Posted on by Brad Norman

Bowyer has eyes on second place; Logano enters top 10

1. Jimmie Johnson (No. 48)

Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet

Where he stands: Johnson leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings with 610 points.
Last week: Johnson was frustrated by his finish in the postponed-by-rain Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts, yet he gained 13 points on second-place Carl Edwards and increased his points lead to 38. It’s tough to feel sorry for Johnson when things like that happen, but then again, Johnson did lead 182 of 267 laps Sunday afternoon at Kentucky. His No. 48 was incredible, but his big slip-up was spinning out on a Lap 247 restart. Even then, Johnson managed to save his car from hitting any barrier and drove it to a ninth-place finish after restarting 24th.
What he said: “We were kind of in an awkward situation in that restart there. And then we were like three- and four-wide going in the corner, then something happened with the air and just kind of turned me around. Unfortunate, but at least we rallied back for a good finish. The No. 20 (Matt Kenseth) broke the pace car speed, which you aren’t supposed to, but, they aren’t calling guys on that so I need to start trying that in the future.”
This week: In 23 career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Johnson has two wins, seven top-fives, 10 top-10s and two poles. In the past eight years at Daytona, Johnson ranks third out of 54 drivers with an average place of 14.4. He won the season-opening Daytona 500.
Last year: Johnson had a couple of miserable showings at Daytona last year, leaving both races at the track early due to wrecks. In the summer race, it happened on Lap 124. A seven-car incident sent Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet spinning out of control through the grass where it punched the inside wall hard enough to send his crunched hood up over the windshield, where it remained as it was towed to the garage. Johnson finished 36th.

2. Carl Edwards (No. 99)

Roush Fenway Racing, Ford 

Where he stands: Edwards is second in the standings with 572 points.
Last week: A different pit strategy worked at first for Edwards on Sunday. His No. 99 Ford had lost a lot of ground after starting second, so when a caution sent teams to pit road, Edwards was one of the only cars to take two tires. Everyone else took four, which allowed Edwards to exit pit road first. It caught up to him late when, on the final pit stop, everyone took two tires at a time when Edwards had old rubber. He slipped down the track over the final five laps and finished 21st.
What he said: “Man, I don’t understand what happened there. We just got back in traffic and we were terrible at the end. I thought we were really good out front when we had track position. We were really good when we were out front. There at the end I just couldn’t make anything happen. It was definitely a frustrating situation there.”
This week: In 17 career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Edwards has four top-fives, eight top-10s and one pole. In the past eight years at Daytona, Edwards ranks fifth out of 54 drivers with an average place of 9.7. He finished 33rd in the season-opening Daytona 500.
Last year: Edwards was among a number of drivers penalized for going into pit road when it was closed late in the race — in Edwards’ defense, he had committed to pitting when a wreck broke out, bringing out the caution. He couldn’t help but pit. Still, Edwards dropped from fourth on Lap 120 to 23rd on Lap 130. He drove his way back through the field and avoided the massive wrecks on Lap 154 and 160, the final lap, to finish sixth.

3. Clint Bowyer (No. 15)

Michael Waltrip Racing, Toyota 

Where he stands: Bowyer is third in the standings with 569 points.
Last week: Is it time to start mentioning Bowyer’s name when discussing legitimate championship contenders? The No. 15’s performance on the track has been so consistent this year. Bowyer’s third-place finish at Kentucky matched his third-place position in the standings. Bowyer has 10 top-10s in 17 races — and three 11th-place finishes. He doesn’t have a win, but you get the sense that’s coming at any time.
What he said: “Well, to be honest, I was blocking, hoping I was running out of laps. It was just too many to be blocking like that. I knew (Jamie McMurray) was a lot faster. I was either going to get myself wrecked or let it go, and I chose to let it go. I’m proud of the way our team is working together and keeps clicking off solid finishes. This is what we have to do this time of year and hopefully those wins will come when the time is right.”
This week: In 15 career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Bowyer has two top-fives and six top-10s. In the past eight years at Daytona, Bowyer ranks seventh out of 54 drivers with an average place of 15.9. He finished 11th in the season-opening Daytona 500.
Last year: Bowyer’s bad luck at Daytona continued last year. He was one of 14 cars involved in a mega-wreck on Lap 154 that started when Denny Hamlin changed lanes and was drilled from behind. Running near the top 10 at the time, Bowyer finished 29th, his sixth consecutive race at the track where he finished outside the top 10.

