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THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 5th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition LXVIII
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Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
May 5th, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition LXVIII
~~~~~~~~~~
Today's TV Schedule
Time Telecast Network
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Sprint Cup Series 5-Hour ENERGY 400 FOX Sports 1*#/ (from May 10)
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM NASCAR RaceHub FOX Sports 1
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM NASCAR RaceHub FOX Sports 2*#
DVR Theater (Late Monday night/Early Tuesday morning)
2:30 AM - 3:00 AM NASCAR Now ESPN2
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Sprint Cup Race Recap: Gordon Storms To Victory In Kansas
by Justin Tucker
Jeff Gordon is proving in 2014 that age is indeed just a number.
Coming up on the 20th anniversary of his first Sprint Cup Series win, the 42-year old Gordon would add another checkered flag to his resume as he would hold off a charging Kevin Harvick in the closing laps to win the 5-Hour ENERGY 400 at Kansas Speedway for the 89th win of his Hall of Fame career.
Gordon would become the ninth different winner in the season's first 11 races and the Kansas win was his first since Martinsville in October of last year. Gordon came into Kansas as the points leader, but knows that a huge monkey is off his back with the win and basically a guaranteed spot in the chase come September.
"I'm just so proud of (the 24 team). They have been giving me the best race cars all year long," Gordon said. "I have been having so much fun. I'm going to be 43 this year and I feel like I'm 25 again. That is the way they make me feel."
"This is so sweet," Gordon continued. "What a huge weight lifted off this team's shoulders. We needed to get to Victory Lane."
Kevin Harvick clearly had the car to beat for much of the night on Saturday. Starting from the pole, Harvick would have over one third of the field lapped before the first pit stop of the race at lap 42. Harvick, who led a race-high 119 of 267 laps, would have to settle for second after two mistakes on pit road cost him a chance to score his third win of 2014.
"The car was really fast," said Harvick. "We just had to overcome a lot tonight. Getting caught on pit road both times under green flag pit stops and then we ran out of gas coming to pit road there. I was looking at the fuel pressure gauge instead of the tach[ometer] and lost a bunch of time down pit road and off of pit road and wound up getting stuck behind the 24. I just ran out of laps at the end. ... I made too many mistakes at the end to get by him."
Joining Gordon and Harvick in the top 5 of Saturday's 5 Hour Energy 400 at Kansas were: Kasey Kahne with his best run of 2014 in third, Joey Logano fourth, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in fifth.
As much as the night was about Gordon and Harvick, another driver stole the show on Saturday night. To say Danica Patrick has had a rough transition to life in the Sprint Cup Series is an understatement. Coming into Kansas, Patrick had only scored 1 top 10 finish in her 56 previous Cup Series starts, but Saturday was a different story. Patrick would keep her No. 10 Go Daddy Chevrolet in the top 10 for much of the 400 miles and ran as high as third in the running order before settling for a career best finish of seventh. The satisfaction was evident in her post-race interview.
"I know that we haven't had the best of times, but we work hard for it," said Patrick. "This is the kind of stuff that materializes in wins. We've just got to keep hanging around and doing what we're doing. I'm just proud of everyone for working really hard and believing in me."
"I've always believed in myself and with the right situation, a good car, that I can do it," she continued. "It's little moments when you drive by Jimmie Johnson on the outside, stuff like that makes me really proud of myself and little moments like that give me more confidence."
Kansas Speedway's inaugural night race got off to an inauspicious start as the start of the race was delayed 35 minutes due to severe weather in the area. In addition, the bank of lights on the backstretch went out around halfway. However, Kansas Speedway was filled to capacity and showed why it is one of the best stops in the series with great racing all night long.
A look at the 5 Hour Energy 400 by the numbers. There were 25 lead changes among nine different drivers and eight cautions for 47 laps, which slowed the pace to 128.149 MPH.
Next weekend the Sprint Cup Series gets ready for its all star game. The NASCAR Sprint All Star Race takes on a different format this season with the Sprint Showdown being run on Friday night at 7:15 P.M. ET and the All Star Race being contested on Saturday night at 9:00 P.M. ET.
