Owning the most Cup wins at Bristol, Gordon has had share of big moments on short track
Racing for over two decades, Jeff Gordon has not only become a fan favorite, but also a record holder. Fourty-one different drivers have won at Bristol Motor Speedway — Gordon, Darrell Waltrip, Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch carry the most wins with five apiece.
Postseason picture hinges on final three races for these drivers
Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
Where he stands: Johnson leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings with 813 points.
Last week: The good thing about building such a big points lead is that, when Jimmie Johnson’s backup car went kaput, there was no reason for the No. 48 crew to worry. Despite leading three laps and charging his way to the front of the field after starting in the rear, Johnson left Michigan after a five-point day. It was his worst showing of the season, and his first DNF since the 2012 finale. The result? He’s still first in the standings, and with a 41-point lead over Clint Bowyer.
What he said: “We had an issue there with the engine as I came out of the pits and got back up to speed dropped a couple of cylinders. We were trying to get it figured out and see what would happen. On my way into the pits it finally locked up and that’s the end of it. Unfortunate day, but I’m happy that we have had such a strong opening part of the season and we have points on our side and some wins on our side.”
This week: In 23 career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Johnson has one win, seven top-fives, 13 nine top-10s and one pole. In the past eight years at Bristol, Johnson ranks fourth out of 54 drivers with an average place of 12.5. He finished 22nd at the first 2013 race at Bristol.
Last year: Johnson nearly charged all the way through the field for his second win at Bristol. As it was, Five-Time had to settle for a runner-up finish to Denny Hamlin after leaving the grid in 37th position to start. He led 52 laps on the night.
Michael Waltrip Racing, Toyota
Where he stands: Bowyer is second in the standings with 772 points.
Last week: Bowyer took a solo spin on Lap 1 after starting 11th. After pitting for a quick fix, he was 43rd. Day over, right? Not quite. The No. 15 team got into grind-it-out mode, and Bowyer wove through the field and gained ground on multiple restarts to come home with a fifth-place finish and keep second place in the standings over Carl Edwards. See video of Bowyer’s spin below.
What he said: “Man, what a long day. Spinning out on the first lap I’m like — I couldn’t figure out — a lot of times you just know that you’re hanging it out too much and trying to get too much out of it and you wreck on your own. I didn’t think that was the case. I was trying to get around the 2 (Brad Keselowski), felt good, wide open, good ‘ole girl stuck and all the sudden it wasn’t stuck and away I went. All these guys they just don’t give up. That’s what I love about this team, this organization. That’s why we’re where we’re at in the points. Obviously, we want to start winning races, but those days like that are what win championships.”
This week: In 15 career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Bowyer has five top-fives and eight top-10s. In the past eight years at Bristol, Bowyer ranks 16th out of 54 drivers with an average place of 17.0. He finished fifth at the first 2013 race at Bristol.
Last year: Despite starting 23rd, Bowyer wheeled his No. 15 Toyota into the top 10 within 100 laps of the 500-miler. His goal then became quite obvious — keep it there. Bowyer was intent on making the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, and he knew a top-10 finish at Bristol would go a long way toward making that happen. So when he was seventh over the final 20 laps and right on Kyle Busch’s bumper, Bowyer elected not to push him out of the way or try an aggressive pass.
Roush Fenway Racing, Ford
Where he stands: Edwards is third in the standings with 762 points.
Last week: Michigan is one of the best tracks for Roush Fenway Racing, and although the RFR team wasn’t in Victory Lane, it placed two cars in the top 10. Edwards was one of those cars, finishing 10th. He started 19th and never was in contention for the win, but he was one of just a few cars to pit on the final caution flag. He lost a lot of ground, but used his new tires for grip to make multiple passes before the checkered flag dropped.
What he said: Edwards was not available for comment.
This week: In 18 career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Edwards has two wins, four top-fives, seven top-10s and two poles. In the past eight years at Bristol, Edwards ranks 12th out of 54 drivers with an average place of 15.3. He finished 18th at the first 2013 race at Bristol.
Last year: Desperate for a victory that would all but clinch a spot in the Chase, Edwards gambled at Bristol. He lost big-time. The driver kept his No. 99 Ford out during a caution on Lap 415 while the leaders pitted and took the lead. He took over first, but couldn’t maintain his hold on old tires. And with just a few laps remaining, he had to pit for fuel and eventually finished 22nd.
Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet
Where he stands: Harvick is fourth in the standings with 749 points.
Last week: Harvick may have had the best car on the track Sunday. At the very least, it was one of the best machines, so his second-place finish was earned. The No. 29 Chevrolet moved up through the field multiple times on restarts and had a fuel gamble pay off. Harvick was a bit short on fuel, but his team waited for a caution flag that arrived, allowing them to stay out on the track.
What he said: “You know, we never really got out in front by ourselves today, but our Rheem Chevrolet was really good. I just mistimed that last restart there. I was rolling pretty good on the No. 55 (Mark Martin) and going to beat him to the start/finish line, so I had to check up and that allowed the No. 22 (Joey Logano) to kind of make it three-wide and get under me and then we had to fight back from there.”
This week: In 25 career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Harvick has one win, nine top-fives and 12 top-10s. In the past eight years at Bristol, Harvick ranks eighth out of 54 drivers with an average place of 13.6. He finished 14th at the first 2013 race at Bristol.
Last year: Harvick spent 384 of 500 laps running in the top 15, according to NASCAR Stastical Service’s Loop Data. It was a consistent effort, given that the driver started 13th and finished 15th. He had a chance for a top-five showing, but ended up pitting for fuel on Lap 415 once his team realized he would end the race short without a stop.
Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
Where he stands: Busch is fifth in the standings with 706 points.
