Stewart-Haas Racing, filling in for an injured Tony Stewart. Stewart is expected to return to the car for Preseason Thunder in January at Daytona, and Martin will have an as-of-yet undetermined role in the organization next year.
Jeff Burton was the second-highest, finishing 23rd in his final race with Richard Childress Racing. Burton isn't expected to completely scale back and rumors have him running a part-time schedule for Michael Waltrip Racing next season, and possibly having a role as an analyst for the race broadcasts.
Finally, Schrader finished four laps down in the 34th position. Though Schrader is an avid dirt track racer and will continue racing, he has decided he no longer wants to compete in the Sprint Cup Series.
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.
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Quotes to Remember: Ford EcoBoost 400
compiled by Phil Allaway
"Yeah, it's a horrible year. I was going to be counting down the laps. You hate to say you give up, but you kind of concede the fact that we weren't going to keep the streak alive of a win every year. As bad as the year is, we can take a little solace in this finish. Spend these next two months regrouping, getting our team back in order. I feel like there's no reason why we can't shoot out of the gates in '14 like we did in 2010 after winning here in 2009. That was the point for us, when we won this race here in '09, confidence went through the roof. 2010 was a great season for us. Hopefully that repeats." - Denny Hamlin, race winner
"It was just an unbelievable year for us really. Obviously, we wanted to finish off and win the championship as good as we ran all year, but couldn't be more proud of the whole Dollar General/Home Depot Toyota team. They did a spectacular job all season and all day today again. Super happy for Denny (Hamlin) to get his win here tonight -- he really needed that. Denny and Kyle (Busch) are awesome teammates and I'm really looking forward to getting into next season. The night overall was really good for us and we were really dominant when it was sunny out and when it got dark we were off just a little bit and then had that mishap on that restart that kind of got us behind. Overall, I don't think you could ask for much more." - Matt Kenseth, finished second
"It's a little bit disappointing. We had such a good car and couldn't capitalize. It was just real hard to get by those guys at the end. They were protecting their position and Matt (Kenseth) was working hard to get points. We beat and banged a little bit; it was fun racing. Congratulations to (Joe Gibbs Racing) on getting the win and congratulations to my teammate Jimmie for his championship. I'm really proud of my team. They worked really hard in the Chase, and it really showed. If we're able to put together another good season and are fortunate enough to make the Chase next year, we'll be one they need to worry about." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished third
"It was a good race for us. Obviously, we didn't have the speed most of the race and really worked hard on the car to get the balance right, get the handling right. We were pretty good on long runs all day, but just taking off we really struggled to have speed and guys would just blow our doors off for 10 laps and then we could settle in and run as good as the guys ahead of us. It was just hard to pass once they would all get up and run against the wall. Just made a lot of adjustments all night and finally got what we needed right there on that last restart and was able to pass some guys. We were running the first three down there again, but just too little, too late. I wish we could have got it figured out a little bit earlier, but proud of my guys on my NAPA Toyota and kind of the end of a great year run for us and just can't thank all these guys enough -- Michael (Waltrip, team owner) and Rob (Kauffman, team owner) and NAPA and Toyota and everybody that has made it possible the last four years to have such a good time, make the Chase and the win at Sonoma this year. All the things we did together were special and going to miss these guys and hopefully see them around a lot next year." - Martin Truex, Jr., finished fourth
"We were hoping our night was going to turn out a little bit better. Our M&M's Camry was just too loose in and off the corner all night and we could never quite get it to where I could drive it the way I wanted to. We were able to dig hard there on the last run of the race and pick up enough spots to hold onto fourth in the standings, which is a big deal. This is my best points finish ever and the best together with all of these M&M's guys. I can't thank everyone on this 18 team for all of their hard work this year. Can't say enough about everyone back at Joe Gibbs Racing for giving us great cars, M&M's, Interstate Batteries, Toyota, TRD (Toyota Racing Development). We had our best Chase ever and we have something to build upon for next year." - Kyle Busch, finished seventh
"It was hard-fought evening to say the least. It's such a difficult race track, especially when you're loose all night. We made a lot of adjustments all night on this Shell/Pennzoil Ford and it just wasn't getting any better. It was like we were barely keeping up with the track. We put like six rounds in the left-rear and took four or five out of the right-rear, track bar, rubbers, air-pressure, we did everything we could do and it would just get loose no matter what. No matter what we'd do it gets loose. We would fight ahead and maintain a little bit and finished eighth, so overall it was a solid day. I'm more impressed with our year. We did a good job this year and learned a lot about each other, and learned a lot about where we could have done a better job in races and where we need to improve next year and where to work on our cars during the off-season. It's been a pleasure to work with Todd Gordon and all these guys on this team. I had a lot of fun this year and this was my best season personally. I'd still call it a good season, not a great season. We were just talking about the opportunities we had to win and we feel like we had the chance to win five races and we capitalized on one of them, so that's a good area we can learn from and figure out how to limit our mistakes. I gave up a couple and we had some other mistakes that gave up a few too, so we've got areas we need to improve and we'll do it." - Joey Logano, finished eighth
