Monday, November 03, 2014

The Frontstretch Newsletter: The Latest On NASCAR's Big Brawl, Johnson's Texas Victory

THE FRONTSTRETCH NEWSLETTER
Presented by Frontstretch.com
The Best Seat at the Track, The Best View on the Net!
Nov. 3, 2014
Volume VIII, Edition CXCIII

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What to Watch: Monday

- Today will be filled with fallout from the shenanigans at the end of Sunday's AAA Texas 500.  Don't expect any consequences today, though as NASCAR is reviewing video of the post-race brawl and won't announce any penalties until Tuesday at the earliest. ESPN is providing full coverage of the incident, along with having Jamie Little and Ricky Craven give analysis throughout the day on SportsCenter. Little was smack in the middle of the scrum that broke out on pit road involving Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and several of their crewmen.

- After Sunday night's action in Texas, teams executed equipment switchovers in the garage so that the primary haulers could drive straight to Phoenix without returning to the Carolinas.  Furniture Row Racing would be the lone exception to that rule, since they're based in Colorado.

Today's TV Schedule

Time                                     Telecast                                                                       Network
5 p.m. - 6 p.m.                     NASCAR RaceHub                                                   FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.                The 10: NASCAR's Most Outrageous Moments       FOX Sports 2#
7 p.m. - 8 p.m.                     NASCAR RaceHub                                                   FOX Sports 2*#
7 p.m. - 8 p.m.                     NASCAR America                                                     NBC Sports Network
8 p.m. - 9 p.m.                     2013 Monterey Motorsports Reunion                        FOX Sports 2*/#

DVR Theater
7 a.m. - 8 a.m.                     NASCAR America                                                     NBC Sports Network*# (from November 3)
8 a.m. - 9 a.m.                     NASCAR America                                                     NBC Sports Network*# (from November 3)

* - Tape Delayed
/ - Highlighted Coverage
# - Repeat Coverage

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Sprint Cup Race Recap: Johnson Three-Peats in AAA Texas 500 As Brawl Breaks Out Around Him
by Justin Tucker

For Jimmie Johnson, it was a different feeling this time around at Texas Motor Speedway. While chaos reigned around him, the battle for the championship hanging in the balance he was after one goal and one goal only: the checkered flag.

Mission accomplished.

The six-time champion, eliminated in the Contender round at Talladega two weeks ago shook off the pain of losing the Chase and left everyone chasing him at Texas.  Rediscovering speed that had been lacking much of these playoffs, Johnson dominated Sunday's 500-miler, leading 191 of 341 laps and surviving two wild green-white-checkered restarts to earn his first victory since Michigan in June. Holding off Kevin Harvick by .513 seconds, he scored his fourth win of the season and the 70th of a remarkable career.

"It's a testament to this team and the fact that we'll never give up," said Johnson, who scored his third straight victory in the fall race there.  "We'll always keep fighting and keep trying to make our cars better.  We're not in the Chase and not where we want to be - fighting for the championship."

When Johnson said "fight," turns out he meant it - literally. Drivers went from rubbing fenders to throwing punches in a wild finish that saw Harvick and Brad Keselowski make contact several times over the final two laps of the race. While neither driver spun out, their battle robbed both of a chance to score the victory, leading to some tempers overflowing on pit road. Perhaps the biggest spark to trigger a fight came from Jeff Gordon, in position to snag the win himself until contact from Keselowski, during the first green-white-checkered finish flattened a left-rear tire. The resulting spinout, causing the race's final caution ruined the night for Gordon, causing him to confront Keselowski on pit road after the race.

Enraged after the checkers fell, Gordon approached Keselowski on pit road and, after yelling at him, lunged at the driver.  An approaching Kevin Harvick then shoved Keselowski from behind, setting off a wild melee which involved members from other teams trying to break up the fracas.  Punches were thrown and all hell broke loose, leaving Gordon and Keselowski bloodied and their egos clearly bruised over an incident where each wound up blaming the other.

"We were sitting there on older tires.  I spun the tires a little but I got a pretty decent restart," Gordon told ESPN.  "We went down into (turn) 1 and I just wanted to get to the outside of the 48 (Johnson) and and out of nowhere I just got slammed by the 2 and it cut my left-rear tire.  He's just a dip---.  The way he races, I don't know how he ever won a championship and I'm just sick and tired of it."