4. Kevin Harvick (No. 29)

Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet 

Where he stands: Harvick is fourth in the standings with 544 points.
Last week: Harvick was another driver to try an unconventional strategy, and it paid off for the No. 29 team more than it did for Carl Edwards. Harvick’s strategy was actually the exact opposite of Edwards … take more tires, not less. During the competition caution on Lap 30, when everybody was taking two tires, Harvick took four. He started in the back of the field, but long stretches of green-flag racing had his machine in position to pick off drivers one by one. Harvick avoided the late wrecks and finished 10th, his seventh consecutive top-10 finish.
What he said: "We were loose in and fairly free through the corners for most of the day. Kentucky Speedway is a great place to race, but gave us all we could handle on getting our Budweiser Chevrolet to grip the turns."
This week: In 24 career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Harvick has two wins, five top-fives, 10 top-10s and one pole. In the past eight years at Daytona, Harvick ranks 21st out of 54 drivers with an average place of 19.2. He finished 42nd in the season-opening Daytona 500.
Last year: The bad: Harvick got caught up in the 15-car wreck in Turn 4 on the last lap and finished 23rd. The good: He was not injured. The great: The very next day, Harvick’s wife, DeLana, gave birth to the couple’s first child, Keelan. Harvick had Austin Dillon available as a backup driver in case his wife went into labor during or before the June 7 race. Turns out, the timing was perfect.

5. Matt Kenseth (No. 20)

Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota 

Where he stands: Kenseth is fifth in the standings with 528 points.
Last week: Kenseth broke a tie with points leader Jimmie Johnson for most wins on the series. His victory at Kentucky was the fourth of 2013 for the No. 20 team, and although it didn’t net Kenseth a move up the standings, it gives him control of the top seed in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup — for now. On the last pit stop following a caution on Lap 242, Kenseth took fuel only. He easily beat the field off pit road and survived two restarts on old rubber. His lead maintained and in clean air, there was no catching Kenseth.
What he said: “I didn’t roll the dice, Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) did. I thought he was slightly crazy when (he called for no tires). Jason did a great job — I didn’t think there was any way that we were going to hold on for that win. He made the right call at the right time and those guys got it done.”
This week: In 27 career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Kenseth has two wins, six top-fives, 13 top-10s and one pole. In the past eight years at Daytona, Kenseth ranks second out of 54 drivers with an average place of 14.0. He finished 37th in the season-opening Daytona 500.
Last year: The 2012 Daytona 500 winner, Kenseth almost made it a sweep at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. He led 89 of 160 laps with an outstanding car, and a lot of help from then-teammate Greg Biffle in the drafting car. Kenseth was first on the green-white-checkered restart, but the combination of Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne freight-trained past the Kenseth-Biffle duo on the final lap. Kenseth finished third, wrapping up a great year at the race track.

6. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88)

Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet

Where he stands: Earnhardt Jr. is sixth in the standings with 512 points.
Last week: Earnhardt Jr. won the Coors Light Pole and led three times for 11 laps Sunday. But this race was about perseverance for the No. 88 team. With a good car and a good shot at his first win in more than a year, plenty of setbacks arose. The biggest happened after Denny Hamlin blew a tire, the casing of which bounced into Earnhardt Jr.’s grille as he was leading. A massive (and quick) tape job kept Junior on the lead lap, but he had no shot at winning. Earnhardt made progress in the final 20 laps and finished 12th to move up a spot in the standings.
What he said: “You just fix it and keep going. The guys did a good job on pit road all day long working on it and trying to fix everything. I’m not sure we got everything back where it is supposed to be, but we did well enough to get a decent finish out it. Just proud of how hard the team worked. Did a good job for qualifying, and put a good car out there for the race. Can’t do anything about what happened out there on the race track with that casing.”
This week: In 27 career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Earnhardt has two wins, 10 top-fives, 15 top-10s and one pole. In the past eight years at Daytona, Earnhardt ranks fourth out of 54 drivers with an average place of 14.5. He finished second in the season-opening Daytona 500.
Last year: Junior was part of a Hendrick Motorsports fleet that had powerful engines, but somewhat disappointing finishes. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon were caught up in various wrecks, and Earnhardt looked like he would avoid that distinction … until the very end when Junior, running in the top five, was collected. All that work, and a 15th-place finish to show for it.

7. Kyle Busch (No. 18)

Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota 

Where he stands: Busch is seventh in the standings with 500 points.
Last week: Busch never seemed to have control of his car, yet when the race ended, there was the No. 18 Toyota chugging its way to another top-five finish. Making it more impressive is that Busch brought out the caution on Lap 43 after spinning out, but kept his car in drivable condition. Busch likely enjoyed being back on an oval after finishing 35th at Sonoma, a road course, last week. In the past five races, Busch has two fourth-place showings, a fifth and one sixth-place effort.
What he said: “We had a decent race car — it wasn’t great. I knew unloading here that it was going to be a tough weekend and a tough race. This is the most ill-handling you’re going to have, but whoever is the least ill-handling car is going to win. We had our work cut out for us — that’s for sure, getting spun out early and then coming back through and working hard.”
This week: In 17 career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Busch has one win, five top-fives and six top-10s. In the past eight years at Daytona, Busch ranks first out of 54 drivers with an average place of 12.3. He finished 34th in the season-opening Daytona 500.
Last year: Busch avoided the major last-lap crash, which was good. But he was able to do so because he was a lap down after being in the crash on Lap 154, which was bad. The driver couldn’t catch a break, going from second with 10 laps to go to finishing 24th and one lap down. He’s finished outside the top 15 in three consecutive Daytona races.

8. Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56)

Michael Waltrip Racing, Toyota 

Where he stands: Truex Jr. is eighth in the standings with 490 points.
Last week: Truex Jr. has a reputation of being an exceptional driver on 1.5-mile tracks, and that proved to be well-earned at Kentucky. Following his first win of the season (and second of his career), Truex finished seventh on Sunday in his No. 56 Toyota. The key was taking four tires on the final pit stop when everyone else took two. He has three consecutive top-10s, with Sunday’s seventh the worst showing out of the bunch. In fives races on 1.5-mile tracks this year, Truex has two top-fives and five top-10s.
What he said: “We dodged a lot of bullets today. We didn’t have a very good car all day long. Track position was important and we got it a few times and we lost it a few times. The last stop everybody took two (tires) and our car wasn’t very good on two so we elected to take four. We were pretty far back on that restart and luckily we had two really good restarts and we were able to get some spots and then hang onto them at the end.”
This week: In 16 career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Truex Jr. has one top-10 and one pole. In the past eight years at Daytona, Truex Jr. ranks ninth out of 54 drivers with an average place of 16.1. He finished 24th in the season-opening Daytona 500.
Last year: Truex has strong results on 1.5-mile tracks and road courses. On superspeedways? Not so much. Truex finished 24th last year, and his average finish at the track throughout his career is 21.4. His lone top-10 was in the 2010 Daytona 500 (sixth).

9. Greg Biffle (No. 16)

Roush Fenway Racing, Ford 

Where he stands: Biffle is ninth in the standings with 489 points.
Last week: It wasn’t Biffle’s best day, but it also wasn’t Biffle’s fault. Brad Keselowski took a spin on Lap 48 after a healthy nudge from Kurt Busch, which sent the No. 2 down onto the apron, and then careening back onto the track. The No. 2 bounced off the high wall and slid back down the track, when Biffle absolutely blasted it in his No. 16. Not Biffle’s fault, but still, finishing 34th stings after consecutive finishes of second, first and eighth entering the weekend. | Click here to read a roundup on the six members of the Coca-Cola Racing Family.
What he said: “I have been here before. We can’t point fingers until we go back and watch the replay and analyze exactly what happened. Reality is we should have been up further, but they were wrecking up there too.”
This week: In 21 career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Biffle has one win, three top-fives, six top-10s and one pole. In the past eight years at Daytona, Biffle ranks 16th out of 54 drivers with an average place of 17.8. He finished sixth in the season-opening Daytona 500.
Last year: Biffle’s No. 16 Ford was among a stable of exceptional Roush Fenway Racing machines. The driver led 35 laps and was in the top five from Lap 1 to Lap 120 (of 160). Biffle was among the cars sent to the rear of the field, though, on Lap 124 when he pitted just as it was announced pit road was closed. Although the Biff worked his way back through the field and was in the top five on the green-white-checkered restart, he was caught in the last-lap wreck and finished 21st.

10. Joey Logano (No. 22)

Penske Racing, Ford 

Where he stands: Logano is 10th in the standings with 439 points.
Last week: Logano’s enormous natural talent shone through amid the rain clouds at Kentucky. He drove the No. 22 Ford to a fourth-place showing, giving him six consecutive races in the top 11. Logano drove through the field multiple times and, on a late restart, somehow stayed off Jimmie Johnson’s spinning No. 48 despite being within inches of him, then swerved around it at the last second to keep his spot in the top 10.| Click here to read a roundup on the six members of the Coca-Cola Racing Family.
Quotable: “No, I don’t think I ever touched (Jimmie). I went down there three-wide and am 95 percent sure I never touched him. It was an unfortunate deal. Once he started spinning I started checking up to not finish him off and give him a shot to save it. It happens. That is racing.”
This week: In nine career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Logano has two top-fives and three top-10s. In the past eight years at Daytona, Logano ranks 15th out of 54 drivers with an average place of 17.6. He finished 19th in the season-opening Daytona 500.
Last year: Logano avoided the massive last-lap wreck, squeezing through a tiny hole in the middle of spinning-out cars to finish fourth place. In the 2011 summer race, Logano finished third.

11. Kasey Kahne (No. 5)

Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet

Where he stands: Kahne is 11th in the standings with 478 points.
Last week: Kahne had a super fast No. 5 Chevrolet, and he managed a difficult final few laps with aplomb to finish 11th. Kahne radioed to his team that something in the car “broke” late in the race; while whatever happened wasn’t enough to send the No. 5 off the track, it caused him to lose a few spots. Then again, Kahne was caught speeding on pit road earlier and managed to get back into the top 10, so it probably evens out.
This week: In 19 career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Kahne has two top-fives and seven top-10s. In the past eight years at Daytona, Kahne ranks 13th out of 54 drivers with an average place of 17.4. He finished 36th in the season-opening Daytona 500.
Last year: Kahne was instrumental in pushing Tony Stewart on the restarts late in the Coke Zero 400. While Stewart went on to win, Kahne finished seventh. Kahne typically performs better in the summer race than in the Daytona 500, too. In the past seven summer races at the track, Kahne has six top-10s.

