This goes here, it’s a subhed
And seems Harvick and Kyle Busch still don’t get along. "I’d love to take the first shot," he said. "Dont think NASCAR would appreciate it."
— David Caraviello (@dcaraviello) September 24, 2013
"Enter Quotes here "
—Author name
And seems Harvick and Kyle Busch still don’t get along. "I’d love to take the first shot," he said. "Dont think NASCAR would appreciate it."
— David Caraviello (@dcaraviello) September 24, 2013
Junior among Chase drivers who rallied; Bowyer struggles at the end
Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
Where he stands: Kenseth leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings with 2,111 points.
Last week: The only thing better than opening the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup with a win is opening the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup with two wins. Kenseth did just that at New Hampshire, leading a race-high 106 laps for a perfect 48-point day. The victory also came in Kenseth’s 500th career start. Previously, only one other driver had been victorious in his 500th career start — Richard Petty in 1970.
What he said: "For me to win at Loudon first of all is more than a stretch and more than a dream — this is probably one of my worst places. That just shows you how good this whole team is."
Outlook: In 29 career starts at Dover International Speedway, Kenseth has two wins, 13 top-fives, 18 top-10s and one pole. In the past eight years at Dover, Kenseth ranks second out of 54 drivers with an average place of 9.4. He finished 40th in the first 2013 race at Dover.
Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
Where he stands: Busch is second in the standings with 2,097 points.
Last week: For the second consecutive week, Busch finished second to race-winner Matt Kenseth. The Joe Gibbs Racing teammates have been spectacular to open the postseason, and Busch isn’t yet sweating the lack of victories. After all, as he noted after his Loudon runner-up showing, he’ll likely win the championship if he continues to finish second in the eight remaining Chase races.
What he said: "I fought hard and tried everything. The 20 (Matt Kenseth) had a lot more than us this weekend for some reason, we’re not sure why. Sometimes you get those magical cars, but hopefully there’s a couple for us left this year. I don’t know — that’s all we had and we fought hard."
Outlook: In 17 career starts at Dover International Speedway, Busch has two wins, eight top-fives and 11 top-10s. In the past eight years at Dover, Busch ranks sixth out of 54 drivers with an average place of 11.2. He finished fourth in the first 2013 race at Dover.
Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
Where he stands: Johnson is third in the standings with 2,093 points.
Last week: Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet wasn’t the most dominant car in the field, but it was the most dominant Chevrolet. And with Five-Time negotiating the traffic after a couple of mediocre restarts, he got the vehicle across the start/finish line in fourth place after starting 11th. More importantly, Johnson has the look of a championship contender. That in itself is not surprising, but the team’s miserable final four races in the regular season had called that into question.
What he said: "To open the Chase with a five, four (finishing positions) is great. One, one like Matt (Kenseth) has is a lot better, but we’re in a good spot. We haven’t given up too many points, and we’re going to one of my best race tracks next week in Dover."
Outlook: In 23 career starts at Dover International Speedway, Johnson has seven wins, 11 top-fives, 16 top-10s and three poles. In the past eight years at Dover, Johnson ranks first out of 54 drivers with an average place of 7.1. He finished 17th in the first 2013 race at Dover.
Roush Fenway Racing, Ford
Where he stands: Edwards is fourth in the standings with 2,075 points.
Last week: The 1-mile flat track at Loudon historically hasn’t been too kind to Edwards. So while the No. 99 team is of course shooting for a victory every week, coming in ninth at New Hampshire was, well, a pleasant feeling. After all, Edwards has finished in the top 10 in just 26 percent of his career starts there.
What he said: "I’m pleasantly surprised. Obviously, we want to be better than that, but we had one run where we got too loose and I went way back, but (crew chief) Jimmy (Fennig) made good calls and the guys did a good job with the car. At the end, if there were another 100 laps in this thing, I think we could have been up there with Greg (Biffle), so I was pretty proud of the effort."
Outlook: In 18 career starts at Dover International Speedway, Edwards has one win, eight top-fives and 12 top-10s. In the past eight years at Dover, Edwards ranks third out of 54 drivers with an average place of 10.3. He finished 14th in the first 2013 race at Dover.