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: Career Win No. 89 Allows Gordon To Stretch Lead
by Phil Allaway
Jeff Gordon needed to win badly on Saturday night, and he managed to pull it off. Getting those 47 points allowed him to stretch his lead up to 15 points over Matt Kenseth, who finished tenth in Kansas, but had to charge back from a lap down in order to get there. Kyle Busch holds onto the third spot in the standings after finishing 15th. However, Busch was very unhappy with his performance and is said to have boarded a helicopter and left the premises immediately after the race without talking to anyone.Dale Earnhardt, Jr. claimed to be disappointed with his fifth-place finish after the race because he felt that he could have been better. As it stands, the performance was just enough to break the tie between himself and Carl Edwards, who finished sixth. Joey Logano maintained the sixth spot in points after another top-5 finish. Jimmie Johnson is still in seventh, six points behind Logano after finishing ninth.
Ryan Newman moved up one place in the standings to eighth after an 11th-place finish Saturday night. Newman leapfrogged past Greg Biffle, who finished in a somewhat disappointing 16th. Brian Vickers is just one point behind Biffle in tenth.
Point Standings (1-16): 1) Jeff Gordon 394, 2) Matt Kenseth -15, 3) Kyle Busch -21, 4) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -26, 5) Carl Edwards -27, 6) Joey Logano -48, 7) Jimmie Johnson -54, 8) Ryan Newman -62, 9) Greg Biffle -66, 10) Brian Vickers -67, 11) Brad Keselowski -68, t-12) Denny Hamlin -76, t-12) Kyle Larson -76, 14) Austin Dillon -88, 15) Kevin Harvick -92, 16) Kasey Kahne -100.
Outside of the top-16, but in Chase Contention: 28) Kurt Busch -183.
Race Winners: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (Daytona), Kevin Harvick (Phoenix, Darlington), Brad Keselowski (Las Vegas), Carl Edwards (Bristol), Kyle Busch (Fontana), Kurt Busch (Martinsville), Joey Logano (Texas, Richmond), Denny Hamlin (Talladega), Jeff Gordon (Kansas).
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
Quotes to Remember: 5-hour ENERGY 400
Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager and a Senior Writer for Frontstretch.com. He can be reached via email at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Critic84.
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Never Fear, The Underdogs Are Here: Kansas Edition
by Amy Henderson
Are you a fan of a driver from a smaller team? Do you ever see one of these guys on the race results and wonder how he got there? NASCAR's small teams may not get much airtime during the race broadcast, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to talk about. Each week, Amy Henderson takes a peek into how the little guys fared in the race.
Author's note: Kansas was not kind to the small teams; none finished on the lead lap or inside the top 20, so this week, we'll take a look at the year to date, and the best of these hardworking teams as we head into the sport's All-Star break.
Underdog Selection No. 1: AJ Allmendinger for JTG_Daugherty Racing; 17th in driver points, 1 top 5, 3 top 10
This team has made the most of a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing this year, posting a top 5 in Talladega and a trifecta of top 10's so far this season. Like Furniture Row Racing a year ago, they're on the verge of moving into the next tier of teams, running with the likes of Richard Petty Motorsports and even some bigger teams—he's ahead fo Paul Menard, Jamie McMurray, and Tony Stewart in points. We'll see how he finishes out May, but it looks like this team may leave the small-team label behind as they zoom toward greener pastures.
Underdog Selection No. 2: Casey Mears for Germain Racing; 23rd in driver points, 1 top 10
This team also inked a deal with RCR, and while they've been slower to achieve the level of success that the No. 47 is enjoying, they're improving. Mears is just six points behind three-time champ Tony Stewart in the standings, and he's ahead of Jamie McMurray, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., and Danica Patrick, all of whom drive elite-level equipment for teams who've have race wins within the last year, so it's not a bad start for Mears and Co. They've been strong at times, they just need to put it all together and grab a few more top-15 finishes before it will be time to consider them out of the underdog group for good.
Underdog Selection No. 3: Justin Allgaier for HScott Motorsports; 29th in driver points
Allgaier, at 29th in driver points, is third among his small-team peers in points, and he's had some good runs, including a solid night in Kansas this weekend before it got derailed by AJ Allmendinger's spin—he was headed toward what would have easily been the best finish among the smaller teams before that went down. Allgiaer has been a solid journeyman-type driver for several years in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, where he's got three wins in five full season, but he's still a Cup rookie and in the process of learning the cars and the competition. He may not be setting the world on fire, but he's making headway on the learning curve.