16. Tony Stewart (No. 14)

Stewart-Haas Racing, Chevrolet 

Where he stands: Stewart is 16th in the standings with 457 points.
Last week: Stewart didn’t have the best day at Kentucky, although he provided one of the best moments by diving down onto the apron and aggressively passing multiple cars during a restart. He didn’t cause a wreck in doing so, either. Stewart ended up 20th for the day, but he still holds onto the second of two Wild Card entries into the Chase. | Click here to read a roundup on the six members of the Coca-Cola Racing Family.
What he said: “We made a bunch of changes to the car throughout the race. When we started out, it felt like it was up on top of the race track. We needed it to get planted better. We made gains, but we eventually got it to where it was too tight into Turns 1 and 2.”
This week: In 29 career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Stewart has four wins, eight top-fives, 13 top-10s and one pole. He is the defending race champion. In the past eight years at Daytona, Stewart ranks sixth out of 54 drivers with an average place of 15.3. He finished 41st in the season-opening Daytona 500.
Last year: The very nature of restrictor-plate racing makes lauding a driver as a favorite seem laughable. But, if there were to be a favorite heading into the Coke Zero 400, it’s Stewart. Stewart has won four of the past eight summer races at Daytona, including last year’s event. In 2012, Stewart started 42nd — 42nd! — but found himself second on the green-white-checkered restart. With a push from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne, Stewart passed leader Matt Kenseth on the final lap to cross the start/finish line first as wrecked cars piled up behind him.

Five in the rearview mirror …

Jeff Gordon (No. 24)

Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet

Where he stands: Gordon is 12th in the standings with 477 points.
Last week: Gordon’s car sure was fast at Kentucky, and after teammate Jimmie Johnson spun out on Lap 247, Gordon was fourth on the restart. The restart was chaotic with cars going four wide, and the No. 24 was in bad position and slipped to ninth. He gained one more spot and finished eighth on the day. Gordon is 12th in the standings, and is in really good shape. The veteran has no wins, but he’s two points behind 10th-place Joey Logano. Had the last restart gone a little differently, Gordon will likely be in the Chase field as it stands right now.
This week: In 41 career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Gordon has six wins, 12 top-fives, 19 top-10s and three poles. In the past eight years at Daytona, Gordon ranks fifth out of 54 drivers with an average place of 14.5. He finished 20th in the season-opening Daytona 500.

Brad Keselowski (No. 2)

Penske Racing, Ford 

Where he stands: Keselowski is 13th in the standings with 465 points.
Last week: Keselowski loves Kentucky. He was the defending race winner and was running in the tripleheader this year, finishing second in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series race. That’s what makes Sunday’s finish so hard to swallow. Not only did Keselowski finish 33rd, but he finished that poorly because Kurt Busch lost his handle on the apron and started a big wreck by bumping Keselowski. The defending champion has no wins, and nine races to get some — or, at least, to get back in the top 10.
This week: In eight career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Keselowski has one top-five and two top-10s. In the past eight years at Daytona, Keselowski ranks 23rd out of 54 drivers with an average place of 20.3. He finished fourth in the season-opening Daytona 500.

Kurt Busch (No. 78)

Furniture Row Racing, Chevrolet 

Where he stands: Busch is 14th in the standings with 463 points.
Last week: Busch caused the defending champ to have a rotten day, but the No. 78 team had a pretty good one. Busch finished sixth at Kentucky to gain three spots in the points standings for the second consecutive week. Coincidentally, he’s closing in on points with Brad Keselowski, the man he knocked out of Sunday’s race.
This week: In 25 career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Busch has 10 top-fives and 12 top-10. In the past eight years at Daytona, Busch ranks 11th out of 54 drivers with an average place of 16.7. He finished 28th in the season-opening Daytona 500.

Paul Menard (No. 27)

Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet 

Where he stands: Menard is 15th in the standings with 459 points.
Last week: Menard was caught up in the Keselowski wreck, and his Chase chances might have taken a hard shot, too. Entering the race, Menard was 11th in the standings and a strong showing or two away from sliding into the top 10. Now he’s 15th and needs a bunch of excellent showings — if not outright wins — to get back into contention following his 30th-place finish at Kentucky.
This week: In 12 career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Menard has three top-10s and one pole. In the past eight years at Daytona, Menard ranks 22nd out of 54 drivers with an average place of 20.1. He finished 21st in the season-opening Daytona 500.