Gordon had chosen the outside for that restart, sitting on the front row which was his prerogative as the leader of the race. Keselowski, who started directly behind felt there was a gap, caused when Gordon went wide coming up to speed providing an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

"We were just racing for the win," he initially told ESPN.  "Just racing hard and he left a hole and everything you watch in racing, if you leave a hole you're supposed to go for it.  It closed up and we made contact.  I didn't want to ruin anyone's day, I wanted to win the race and that was our opportunity."

"I know in my heart I raced 100 percent," he later added in an interview with the Sporting News. "I did what should be done to be a professional racecar driver."

Not everyone agreed, with Harvick claiming the new Chase had caused Keselowski to drive with "no rules" and the level of aggression had gotten out of control. As for Gordon, he felt the best way to talk was with punches, not public verbal confrontation.

"There wasn't any conversation," said the four-time champion. "You can't have a conversation with him.  He beats his own drum and gets himself in this position himself and he's got to pay the consequences.  I'm going to race him the same way he races me.  But that kinda stuff is uncalled for and I'm not going to stand for it. To [NASCAR], it's just a racing incident.  To me, it's a bunch of crap.  The kid is doing stuff way over his head.  That stuff is uncalled for.  You are racing for a win and a championship.  You don't go slamming someone and cut their left-rear tire.  If that's what it takes, no problem, I can do the same thing to him."

Rounding out the top 5 in Sunday's AAA Texas 500 were Kyle Busch in fourth, falling short in his bid for a weekend sweep and Jamie McMurray in fifth. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ran sixth, while Kyle Larson, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top 10.

Texas marked the second consecutive Chase race in which a non-Chaser has gone to Victory Lane.  As a result, at least three spots of the championship round at Homestead will be decided by points. Gordon, who finished one lap down in 29th after leading 49 laps on the afternoon, was thrilled that happened instead of Keselowski sneaking out front.

"I'm proud of Jimmie Johnson for winning that race and not letting that you-know-what win," he said.

Just don't expect Keselowski to back down going forward, heating up a Phoenix race in which all eight of the remaining Chasers could easily advance into the final round.

"I've been through a lot of rivalries, I've got a little blood on me right now," Keselowski said.  "I've been roughed up and put in the grandstands and wrecked and all that stuff and I'm still here fighting. I don't want to wreck anyone but I certainly race hard, and that's nothing to be ashamed of."

Said winner Johnson, "I can't wait to go back and watch the tape."

A look at Sunday's AAA Texas 500 by the numbers.  There were 23 lead changes among seven different drivers and a record thirteen cautions for 61 laps slowed the race pace to 132.239 mph. Next week, the Sprint Cup Series heads to Phoenix International Raceway for the final race in the Eliminator round. The Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 goes green next Sunday at 3:15 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.

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Nationwide Series Breakdown: O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge
by Justin Tucker

Kyle Busch picked up right where he left off in Friday night's Camping World Truck Series race by dominating Saturday afternoon's O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway. Busch led a race high 116 of 200 laps, holding off Joey Logano by 1.561 seconds to score his 70th career win and the 100th Nationwide Series victory for Joe Gibbs Racing as an organization.

Ryan Blaney would continue his impressive run in NASCAR's second-tier division this season by finishing third. Championship points leader Chase Elliott ran fourth while Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-5 results. Brian Scott wound up sixth, Austin Dillon came home seventh, Kevin Harvick eighth, Elliott Sadler ninth, and Dakoda Armstrong capped off the top 10. Sadler, who was ill with a stomach virus had his car driven by Clint Bowyer in relief for the majority of the event.

The Good:

With his fourth-place finish Saturday, Chase Elliott all but certainly added the title of champion by his name. Elliott will take a 48-point lead over his JR Motorsports teammate Regan Smith to Phoenix next weekend, maintaining his quest to be the first rookie in Nationwide Series history to win the championship. If Elliott finishes ahead of Smith, while maintaining a lead over Brian Scott he'll clinch the title outright prior to Homestead. Elliott's 2014 has been an impressive mix of winning races and great results; his three wins are tops among all Nationwide Series regulars, paired with 15 top 5s and 25 top 10s on his resume. For every bit as good as the 2014 campaign has been, one has to believe Elliott will be even better in 2015.