Underdog Pick of the Week-Sprint Showdown: AJ Allmendinger for JTG-Daugherty Racing
My pick for Kansas was also Allmendinger, but unfortunately for him (and several of his small-team peers), he got loose running in traffic, spun, and collected several others en route to a 30th-place finish.
We're headed into the All-Star Race this week, and without race wins, the small teams (with the exception of the No. 34 and David Ragan) will need to race their way into the big show via the Sprint Showdown. There will also be some not-so-small teams in the mix, including the No. 15 of Clint Bowyer and the No. 27 of Paul Menard, but Allmendinger has a real shot at one of the two transfer spots that go to the top two finishers.
Is your favorite driver among NASCAR's underdogs? Are you frustrated with the lack of coverage they receive during 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!
Never Fear, The Underdogs Are Here: Kansas Edition
by Amy Henderson
Are you a fan of a driver from a smaller team? Do you ever see one of these guys on the race results and wonder how he got there? NASCAR's small teams may not get much airtime during the race broadcast, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to talk about. Each week, Amy Henderson takes a peek into how the little guys fared in the race.
Author's note: Kansas was not kind to the small teams; none finished on the lead lap or inside the top 20, so this week, we'll take a look at the year to date, and the best of these hardworking teams as we head into the sport's All-Star break.
Underdog Selection No. 1: AJ Allmendinger for JTG_Daugherty Racing; 17th in driver points, 1 top 5, 3 top 10
This team has made the most of a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing this year, posting a top 5 in Talladega and a trifecta of top 10's so far this season. Like Furniture Row Racing a year ago, they're on the verge of moving into the next tier of teams, running with the likes of Richard Petty Motorsports and even some bigger teams—he's ahead fo Paul Menard, Jamie McMurray, and Tony Stewart in points. We'll see how he finishes out May, but it looks like this team may leave the small-team label behind as they zoom toward greener pastures.
Underdog Selection No. 2: Casey Mears for Germain Racing; 23rd in driver points, 1 top 10
This team also inked a deal with RCR, and while they've been slower to achieve the level of success that the No. 47 is enjoying, they're improving. Mears is just six points behind three-time champ Tony Stewart in the standings, and he's ahead of Jamie McMurray, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., and Danica Patrick, all of whom drive elite-level equipment for teams who've have race wins within the last year, so it's not a bad start for Mears and Co. They've been strong at times, they just need to put it all together and grab a few more top-15 finishes before it will be time to consider them out of the underdog group for good.
Underdog Selection No. 3: Justin Allgaier for HScott Motorsports; 29th in driver points
Allgaier, at 29th in driver points, is third among his small-team peers in points, and he's had some good runs, including a solid night in Kansas this weekend before it got derailed by AJ Allmendinger's spin—he was headed toward what would have easily been the best finish among the smaller teams before that went down. Allgiaer has been a solid journeyman-type driver for several years in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, where he's got three wins in five full season, but he's still a Cup rookie and in the process of learning the cars and the competition. He may not be setting the world on fire, but he's making headway on the learning curve.
Underdog Pick of the Week-Sprint Showdown: AJ Allmendinger for JTG-Daugherty Racing
My pick for Kansas was also Allmendinger, but unfortunately for him (and several of his small-team peers), he got loose running in traffic, spun, and collected several others en route to a 30th-place finish.
We're headed into the All-Star Race this week, and without race wins, the small teams (with the exception of the No. 34 and David Ragan) will need to race their way into the big show via the Sprint Showdown. There will also be some not-so-small teams in the mix, including the No. 15 of Clint Bowyer and the No. 27 of Paul Menard, but Allmendinger has a real shot at one of the two transfer spots that go to the top two finishers.
Is your favorite driver among NASCAR's underdogs? Are you frustrated with the lack of coverage they receive during 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 at Frontstretch. She can be reached via e-mail at amy.henderson@frontstretch.com.