Danica Patrick (No. 10)

Stewart-Haas Racing, Chevrolet  

Where she stands: Patrick is 27th in the standings with 197 points.
Last week: Patrick was making headlines long before her 23rd-place effort Sunday. Earlier in the week, Kyle Petty said on TV that he didn’t think Patrick was a race car driver. Danica will be in the headlines again this week, but it’s because she’s returning to Daytona, where she won the Coors Light Pole for the season-opening Daytona 500 and then finished eighth in the race. | Click here to read a roundup on the six members of the Coca-Cola Racing Family.
This week: In two career starts at Daytona International Speedway, Patrick has one top-10 and one pole. In the past eight years at Daytona, Patrick ranks 28th out of 54 drivers with an average place of 21.3. She finished eighth in the season-opening Daytona 500.

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Defending race winner and fellow Ford driver comment on Lap 48 wreck

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion (INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT ON LAP 48)

Q: What is your take on what happened?

A: “It is a wreck. Wrecks happen. It takes a chain of events to get there. We had the bottom lane on two or three restarts in a row and got shuffled back a little bit. We were trying to get patient because it looked like we will get the whole race in before rain and there is no reason to drive like an animal. Apparently I am the only one that got that memo. It is one of those deals.” 

Q: The 78 did apologize; does that make it any better at all?

A: “I know he didn’t intentionally wreck me but it is just one of those things. A chain of events with the way the cars drive and the track has that really bad bump down there and we all know it. There is no reason to go down there but he still did.”

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Q: How would you describe the track conditions?

A: “I thought they were pretty good actually. I thought the track had a lot of grip and I like running this track. It is a shame we won’t do as well as we did last year.”

Q: What did you see on the replay?

A: “I got hit from behind or in the quarter panel or however it is. They had a good draft to get up to me and used it and there was nowhere to go so they went through us.”

Q: What kind of car did you have?

A: “We had a decent car. I don’t know if we would have threatened for the win but I think we could have ran fifth and had a decent day. But obviously not now.”

Q: How hard was the hit? 

A: “It was a pretty good hit but the back of these Cup cars have a lot of safety zones in them and if there is a place to take a hit like that, that is the spot. I am thankful for that.”

Q: What does this do to you in terms of points? Do you have to change how you race now?

A: “Nope. We are just going to go do our thing and we are just on a streak of bad luck. It will turn around and when it does we will be in victory lane and be alright.”

Q: Does Kurt’s (Busch) apology have an affect on how you view the incident?

A: “I am still wrecked so I don’t know. He is smarter than that. He knows better than that.”

GREG BIFFLE, No. 16 3M Ford Fusion (INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT ON LAP 48) –

Q: Do you think the rough race track caused that?

A: “No, I don’t think so. It is just a rough race track and he said things are looking dicey out there, the cars do move around a lot on this race track. That doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with that, it just makes it hard to get your car tuned in to get going. That last change there we got our car working pretty good. I was kind of having fun there for the little bit of the race that I was in. I don’t know what happened there. I don’t know what happened with the 18 earlier but we got lucky and missed that one. We weren’t fortunate enough to miss this one. I was trying to get to the bottom to miss the 2 and couldn’t get it. I was on the brakes and the nose might have been on the race track or something. I couldn’t get to the bottom to miss him.”

Q: Guys have talked about the bumps here all weekend long. Does something have to be done in your opinion?

A: “It makes it really difficult to get your car set up here. It is equal for everyone so the car bouncing and jumping all over the place down the straightaway and the corners is kind of what we have to do. It would be no different than racing on a dirt track. If they said we have to race there, we go race there. We race here, so that is what we have to do. Would it be nice to be repaved and we could get our cars set up to haul around this place? Yeah, it would be fun. It is what it is.”

Q: How devastating is it for this to happen so early in the race?

A: “I have been here before. That will knock us out of the top-10 in points but you just have to keep working hard. That is all we can do. We can’t point fingers until we go back and watch the replay and analyze exactly what happened. Reality is we should have been up further but they were wrecking up there too. I don’t know what happened yet but we will have to wait and see. I am sure someone got aggressive or made a mistake or did something to cause that. I don’t think Brad (Keselowski) lost it on his own but we will have to take a look and see.”

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After hitting debris from the car of Denny Hamlin square on his grille, No. 88 team looks ahead

Related: Results | Standings

SPARTA, Ky. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t even wait to take off his helmet. He climbed out of his No. 88 car and walked directly around to the front end of the vehicle, where he stared at a grille opening that had buckled as if it were kicked by a boot.

“I was curious, because it didn’t feel good,” Earnhardt said. “Just unfortunate bad luck there to catch that tire casing coming across the race track like that.”

Earnhardt’s hopes of winning from the pole Sunday at Kentucky Speedway were effectively ended just 38 laps into the event, which had been pushed back a day by rain. Denny Hamlin cut a tire, and the casing from the separated rubber fell right into the path of Earnhardt and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson, who were running first and second, respectively, at the time.