Roush Fenway Racing, Ford
Where he stands: Biffle is fifth in the standings with 2,073 points.
Last week: Biffle made the biggest jump this week, moving up six spots in the standings after his third-place showing. Of course, with the points getting reset for the Chase, Biffle’s cushion over the drivers below him is microscopic. Forget sixth-place Kevin Harvick … Biffle’s lead over eighth-place Jeff Gordon is just four points. | Click here to read a roundup on the six members of the Coca-Cola Racing Family.
What he said: "It was a miracle. We didn’t pass anybody in the pits, we passed them all on the race track. I feel really good about how far the team has come. We had great pit stops, but we just got good at the end and our car really, really took off. We were able to drive by those guys and get up to third. It was the most fun I’ve had in a long time even though we finished third."
Outlook: In 22 career starts at Dover International Speedway, Biffle has two wins, six top-fives, 10 top-10s and one pole. In the past eight years at Dover, Biffle ranks fifth out of 54 drivers with an average place of 10.7. He finished 15th in the first 2013 race at Dover.
Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet
Where he stands: Harvick is sixth in the standings with 2,072 points.
Last week: Harvick’s handling issues contributed to a sluggish day for the No. 29 team. His 20th-place finish was second-worst among Chase drivers, and would have been the worst of the day had Kasey Kahne not gotten into the wall following contact with Brian Vickers. Harvick hasn’t lost much in the way of his standings (he only slipped two spots), but his points lead over those behind him continues to shrink.
What he said: "We struggled with handling issues all day and never could get it figured out. Even though we didn’t get the finish we were looking for, we’re not going to let it get us down. Next week is another race and we’ll look for better results heading into Dover."
Outlook: In 25 career starts at Dover International Speedway, Harvick has three top-fives and 11 top-10s. In the past eight years at Dover, Harvick ranks 14th out of 54 drivers with an average place of 16.0. He finished eighth in the first 2013 race at Dover.
Furniture Row Racing, Chevrolet
Where he stands: Busch is seventh in the standings with 2,071 points.
Last week: Furniture Row Racing has elevated its game so much this season that a top-15 showing is a disappointment. The No. 78 team stuck to its planned adjustments on Sunday and missed the mark. Still, thanks to Kurt Busch’s qualifying effort (fourth), it wasn’t a precipitous fall off the grid. Busch finished 13th and slipped just one spot in the standings.
What he said: "We didn’t hit it right on the adjustments today. It was nobody’s fault, we all agreed what adjustments to make and it just didn’t work out. We struggled with the handling and couldn’t make a move to the front. While we aren’t pleased with where we finished (13th), we fought for every position and gave it our best effort. There’s still a long ways to go in this Chase. We know we can do much better and we’ll keep on plugging away."
Outlook: In 26 career starts at Dover International Speedway, Busch has one win, six top-fives and eight top-10s. In the past eight years at Dover, Busch ranks eighth out of 54 drivers with an average place of 12.7. He finished 12th in the first 2013 race at Dover.
Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
Where he stands: Gordon is eighth in the standings with 2,069 points.
Last week: The 13th driver added to the Chase field, Gordon appeared poised to rocket up the standings for the second consecutive week and assert himself as a serious title contender. Gordon still may challenge for the championship yet, but a pit-road miscue cost him dearly at Loudon. Gordon, who led 36 laps, pitted with the lead after 200 laps and slid through his pit box (watch video of the incident below). He had to back up, and the extra time cost him dearly on the way to a 15th-place showing.
What he said: "I’m highly disappointed in myself. The team put me in a great position. We had a decent car and then track position made it into a great car. So it was obviously important to maintain that. I just came in and slid through. I hadn’t come close to sliding through all day and I guess just leading, I carried a little bit more speed in there and crossed the splitter over the line by an inch, and that’s all it takes to make a difference between a chance at winning and finishing 15th."
Outlook: In 41 career starts at Dover International Speedway, Gordon has four wins, 16 top-fives, 23 top-10s and four poles. In the past eight years at Dover, Gordon ranks ninth out of 54 drivers with an average place of 12.8. He finished third in the first 2013 race at Dover.