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Letter of the Race: Saturday night's 5-Hour ENERGY 400 was brought to you by the letter "- Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Stories: Kansas
by Phil Allaway
Letter of the Race: Saturday night's 5-Hour ENERGY 400 was brought to you by the letter "- Phil Allaway
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Sidebar Stories: Kansas
by Phil Allaway
Danica Patrick Earns Career-best Finish
The stars finally aligned on Saturday night for Danica Patrick to have a great run for the first time in her Sprint Cup career. And it was not some kind of a fluke. Patrick was legitimately quick all weekend,
Quotes to Remember: 5-hour ENERGY 400
compiled by Beth Lunkenheimer
"This has just always been one of my favorite tracks from that first race (in 2001). I don't know what it is about this race team and this racetrack for inaugural events, but tonight's win was very, very special. Man, and it didn't come easy. This team has been working so hard, and this guy sitting next to me (Alan Gustafson), he's been so driven and motivated, and it's been inspiring to me with the kind of race cars I've had this year." - Jeff Gordon, race winner
"It's a huge payoff for all the hard work this race team has put in. Really, really proud of all the guys on the (No.) 24 team, and really, to take it a step further than that, all the guys in the 5-24 shop and all the hard work they've put in. We've been so close, had so many good cars and it was great for it to pay off, really proud of the effort. Kasey (Kahne) had a great night and finished third tonight, so it was a very good night for our shop in general." - Alan Gustafson, winning crew chief
"Well, the car was really fast. We just had to overcome a lot tonight, getting caught on pit road both times under green flag pit stops. Then there are the end, we ran out of gas coming to pit road there, and I was looking at the fuel pressure gauge instead of the teach and lost a bunch of time down pit road and off of pit road, wound up getting stuck behind the (No.) 24. The care was really tight, and then I found a groove that worked for me way up the racetrack I caught him and then I slipped and lost everything I had gained, and then gained it all back and just ran out of laps at the end." - Kevin Harvick, finished second
"We had a fast Farmers Insurance Chevy throughout the race, worked our way up. We got to the front there for a little bit, led some laps, felt really good at that point in time, and then we got a little tighter later and didn't free up or tighten up enough there are the end when we put four tires back on. We just tried to run rights for too long. It was still a really solid run. Nice to run up front and be able to race hard the whole night. It was good for us." - Kasey Kahne, finished third
"It was all strategy. Our AAA Fusion was fast, we just weren't fast enough I guess. I was really good on the sort runs toward the middle part of the race. That last restart, the 4 and 24 just took off and left me. I was like, 'Man, wait for me!' Those guys were quick. We missed our adjustments a little bit trying to keep up with the track. I feel like we should have finished third. The 5 got by me when I was trying to get around a lap car and I am disappointed in myself there. Overall it is a solid top-five finish again and we will keep that momentum going and have some fun next week in Charlotte and go for a million bucks." - Joey Logano, finished fourth
"We had a real good car the first half of the race and was working the top. I don't think anybody had any speed like we did up there. As it got cooler the bottom got faster and we sort of leveled off and we were too tight at the end of the race. We had been working on front grip all weekend. That really kind of bit us there at the end. Real happy with the result; the guys worked really hard. This is a brand new car. I'm happy for Jeff (Gordon) and the whole No. 24 team, Alan (Gustafson) and all the guys they do a great job." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished fifth
"That wasn't what we were looking for. We needed one more restart. I found a little of the line up top. Jimmy did a great job with our Aflac Fusion. He made some big adjustments and our strategy didn't work the first half. The second half it was good though. I wanted a better showing for these guys here. So many people come support me at this race but congrats to Jeff (Gordon), he has run well enough and deserves that win. We will go to the next track, but man do I want to win this thing." - Carl Edwards, finished sixth
"When the race started it was about finishing the weekend off right and just staying up there. You know you are going to go up, you are going to go down a little bit and we sure enough did that, but we more than held our own through the whole race. I'm extremely proud of this crew for building a new car that was just awesome. It was so good on restarts and long runs and tires getting old. Hard work pays off and they definitely put the hard work into it. Obviously really happy for days like today to give back to GoDaddy who has always been behind me and get on TV a little bit." - Danica Patrick, finished seventh
"That was a good night for us. The Farmland Ford was fast all night. We got off a little bit in one part of the race and Trent did a good job getting the car back and making a good strategy call to get us track position. All in all it was a great night and another top-10 in Kansas. This place is pretty good to us. We are getting there. Our 1.5 mile program has needed some work and we tested at Charlotte and came here with some ideas that paid off. I am looking forward to next weekend and a little bit of a relief to go race for no points in that All-Star race and we will go from there." - Aric Almirola, finished eighth