Last week: What went right for Kyle Busch at Michigan? The short answer is “nothing,” even though his No. 18 Toyota ran in the top 10 at various points of the race. Busch brought out two late cautions with two solo spins. One week after winning at Watkins Glen, Busch finished 31st at Michigan, but he didn’t lose any ground in the standings. You can watch video of his incident below.
What he said: “Well then … Rough day I’d say. Knew this was gonna be a tough day but I didn’t do my best to get thru it. Congrats to Joey Logano.” (Via Twitter)
This week: In 17 career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Busch has five wins, eight top-fives, 12 top-10s and one pole. In the past eight years at Bristol, Busch ranks sixth out of 54 drivers with an average place of 12.7. He finished second at the first 2013 race at Bristol.
Last year: Busch called his night “decent,” which of course means he had a good car and finished well. The No. 18 Toyota finished sixth, and Busch took some of the blame for a finish he deemed lackluster. Changes to the track altered the racing groove, and the car’s setup — based in part on Busch’s advice – didn’t allow him to challenge the leaders.
Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
Where he stands: Kenseth is sixth in the standings with 688 points.
Last week: Kenseth didn’t have the best car in the field at Michigan, but he looked more like the Matt Kenseth who won four races this year rather than the Matt Kenseth who has three DNFs. Kenseth maneuvered his No. 20 Toyota into the top five late in the race before getting shuffled to the back on the ensuing late restarts and pit stops. He gained one spot in the standings, passing Dale Earnhardt Jr.
What he said: “Our biggest problem was we were way off on speed. We didn’t handle perfect either, but we had a couple runs that were pretty good and then it seemed like the time we took fuel only and didn’t put any tires on, we just got really loose and got to the back. We never could really overcome that.”
This week: In 27 career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kenseth has two wins, 10 top-fives, 17 top-10s and one pole. In the past eight years at Bristol, Kenseth ranks second out of 54 drivers with an average place of 10.7. He finished 35th at the first 2013 race at Bristol.
Last year: Kenseth tangled with Tony Stewart — the two were involved in a number of incidents last season — and got a helmet chucked at his car for good measure after Smoke emerged from his tattered vehicle. In Kenseth’s view, Stewart’s slide job sent the No. 14 against the wall after Kenseth lifted to give Stewart some room. The two cars banged into each other the next turn, spinning both out and relegating Kenseth to a 25th-place finish. Still, the effort was good enough to clinch a spot in the Chase.
Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
Where he stands: Earnhardt Jr. is seventh in the standings with 679 points.
Last week: Earnhardt Jr.’s last two victories — which came in 2012 and 2008 — were both at Michigan. On Sunday, he had a fast No. 88 Chevrolet and led 20 of 200 laps. In the time it takes for a front tire to shred, however, his day was ruined. That busted tire sent Junior into the wall and essentially out of the race, although he came back on the track and finished 36th. Instead of challenging for his first win and strengthening his postseason positioning, Junior slipped to seventh in the standings and has no wins to fall back on with three races remaining. You can watch video of the incident below.
What he said: “There are guys in worst positions than us. We ain’t got to outrun just one guy; there’s a lot of guys. And all of them have got to have clean races, just like we do. I think we’ll be all right. We’re not an 11th-place team. We’re a top-five team. We’ve just got to shake this luck, whatever is going on; it’s something different every time.”
This week: In 27 career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Earnhardt Jr. has one win, seven top-fives and 13 top-10s. In the past eight years at Bristol, Earnhardt Jr. ranks ninth out of 54 drivers with an average place of 14.0. He finished sixth at the first 2013 race at Bristol.
Last year: Junior’s no Bristol newbie. In fact, he’s a veteran of Thunder Valley with 27 career starts there. He finished 12th in the night race last year.
Penske Racing, Ford
Where he stands: Keselowski is eighth in the standings with 667 points.
Last week: Keselowski wanted the win so badly, his team considered not pitting under the final yellow. Keselowski was leading at the time, but such a move would have been foolish. Getting fuel and tires enabled Bad Brad to move up from 15th on the restart, and his 12th-place finish kept him in the top 10 in points.
What he said: “It is the same deal every week. The yellows fall exactly the wrong way to screw up our strategy. That can’t keep going that way. It’s like Black Jack, you aren’t going to keep turning 15 or 16 on every hand. Eventually you are going to turn a good hand. We just didn’t catch it today.”
This week: In seven career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Keselowski has two wins, three top-fives and three top-10s. In the past eight years at Bristol, Keselowski ranks fifth out of 54 drivers with an average place of 12.6. He finished third at the first 2013 race at Bristol.
Last year: The defending race winner, Keselowski had dreams of a repeat, and winning his third consecutive race at the track (he won the 2012 spring race here, too). Qualifying second helped justify those visions of grandeur. But Keselowski’s car wasn’t the class of the field, and then he crunched Brian Vickers’ No. 55 Toyota and hit the wall. Fearing a problem with his car, Vickers had checked up, leaving a handful of drivers with nowhere to go. Keselowski finished 30th, logging 434 of 500 laps.
Furniture Row Racing, Chevrolet
Where he stands: Busch is ninth in the standings with 665 points.
Last week: Busch had one of the strongest cars on track. He led 43 of 200 laps and, although he didn’t get his long-sought victory, finished third. That was a great points day and sent the veteran into the top 10 in the points standings, which is grounds for an automatic berth into the Chase — for now.
What he said: “A good day. At the end of the day, we have our weaknesses and pit road and restarts are one of them. It’s just like our Achilles’ heel, but to be in position to win at the end, we had it, we just didn’t have the speed. So we can’t blame those items as a result of our third-place. But here we are talking third place and that’s what’s awesome about our effort today to bounce back from where we were at the first Michigan and what we’ve learned since June to be where we are now.”