It's getting to the point where you have to sit back and wonder... is Ryan Blaney this good? The answer is a resounding yes. Putting his Truck Series numbers aside, Blaney's 2014 Nationwide Series season would be considered a career year for most drivers. The kicker is Blaney accomplishes this feat driving a partial schedule for Team Penske, slipping into the mix whenever full-time Cup drivers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano need a weekend off. Scoring his ninth top-5 finish of the season, Blaney earned a third place at Texas and will clearly be a force to be reckoned with in 2015. Blaney also has twelve top-10 finishes in thirteen Nationwide Series starts, including his win at Bristol.

The Bad:

If it wasn't for bad luck, Trevor Bayne wouldn't have any luck at all. Bayne's No. 6 Ford burst into flames while leading on on lap 48, putting a halt on what looked to be the start of a promising afternoon. While he does sit sixth in points, there hasn't been much to cheer about for the Roush Fenway driver as of late: he's recorded only five top-5 results in 31 starts this season. Last month, he failed to qualify a Cup car at Charlotte and it remains a mystery as to how he'll do climbing the ladder full-time next season.

The Championship Battle:

Chase Elliott can lock up his first Nationwide Series title this weekend. Armed with a 48-point lead, should Elliott maintain that advantage all he would have to do is start the season finale at Homestead to claim the title. And if he expands it? The trophy is clinched.

Next Race:

The DAV 200 Honoring America's Veterans at Phoenix International Raceway is next up on the calendar. The green flag for the series' penultimate event is scheduled for 4:14 p.m. ET.

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Truck Series Breakdown: WinStar World Casino & Resort 350
by Justin Tucker

Kyle Busch continued his trend of dominating and winning in the Camping World Truck Series Friday night at Texas Motor Speedway. Busch, who led a race-high 80 of 152 laps, powered past German Quiroga on a green-white-checkered restart to claim his seventh victory in nine starts this season.

Busch would lead Jeb Burton and the field to the checkers under caution after a white-flag incident froze the field.  That left Timothy Peters in third, Tyler Reddick fourth while Matt Crafton picked up his 12th top-5 result of the season.  Joey Coulter finished sixth, Max Gresham seventh and Joe Nemechek, on the heels of announcing his No. 8 team would return in 2015 ran eighth.  Ryan Blaney and Cameron Hayley rounded out the top-10 finishers.

The Good:

Tyler Reddick appears to be gaining steam each start in the Truck Series after an inauspicious beginning to 2014.  In his last six starts, Reddick has posted five top-10 finishes to go along with three top 5s, including his fourth-place result Friday night.  It will be interesting to see how Reddick does when he moves up to the series full-time in 2015 with the imminent departure of teammate Ryan Blaney, likely taking the reins of the team's No. 29 truck.  As of late, he has laid down a solid foundation for next season.

Cameron Hayley has already turned heads as one of the premier drivers in the East division of the K&N Pro Series.  Hayley, running a limited schedule for Turner Scott faced his first real big test in the Truck Series by racing for the first time on a track 1.5 miles or larger in length.  Would the youngster be up for the challenge?  Hayley answered that, definitively by running inside the top 10 in both practices, then finishing inside the top 10 at Texas on Friday night.  Hayley is one that will be worth watching in 2015, whether it is in a full-time Truck Series ride or an Xfinity Series deal.

The Bad:

It was dropping from the highest of highs, after winning at Martinsville last weekend to the lowest of lows when Darrell Wallace, Jr. blew an engine on lap 106. When that happened, Wallace went from being in the thick of title contention to seemingly out of it with two races left.  Wallace, leading 51 circuits early on seemed to have the only truck that could seemingly run with the No. 51 of Busch, his Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate. It's a shame, because despite the late-season surge the driver is forced into "win-or-nothing" mode the next two weeks in order to have a shot at the title; even then, he's out of it unless Crafton suffers a DNF or major problem inside the next two events.