"Overcoming adversity (stands out the most); we didn't have a clutch in the car so pit stops were limited and track position was a big key. You just really had to grind it out today and then we did and we got a decent finish." - Jimmie Johnson, finished ninth
"We were just pretty slow all weekend--as a group, really. Lost that lap on that first run--I was in the lucky dog spot a lot of times, just couldn't catch a caution at the right times. We got lucky to finish 10th really. These guys did a good job. It was almost impossible to pass out there and never really had great track position. We were just off a little bit all week. Trying to figure out mile-and-a-half tracks--it was our strong suit last year. We're really struggling this year as a group. We're trying to figure it out." - Matt Kenseth, finished tenth
"We could never get it where we wanted it to be. We got close a couple times and we tried really hard. We got caught out on that one sequence which put us behind and then we just fought from there to get track position. We got up to eighth or ninth with 60 or 70 to go and tried to take a gamble to win on strategy and it didn't quite payoff although it was a really good call. We ended up 13th which is kind of ho-hum. We will just have to keep working on it." - Brad Keselowski, finished 13th
"Mediocre all night, unfortunately. The Aaron's guys did a great job and never gave up. We were decent all night. We were just never great. You're going to have that--can't be the best car every week. And we've had some really fast cars this year." - Brian Vickers, finished 14th
"We just didn't have what we needed. Track position wasn't great for us and that was super important tonight. We just still have a little bit of work to do." - Greg Biffle, finished 16th
"We got to get better, just as an organization [on mile-and-a-half tracks]. We're just miles off. We're half a second off in practice, qualifying and then the race. It's frustrating. We're trying to do everything we can to learn some stuff. Right now, it's not a fair fight out there. I think it's a combination of a lot of things. It's not one thing. It's really every piece and part on the car has go to get better." - Denny Hamlin, finished 18th
"Well that was disappointing and certainly not how we wanted to finish the race at my home track. We just couldn't seem to get the handling right tonight on our No. 15 Cherry 5-Hour Energy Toyota. Just a disappointing end to a great week." - Clint Bowyer, finished 23rd
I'm fine first of all. I'm not exactly sure what transpired in front, but the No. 47 (AJ Allmendinger) I think was coming down the race track. I saw him coming and I tried to squeeze as much as I could to the inside and almost got into the grass. As soon as he got me I turned back across and I guess David Gilliland is the one that I collected him. Really unfortunate we had a really strong Brandt Chevy tonight and felt like we had a top 10 car for sure. I can't thank all the guys back at HScott Motorsports enough and the guys at the Hendrick chassis shop. I took a heck of a hit. I feel good now. I got the wind knocked out of me a little bit. Definitely not how I wanted to give my wife her first Mother's Day present or my Mom her Mother's Day present, but Happy Mother's Day to them and all the mother's out there. We will come back again next week. We know what we can build on from this week and we had a really fast car like I said so should be good at Charlotte." - Justin Allgaier, finished 36th (Crashed Out)
"I am okay. I don't know what happened. It looked like the 47 and 51 got together and the 51 came back up the track and I hit him and from there a lot of stuff happened. We are alright though. Just a little sore obviously. That is one of the hardest hits I have had in awhile. Hopefully it will be the hardest one for awhile to come too. I am find though, just ready to get on with it." - David Gilliland, finished 37th (Crashed Out)
I just entered Turn 3 and I heard a small pop and then just lost all the steering and got into the fence and then knocked the oil lines and everything off which caused the fire. I'm not sure we didn't really have any tire issues all weekend. Keith (Rodden, crew chief) had been kind of reporting to me what the tires looked like after each stop and hadn't seen any really wear issues at all. I don't know if it was just a bad tire or if I ran over something. Just lost all the air and ended up crashing." - Jamie McMurray, finished 39th (Crashed Out)
"The 34 (David Ragan) or 38 (David Gilliland), or whoever was in front of me, got loose and sideways and I had the 38 or whoever on my inside. I tried to check up. I just had nowhere to go. I had a car inside and a car spun in front of me. I got into one of them, and then I just got hit by a car or two. It destroyed our car. Just wrong place at the wrong time I guess." - Ryan Truex, finished 43rd (Crashed Out)
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Thinkin' Out Loud - Kansas 5-Hour Energy 400 Benefitting the Special Operations Warrior Foundation
by Mike Neff
Pace Laps: Patrick's Notable Day, Inaugural Indy, Short Track New Hampshire, and Mercedes Rules
by the Frontstretch Staff
The Big Six: Questions Answered After the 5-hour Energy 400
by Amy Henderson
Justin Allgaier Remains Positive Despite Kansas Wreck
by Beth Lunkenheimer
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 Greg Davis
-- Fan's View Commentary by S.D. Grady
-- Numbers Game: 5-Hour ENERGY 400 by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
We'll take a look at which drivers are sitting pretty after eleven races -- and who is looking forward to some time at home.