This week: In 25 career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Busch has five wins, seven top-fives, 14 top-10s and one pole. In the past eight years at Bristol, Busch ranks seventh out of 54 drivers with an average place of 13.2. He finished fourth at the first 2013 race at Bristol.
Last year: Busch logged 440 of 500 laps and finished 28th while driving the No. 51 for Phoenix Racing.
Roush Fenway Racing, Ford
Where he stands: Biffle is 10th in the standings with 663 points.
Last week: Biffle was attempting to become the first driver since Bill Elliott (1985-86) to win three consecutive races at Michigan. It didn’t pan out, although the No. 16 did lead for 28 laps and finished ninth. It was Biffle’s fourth consecutive top-10 at the track. | Click here to read a roundup on the six members of the Coca-Cola Racing Family
What he said: “We bumped the 2 (of Brad Keselowski) coming out of the pits in that scramble at the end and hurt the left front fender. That might have been some of our problem. Our cars are way, way better out front than they are in traffic. That is really tough for us.”
This week: In 21 career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Biffle has six top-fives, 11 top-10s and one pole. He is the defending race winner. In the past eight years at Bristol, Biffle ranks third out of 54 drivers with an average place of 12.3. He finished 11th at the first 2013 race at Bristol.
Last year: Biffle left Bristol with two things — the points lead intact, and a guaranteed berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. He achieved both of those things despite a 19th-place finish, a poor showing when you consider he qualified third in the No. 16 Ford.
Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
Where he stands: Kahne is 11th in the standings with 659 points.
Last week: On a pretty miserable day for Hendrick Motorsports, Kahne had the only top-10 in the group. Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were out of the race early with car troubles, and Gordon’s machine struggled all day. Kahne, meanwhile, finished seventh after starting 31st on the grid.
What he said: Kahne was unavailable for comment.
This week: In 19 career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kahne has one win, four top-fives, eight top-10s and one pole. In the past eight years at Bristol, Kahne ranks 20th out of 54 drivers with an average place of 17.6. He won the first 2013 race at Bristol.
Last year: Before his Bristol breakthrough earlier in 2013, Kahne finished ninth in the 2012 night race.
Michael Waltrip Racing, Toyota
Where he stands: Truex Jr. is 12th in the standings with 653 points.
Last week: Truex Jr. fell out of the top 10 after his 16th-place showing at the wide 2-mile oval. He still owns a Wild Card spot, but Joey Logano and Ryan Newman are right on his heels.
What he said: “We started off pretty solid and I thought we were going to be OK. Then the handling on the NAPA Toyota went away. We tried a bunch of different strategies to regain track position from the start but the car just would not handle the way we needed it to. It was downright terrible there for a while. I wish we had more laps because it could have been a better day.”
This week: In 15 career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Truex Jr. has two top-fives and two top-10s. In the past eight years at Bristol, Truex Jr. ranks 14th out of 54 drivers with an average place of 16.1. He finished 12th at the first 2013 race at Bristol.
Last year: Bristol wasn’t kind to Martin Truex Jr. early in the driver’s career, but that’s a trend he’s reversed over the past four races. In the 2012 night race, Truex steadily drove his No. 56 Toyota to an 11th-place showing. In fact, in the past four races at Thunder Valley, his average finish is 7.0. In his previous 11 races at the .533-mile circuit, his average finish was 22.3.
Five Chase hopefuls …
Penske Racing, Ford
Where he stands: Logano is 13th in the standings with 646 points.
Last week: Any questions? Logano’s end-of-season surge hit its crescendo Sunday was his gutsy win at Michigan. Logano handled his No. 22 Ford expertly on the final laps, passing Mark Martin (who ran out of fuel) with four to go and holding off Kevin Harvick. He’s now in Wild Card contention and could even sneak into the top 10 if he keeps running well. | Click here to read a roundup on the six members of the Coca-Cola Racing Family
This week: In nine career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Logano has one top-10 and one pole. In the past eight years at Bristol, Logano ranks 23rd out of 54 drivers with an average place of 19.1. He finished 17th at the first 2013 race at Bristol.
Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet
Where he stands: Gordon is 14th in the standings with 637 points.
Last week: Gordon and his team missed it again at Michigan. Following a 17th-place finish, time is running out for the veteran. Then again, we said the same thing last year, and the No. 24 team clinched a spot in the Chase in the regular-season finale at Richmond.
This week: In 41 career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Gordon has five wins, 16 top-fives, 22 top-10s and five poles. In the past eight years at Bristol, Gordon ranks first out of 54 drivers with an average place of 9.6. He finished 34th at the first 2013 race at Bristol.
Stewart-Haas Racing, Chevrolet
Where he stands: Newman is 15th in the standings with 636 points.
Last week: Newman finished 13th, which isn’t bad at all, but lost his Wild Card spot. Even worse, Joey Logano got the win and passed Newman in the standings. | Click here to read a roundup on the six members of the Coca-Cola Racing Family
This week: In 23 career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Newman has one top-five, 13 top-10s and three poles. In the past eight years at Bristol, Newman ranks 13th out of 54 drivers with an average place of 15.3. He finished seventh at the first 2013 race at Bristol.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet
Where he stands: McMurray is 16th in the standings with 622 points.
Last week: McMurray’s engine blew up in practice, and it seemed like the No. 1 team couldn’t recover. He finished 22nd.
This week: In 21 career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, McMurray has three top-fives and nine top-10s. In the past eight years at Bristol, McMurray ranks 25th out of 54 drivers with an average place of 20.2. He finished 10th at the first 2013 race at Bristol.
Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet
Where he stands: Menard is 17th in the standings with 599 points.