The Championship Battle:

Matt Crafton, with his top-5 finish added to his point lead over Ryan Blaney, growing it into a 23-point margin.  Darrell Wallace, Jr. sits third, a distant 43 points back, leaving Crafton in the driver's seat to become the series' first repeat champion.

Next Race:

The Truck Series heads to the diamond in the desert, Phoenix International Raceway for the Lucas Oil 150. Green flag is set for 8:48 p.m. ET next Friday night on FOX Sports 1.

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Chasing the Chase: Final 100 Miles Throws Standings Up in the Air
by Phil Allaway

With 100 miles to go in the AAA Texas 500, it looked like there would be little movement inside the Chase.  However, the last fifth of the race saw the entire complexion of the championship battle change, leaving Sunday's race at Phoenix crucial to everyone's chances. 

Joey Logano had a terrible pit stop on lap 306, bad glue dropping lugnuts off a tire and dropped outside the top 20 as a result.  On the ensuing restart, he had contact with Marcos Ambrose after Ambrose hit the wall exiting turn 2.  The contact cut Logano's right-rear tire, causing the No. 22 car to spin out.  Logano charged back from the flat and finished 12th, enough to pull him into a tie for the points lead with Denny Hamlin, who ran tenth.  Logano has the official lead due to having the best finish in the round but has not "clinched" a spot in the Final Four at Homesteadf.  Ryan Newman, despite having to pit on lap 322 due to a tire rub, wound up 15th and will enter Phoenix third in points, just two points out of the top spot.

Up until the first green-white-checkered ending, Jeff Gordon looked to have the points lead wrapped up leaving Texas.  Then, Brad Keselowski tried to go three-wide on the restart and cut Gordon's left-rear tire.  Gordon's crew then made a crucial tactical error (changing the right sides first when the left rear was the flat) that cost him a lap.  He would finish as the only car one lap down in 29th.  Luckily, with the chaos of those final few laps, Gordon is still fourth in points, 12 out of the lead.  The No. 24 team still controls their own destiny heading to Phoenix.

Just one point behind Gordon, on the outside looking in is the duo of Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards.  Kenseth had contact with Newman, causing Newman's tire rub.  The contact damaged Kenseth's right-front fender, compromising his day and leaving the pole sitter a distant 25th.  In Edwards' case, he probably had the worst day of all the Chasers, dropping two laps down at one point.  Luckily for him, all the cautions snuck the No. 99 Ford back on the lead lap and provided an opening to charge upwards. Edwards wound up ninth, gaining ground on those above him.

Brad Keselowski, despite the fact that he walked out of Texas Motor Speedway with a bloody lip, gained 14 points on the opposition on Sunday with his third-place finish.  He's still seventh, but clearly within striking distance, just five points behind Gordon.  Kevin Harvick, whose role in the dust-up has been overlooked, earned another second-place result and gained 15 points on the leaders.  He's just one point behind Keselowski and going to a track (Phoenix) that he won at back in March.

Outside of the Chase, Kyle Busch had a miserable first 225 laps.  Busch hit the wall multiple times, then cut a right-rear tire on lap 205.  The carcass came off and was struck by Michael Annett, bringing out the third caution.  But Busch eventually got back on the lead lap, avoided all the contact and controversy, and brought home a fourth-place finish.  The result keeps him first in class, 36 points in front of a tie for tenth between Hendrick Motorsports teammates Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jimmie Johnson for those already eliminated from title contention.

Chase Points Standings: t-1) Joey Logano 4072, t-1) Denny Hamlin 4072, 3) Ryan Newman -2, 4) Jeff Gordon -12, t-5) Matt Kenseth -13, t-5) Carl Edwards -13, 7) Brad Keselowski -17, 8) Kevin Harvick -18, 9) Kyle Busch -1802, t-10) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -1838, t-10) Jimmie Johnson -1838, 12) AJ Allmendinger -1844, 13) Greg Biffle -1863, 14) Kurt Busch -1880, 15) Kasey Kahne -1893, 16) Aric Almirola -1928.