Stewart-Haas Racing, Chevrolet
Where he stands: Newman is ninth in the standings with 2,064 points.
Last week: Newman started from the Coors Light Pole position, and that was the highlight of his day. He led only the first two laps before slipping back in the field, a trend that continued all day. A miscommunication during a Lap 200 pit stop resulted in the incorrect chassis adjustment, which made his No. 39 Chevrolet even worse. Newman slipped back to 25th after that before rallying over the final laps to finish 16th. | Click here to read a roundup on the six members of the Coca-Cola Racing Family.
What he said: "I still don’t understand what happened with the car. It just never drove the same after we won the pole on Friday afternoon. Even in practice on Saturday. Glad we got back up to 16th after the deal on pit road, but I don’t know."
Outlook: In 23 career starts at Dover International Speedway, Newman has three wins, six top-fives, 11 top-10s and four poles. In the past eight years at Dover, Newman ranks seventh out of 54 drivers with an average place of 12.7. He finished 36th in the first 2013 race at Dover.
Michael Waltrip Racing, Toyota
Where he stands: Bowyer is 10th in the standings with 2,063 points.
Last week: Bowyer’s pit strategy at first appeared to pay off. He took the lead late in the Sylvania 300 and held it for five laps. He eventually pitted out of turn, and a caution flag came at a most inopportune time, briefly dropping the driver off the lead lap. Bowyer was in position to be the beneficiary of a caution, which he got on David Gilliland’s Lap 247 crash, and managed to get back up to 17th place by the end.
What he said: "We stubbed our toe a little (Sunday). We just had a hard time in traffic and couldn’t get through the corner like we would have liked. We gambled on track position and I thought we’d be fine, but that caution right after our pit stop killed us. It was a tough day overall for the team, but we aren’t done yet. There is still some time in this deal and we plan to make some noise before it’s over."
Outlook: In 15 career starts at Dover International Speedway, Bowyer has one top-five and eight top-10s. In the past eight years at Dover, Bowyer ranks 10th out of 54 drivers with an average place of 12.8. He finished sixth in the first 2013 race at Dover.
Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
Where he stands: Earnhardt Jr. is 11th in the standings with 2,049 points.
Last week: Junior rallied from his sluggish start to the postseason and finished sixth at Loudon. He ceded fifth to a charging Jamie McMurray in the closing laps, but was still pleased with his rally. With eight races remaining, Earnhardt is 62 points out of the lead.
What he said: "I knew it was going to be difficult to hold (McMurray) off. Just real happy to be able to rebound from earlier on pit road and get a good finish. The car was fast as heck (Saturday), one of the top three cars I thought. Glad we were able to get a decent finish out of it. Just want to win one, I’m trying hard."
Outlook: In 27 career starts at Dover International Speedway, Earnhardt Jr. has one win, five top-fives and nine top-10s. In the past eight years at Dover, Earnhardt Jr. ranks 20th out of 54 drivers with an average place of 18.8. He finished 10th in the first 2013 race at Dover.
Penske Racing, Ford
Where he stands: Logano is 12th in the standings with 2,042 points.
Last week: Logano improved his showing from the first Chase race by more than 20 positions. That’s because his engine blew up at Chicago, relegating him to 37th. So finishing 14th at New Hampshire was a big jump, but he still finished behind seven other Chase drivers. You’d think Logano would enjoy coming to Loudon, site of his first career Cup victory, but it’s not one of his favorite tracks. | Click here to read a roundup on the six members of the Coca-Cola Racing Family.
What he said: “This is Loudon for me. It was nothing different. It’s just such a tricky race track to get around. It is the hardest race track in the world to pass. It’s the most frustrating place I think I’ve ever been to, so I’m just glad to leave."
Outlook: In nine career starts at Dover International Speedway, Logano has one top-five and five top-10s. In the past eight years at Dover, Logano ranks 21st out of 54 drivers with an average place of 19.0. He finished seventh in the first 2013 race at Dover.
Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
Where he stands: Kahne is 13th in the standings with 2,040 points.