Last week: Hey, remember Paul Menard? The driver of the No. 27 Chevrolet finished fourth Sunday, his best showing of the year. It was his first top-10 since Kansas and his first top-five since October 2012.
This week: In 12 career starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, Menard has one top-five and four top-10s. In the past eight years at Bristol, Menard ranks 24th out of 54 drivers with an average place of 19.4.
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Full-time opportunity in No. 55 comes earlier than expected
Related: Entry list for Bristol race
Brian Vickers’ tenure as the regular driver of Michael Waltrip Racing’s No. 55 car will begin sooner than expected.
Mark Martin’s move to Stewart-Haas Racing as primary replacement for the injured Tony Stewart has led MWR to put Vickers in the seat for all but one remaining race this season, meaning the three-time winner in the Sprint Cup Series will get a head start on his first full-time campaign with MWR beginning next year.
MWR on Monday granted a release to Martin, who the past two seasons has shared the No. 55 car with Vickers and Waltrip. The NASCAR veteran will pilot Stewart’s car for all but one remaining race — that at Talladega, where Nationwide Series regular Austin Dillon will return to the No. 14 — while the three-time Sprint Cup champion misses the remainder of the season with a broken leg suffered in a sprint car crash Aug. 5.
MWR announced last week that Vickers, who won earlier this season at New Hampshire despite his part-time status, would take over the No. 55 on his own beginning next season. Now he’ll finish the 2013 season in the vehicle, piloting every race save for Talladega, where his car owner will be behind the wheel.
“Obviously, Brian is poised to race for a championship,” Waltrip said. “The job he’s done in the 55 on a limited basis has been really impressive. To be able to be a part‑timer and grab a win like he did at Loudon, that’s just amazing in this day and age. But mostly it’ll just get him up to speed on the mile‑and‑a‑halfs. He hasn’t run any of those, and there’s a lot of those in the schedule, so it’ll just give him a chance to get familiar with what it’s going to take to run consistently and fast on all those tracks. It’s a really big deal for our organization to be able to get some more races in with Brian and the team as we prepare for 2014.”
Vickers hasn’t competed full time in NASCAR’s premier division since 2011, his final season with a Red Bull organization that is no longer in the sport.
“No one wants to see Tony out of the 14, but I am appreciative of the opportunity to get more seat time in the 55 as a result,” he said. “I didn’t think things could get any better than last week’s announcement with Aaron’s, but having a chance to run the rest of the 2013 season creates a tremendous opportunity for our team, and we’re excited that all of this came together the way it did. … We’ve proven we can win races in a part time capacity so far in 2013 and I’m confident that spending more time working with the 55 crew will only to help improve our already strong performance to date, giving us the momentum needed to start the 2014 season off strong in Daytona.”
Sunday’s event at Michigan, where Martin gambled on a fuel run in the final laps that came up just short, proved his final run in the No. 55. “I guess everyone will understand now why we went for it,” crew chief Rodney Childers wrote Monday on Twitter. Although Martin never won in the car, Waltrip credits the 40-time race winner with helping to raise the competitive level of his organization.
“With Mark, we accomplished everything we hoped to when he came to this organization, which was bringing that winning confidence to the team, the experience to help elevate our program and ultimately find the full-time driver for the future who can race for a NASCAR Sprint Cup championship,” said Waltrip, a two-time Daytona 500 champion.
“Mark’s leadership the past two years has been so impactful that he has left a mark on this company that will be here as long as we race. This opportunity to help two Hall of Famers in Mark and Tony Stewart at the same time, while getting the opportunity to run the rest of the year with Brian makes sense for MWR. But nothing could happen without the support of Aaron’s, Toyota and the other MWR sponsors. Each of them saw the same benefits in such a move and helped make it happen. This is a truly win, win, win situation.”
Martin’s release was a mutual decision between MWR, the driver and Aaron’s, which backs the car and will be sponsor for every race next season. Vickers was originally scheduled to finish his final part-time slate by driving three remaining Sprint Cup events in the No. 55, beginning Saturday night at Bristol. Vickers will drive the car for that race while Martin slides over to the No. 14.
“It’s been such an incredible experience,” Martin said of his tenure at MWR. “The working environment they have there is so great. It is the least uptight and least tense of anyplace I’ve ever been. Really, really have enjoyed being a part of it. I felt really warm and welcome there, and I really love the people in that organization. A lot of the people I’ve worked with at other places or I’ve known, and it was a very comfortable situation.”
Martin’s best chance of winning at MWR came last year at Pocono, when he finished second in an event claimed by Joey Logano. Sunday, he stayed out during the final two cautions and tried to stretch his fuel to the finish, running dry with four laps remaining and finishing 27th. In 39 races with MWR, he recorded five poles and as many top-five finishes. His tenure coincided with MWR putting two cars in the Chase for the Sprint Cup for the first time, something the owner does not see as a coincidence.
“Our competition meetings, back in 2012 when he showed up, he just brought a new level of intensity to them,” said Waltrip, whose drivers Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr. are both poised for another run at the playoff. “People wanted to know what Mark thought and what Mark said. He definitely left his mark on Michael Waltrip Racing. We’re stronger, we’re better, we’re more confident, we’re more focused today than we were the day mark showed up.”
True to form, Martin takes no creditis .
“To be real honest with you, people can say what they want, but I have had very little to do with the progression of that organization,” he said. “I stepped in at a good time when the organization was on the upswing, and it was just starting to show on the race track before I arrived there. And when I stepped in, everything was just in place and clicking. … We all got along so well and worked really hard to achieve the performance that we achieved.”
With Vickers’ situation settled, Waltrip’s attention now turns to re-signing Childers. “We’re working still on Rodney, and that isn’t done yet,” he said. “But we’ll turn our focus to that now and see where we end up there.”