Regular Point Standings (1-20): 1) Jeff Gordon 1175, 2) Joey Logano -26, 3) Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -67, 4) Brad Keselowski -77, 5) Kevin Harvick -99, 6) Ryan Newman -115, 7) Matt Kenseth -123, 8) Jimmie Johnson -148, 9) Carl Edwards -155, 10) Kyle Larson -157, 11) Greg Biffle -213, 12) Kyle Busch -221, 13) Jamie McMurray -230, 14) Clint Bowyer -236, 15) Austin Dillon -242, 16) Kasey Kahne -264, 17) Denny Hamlin -266, 18) Paul Menard -292, 19) Brian Vickers -300, 20) Kurt Busch -335.

Race Winners: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (Daytona-1, Pocono-1, Pocono-2, Martinsville-2), Kevin Harvick (Phoenix, Darlington, Charlotte-2), Brad Keselowski (Las Vegas, Kentucky, Loudon-1, Richmond-2, Chicagoland, Talladega-2), Carl Edwards (Bristol-1, Sonoma), Kyle Busch (Fontana), Kurt Busch (Martinsville-1), Joey Logano (Texas-1, Richmond, Bristol-2, Loudon-2, Kansas-2), Denny Hamlin (Talladega-1), Jeff Gordon (Kansas-1, Indianapolis, Michigan-2, Dover-2), Jimmie Johnson (Charlotte-1, Dover-1, Michigan-1, Texas-2), Aric Almirola (Daytona-2), AJ Allmendinger (Watkins Glen), Kasey Kahne (Atlanta).

Key:
Blue - Locked into the Championship Round
Orange - In Danger of Being Eliminated at Phoenix
Red - Eliminated from further Chase contention

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: Texas-II Edition
by Amy Henderson

This section will appear in tomorrow's edition of the Newsletter.

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Letter of the Race: Sunday's AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway was brought to you by the letter "L" for Lack of Control.  Recently, it appears that much of the field has been very frustrated with Brad Keselowski and his behavior on the racetrack.  After the race, Keselowski evoked the memories of Dale Earnhardt, Sr. and Ayrton Senna to explain anger that boiled over in the form of a post-race fracas.  - Phil Allaway

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Sidebar Stories
by Phil Allaway

What Happens Now After Texas Brawl?

Monday morning, NASCAR Nation woke up to no firm consequences after the post-race brawl that shook the sport to its core. The sanctioning body has stated that they will review video of the incident, determining whether penalties and perhaps even suspensions are warranted. However, they're fine with everything that happened prior to the physical confrontation breaking out.

"
I think it was hard racing, and this is a contact sport," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's Senior Vice President of Competition and Racing Development, after the event.  "You look at what drivers are trying to do. We had a couple shots at a green-white-checkered finish, and everybody was going for it. Nobody was leaving anything behind."

As for the fight itself, NASCAR is taking a different position.

"You shouldn't punch somebody," Pemberton said.  "Everybody gets together, and when you're holding onto each other and grabbing this, that and the other, that's one thing. When punches are landed, that's a different scenario.  We have a lot of work to do this week."

Penalties, if any, from Sunday's fight, will likely be announced Tuesday or Wednesday.  Keselowski is under probation from the post-race altercations at Charlotte Motor Speedway last month, so if penalties are levied on him, a multiplier will likely come into play.

Elliott Sadler to Roush Fenway Racing with OneMain Financial in 2015

On Friday, Roush Fenway Racing announced that they have signed Elliott Sadler to drive for the team full-time in the Nationwide Series next season.  Sadler will drive a No. 1 Ford Mustang with sponsorship from OneMain Financial for all 33 races.

The Sprint Cup veteran, who has run full-time in the Nationwide Series since 2011 is happy to make the move to Roush Fenway Racing.

"It is an honor to remain with OneMain Financial next year," he said.  "Their commitment to teamwork and excellence carries throughout the organization and extends to the racing program. I'm thrilled for the opportunity to race under the OneMain Financial banner and team up with Roush Fenway Racing to compete for the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 2015."

Roush Fenway Racing President Steve Newmark is very happy to have a new driver and sponsor in the fold.