Johnson caught a glancing blow off the right headlight decal, and went on to lead a race-high 182 laps before spinning on a late restart and finishing ninth in the Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts. But Earnhardt hit it first, and the debris put a dent in the front grille of the No. 88 car, which was never the same afterward.

"These cars are so sensitive — you hit it in one spot, it doesn’t matter. Where it hit ours was not good."

— Steve Letarte

“I’m guessing the first one to hit it probably took the brunt of the blow,” said Earnhardt’s crew chief, Steve Letarte. “It looks like it hit them right in the headlight. It hit ours right in the lower grille. These cars are so sensitive — you hit it in one spot, it doesn’t matter. Where it hit ours was not good.”

That much was evident by the exchange over team radio, particularly in light of the fact that the No. 88 had suffered engine failures in two of the previous five races.

“Awesome,” Earnhardt said sarcastically. “Yeah, I agree. Spectacular,” Letarte responded. Immediately afterward Earnhardt stayed out front rather than give up track position for repairs, but had to come in eventually, and fell back to 30th when he eventually did.

“I knew it was real bad. I thought it had knocked the splitter off it. Those casings weigh maybe about 80 pounds, and we hit it wide open. … When I’m in the corner loaded up, I can’t drive it left to right,” said Earnhardt, who rebounded to finish 12th, and actually improved one spot to sixth in Sprint Cup Series points.

“It knocked all the grille out of it and punched a bunch of holes in the nose. We patched it up pretty good. The splitter was bent, and … it just took all day to figure out what all was wrong. A bunch of little stuff. It was feeling really good at the end.”

Although Earnhardt also finished 12th last weekend on the road course at Sonoma, Calif., Kentucky marked the second consecutive oval-track race in which he wasn’t able to reap the benefits of having one of the best cars in the field. Two weeks ago at Michigan, he led 34 laps before an engine failure — again, while he was in the lead — knocked him out 69 laps short of the finish. Sunday he started from the pole and led 10 circuits, but everything changed once the loose rubber thwacked the front end of his car.

“I’m not a big believer in racing luck, but when a tire rolls out in front of you and you’re the leader, I don’t know what else to call it,” Letarte said. “It’s just disappointment. Disappointment for the guys. They worked real hard, they built a great car. Everybody in the whole building, they built two great race cars, us and the 48 (of Johnson). To qualify where we did, and see how fast the 48 was, was pretty disappointing, because we were pretty close to them, and I thought we probably would have run close to them.”

Ultimately, Johnson didn’t finish much better. While Earnhardt was clearly disappointed with the finish, he was also pleased to have another solid car. “It’s good to be fast. I’m happy about that. We can’t do nothing about what’s happened to us, we’ve just got to keep working. Can’t get down about it,” he said.

“I’m disappointed in the luck, but you can’t let that take away from how well the cars have been running. Inside the team, we’ve got to go, ‘Hey man, we’re doing everything right. Stay the course. Luck will turn around and things will add up and we’re going to finish well.’ You start getting angry and start pulling levers and trying to change stuff, we don’t need to. We’ve got fast cars. You can’t make luck like that good or bad. It’s going to happen to you sometime.”

Sunday, that bad luck left Letarte shaking his head and showing a wry smile.

“I’ve seen it all. We’ve hit concrete with Jeff Gordon at Martinsville, sealer with Jeff Gordon at Charlotte, and now a tire with Dale Jr. at Kentucky,” said the crew chief, who once oversaw Gordon’s No. 24 team. “Nothing really surprises me anymore.”

See video of the tire incident below:

 

 

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No. 11 driver falls further out of Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup contention

SPARTA, KY. — Denny Hamlin didn’t have to get checked out at the infield medical center after crashing Sunday at Kentucky Speedway, but the Joe Gibbs Racing driver decided to visit the facility anyway.

Hamlin suffered a pair of tire failures in the rain-delayed event, the second one coming when he was running in the top 10, and sending him hard into the outside wall. Hamlin said he had his “bell rung” by the right-side hit, but that his back — which suffered a broken bone after another accident earlier in the season — felt fine after the impact.

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“I had to take a moment when I got out of the car to kind of gather my thoughts, because I didn’t feel all that great,” he said. “The medical staff came and checked me out, and we decided to come here and check everything out, and everybody did the procedures you’re supposed to do. Really as a driver, it’s up to you. When you drive your car back, it’s up to you to make the right decision to get checked out or not. Obviously I believe in the NASCAR medical staff, so this what we do.”

Because Hamlin drove his crumpled No. 11 car back to the garage area, he wasn’t obligated to visit the care center. Hamlin missed four full races after suffering a fractured back vertebra in a crash also involving Joey Logano on the final lap of the March 24 event at Auto Club Speedway.