Racing to the Point by Brett Poirier
Brett is back with another commentary to make you think.
Voices From The Heartland by Jeff Meyer
"This has just always been one of my favorite tracks from that first race (in 2001). I don't know what it is about this race team and this racetrack for inaugural events, but tonight's win was very, very special. Man, and it didn't come easy. This team has been working so hard, and this guy sitting next to me (Alan Gustafson), he's been so driven and motivated, and it's been inspiring to me with the kind of race cars I've had this year." - Jeff Gordon, race winner
"It's a huge payoff for all the hard work this race team has put in. Really, really proud of all the guys on the (No.) 24 team, and really, to take it a step further than that, all the guys in the 5-24 shop and all the hard work they've put in. We've been so close, had so many good cars and it was great for it to pay off, really proud of the effort. Kasey (Kahne) had a great night and finished third tonight, so it was a very good night for our shop in general." - Alan Gustafson, winning crew chief
"Well, the car was really fast. We just had to overcome a lot tonight, getting caught on pit road both times under green flag pit stops. Then there are the end, we ran out of gas coming to pit road there, and I was looking at the fuel pressure gauge instead of the teach and lost a bunch of time down pit road and off of pit road, wound up getting stuck behind the (No.) 24. The care was really tight, and then I found a groove that worked for me way up the racetrack I caught him and then I slipped and lost everything I had gained, and then gained it all back and just ran out of laps at the end." - Kevin Harvick, finished second
"We had a fast Farmers Insurance Chevy throughout the race, worked our way up. We got to the front there for a little bit, led some laps, felt really good at that point in time, and then we got a little tighter later and didn't free up or tighten up enough there are the end when we put four tires back on. We just tried to run rights for too long. It was still a really solid run. Nice to run up front and be able to race hard the whole night. It was good for us." - Kasey Kahne, finished third
"It was all strategy. Our AAA Fusion was fast, we just weren't fast enough I guess. I was really good on the sort runs toward the middle part of the race. That last restart, the 4 and 24 just took off and left me. I was like, 'Man, wait for me!' Those guys were quick. We missed our adjustments a little bit trying to keep up with the track. I feel like we should have finished third. The 5 got by me when I was trying to get around a lap car and I am disappointed in myself there. Overall it is a solid top-five finish again and we will keep that momentum going and have some fun next week in Charlotte and go for a million bucks." - Joey Logano, finished fourth
"We had a real good car the first half of the race and was working the top. I don't think anybody had any speed like we did up there. As it got cooler the bottom got faster and we sort of leveled off and we were too tight at the end of the race. We had been working on front grip all weekend. That really kind of bit us there at the end. Real happy with the result; the guys worked really hard. This is a brand new car. I'm happy for Jeff (Gordon) and the whole No. 24 team, Alan (Gustafson) and all the guys they do a great job." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished fifth
"That wasn't what we were looking for. We needed one more restart. I found a little of the line up top. Jimmy did a great job with our Aflac Fusion. He made some big adjustments and our strategy didn't work the first half. The second half it was good though. I wanted a better showing for these guys here. So many people come support me at this race but congrats to Jeff (Gordon), he has run well enough and deserves that win. We will go to the next track, but man do I want to win this thing." - Carl Edwards, finished sixth
"When the race started it was about finishing the weekend off right and just staying up there. You know you are going to go up, you are going to go down a little bit and we sure enough did that, but we more than held our own through the whole race. I'm extremely proud of this crew for building a new car that was just awesome. It was so good on restarts and long runs and tires getting old. Hard work pays off and they definitely put the hard work into it. Obviously really happy for days like today to give back to GoDaddy who has always been behind me and get on TV a little bit." - Danica Patrick, finished seventh