"It's great to have OneMain Financial back on board," he said.  "They are a first-class organization from top to bottom, a leader in their field and one of the most respected organizations in their industry. We enjoyed a great partnership in the past, and we look forward to reigniting that relationship moving forward next season.

"We are also very excited about what Elliott Sadler brings to our driver lineup.  He is a seasoned veteran and a winner on the track.  He brings a reputation as a fierce competitor and I know that our entire organization, and particularly his Roush Fenway teammates in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Chris Buescher and Ryan Reed, will benefit from his experience next season."

While it was not stated in the press release, Sadler will likely be taking over the No. 6 Ford, currently sponsored by AdvoCare that Trevor Bayne currently drives.  Bayne is moving up to Sprint Cup full-time in 2015 and taking AdvoCare with him.

For OneMain Financial, the move is a return of sorts for them.  Prior to being known as OneMain Financial, the company was known as CitiFinancial.  CitiFinancial served as a primary sponsor in the Nationwide Series for Roush Fenway Racing last decade before the company moved their backing to Kevin Harvick, Inc. and driver Elliott Sadler.  Before the 2011 season started, CitiFinancial changed their name to OneMain Financial.

Sadler Requires Relief in Texas Nationwide Race

Friday was a decent day for Elliott Sadler as he nailed down his future plans.  However, his weekend went downhill after dinner.

Sadler reportedly woke up at roughly 3 a.m. Saturday with intense stomach pain, the result of potential food poisoning.  After going to the Infield Care Center and receiving IV fluids, Sadler told his Joe Gibbs Racing team that he was unfit to drive.

Sadler was upset about the situation, but knew that the team had picked a good substitute.

"I'm sorry about this," he told his crew before the race.  "We'll make the most of it. You've got a good man you're putting in here."

Since qualifying was at 11 a.m. local time, the team had to find a substitute driver on short notice with minimal prep required.  Clint Bowyer, who is relatively close in size to Sadler, qualified the OneMain Financial No. 11 Toyota in 17th. The driver was then able to will the strength necessary to start the race from the rear of the field with the notion of running until the first caution.  The first yellow flew on lap 8 when JJ Yeley brushed the wall, giving the team time to make the switch.  Once Bowyer was in the car, the Kansas native drove to a ninth-place finish.

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Quotes to Remember: AAA Texas 500
compiled by Phil Allaway

"I'm just really proud of the effort.  To win 70 Cup races is just mind‑blowing to me.  Very, very proud of hitting that mark tonight.  Thankful for Chad (Knaus, crew chief) and my team.  Very proud to have won all my races with one race team with one sponsor. We wanted to close out the year by having fun, and winning races helps you do that.  But I have to give a lot of credit to our test session in Homestead earlier this week.  We went down there and Chad and the guys started making me happy.  I guess I've been unhappy for a while.  These guys put some great speed in the racecar, got me really comfortable with the car.  We were able to bring a lot of that here and get the car off the truck right away, it was quick, qualified third, and then dominated tonight and won the race. Just proud of the effort.  As Chad said, it's tough when you're going through watching, you know, a championship opportunity slip away from you. I'm just happy to be here and very happy to have our speed back and look forward to these next two races." - Jimmie Johnson, race winner

"You just try to do all you can do. Obviously, it was no-holds barred there with the No. 2. [Brad Keselowski] was in bulldoze mode. I'm proud of all my guys on our Budweiser team. We fought all day and put ourselves in position to win. A lot happened at the end of this race, and we were able to put ourselves back in the hunt." - Kevin Harvick, finished second