Last week: Kahne qualified second, led 31 laps and was in the top 10 nearly all day. In fact, the No. 5 Chevrolet wasn’t out of the top 10 until an incident with Brian Vickers on Lap 254 (of 300) that sent Kahne spinning into the inside wall (watch video of the incident below). The result of that crash was a 37th-place finish that puts the driver in last place among Chase contenders.
What he said: "I really don’t know what happened. Just racing and I’m not sure if there was contact or if I just spun. I seriously don’t really remember how it happened."
Outlook: In 19 career starts at Dover International Speedway, Kahne has one top-five and five top-10s. In the past eight years at Dover, Kahne ranks 16th out of 54 drivers with an average place of 16.9. He finished 23rd in the first 2013 race at Dover.
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April race in 2014 moving to Sunday
The saying goes that everything is bigger in Texas. At Texas Motor Speedway that’s big-gest.
The track announced Monday that it will be adding the world’s largest video screen – boasting a 218-feet wide and 94.6-feet tall High Definition (HD) display – and that the high tech Panasonic addition of what’s being touted as "Big Hoss" will be in place in time for the track’s new spring date in 2014.
The 1.5-mile oval’s annual April night race will move from a Saturday night to Sunday afternoon – April 6 – in 2014 to better position the speedway in a high wattage Dallas-Fort Worth sports week that also includes the NCAA Men’s Final Four basketball championship. Speedway officials have requested the race move back to a Saturday night in 2015.
The annual fall NASCAR tripleheader – also including the Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series – will be held from October 31 to November 2, 2014. The AAA Texas 500 will again be the eighth event in the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup.
In a market that already boasts the latest and greatest in sports stadiums – such as the Dallas Cowboys’ new super venue in nearby Arlington –Texas Motor Speedway will be able to call its 20,633.64-square foot screen (nearly half an acre) the biggest in the world.
It will be over 9,000 square feet larger than the Cowboys’ screen and over 4,600 square-feet bigger than sister facility, Charlotte Motor Speedway.
"This continues to show our company’s commitment to our great race fans and our efforts to remain at the forefront of our industry,’" said Speedway Motorsports Inc. Chairman Bruton Smith. "(Texas Motor Speedway President) Eddie (Gossage) always tells me everything is bigger in Texas, so I wanted to make this video board fit his motto."
To put the size in perspective, another Texas landmark, The Alamo, would fit inside the screen area nine times over. And its nearly 4.8 million pixel display will show 281 trillion different colors.
"A couple weeks ago I read a great story about what sports stadiums all across the country are doing as our society changes," Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said Monday. "Big screen televisions at home are affordable so you’re competing with the couch potato and you need to get them off the couch. To do that you need to give them the opportunity to see the race, the replays, the pit stops, the dramatic moments of the race over and over from different angles just like they get at home.
"You can’t out big-screen us now, at home or anywhere else.’’
"The thing I like best," Gossage added, "is it’s just another one of those things we’re doing for the fans.
"I’m really proud our company’s approach is take care of the fans first and everything else will fall in place.’"
It was a similar approach for Gossage when it came to modifying the track’s April race weekend. Instead of competing head-to-head with the Final Four only a few miles away, it made more sense to change the race date and capitalize on the big sports picture.
"We looked at it as we know there’s a lot of basketball fans in NASCAR and we also know a lot of NASCAR fans will be attending the Final Four," Gossage said.
"It’s making the best of the situation and it could turn out to be a great situation for us."
Gossage said he’s already been contacted by more than a half dozen corporations interested in renting out the facility during that week, many of them companies that held events at the speedway during the Super Bowl in 2011.
"We have a marketing plan put together that we are prepared when the teams are set the weekend before and will advertise in their markets," Gossage said.
"I think it’s going to be a lot of fun for NASCAR fans and also for the Final Four fans, who can get a ticket for the race.
"You always hate to have competition but this is our race weekend and always has been so we’re moving it around to make it work.’"
And that’s not to say that Gossage doesn’t still remain committed to convincing NASCAR to rearrange other race dates in the future. It’s no secret that Gossage has long wanted his speedway to host the Sprint Cup Series finale and when word of a major announcement began to spread over the weekend, some thought that was going to be the big news.