"That was a good night for us. The Farmland Ford was fast all night. We got off a little bit in one part of the race and Trent did a good job getting the car back and making a good strategy call to get us track position. All in all it was a great night and another top-10 in Kansas. This place is pretty good to us. We are getting there. Our 1.5 mile program has needed some work and we tested at Charlotte and came here with some ideas that paid off. I am looking forward to next weekend and a little bit of a relief to go race for no points in that All-Star race and we will go from there." - Aric Almirola, finished eighth
"Overcoming adversity (stands out the most); we didn't have a clutch in the car so pit stops were limited and track position was a big key. You just really had to grind it out today and then we did and we got a decent finish." - Jimmie Johnson, finished ninth
"We were just pretty slow all weekend--as a group, really. Lost that lap on that first run--I was in the lucky dog spot a lot of times, just couldn't catch a caution at the right times. We got lucky to finish 10th really. These guys did a good job. It was almost impossible to pass out there and never really had great track position. We were just off a little bit all week. Trying to figure out mile-and-a-half tracks--it was our strong suit last year. We're really struggling this year as a group. We're trying to figure it out." - Matt Kenseth, finished tenth
"We could never get it where we wanted it to be. We got close a couple times and we tried really hard. We got caught out on that one sequence which put us behind and then we just fought from there to get track position. We got up to eighth or ninth with 60 or 70 to go and tried to take a gamble to win on strategy and it didn't quite payoff although it was a really good call. We ended up 13th which is kind of ho-hum. We will just have to keep working on it." - Brad Keselowski, finished 13th
"Mediocre all night, unfortunately. The Aaron's guys did a great job and never gave up. We were decent all night. We were just never great. You're going to have that--can't be the best car every week. And we've had some really fast cars this year." - Brian Vickers, finished 14th
"We just didn't have what we needed. Track position wasn't great for us and that was super important tonight. We just still have a little bit of work to do." - Greg Biffle, finished 16th
"We got to get better, just as an organization [on mile-and-a-half tracks]. We're just miles off. We're half a second off in practice, qualifying and then the race. It's frustrating. We're trying to do everything we can to learn some stuff. Right now, it's not a fair fight out there. I think it's a combination of a lot of things. It's not one thing. It's really every piece and part on the car has go to get better." - Denny Hamlin, finished 18th
"Well that was disappointing and certainly not how we wanted to finish the race at my home track. We just couldn't seem to get the handling right tonight on our No. 15 Cherry 5-Hour Energy Toyota. Just a disappointing end to a great week." - Clint Bowyer, finished 23rd
I'm fine first of all. I'm not exactly sure what transpired in front, but the No. 47 (AJ Allmendinger) I think was coming down the race track. I saw him coming and I tried to squeeze as much as I could to the inside and almost got into the grass. As soon as he got me I turned back across and I guess David Gilliland is the one that I collected him. Really unfortunate we had a really strong Brandt Chevy tonight and felt like we had a top 10 car for sure. I can't thank all the guys back at HScott Motorsports enough and the guys at the Hendrick chassis shop. I took a heck of a hit. I feel good now. I got the wind knocked out of me a little bit. Definitely not how I wanted to give my wife her first Mother's Day present or my Mom her Mother's Day present, but Happy Mother's Day to them and all the mother's out there. We will come back again next week. We know what we can build on from this week and we had a really fast car like I said so should be good at Charlotte." - Justin Allgaier, finished 36th (Crashed Out)
"I am okay. I don't know what happened. It looked like the 47 and 51 got together and the 51 came back up the track and I hit him and from there a lot of stuff happened. We are alright though. Just a little sore obviously. That is one of the hardest hits I have had in awhile. Hopefully it will be the hardest one for awhile to come too. I am find though, just ready to get on with it." - David Gilliland, finished 37th (Crashed Out)
I just entered Turn 3 and I heard a small pop and then just lost all the steering and got into the fence and then knocked the oil lines and everything off which caused the fire. I'm not sure we didn't really have any tire issues all weekend. Keith (Rodden, crew chief) had been kind of reporting to me what the tires looked like after each stop and hadn't seen any really wear issues at all. I don't know if it was just a bad tire or if I ran over something. Just lost all the air and ended up crashing." - Jamie McMurray, finished 39th (Crashed Out)