Vickers is also competing full-time this season on the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs Racing, which like MWR fields Toyotas. The 29-year-old is fifth in the standings, 18 points behind leader Sam Hornish Jr. The schedules of NASCAR’s top two series align the remainder of the season save one weekend in late September, when the Nationwide tour is in Kentucky while the Sprint Cup cars compete in New Hampshire.
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Hendrick’s disappointing day continues as Junior hits tire troubles
Related: Full results | Updated standings | Complete coverage from Michigan
BROOKLYN, Mich. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. has created many fond memories at Michigan International Speedway. Sunday, though, will not go down as one of them.
NASCAR’s most popular driver saw a promising effort disappear when he cut a tire and scraped the right side of his No. 88 car up against the outside wall. Earnhardt led 20 laps at the track where he’s claimed his two most recent victories in the Sprint Cup Series, but Sunday limped home 36th after spending an extensive amount of time in the garage while his vehicle underwent repairs.
Although Earnhardt dropped only one spot to seventh in the standings as a result of the incident, his margin to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup has shrunk to 20 points over 11th-place Kasey Kahne. Earnhardt also does not have a race victory that would help his case for as Wild Card berth, should he need to rely on one to make the playoff.
“There are guys in worse positions than us,” he said. “We ain’t got to outrun just one guy. There’s a lot of guys. And all of them have got to have clean races, just like we do. I think we’ll be all right. We’re not an 11th-place team. We’re a top-five team. We’re consistent. We’re more consistent than most. We’ve just got to shake this luck, whatever is going on. It’s something different every time. We’ve got good speed, and we’ve just got to keep our head up and keep working hard, and things will be all right.”
It was the second consecutive Michigan disappointment for Earnhardt, who in June lost an engine while leading the race. It’s also been a tough couple of races for the Hendrick Motorsports driver, who finished 30th last week on the road course at Watkins Glen. After finishing fifth at Pocono, he was fifth in the standings and in the Chase by 62 points. After last Sunday, he was sixth and his margin was 47 points.
Now he’s seventh, and the margin is down to 20 with events at Bristol, Atlanta and Richmond looming before the championship field is set.
“It’s a competitive sport, and we’ve got some good teams behind us,” Earnhardt said. “We are not sitting here with everybody in the distance. It’s just a little closer than we would like it to be, but it’s still 20 points is 20 points. That is half a race, a little more than that, so we got three to go. We should be all right. If we keep having bad luck, we can’t do nothing about that.”
That’s how he classified Sunday, when Earnhardt said he had a slow leak in his right-front tire that he wasn’t aware of — until he applied the brake in Turn 2, and it blew with 65 laps remaining. A few other drivers also dealt with tire issues at Michigan, something Goodyear said was due to high temperatures.
Tire issues are nothing new at Hendrick, which has had more than its share this season. Jimmie Johnson and Kahne had tires go down at Michigan in June, Jeff Gordon and Johnson suffered failures at Bristol, and the No. 48 team also dealt with a blowout two weeks ago at Pocono. As far as tires are concerned, a big, high-speed track like Michigan can prove especially vexing.
“Our company had trouble last time with this tire at this race, and we paid close attention to it all weekend, and felt like we were extra careful,” Earnhardt said. “They want to put the responsibility on ourselves, but we did everything we thought we could do to ensure this kind of thing wouldn’t happen today. It’s just unfortunate that we’ve had this kind of bad luck. But we’ll be all right. We’ll keep running good. Three races to go, we keep running like we’re supposed to … we’ll be fine.”
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A beloved figure, Ganassi is remembered for his support and hard work within NASCAR
One of racing’s true gentlemen and most beloved figures, Floyd Ganassi Sr., has passed away of natural causes in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Penn., Monday according to the Chip Ganassi racing team.
Father to NASCAR and IndyCar team owner Chip Ganassi, the 87-year old Ganassi was a fixture at most races for decades, snapping photos on the starting grid or entertaining guests at Ganassi’s trackside hospitality suites. He was a gentlemen and the greatest of his son’s supporters.
“It is with heavy hearts that everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing Teams offers our condolences to Chip Ganassi and the whole Ganassi family on the passing today of Chip’s father, Floyd Ganassi,’’ the team said in a statement Monday afternoon.
“Everyone that knew Floyd knew that he was beloved at racetracks all across the country and leaves a long trail of great friends. Floyd Ganassi will be sorely missed by us all.”
Ganassi helped launch his son Chip’s racing career in the 1980s. After convincing Ganassi that team ownership might be a better path than driving, he helped establish the Ganassi racing team that has won four Indianapolis 500s and in 2001 expanded to include a NASCAR team.
Juan Pablo Montoya, who won an Indy 500 and open-wheel championship for Ganassi before coming to his NASCAR team tweeted today, "It’s a shame we lost today a great person. Floyd Ganassi we really gonna miss u. He was a great friend."
The racing industry remembered Floyd Ganassi and showed its support for his family in statements on Monday.
“Floyd Ganassi was a special man,” NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said. “He loved racing and was very important to me and my family.
"We wish him Godspeed and extend our sincere condolences to the entire Ganassi family. I hope they will find peace at this difficult time.”
In 2010 Ganassi’s team made history as the first to win both the Daytona 500 (with driver Jamie McMurray) and the Indy 500 (Dario Franchitti) in the same year.
"We are saddened by the passing of Floyd Ganassi, a very genuine man and a true friend to racing. He always had a smile on his face. Floyd will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Chip and the entire Ganassi family," Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, said.
No other details have been disclosed regarding Floyd Ganassi’s passing.