Hamlin said he banged his knee against the steering column and suffered a headache in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s incident, but felt better after leaving the care center. He added that the hit was similar to the right-side impact he withstood during a test day at Kansas Speedway prior to the race weekend there last fall. He reported feeling dizzy following that wreck, and was advised to sit out an hour and get reevaluated. He was cleared to return to competition afterward.

“We’re carrying a lot of speed off (Turn) 4,” said Hamlin, who also had a tire go down early in Sunday’s race. “For me it didn’t go down slowly like the tire did the first time. This one just blew out solid and went down quick. Obviously when I lost steering, it hit flat. I’d rather hit head-on just about anywhere than flat against one of these walls.”

Hamlin said his back was fine. “That was the least of the concerns after this,” he said.

In worse shape were his long-shot odds of making the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, which get bleaker with every passing week. Hamlin entered Sunday 25th in points, needing to get inside the top 20 and earn likely more than one race victory to put himself in Wild Card contention. A lone solace was that Hamlin rebounded from Sunday’s first tire issue to get back into the top 10.

“I felt pretty good about the way we were running today,” Hamlin said. “With the right track position, you could run with just about anybody except for maybe the 48 (of Jimmie Johnson). We’re just going to try to win races. That’s what my deal for the rest of the year is, to just try to win and do the best I can for my sponsors and my team. Really the big thing I was pushing for was to get my team into the chase. … this is obviously another hit.”

Team owner Joe Gibbs visited Hamlin in the infield care center — although he was initially stopped by a security guard — and said plans remained in place for the driver to test Monday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“I didn’t realize he hit that hard,” Gibbs said after JGR driver Matt Kenseth won the race. “And so when I got back there, he had the basic, his complaints were, he said, ‘Man, I’ve got a headache, like you wouldn’t believe.’ And he banged his knee on the inside. Then we went to the care center, and right away, he said, ‘I started feeling better and better and better.’ So they feel good about it. Tomorrow we are going to test at Indy. They called the doctor over there, he’s going to take a look at him before he gets in the car, but I think we are in good shape there.”

Gibbs said he also didn’t see any reason to pull Hamlin from the car over health concerns should his Chase chances disappear. Hamlin has made the playoff in every full-time season on which he’s competed on the circuit.

“I don’t see any reason,” Gibbs said. “I think Denny wants to stay after it and we have a chance to get some wins for FedEx. And who knows what’s going to happen. We could get hot. I know he’ll be the favorite at several of these race tracks we have down the stretch over these next nine weeks. Who knows,maybe (there’s) a miracle in there. And you can’t have a great comeback unless you’re behind, so we’ll just go after it and do the best we can. I think Denny feels that way, too. He was fired up for today. I felt like he was going to get after it today. So he’s got a good attitude, and we’ll keep swinging.”

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Kurt Busch triggers wreck with the No. 2 that also involves Biffle, Kvapil and Blaney

Related: Keselowski, Biffle Q&A following wreck

SPARTA, Ky. — Brad Keselowski’s chances of defending his Sprint Cup Series championship took a big hit — figuratively and literally — Sunday afternoon on the same track that jump-started his title run a season ago.

Keselowski slammed the outside wall hard on Lap 48, the climax of a multi-car accident at Kentucky Speedway that temporarily red-flagged an event already pushed back a day by rain. Kurt Busch moved up the track in Turn 1 and inadvertently turned the defending champion, who collected several others — including Greg Biffle — behind him.

The accident knocked Keselowski out of an event he won a year ago. Then, he used the victory to spark a run of top-10s that cemented him as a title contender. Now, he’s mired in a stretch in which he’s managed only a single top-10 finish in his past nine starts.

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“Just a wreck,” Keselowski said. “Wrecks happen, but it takes a chain of events to get there. We had the bottom lane on about two or three restarts in a row and kept getting shuffled back. Just trying to be patient, because it looks like we’re going to be able to get the whole race in with the rain. There was no reason to drive like an animal. I’m the only one who got that memo. But just one of them deals.”

Paul Menard, Dave Blaney and Travis Kvapil also sustained damage in the accident, as did Biffle, who won two weeks ago at Michigan. “I just had nowhere to go,” he said. “Couldn’t get it turned down to miss him.” The wreck snapped a streak of three straight top-10 finishes that had lifted the Roush Fenway driver to sixth in the standings.

“I’ve been here before,” he said. “That will knock us out of the top 10 in points. Just work hard, that’s all we can do. Can’t point fingers until we can go back and see the replay and analyze what happened. Reality is, we should have been up further. But they were wrecking up there, too.”

Busch took the blame for accidentally nudging Keselowski up the track and sparking the accident. “The track just threw me right back into him,” he told his No. 78 team over the radio. “It was all my fault.” The race was stopped under a red flag for more than 18 minutes to clean up debris.

“I know he didn’t intentionally wreck me,” Keselowski said. “Just one of those things, a chain of events, and with the way these cars drive, and the track’s got that a really bad bump down there. We all know that, so there’s no reason to go down there, but (he) still did.”

