 | | Dale Earnhardt Jr. was helped to Victory Lane both on pit road and in the grass by his over-the-wall gang. Credit: Autostock |
By Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
July 11, 2005
01:51 PM EDT (17:51 GMT)
JOLIET, Ill. -- It was hard to fault Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart for taking four tires at the end of the race. If that last caution hadn't flown, Kenseth probably would have won. Obviously, Dale Earnhardt Jr. stole a win with Steve Hmiel's call to take two tires, and all the cars that took two tires were the big winners because that last caution helped solidify their position. It's awfully tough to criticize Robbie Reiser, Kenseth's crew chief, for taking four tires on the final stop. It was pretty safe to assume that the last 19 laps would have been run under green. Instead, the yellow came out again, and Kenseth lost a ton of time getting around Stewart in the closing laps. Earnhardt's crew has got to be commended for putting together a two-tire stop that beat six other teams on pit road, and Stewart's crew gave him a 14-second pit -- with adjustments -- on the final stop. Wimmer gets some breathing room  |  | | Scott Wimmer |
| |
| Inside the Numbers |
| Owner Points |
| Pos. |
Car # |
Owner |
Pts. |
| 34. |
22 |
Bill Davis |
1,476 |
| 35. |
4 |
Larry McClure |
1,458 |
| 36. |
11 |
J.D. Gibbs |
1,445 |
|
|
Bill Davis Racing hasn't been much to talk about this season. Driver Scott Wimmer entered Chicagoland 35th in the owners points and were in real danger of falling out of the top 35 unless they beat Jason Leffler head-to-head. Leffler had a decent race -- he finished 20th -- but Scott Wimmer wound up 17th after a brilliant move that saw him lead 10 laps late in the race. Wimmer hasn't finished better than 16th all year, and he ran mid-pack most of the day at Chicagoland. But crew chief Derrick Finley kept Wimmer on the track when the caution flew on Lap 245, and Wimmer led the next 10 laps. The last caution helped Wimmer stay out front and burn some time. The move worked out really well. Wimmer picked up five points for leading a lap, and if the ending had turned into a wreck-fest, Wimmer would have stood to gain even more ground. Busch loses spots despite a two-tire stop Kurt Busch was trying to get a top-five finish by taking two tires during the final round of stops. But Busch says he was boxed in the pits by Bobby Hamilton Jr., and the cars of Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth zoomed past him. "We couldn't get out of our pit box clean, and then we only had two tires. So, the guys with fours went driving right by us," said Busch. |  | ARCHIVE | |
|
Quotable "If we had stayed out, maybe a win. But that's why they call it gambling when you come in the pits there."
-- Tony Stewart, who took four tires on his last stop "NASCAR said I was speeding. What happened was when I came down pit road, Dale Junior and Rusty pulled out and proceeded to pass me so I matched their speed. I don't understand why if I was speeding the other two weren't. I got sent to the back of the longest line."
-- Ricky Rudd, who lost a shot at the win after getting penalized for speeding on pit road on Lap 216 | 