Gossage didn’t back off that ultimate quest this week, although he acknowledged next year’s fall date was still favorable.
"We’d rather be the finale and feel like it would behoove NASCAR if they did finish the season in the most successful major market speedway ever,’" Gossage said, not missing a chance to make his case.
"It would be good for the sport and we continue to lobby for that. But with that being said, being number eight is a pretty good position because you still typically have a number of folks still in the hunt and it usually ends up being the race that really separates the contenders from the pretenders, at least historically."
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Kenseth, Busch threaten to drive away from pack
LOUDON, N.H. — With 20 percent of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in the books, Joe Gibbs Racing is faced with a bit of an awkward dilemma. Which car number should it write on the order for Homestead championship hats — 18 or 20?
Sure, there are still eight races left before the champion is crowned, but after consecutive 1-2 finishes to open the Chase, a Matt Kenseth or Kyle Busch title this year appears imminent — save for a return to dominance from Jimmie Johnson (which may come this weekend at Dover).
The ever-sardonic Kenseth, winner of Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, put it best.
"Man, what a terrible problem to have, huh?"
Kenseth’s consecutive victories at Chicagoland and Loudon, combined with his five during the regular season, have given him a career-high wins total (seven) and the series points lead. With Busch crossing the start/finish line right after Kenseth in both races, the driver of the No. 18 Toyota stands 14 points behind Kenseth, the 2003 champion, in second place.
More than half the Chase field finds itself 40 points or more behind the blistering Kenseth. Down just 18 points, Johnson is still in the hunt. Carl Edwards (-36), Greg Biffle (-38) and Kevin Harvick (-39) need to gain ground quickly, or they could soon see their holes deepen.
"It’s been a great start for JGR. Kyle ran second both races and had real strong cars," Kenseth said after notching his first career win at Loudon in his 500th series start. "All three teams right now are working really closely together. I’m not sure where Denny (Hamlin) ended up, but I know he had a real good run. I just feel like the luckiest guy in the world to be standing here, honestly. I’m going to enjoy it and then look forward to getting to Dover."
The way this Chase has started for not just the 20 team, but the 18 team as well, is the culmination of what the organization has been building upon all season. The JGR Toyotas have been fast since Daytona, but have also experienced some engine malfunctions. Now that those appear to be squared away, both teams — and engines — are running on all cylinders.
"We sat down a couple weeks ago and just kind of had a little informal meeting, went to lunch, and I think our philosophy or thought process coming in was, ‘let’s just continue to do what we’ve been doing,’ " said Kenseth’s crew chief Jason Ratcliff of the team’s Chase strategy. "It’s been pretty successful so far this season, so let’s ‑‑ we don’t need to do anything different, we don’t need to do anything new, and the guys have done a really good job of doing that, of paying attention to details and executing at the shop as well as at the race track. And we’re just going to continue to do that. Obviously we haven’t done anything different than we’ve done all season for the last two weeks, and it’s worked pretty well for us, so we’re just going to continue to do that, and I think it’ll pan out."
Although it may look like the 18 and 20 will be fighting for a win every week the rest of the way, a lot can happen. In 2008, Busch had all the momentum heading into the Chase. He racked up eight wins in the regular season before "falling right on my face," as he described it, limping his way to a 10th-place finish in the standings at season’s end.
Still, an extra five years of experience and a new teammate in his stable with a wealth of experience make the likelihood of another collapse slim. Busch brushed off the notion that he and Kenseth have much of an advantage over the other drivers after two races.
"It’s early. I mean, it’s week two," Busch said. "Certainly it’s nice to get a strong start. There’s no doubt about it. You’d rather finish first both weeks than 43rd and get yourself up there and get a strong foundation built to where you can continue on down the road and maybe not have so much pressure on yourself to have to perform to catch up. But that’s good that we’re both up there like that, that we’re able to do that and that we’re pushing each other hard and that we’re pushing the competition, as well, too. … You’ve still got to work hard and persevere. It’s eight more weeks."
All of this comes nearly a decade after JGR’s last title (Tony Stewart in 2005), so what changes have enabled the three-car organization to become the favorite to win its fourth championship? Team president J.D. Gibbs points to one major personnel move — bringing Kenseth on board after 13 years at Roush Fenway Racing.