"Yeah, I mean, the sport, specifically the driving corps, is stuck in the year 1999, 2000.  With the testing bans, the COT cars, all these different things that have happened, the only way for a guy like me to break through is to drive the way I've drove over the last four or five years. I think last year I got away from being as aggressive as I was in 2012 and this year.  I didn't make the Chase.  We won one race.  That's not acceptable to me.  I'm here to win races for Roger Penske and for my team.  That means when there's a gap, I have to take it.  If it requires a tiny bit of rubbing, that's OK.  It's not anything I don't expect on the other side.  Plenty of times where I got rubbed.  It will go both ways.  That's OK by me. I'm not asking anyone to take ‑‑ I'm not trying to dish out something that I couldn't take myself.  But these guys have their own code, and they race differently than that.  That's their right. We'll go through these battles.  I've gone through them before and come out stronger.  I'll go through them again and come out stronger, a better race car driver. What I'm not going to do is back down.  I'm not going to get in the spot where I was in 2013 where, you know, I tried to be exactly what they all wanted me to be, because what they want me to be is a loser, and I'm not here to lose, I'm here to win.  That means I'm going to have to drive my car, harder, stronger, faster than everybody out there.  That's what I feel like I did today. With a 10th‑ to 15th‑place car, we almost won today.  That happened because of that attitude and that fight.  That's going to make some people mad because they don't race that way.  I understand that. Like I said, I'm not trying to dish something out I couldn't take.  The way I raced today is what I would define as great racing that defined this sport and I hope it will continue to define it for years to come. If a guy like me caves, whether it's Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, list out the drivers that I've had run‑ins with, whenever they try to push back on me, if I cave, that will end that run in this sport, and that will be a shame.  That would be a shame for everybody.  It would be a shame for the history of this sport.  It would be a shame for the fans that come here to see us race 100%.  That's what I did today.  For that, I'm not going to be ashamed. Would I be disappointed if I just dumped somebody to win the race?  Yeah.  I think you look through my history of racing, that's never been the case.  That's not the way I race.  I don't wreck people to win.  I've been in incidents at the end of the race, but I could say with a clear mind and heart that they weren't intentional, that they were all about going for the win and some things happen. Today, something happened.  There was a gap.  It closed up.  By the time it closed up, I was committed, and I stayed in it.  That almost won me the race.  It hurt somebody else's day.  That's a shame.  But the reality is, there was a gap. You know, I'm not Dale Earnhardt [Senior] or Senna.  I read how they raced, how great they were for this sport.  They would sit here and tell you they would go for that same gap.  I'm not them, but I'm inspired by that, and I'm going to race that way." - Brad Keselowski, finished third, on his aggressive style

"Yeah, [the fight was interesting to watch] — but what's more impressive is our run to the front tonight there at the end.  We were a bag of everything today.  Man, we were so bad.  I don't know what happened to us from yesterday.  We fought all day long.  The guys prepared this thing.  They've gotten plenty of practice in this Chase.  They did a good job.  They got me a good car there at the end in order to battle back and come back for a fourth.  I appreciate all the effort — all my guys.  They did a good job.  It's good to continue to fight like that and bring home a top 5." - Kyle Busch, finished fourth

"We had an up-and-down day.  Fortunately for us, we were better when the sun went down.  It was really slick at the beginning.  We really struggled with the car, but when the sun went down, the car started coming to us.  Then, the strategy with the tires and two tires and no tires and the 10 cautions in a row really jumbled it up.  We got a little bit of track position.  I struggled on restarts all night long, but the last four or five I was really good.  That is kind of what got us where we are and I was thankful to see the white flag.  I did not want to do another restart." - Jamie McMurray, finished fifth

"We ran great there at the end. Our car was great those last several laps.  We had a car that could pass some guys that were running up front. I'm pretty happy.  I'm proud of the way our cars are running, and the way the team is performing. Tonight was really aggressive, a lot of guys upset with each other and pretty high strung. It is exciting for the fans, we are running good. We've had a strong car all year. We had a slump there right before and when the Chase started, but we're kind of getting back into our groove." - Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finished sixth

"It was great to have a shot at the win. Tony Gibson (crew chief), the engineers did a great job reading my balance, and I was trying to pick up on their changes. So, it was nice to go out there and execute. We just lost too many spots on pit road, and that put us behind a few times. The strategy was to stay out, and we didn't need all those yellows. All those yellows gave everybody with fresh tires a chance to catch me. We used the last yellow to our advantage. The last two yellows for fresh tires, we worked our way from, I don't know, 25th to eighth. All-in-all, a great first day.  I love the team; I love the guys. We are going to be good. We just have to work out the details." - Kurt Busch, finished eighth

"We had a bad car.  We made the best of it.  Other guys made mistakes.  We weren't really that good.  Luckily, other guys had problems.  That's what happened." - Denny Hamlin, finished tenth

