BACK TO GALLERIES
Key Takeaways: Talladega Chase race
By Kenny Bruce | Published: October 24, 2016 7
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Out, But Not Down
Chase Elliott's playoff run came to an end Sunday with a 12th-place finish but the Hendrick Motorsports driver continues to impress. For the 13th time this season, Elliott made his way to the front to at least a lap. But help was hard to come by.
'I just couldn't find myself in the right spot at the right time with the right folks behind us, or at least enough folks,' he said. 'We had some great pushers all day and they knew our car was fast.'
Chase Elliott's playoff run came to an end Sunday with a 12th-place finish but the Hendrick Motorsports driver continues to impress. For the 13th time this season, Elliott made his way to the front to at least a lap. But help was hard to come by.
'I just couldn't find myself in the right spot at the right time with the right folks behind us, or at least enough folks,' he said. 'We had some great pushers all day and they knew our car was fast.'
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Trouble Brewing at SHR?
Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch both advanced to the Round of 8, but the two weren't seeing eye to eye after Sunday’s race. Harvick leaned in the window of Busch's car on pit road and delivered a hard shove before a crewman stepped in.
Busch said Harvick 'has a misunderstanding of the call at the end of the race. … We have to work together to beat all these other teams … he knows that.' Harvick said his teammate 'cleaned the side of our car out after the checkered flag. I don't really understand that.' Such incidents don’t bode well for teamwork going forward.
Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch both advanced to the Round of 8, but the two weren't seeing eye to eye after Sunday’s race. Harvick leaned in the window of Busch's car on pit road and delivered a hard shove before a crewman stepped in.
Busch said Harvick 'has a misunderstanding of the call at the end of the race. … We have to work together to beat all these other teams … he knows that.' Harvick said his teammate 'cleaned the side of our car out after the checkered flag. I don't really understand that.' Such incidents don’t bode well for teamwork going forward.
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One For All and All For One
Joey Logano and his No. 22 Team Penske team group will be the lone Ford representative in the Round of 8 for this year's Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. 'The effort is no less because it’s one (team) and not two,' crew chief Todd Gordon said.
There will be no letup from teammate Brad Keselowski. 'They'll focus forward on making speed, which will challenge us and help us build a better notebook,' Gordon said. 'Actually in ways it's not a negative, and may be a positive. We're that much more open.'
Joey Logano and his No. 22 Team Penske team group will be the lone Ford representative in the Round of 8 for this year's Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. 'The effort is no less because it’s one (team) and not two,' crew chief Todd Gordon said.
There will be no letup from teammate Brad Keselowski. 'They'll focus forward on making speed, which will challenge us and help us build a better notebook,' Gordon said. 'Actually in ways it's not a negative, and may be a positive. We're that much more open.'
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Four Score for JGR
Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin advanced to make up half of the Round of 8. None of the four have a win in this year's Chase. Busch, Kenseth and Edwards ran in the back all day at Talladega in an attempt to avoid trouble.
'When you have three guys that realistically just don't need to wreck to get in, and you have one that needs to go out there and almost win to get in, you can't sacrifice the three guaranteed spots … to try to get one more in,' Hamlin said. 'That would just be bad gamesmanship.'
Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin advanced to make up half of the Round of 8. None of the four have a win in this year's Chase. Busch, Kenseth and Edwards ran in the back all day at Talladega in an attempt to avoid trouble.
'When you have three guys that realistically just don't need to wreck to get in, and you have one that needs to go out there and almost win to get in, you can't sacrifice the three guaranteed spots … to try to get one more in,' Hamlin said. 'That would just be bad gamesmanship.'
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One Small Step
A solid finish on a restrictor-plate track hardly signals a turnaround, but when you've struggled most of the season, you enjoy the moment. Such was the case for rookie Brian Scott, who finished a career-best second.
'A good finish always helps,' Scott said. 'It helps with the team. It helps with the guys at the shop, the morale. Just trying to get any bit of a bright spot in this year has been difficult. I think that this is by far the brightest spot that we've had in a really challenging 2016 for Richard Petty Motorsports.'
A solid finish on a restrictor-plate track hardly signals a turnaround, but when you've struggled most of the season, you enjoy the moment. Such was the case for rookie Brian Scott, who finished a career-best second.
'A good finish always helps,' Scott said. 'It helps with the team. It helps with the guys at the shop, the morale. Just trying to get any bit of a bright spot in this year has been difficult. I think that this is by far the brightest spot that we've had in a really challenging 2016 for Richard Petty Motorsports.'
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Return of Four-Time
After a three-race hiatus, Jeff Gordon will return to the seat of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet at Martinsville, filling in while Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues his recovery from concussion-like symptoms. Alex Bowman has been in the car for the past three races and finished 36th Sunday. Gordon, who retired from full-time competition at the end of 2015, is the defending race winner. He has nine career victories at the .526-mile track.
After a three-race hiatus, Jeff Gordon will return to the seat of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet at Martinsville, filling in while Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues his recovery from concussion-like symptoms. Alex Bowman has been in the car for the past three races and finished 36th Sunday. Gordon, who retired from full-time competition at the end of 2015, is the defending race winner. He has nine career victories at the .526-mile track.
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Not a Bad Start
Roush Fenway Racing's Ryan Reed finished 26th in his Sprint Cup Series debut at Talladega, not bad for the XFINITY Series regular.
'Nobody really wanted to work with me there at the end and we just couldn’t seem to get going on the top line,' said Reed. 'Still, I learned so much out there.'Officials recently announced that Reed had been signed to continue competing in the XFINITY Series with sponsorship from Lilly Diabetes.
Roush Fenway Racing's Ryan Reed finished 26th in his Sprint Cup Series debut at Talladega, not bad for the XFINITY Series regular.
'Nobody really wanted to work with me there at the end and we just couldn’t seem to get going on the top line,' said Reed. 'Still, I learned so much out there.'Officials recently announced that Reed had been signed to continue competing in the XFINITY Series with sponsorship from Lilly Diabetes.