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Yuengling Light Lager on board for eight races in 2014
Richard Childress Racing announced Monday that Yuengling Light Lager will partner with Ty Dillon for eight races in Dillon’s first full-time NASCAR Nationwide Series season in 2014.
The company, which touts itself as America’s “oldest operating brewery,” will be making its NASCAR debut as the 21-year-old Dillon campaigns the No. 3 Chevrolet in his first full Nationwide campaign next season.
“Ty Dillon is a perfect match for us to help introduce our Light Lager brand to loyal NASCAR fans wherever Yuengling is sold,’’ said Lou Romano, director of marketing and wholesaler development for Yuengling.
“He’s not only a strong competitor on the track, but shares many of the same interests as Yuengling drinkers. Ty is an avid sports fan, outdoor enthusiast and holds close family ties. We also know and understand the legacy of the No. 3 to RCR and in NASCAR history, and are honored to have our brewery appear with that number on Ty’s car in 2014.”
Dillon is currently ranked fourth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship with a victory at Kentucky and another win last year at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
He has eight Nationwide starts to his credit.
“I’m honored to be able to represent an iconic brand such as Yuengling," said Dillon. “I’m excited to share my first full year in the Nationwide Series with them as they venture into the sport for the first time this season.
"They are family operated and America’s Oldest Brewery, something which fits our heritage at RCR. We think their family culture will make for a great partnership with the RCR and Childress family cultures. To say I’m looking forward to racing the No. 3 Yuengling Light Lager Chevrolet next year is an understatement."
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Lost Wild Card spot doesn’t dampen Newman’s hopes
With three races left in NASCAR’s Race to the Chase to set up the 2013 championship field, Ryan Newman has a couple options to earn a berth, but not much time left to make it happen.
A 13th-place finish in the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet on Sunday in Michigan was a respectable showing for Newman, but the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings are so tight, the Brickyard 400 winner actually dropped a spot in the rankings to 15th heading into Saturday night’s free-for-all on the tight Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway high banks.
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WILD CARD STANDINGS
| Pos | Driver | Wins | Pts Pos | Pts from 10th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kasey Kahne | 2 | 11th | -4 |
| 2. | Martin Truex Jr. | 1 | 12th | -10 |
| 3. | Joey Logano | 1 | 13th | -17 |
| 4. | Ryan Newman | 1 | 15th | -27 |
| 5. | Tony Stewart | 1 | 18th | -69 |
| 6. | Jeff Gordon | 0 | 14th | -26 |
| 7. | Jamie McMurray | 0 | 16th | -41 |
| 8. | Paul Menard | 0 | 17th | -64 |
| 9. | Aric Almirola | 0 | 19th | -76 |
| 10. | Jeff Burton | 0 | 20th | -102 |
| 11. | David Ragan | 1 | 26th | -243 |
Even so, Newman is only 17 points behind Martin Truex Jr. in the final Wild Card position and only 27 points out of the guaranteed 10th-place spot currently held by Greg Biffle.
Seventh-place Dale Earnhardt Jr., eighth-place Brad Keselowski and ninth-place Kurt Busch are only separated by 14 points and none of those three drivers have a victory, which is necessary for a Wild Card position. Should they fall out of the top 10, things get even more interesting in the Wild Card race.
Kasey Kahne (two wins), Truex (one win) and Sunday’s race winner Joey Logano are ranked 11th-13th, and if one of those drivers moves into a guaranteed top-10 position, Newman’s Wild Card opportunity improves.
Newman likes his chances at Bristol, where he has won three Coors Light Pole Awards and has four top-10 finishes in the last six races, including a seventh there this spring.
Here’s what the 2008 Daytona 500 winner has to say about Sunday in Michigan and his outlook in the Race to the Chase:
On strategy that put him seventh on last restart:
Newman: “We had the right pit strategy, and we would have been in position to grab a top-five at the very least. But I just couldn’t do anything with the car.
The Quicken Loans Chevy got too loose, and being back there in dirty air didn’t help us at all. It was a great effort by (crew chief) Matt (Borland) and the guys. I’m just disappointed we couldn’t get the finish we set ourselves up for."
On his Wild Card chances:
Newman: "As far as the Chase goes, we came into Michigan with a Wild Card, and left without one. The points are so tight, and with three races to go, anything can happen. We need to focus on running as consistently as possible, week in and week out. If we’re able to get another win, that will obviously help tremendously in the Wild Card battle. But, there’s a couple of guys that are in the top 10 without a win, and if they’re to have a bad race or two and fall out, that might get us into the top 10 and out of the Wild Card scenario."
On his mindset heading into the final three races before the Chase begins:
Newman: “I’m trying not to lose sleep over it, but it’s hard not to think about it. We’ve just got to keep doing what we’ve been doing – and that’s focusing on bringing the best cars that we can to the race track each week. While we may be out of it today, the field isn’t set until the checkered flag waves at Richmond."
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Martin will drive No. 14 for 12 races; Austin Dillon gets Talladega
Mark Martin says he is “honored” to fill in for injured three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart this season and hopes “we can turn the 14 car back over to Tony even stronger than what it was when he stepped away and was injured.”
“When it’s all said and done, I hope they can look back and say they were glad they had me part of the organization,’’ Martin said Monday as Stewart-Haas Racing formally announced the veteran Martin will replace the injured Stewart in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet for all but one race — Talladega, Ala. — for the remaining 2013 season.
NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Austin Dillon will drive in the Oct. 20 Talladega event.
Stewart, who suffered a broken right tibia and fibula in an Aug. 5 sprint car race in Iowa, is instead concentrating on a full recovery for the start of the 2014 season.