"The 34 (David Ragan) or 38 (David Gilliland), or whoever was in front of me, got loose and sideways and I had the 38 or whoever on my inside. I tried to check up. I just had nowhere to go. I had a car inside and a car spun in front of me. I got into one of them, and then I just got hit by a car or two. It destroyed our car. Just wrong place at the wrong time I guess." - Ryan Truex, finished 43rd (Crashed Out)
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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:
Thinkin' Out Loud - Kansas 5-Hour Energy 400 Benefitting the Special Operations Warrior Foundation
by Mike Neff
Pace Laps: Patrick's Notable Day, Inaugural Indy, Short Track New Hampshire, and Mercedes Rules
by the Frontstretch Staff
The Big Six: Questions Answered After the 5-hour Energy 400
by Amy Henderson
Justin Allgaier Remains Positive Despite Kansas Wreck
by Beth Lunkenheimer
by Summer Bedgood
by Aaron Creed
Four Burning Questions in Kansas: Treacherous Track Surfaces and A Freaky Fast Harvick
by Matt Stallknecht
by Matt Stallknecht
by Beth Lunkenheimer
~~~~~~~~~~~
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The Winston from 1987 is best remembered for the non-pass "Pass in the Grass" where Dale Earnhardt was turned into the grass by Bill Elliott in the quad-oval. However, there was a reason why Elliott and Geoff Bodine gave Earnhardt body slams on the backstretch after the race. What happened?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: Former IndyCar driver Tomas Scheckter had a very wild rookie year in the then-Firestone Indy Racing League. He had a victory from pole at Michigan, but had a chance at so much more with Cheever Racing. Kansas was another example of this phenomenon. Scheckter led from the pole, but could not reach paydirt. What happened?
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
Q: The Winston from 1987 is best remembered for the non-pass "Pass in the Grass" where Dale Earnhardt was turned into the grass by Bill Elliott in the quad-oval. However, there was a reason why Elliott and Geoff Bodine gave Earnhardt body slams on the backstretch after the race. What happened?
Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
Friday's Answer:
Q: Former IndyCar driver Tomas Scheckter had a very wild rookie year in the then-Firestone Indy Racing League. He had a victory from pole at Michigan, but had a chance at so much more with Cheever Racing. Kansas was another example of this phenomenon. Scheckter led from the pole, but could not reach paydirt. What happened?
A: With ten laps to go, Scheckter had a small advantage over Sam Hornish, Jr. when he had a tire lose air pressure in Turn 2. His No. 52 swapped ends and crashed hard into the outside wall, ending his day. The crash can be seen live here.
Unfortunately for Scheckter, this was indicative of his rookie season. This was the fourth time that Scheckter had crashed out in only nine starts, and the second time from the lead. After the sixth DNF due to a crash at Kentucky, car owner Eddie Cheever decided that it was enough and sacked Scheckter despite three poles and one victory on the season.
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 Greg Davis
-- Fan's View Commentary by S.D. Grady
-- Numbers Game: 5-Hour ENERGY 400 by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:
Five Points To Ponder: Kansas by Danny Peters
Danny wraps up storylines that are settling this Tuesday while getting us prepped for the Sprint All-Star Race this weekend.
Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
This past weekend, the Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series were in action at Kansas Speedway. Meanwhile, the Verizon IndyCar Series was in Indianapolis for the first Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Was the TV coverage "up to snuff?" Find out in this week's TV Critique.
We'll take a look at which drivers are sitting pretty after eleven races -- and who is looking forward to some time at home.
Racing to the Point by Brett Poirier
Brett is back with another commentary to make you think.
Voices From The Heartland by Jeff Meyer
Jeff returns with his typical blend of sarcastic humor tilted towards one of NASCAR's controversial issues.
-----------------------------
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©2014 Frontstretch.com
Talk back to the Frontstretch Newsletter!
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©2014 Frontstretch.com
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