"It’s one of those things, like honestly, if you get the right people in your organization, the rest is easy," Gibbs said. "I’m not allowed to touch any cars, touch any equipment, but we just have a great team, and those guys, Matt and Jason, have really jelled well. They’ve helped Kyle out and Denny, so it’s just been fun to be a part of that whole process."
A second championship for Kenseth would be the perfect end to what has been a dream season for the veteran driver. As the last driver to win a title before the Chase format was established, winning this year would bring his career full circle.
"It’s a blessing to be driving for these guys," Kenseth said. "I’m having the time of my life this year, so hopefully we can keep it rolling for eight more weeks.”
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View the entry list for the Smith’s 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Click here for the entry list for the Las Vegas Truck Series race.
Nationwide Series returns to Dover, where Joey Logano won earlier this year
Click here to see the entry list for the Nationwide Series race at Dover.
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The complete entry list for Sunday’s AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway.
Click here to view the entry list for the Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway.
Truex’s performance at Loudon was one of his best this season
Related: Play NASCAR Fantasy Live
As fantasy owners it’s dangerous to try to crawl inside a driver’s head and assume we know what’s going on in there. That’s why we usually err to the side of being stats-driven in our advice.
But was it motivation that caused Martin Truex Jr. to put on one of his best performances of the season in what was a very difficult week for him and Michael Waltrip Racing?
It sure seemed that way after he led 98 laps, which was his second-best output of the season. (He led 142 laps before finishing second at Texas this year. In his one win, at Sonoma, he led 51 laps.) To make a football analogy, Truex Jr. looked like the Colts’ Ahmad Bradshaw (111 total yards, 1 TD) after the team traded for Trent Richardson: in other words, highly engaged in the task at hand on Sunday.
The 49 points for laps led at New Hampshire contributed to Truex Jr. joining race-winner Matt Kenseth as the only drivers to produce 100-plus fantasy points this week. Truex Jr. also scored 28 points in quality passes and fastest laps.
So even though he lost five points in place differential after finishing 10th, he still wound up being a fantasy beast.
That leads fantasy players to wonder whether Truex Jr. is using the final races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup as a showcase for his talents, either to draw attention from potential sponsors or from another team looking to give him a ride.
It makes sense to connect those dots, but again, it can be dangerous territory when fantasy owners try to base their decisions on hunches and other intangibles such as motivation.
So, what do the numbers say about Truex Jr. at Dover International Speedway?
As his fans know, Dover was the site of one of Truex Jr’s. two Sprint Cup Series wins. Plus, he has the 10th-best driver rating there, according to NASCAR Statistical Services. So it wouldn’t be a stretch to see him play well this weekend in the AAA 400 (2 p.m. ET, ESPN). But at $25.75 Truex Jr. is no bargain, so let’s hope the stats can back up the mind games at the "Monster Mile."
Key Fantasy Moment: Jeff Gordon‘s streak of top-10 finishes ended at four after his car slid over the line and he had to back up into his pit stall on Lap 202. Gordon held the lead at the time but lost it and had to restart in the 22nd position. He managed to work his way back up to a 15th-place finish, but by then his fantasy day was toast. A minus-12 in place differential hurt Gordon, who started third. He ended with the 12th-best fantasy score, but that put him only seventh among Chase drivers. Not worth the $25 that fantasy owners paid for him.
Biggest Bargain: Brian Vickers was the only driver who pulled double duty in Kentucky and New Hampshire and carried a certain amount of risk in fantasy leagues. He also had to start 29th on the grid after Kenny Wallace qualified the No. 55 for him. But Vickers managed to improve 22 spots on a track where it’s difficult to make up ground. Vickers tied with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the seventh-highest fantasy output of the week, but cost just $20.50 compared with $26.25 for Junior.
Biggest Bust: Kasey Kahne had a decent run going until he got loose on Lap 252 and slid and made contact with the infield wall on the frontstretch. He went to the garage for good after that and finished 37th. That led to a minus-35 in place differential that took his fantasy score from top-10 potential down to 31 out of 43 drivers. Fantasy owners got to experience all that misery for $25.25, meaning their other drivers had to be perfect picks in order to salvage the day.