“We expect a full recovery by Daytona or close to it,’’ SHR Competition Director Greg Zipadelli said. “You know, it may be able to be done earlier, it’s just not worth it. It’s a bad break to the leg, and he needs time to go through the process of healing, rehabilitation, all those things. With Mark coming on board, I think it gives us the window to go to the end of the year and feel like we are doing our partners the best job we can to fill Tony’s shoes, and that’s what we’ll do.’’
After using sports car ace Max Papis initially at the Watkins Glen, N.Y., road course and then Dillon on Sunday at Michigan, the team has decided on Martin as a primary full-time replacement beginning Saturday night at Bristol, Tenn.
The team has always maintained it would prefer one driver in the seat long-term instead of a revolving case of replacements.
“After consulting with Tony’s doctors and speaking with Tony, we agreed it was best for him to focus on his recovery,” Zipadelli said. “For the No. 14 team, our focus is on positioning them for a run at the owner championship. Mark Martin and Austin Dillon give us the best opportunity to do that, and we certainly appreciate Michael Waltrip Racing and Richard Childress Racing for making Mark and Austin available to us.”
And Zipadelli said Martin was Stewart’s number one pick.
“Mark just seemed to be the fit,’’ Zipadelli said. “Him and Tony, they’ve got a bond. They seem to get along. Tony was very excited about it. That was his first choice, so that’s what we went after.”
Martin, who has competed in the Cup ranks through four decades, has 40 victories. He has been driving a partial schedule for Michael Waltrip Racing this year and was leading Sunday’s race in Michigan in an MWR Toyota before running out of gas with four laps remaining.
He and Waltrip spoke Monday about the amount of cooperation it took among sponsors, teams and manufacturers to get the deal done. MWR will replace Martin with Brian Vickers for the remaining races. And the timing seemed to align as MWR announced just last week that Vickers would be in the No. 55 full time in 2014 anyway.
“Really it’s such a win, it’s a win for every person involved, from Michael Waltrip Racing, Aaron’s, Brian Vickers, as well as the incredible amount of respect that I have for Tony,’’ Martin said. “Just the fact that they asked me was a huge honor to me.
“You know, I feel kind of amazed that we were able to get this done, but we were able to get it done. Aaron’s agreed to it. The folks from Toyota agreed to it. They are very intense racers, but they all saw the value in a win‑win‑win situation, and everyone respects Tony and wanted to be able to help out.
“I think all the stars just lined up for this to work out because anyone along the way, including Mobil 1, Chevrolet or Bass Pro Shops could have probably stopped this from happening. So there were so many pieces to this puzzle, it was a lot more complicated than it looked at face value. But the reason it was able to be worked out is because everyone was able to win in this situation.’’
Zipadelli reiterated with Stewart sidelined, the team’s focus shifts to getting its No. 39 Chevy driven by Ryan Newman into the Chase and to pursuing the owner’s championship with Stewart’s No. 14.
And he deflected questions Monday about reports of an impending announcement the team would be hiring Kurt Busch to drive a fourth SHR car in 2014.
“Right now we’re really focusing on Mark,’’ Zipadelli said. “Obviously there’s options out there. We’re looking at everything that’s there. There is nothing done.
“Right now like I said we’re focused on the 39, trying to win another race to make it into the Chase and getting Mark fitted up in this car and heading to Bristol to do the best job we can.’’
Deciding it was best for Stewart to sit out the season, considering he was a Chase contender when he got injured, was still a difficult, if necessary, call.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed to be out of the Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevy for so long, but the team is in very good hands with Mark Martin and Austin Dillon,” Stewart said. “Mark is someone I’ve looked up to my entire career and I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. Austin is a great young talent, and he showed that Sunday at Michigan.
“Greg Zipadelli, (crew chief) Steve Addington and everybody at SHR supports them 100 percent. This isn’t a situation anyone wanted, but we’re going to make the best of it. In the meantime, my focus is on getting healthy and getting back into my Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevy.”
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Logano leads the way with first victory of 2013
Joey Logano was the latest member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family to find Victory Lane this year.
It was a day of firsts for the young driver at Michigan, where he won his first race in a Ford, his first race of 2013 and his first race for Penske Racing.
The victory also shuffled the Chase standings and gives the Coca-Cola Racing Family three legitimate postseason players — and perhaps four, if Tony Stewart manages to return from a broken leg.
Greg Biffle finished ninth, joining Logano in the top 10.
A roundup on the Coca-Cola Racing Family in order of how they finished at Michigan:
Penske Racing, Ford
Recap: Logano started on the Coors Light Pole, then won his first race of the year. His No. 22 Ford was fast and stable. Logano put himself in position to win on the final restart of the day, when he dove onto the apron to make it three-wide and pass Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch. He trailed Mark Martin late and just had to wait and see if Martin’s fuel cell ran dry — which it did.
Quotable: “We are getting closer to the Chase. This was a hard fought win throughout the whole 22 Penske team. We have gone through a lot this season and it is well deserved. Todd Gordon and all the guys gave me a great car today that was capable of winning and they kept tuning it in and getting it a little better and keeping me up front with the right strategy. It was up to me on the last restart and I had to be very aggressive to get by the 29 and do what I had to do and here we are. What a great place to win and a great time to win being in Ford’s backyard and coming up to the Chase like this. Being in Roger’s back yard it was a great opportunity for me and I am glad we delivered.”
His standing: Logano is 13th in the standings with 646 points.
Outlook: Logano has a win, but not a Wild Card berth yet. There’s a few ways to get one. The first is to win again. The second is to climb into the top 10. The third is to see if either Kasey Kahne (11th) or Martin Truex Jr. (12th) gets into the top 10 ahead of a driver with no wins (Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch). The series returns to Bristol this week, which is where the Logano-Denny Hamlin feud took off earlier this year.