"Oh wow...I don't even know where to start. I am at a loss for words, but I am so proud, and so thankful for this opportunity at Hendrick Motorsports. I'm thankful that Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick gave me this opportunity back in 2002. Thankful that Lowe's came on board. I want to say hi to all the employee-owners that are watching; everybody back at Hendrick Motorsports in all departments. This sport is about people, and our people at Hendrick Motorsports, especially on this 48 car rose up and got the job done. I am so thankful to be able to drive for this race team, and so honored and so excited to have a six-pack." - Jimmie Johnson, finished ninth, 2013 Sprint Cup Series Champion
"Man, what a great day. I just can't thank everybody at Hendrick Motorsports enough. A lot of effort went into this No. 48 car this season. Everybody on the No. 48 team has dug in really deep. We had a whole lot of new players on our team this year from engineers to mechanics to pit crew members and everybody played a very important role into what it was we needed to do this year. Everybody at Lowe's and Hendrick Motorsports; we couldn't be prouder." - Chad Knaus, Championship winning crew chief
"Yeah, we just weren't very good. Just couldn't turn like we needed to. We had one set of tires that I don't know what was wrong with, but just like always these guys on our Budweiser Chevy kept after it. We were able to salvage something out of the night. Obviously it's not what we wanted, but came back and were way better at the end than what we were in the beginning. It's what we've done all year and I'm just proud of everybody and thank them for everything that they have done." - Kevin Harvick, finished tenth
"Yeah, it's pretty disappointing. We were much better than that all day long with our Axalta Chevrolet. We were just trying to make it better and better and better all day long keeping up with track conditions. We made an adjustment that I asked for there at the end and it just went the wrong way. Unfortunately, we feel back there at the end. We were definitely a top-five car all night. I don't think we had a winning car, but certainly a top-five so disappointed to finish 11th." - Jeff Gordon, finished 11th
"It was a frustrating race because we never really had any speed. I had a blast there at the end racing right on the fence, but it wasn't enough. This is the first time we've run that poorly in this race. This track is usually our bread and butter, so this style of track and this track particularly has been really good, so it's tough. That's the way it is." - Carl Edwards, finished 12th
"This was not the way we wanted to end the season. We gave it our best effort but we just didn't have the handling to run up front. I really wanted to give these Furniture Row guys a strong finish. I am disappointed right now, but tomorrow I am going to look back at this season and be very proud of what we were able to accomplish. For this little single-car team out of Denver to finish 10th in points is quite an achievement and the credit goes to Barney Visser (team owner), Joe Garone (general manager), Todd Berrier (crew chief) along with our entire road crew and all the guys back at the shop. They gave everything they had to give and you can't ask for anything more. I made a lot of friends with this Furniture Row team and will always look back at this season with a special fondness." - Kurt Busch, finished 21st
"That was pretty wild. First of all the Menards/Moen Chevy was really good all night. On that restart, everybody kind of checked up and we got some right rear damage and had a flat tire. I guess a bunch of rubber got wrapped up underneath around the axle I guess. Came in a couple of times trying to fix the damage and try to get the rubber off. We didn't get it all and I guess it just caught fire. I didn't really know it until there was a little bit of spark coming in the car and landed on the window net, thought that was kind of weird. About a lap later they said I was on fire; I lost my brakes, then the damn wheel blew right off (the car)." - Paul Menard, finished 39th (Dropped Out Due to Fire, Tire Explosion)
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Thinkin' Out Loud: Homestead NASCAR Weekend Recap
by Mike Neff
by Amy Henderson
by Summer Bedgood
Pace Laps: Six-Pack, Champ Without a Win and Career Firsts
by the Frontstretch Staff
Pace Laps: Six-Pack, Champ Without a Win and Career Firsts
by the Frontstretch Staff
by Beth Lunkenheimer
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FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The 1993 Grand Prix of Brazil is considered to be one of Ayrton Senna's greatest victories. Driving an inferior McLaren MP4/8, Senna outlasted the competition and the conditions to claim the win. However, archrival Alain Prost in the all-conquering Williams Renault FW15 was not so lucky. What put him out of the race?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: Prior to Homestead-Miami Speedway opening in the fall of 1995, CART held their season opener at Bicentennial Park in Downtown Miami, a venue that hosted sports car races in the 1980's. How did the circuit differ from the one that IMSA raced at?
A: There were two differences. A slight difference concerned the addition of a chicane at the end of the backstretch. This was done to curb speeds. However, the main difference is that the track was run clockwise. When IMSA raced on the circuit, it was a counter-clockwise track.
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: Ford EcoBoost 400 by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Coming Tuesday in the Frontstretch Newsletter:
-- Top News by Tom Bowles
-- Fan's View Commentary by S.D. Grady
-- Numbers Game: Ford EcoBoost 400 by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Five Points To Ponder by Danny Peters
Danny returns for his weekly edition of talking points, which will wrap up the action in Homestead.
Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Homestead-Off Season Edition by Brad Morgan
Brad gives us something to look forward to going into the off-season. He's tracking the trends of the past few weeks to see which drivers finished on a tear... or tore themselves a new one
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 this season.
Brad gives us something to look forward to going into the off-season. He's tracking the trends of the past few weeks to see which drivers finished on a tear... or tore themselves a new one
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 this season.
Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
This past weekend, all three of NASCAR's National series rounded out their 2013 seasons in Homestead. How did FOX Sports 1 and ESPN do with their telecasts? Find out in our weekly TV critique.
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