"We were able to salvage something decent out of tonight. We were a top-5 car and possibly a winning car if scenarios played out right. I don't know what happened with the glue on the pit stop and I haven't gotten the full story yet but we had a hell of a time trying to put rear tires on the car. We lost all our track position with 30 to go and I came off the corner and the No. 9 hit me and popped my right rear and then we spun out. We put tires back on it and then just held on 'til the end and got something decent out of something that could have been way worse. I am proud of everyone that kept their heads down and kept digging. That isn't the way we wanted to do it, that is for sure... you have to expect that, though when you put yourself back there with a few laps to go. We put ourselves in a bad spot for something to happen. It is a snowball effect. We put ourselves in a bad spot and got in an even worse spot and then dug ourselves halfway out of a whole there." - Joey Logano, finished 12th

"We just got our quarterpanel knocked in. They went three and four-wide there and put me in the middle of it. There wasn't a whole lot of respect out there. We saw that before, during, and after the race. But it was a good fight back for the Caterpillar Chevrolet to be 15th. It's kind of a sad situation when you run out of tires like that. I wish NASCAR had given us more tires. They gave us one set, but when they keep throwing cautions like that, that were totally unnecessary, and there's not debris on the racetrack and no reason to throw it [we need to have tires]. We need to keep racing. And it's sad to see, but that's the way they've been playing it." - Ryan Newman, finished 15th

"We were OK when we were up front and had track position, but we had a problem in the pits and lost our track position. The way my car drove — I was kind of afraid of how it would be in traffic.  We got most of our track position back, stayed out on tires and just couldn't get by Kurt [Busch] there — and got to the back again having to get tires.  Then, we got caught up in a restart deal that was three-four wide which did some damage, and we could just never overcome it." - Matt Kenseth, finished 25th

"It's emotion that is a part of this Chase and this format as well as toward people that make dumb decisions.  [Brad Keselowski] has been making a lot of them lately.  That is why people have been running after him and chasing him down.  It's why his team has got to defend him over there because of what he does on the racetrack." - Jeff Gordon, finished 29th, on the Chase and the Keselowski incident

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TODAY ON THE FRONTSTRETCH:

Thinkin' Out Loud: AAA Texas 500 - Rumblin', Bumblin' and Stumblin'
by Mike Neff

Pace Laps: The Race That Wouldn't End, Sadler's Sickness and Bubba's Championship Hopes Go Up in Smoke
by the Frontstretch Staff

by Tom Bowles

From the weekend:

by Joseph Wolkin

~~~~~~~~~~~
 
FRONTSTRETCH TRIVIA:
 
Q:
  Emerson Fittipaldi won the 1994 Slick 50 200 at Phoenix International Raceway, but he only really dominated because two of his primary competitors were eliminated in a scary crash.  What happened?

Check back Tuesday for the answer, here in the Frontstretch Newsletter!
 
Friday's Answer:
 
Q:  Early in the 2005 IROC race at Texas Motor Speedway, Kurt Busch was one of the fastest drivers on track.  However, trouble struck late while leading, an incident that ended his evening.  What happened?

A:  Busch was leading Sebastien Bourdais when he suddenly had a right-front tire go flat on his Pontiac Firebird.  Busch's No. 97 then went hard into the wall exiting turn 2.  The crash can be seen here, live from Danny Lasoski's roof cam.  Busch was OK after the crash, but he was done for the day.

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 triviaanswers@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: AAA Texas 500 by Tom Bowles
-- Links to your favorite Frontstretch articles, and more!
 
Tomorrow on the Frontstretch:

Five Points To Ponder by Danny Peters
Danny is back with his usual look at five storylines to follow this week as the drivers look toward Phoenix.

Who's Hot / Who's Not in Sprint Cup: Texas-Phoenix Edition by Brad Morgan
We'll take a look at which drivers are looking good as just two races remain in the Cup Series season.

Racing to the Point by Brett Poirier
Brett returns with another interesting commentary that'll 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.

Couch Potato Tuesday by Phil Allaway
The Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series were all at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend for ultra-fast action.  How were these races covered?  Check out our weekly TV critique to discover how.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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