Roush Fenway Racing, Ford
Recap: Biffle was attempting to become the first driver since Bill Elliott in the mid 1980s to win three consecutive races at Bristol. It didn’t happen, but his No. 16 Ford still led 28 laps en route to a ninth-place finish and 36-point day. Biffle still has an automatic spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup for now, and he has a win to fall back on as well.
Quotable: “We bumped the 2 (of Brad Keselowski) coming out of the pits in that scramble at the end and hurt the left front fender. That might have been some of our problem. Our cars are way, way better out front than they are in traffic. That is really tough for us.”
His standing: Biffle is 10th in the standings with 663 points.
Outlook: Biffle is a Bristol veteran, having competed 21 times at the high-banked, 0.533-mile oval. He finished 11th earlier this year, but hasn’t had a top-10 since 2011 and a top-five since 2010.
Stewart-Haas Racing, Chevrolet
Recap: One week after entering the Chase field, Newman fell out of it. Not only did Joey Logano win for the first time this year, but the driver leap-frogged Newman in the standings. Now, Newman is in 15th place and needs another win, or to move way up the standings. He finished 13th at Michigan, which isn’t at all a bad day.
Quotable: “As far as the Chase goes, we came into Michigan with a Wild Card, and left without one. The points are so tight, and with three races to go, anything can happen. We need to focus on running as consistently as possible, week in and week out. If we’re able to get another win, that will obviously help tremendously in the Wild Card battle. But, there’s a couple of guys that are in the top 10 without a win, and if they’re to have a bad race or two and fall out, that might get us into the top 10 and out of the Wild Card scenario.”
His standing: Newman is 15th in the standings with 636 points.
Outlook: There’s three races to go before the Chase field is set — Bristol, Atlanta and Richmond. The only thing Newman can do is worry about his own success. He can’t control what those above him in the standings do.
Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota
Recap: Hey, Hamlin was leading laps multiple times Sunday at Michigan. Sure, it was because he was on a different strategy and trying something new, but maybe that will build his confidence heading into Bristol following his 20th-place showing in Michigan.
His standing: Hamlin is 25th in the standings with 439 points.
Outlook: Hamlin may not have pleasant memories of Bristol. It is, after all, where he and Joey Logano first got into a tussle on pit road. We all know how that ended later in the season at Fontana.
Stewart-Haas Racing, Chevrolet
Recap: Patrick wasn’t involved in an incident, which is a good thing. She finishes on the lead lap, which is also a good thing. Patrick finished 23rd on the wide, flat 2-mile oval, which is actually 10 places worse than her showing there earlier this year.
Quotable: “Late in the race, the car just got tight. It was really good from the halfway point until we made that last pit stop. Then it just went tight. Overall, though, the car was pretty good all weekend. We had good practices and it felt comfortable throughout the weekend. I’m proud of Tony Gibson and the GoDaddy crew. We’re making progress and getting better each weekend.”
Her standing: Patrick is 27th in the standings with 418 points.
Outlook: Patrick performed incredibly well at one short track this year. It wasn’t Bristol, rather, but Martinsville. Patrick finished 28th at Thunder Valley earlier this season and was 27th in this race last year.
Stewart-Haas Racing, Chevrolet
Recap: Stewart missed his second consecutive race this past weekend. Instead, he watched (from home, we assume) Austin Dillon pilot his No. 14 Chevrolet to a 14th-place finish. Stewart is still nursing his broken leg and won’t return for Bristol.
His standing: Stewart is 18th in the standings with 594 points.
Chris Carrier named crew chief of Turner Scott Motorsports’ fourth Truck Series entry
Turner Scott Motorsports announced Monday that the team has named Chris Carrier as crew chief of the team’s fourth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entry.
Carrier and his TSM team will be at Bristol Motor Speedway Wednesday night providing support for Ben Kennedy Racing’s No. 96 entry in the Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200. Carrier will also be on the pit box and calling the shots for the No. 96 at Iowa, Chicago, Martinsville and Homestead-Miami Speedway. The team will run a limited schedule for the remaining portion of the year with Kennedy and Cale Gale behind the wheel.
"I look forward to the opportunity to compete again in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series," said Carrier. "I enjoy working with young talent, and I think Ben Kennedy and Cale Gale have what it takes to be successful in this sport. We have a great team behind us at Turner Scott Motorsports, and I am looking forward to getting to work and joining the truck series this week at Bristol."
Carrier, a NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and NCWTS veteran, has served as crew chief for 329 events throughout the three series, earning five wins, 24 top fives, 52 top 10s and seven poles. Carrier’s most recent work in the NCWTS includes serving as crew chief on the No. 30 last season, leading Nelson Piquet Jr. to two wins, nine top fives, 15 top 10s and four poles. The Tennessee native earned his first career win with Harry Gant in 1994 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The organization has also named Pat Tryson as crew chief for the No. 30 NASCAR Nationwide Series entry. Tryson will take over the crew chief duties for Piquet Jr. starting in the August 23 race at Bristol.
"I am very excited about the opportunity to join Turner Scott Motorsports and the No. 30 team," said Tryson. "I am really looking forward to working with Nelson Piquet Jr. and the rest of the team. Nelson is a very talented, hard-nosed competitor and I think we will work very well together. The pieces are in place at Turner Scott Motorsports to have a championship caliber team, and I am looking forward to helping this team get to victory lane. I would like to thank [co-owners] Steve Turner and Harry Scott, Jr. for giving me the opportunity to join their organization, and I am looking forward to getting to work this weekend at Bristol."
Tryson, a NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series veteran has served as crew chief for 516 events, earning a total of 10 wins, 66 top-five, 139-top 10s and four poles throughout the three series. The Malvern, Pa. native earned his first career win with Elliott Sadler in 2001 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
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