Tip to take to next week: Brad Keselowski hasn’t let not qualifying for the Chase affect his performance. After a seventh-place finish at Chicagoland, the driver of the Blue Deuce turned in an 11th-place showing at New Hampshire. Racking up 26.5 fantasy points on quality passes pumped up Keselowski’s score to the third-best output on the day. Although Keselowski’s driver rating is ranked only 13th at Dover, it’s hard to deny his current hot streak. And at $24.75 is priced just beneath some other second-tier fantasy drivers such as Kahne, Gordon and Greg Biffle.
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Greg Biffle makes biggest jump in the Chase standings
Updated standings | Full coverage
Three up
Three down
FULL SERIES COVERAGE
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Pos. |
Driver |
Pts back |
+/- |
|
1. |
Matt Kenseth |
— |
0 |
|
2. |
Kyle Busch |
-14 |
0 |
|
3. |
Jimmie Johnson |
-18 |
0 |
|
4. |
Carl Edwards |
-36 |
+1 |
|
5. |
Greg Biffle |
-38 |
+6 |
|
6. |
Kevin Harvick |
-39 |
-2 |
|
7. |
Kurt Busch |
-40 |
-1 |
|
8. |
Jeff Gordon |
-42 |
-1 |
|
9. |
Ryan Newman |
-47 |
-1 |
|
10. |
Clint Bowyer |
-48 |
-1 |
|
11. |
Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
-62 |
+2 |
|
12. |
Joey Logano |
-69 |
0 |
|
13. |
Kasey Kahne |
-71 |
-3 |
Carl Edwards (Change: 5th to 4th)
Edwards started the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the 26th position after enduring handling issues in practice and qualifying. Working his way through traffic, Edwards eventually broke into the top 10 at Lap 277 after passing defending race winner, Denny Hamlin. Edwards finished ninth, and his steady upward movement allowed him to finish with 2,075 points in the Chase standings, 36 points behind Chase leader Matt Kenseth.
Greg Biffle (Change: 11th to 5th)
Biffle made the most dramatic jump in the standings this week after finishing third at New Hampshire. Biffle has one Sprint Cup career win at Loudon, along with seven top-five finishes. After qualifying in 10th place, Biffle eventually grabbed third from Kyle Busch at Lap 259 and managed to hold off a hounding Jimmie Johnson for the rest of the race. Biffle stood 11th in the Chase standings, but after his third-place finish in the Sylvania 300, he now holds fifth with 2,073 points.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Change: 13th to 11th)
Earnhardt Jr. made a significant comeback after his unfortunate DNF at Chicagoland Speedway last week. Leading 17 laps and finishing sixth after originally qualifying 17th, Earnhardt Jr. moved up two places in the Chase standings to 11th from 13th. Although he currently sits outside of the top 10 in the standings, he goes into next week at Dover International Speedway already having one Sprint Cup career win there in 2001. Earnhardt Jr. currently has 2,049 points, just 14 points behind 10th-place holder, Clint Bowyer.
Kevin Harvick (Change: 4th to 6th)
Harvick started the Sylvania 300 in eighth place, just in front of Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth. Everything was running smoothly until his car started to overheat at Lap 216 and he plummeted to 21st place. Harvick holds a previous win at New Hampshire in 2006, but failed to make the top-10 this time around. Dropping two points in the Chase standings, Harvick now holds sixth place, just one point behind Biffle. Harvick has yet to earn a win at Dover International Speedway in his Sprint Cup career, but does hold three top-five finishes, as well as 11 top-10 finishes there.
Kurt Busch (Change: 6th to 7th)
Busch seemed like he couldn’t hold his own this week. Starting in the fourth position, Busch began dropping out of the top 10 after a restart on Lap 58. Busch even fell as low as 23rd with one lap down on Lap 275. He worked his way through traffic and eventually finished 13th. Busch has earned three Sprint Cup career wins at New Hampshire, but just couldn’t find it in him or his car to even make it into the top 10 this week. Busch dropped one spot in the Chase standings and now holds seventh place with 2,071 points, one point behind Harvick. As he goes into Dover International Speedway Busch can feel a slight comfort knowing that he already has earned one career win there in 2011.
Kasey Kahne (Change: 10th to 13th)
Kahne had a strong opportunity to win at New Hampshire, but on Lap 252 he made contact with the wall on the frontstretch that sent him to the garage. He eventually returned on Lap 275 in 37th place, 22 laps down. Kahne started the race in the second position and even held the lead for 31 laps. After finishing in 37th, Kahne now has 2,040 points in the Chase standings after dropping three places to 13th.
Ryan Newman (Change: 8th to 9th)
Coors Light Pole Winner Newman was in the perfect position to win at New Hampshire, but led only for two laps. Kasey Kahne quickly gained the lead over Newman in the fourth turn of Lap 2 as Jeff Gordon followed. At Lap 214, Newman had faded all the way back to 26th running as the last car on the lead lap. Newman made up for some of his fall and eventually finished 16th. He now stands ninth in the Chase standings with 2,064 points after dropping one position from last week.
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Run at Loudon helps Dale Jr. move up to 11th in the point standings
LOUDON, N.H. — Based on Saturday’s practice, Dale Earnhardt Jr. thought he had a potential winner in Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
A miscue in the pits, however, put the driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet off pit sequence from the majority of the field.
Earnhardt’s crew had trouble with a lug nut on the right rear wheel during Earnhardt’s first pit stop, under caution on Lap 32. Subsequently, Earnhardt brought the No. 88 to pit road off-sequence under yellow on Lap 55.
That move allowed Earnhardt to inherit the lead on Lap 114 during a cycle of green-flag stops, but he surrendered it after a pit stop on lap 130 and led only one lap thereafter—under caution on Lap 202.
Nevertheless, Earnhardt earned a hard-fought sixth-place finish after losing fifth place to Jamie McMurray during an intense battle late in the race.
"I ran out of rear tires trying to hold him off," Earnhardt said. "Couldn’t get the power down just off the corner, and he was a pretty fast car to begin with. …
"Just happy to rebound from earlier on pit road and get a good finish. The car was fast as heck (Saturday in practice), one of the top three cars, I thought. Glad we were able to get a decent finish out of it. Just want to win one—I’m trying hard."
Earnhardt hasn’t been to Victory Lane in his past 47 starts, dating to June 2012 at Michigan.
HEAD GAMES?
Not that any competitor would wish ill fortune on the Chase leader, but Carl Edwards doesn’t think it’s untoward to remind former teammate Matt Kenseth that there may be trouble on the horizon.
After all, the Joe Gibbs Racing cars have had several engine issues this year, and Edwards was simply making sure Kenseth remembers that. With wins in the first two Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup races, Kenseth looks formidable indeed, but a blown engine could change that.
"I think if Matt and those guys can stay away from some of the equipment issues they’ve had, they’re going to be really, really tough to beat," said Edwards, who finished ninth Sunday and is fourth in the standings, 36 points behind Kenseth. "He could run away with this thing, and he’s making it tough on the rest of us.
"But for me it’s kind of the tortoise and the hare. He’s out there going, but we know–we’ve seen it this year–those guys have had a couple of problems. I’m not wishing that upon them or anything…"
No, nothing like that. Right, Carl?
NICE RECOVERY
In a race that featured strong rallies from a number of drivers—Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Greg Biffle among them—Jamie McMurray‘s comeback was perhaps most impressive.
On Lap 37 of 300, McMurray spun in Turn 4 off the bumper of soon-to-be-ex-teammate Juan Pablo Montoya. McMurray brought the No. 1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet to pit road for a succession of stops under caution as his team worked feverishly to repair the damage.
Ultimately, McMurray finished fifth—his third top five of the season—after taking the fifth position from Earnhardt late in the race.
"Yeah, our car was really good, even after the crash," McMurray said. "I told you before the race that, if we had good track position at the end, I thought we could finish good.
"It was a really good day for our Linksys car—just a fun day racing."
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WATCH: Final laps
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WATCH: Post-race
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WATCH: Kahne crashes
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