The wreck comes at a perilous time for Keselowski, who entered the day ninth in the standings, and nine points out of 11th place. The Penske Racing driver also has yet to record a race victory that would improve his chances of earning a Wild Card berth to the Chase for the Sprint Cup, should he need to fall back on it.

“Were just going to go do our thing,” he said. “We’re just on that little streak of bad luck. It will turn around, and when it does, we’ll be back in Victory Lane and be all right.”

Keselowski’s team repaired his No. 2 car and the reigning series got back in the race, finishing 33rd. But it was still a costly day for him in points — he dropped four places in the standings to 13th, and is fourth in the Wild Card standings due to his lack of a victory. Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart maintain the top two positions in that table by virtue of their race wins earlier this year.

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Kenseth becomes first driver to four victories this season

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SPARTA, Ky. — About the only thing that could cast a cloud over Matt Kenseth’s fourth victory of the season was the hard hit Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin suffered in Sunday’s Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway, a race postponed from Saturday because of rain.
 
But Hamlin recovered quickly, and Kenseth had cause to celebrate after the driver of the No. 20 Toyota took advantage of a spin by the race’s dominant car — Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet — after a restart on Lap 247 of 267.
 
Kenseth, who got the lead by taking no tires during a pit stop on Lap 242, collected the 28th victory of his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career.

On Sunday, intermittent clouds and sunshine replaced the persistent rain that had forced postponement of the 17th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the season from Saturday night to noon the next day — and radically changed the handling characteristics of cars that had been set up for a night race and impounded since qualifying on Friday.
 
But it didn’t prevent crew chief Jason Ratcliff’s call to forego tires on the last pit stop from succeeding. Kenseth conceded afterward that it was the percentage play.
 
"I thought in my head we had about a five percent chance of winning, if something didn’t happen to the 48," Kenseth said. "But, if we would have got two tires and came out behind the 48, unless he broke, I thought we had almost a zero percent chance of winning."

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"When you look at it like that, it was a great call.  Circumstances helped a little bit to have the quick restarts, everybody’s got their rights (right-side tires), and then we had another caution (for Johnson’s spin), and that gave us some time to cool our tires back down and definitely got rolling faster in that second restart.
 
"So I mean, obviously you look back right now, it’s a great call. It was the only one that gave us a chance to win the race."
 
Runner-up Jamie McMurray was closing on Kenseth in the final laps but ran out of time. Clint Bowyer ran third, followed by Joey Logano and Kyle Busch. Johnson, the series leader, rallied to finish ninth and extended his standings lead to 38 points over Carl Edwards.
 
It was Johnson who appeared to have the race under control until Brian Vickers blew a tire and slammed the outside wall on Lap 241. Johnson took two fresh tires under the ninth yellow of the race but lost the lead to Kenseth who didn’t change tires on pit road.
 
Johnson felt that, on the subsequent restart, Kenseth slowed and failed to maintain pace car speed approaching the restart zone. After the cars crossed the start/finish line, Johnson was fighting for the second spot in a four-wide battle with Joey Logano to his inside and lost control when the proximity of other cars took the air off his spoiler and sucked him around.
 
"We were kind of in an awkward situation in that restart there," Johnson told reporters after the race. "And then we were like three- and four-wide going in the corner, then something happened with the air and just kind of turned me around.
 
"Unfortunate, but at least we rallied back for a good finish. The No. 20 (Kenseth) broke the pace car speed, which you aren’t supposed to, but they aren’t calling guys on that, so I need to start trying that in the future."
 
Kenseth said he first heard of Johnson’s assertion in Victory Lane.
 
"I had no idea what had happened to him or what I possibly could have done to upset him," Kenseth said. "When we got ready for the restart, we were on the top (outside lane), and we were the leader, so anywhere in that (restart) box we can start the race.
"When the pace car peeled off, I felt like I went the same pace. I didn’t check my tach when the pace car went off, to see if we were going the same pace, but I think you can look at the data to see I didn’t slow down . . . When I got to the box, I went. I certainly didn’t feel like I did anything wrong from where I was. But if you’re dominating all day, and then you have a problem at the end, I imagine it’s frustrating. I’ve been there, too."
 
Not as frustrated, perhaps, as Hamlin, who blew a right front tire for the second time in the race on Lap 147 and rocketed into the outside wall near the exit of Turn 4. The impact recalled the wreck in late March that had caused a compression fracture of Hamlin’s first lumbar vertebra and forced him to the sidelines for four Cup races.
 
Hamlin was banged up inside the car — a similar impact to the one he sustained during a crash in practice last year at Kansas — but he indicated his back was unaffected by the crash.
 
"My back feels good — really good, I’d say," Hamlin asserted after leaving the care center. "It feels the same as it did this morning. Really, that was the least of the concerns after this hit."
 
Chase contenders, however, had plenty of concerns, almost from the outset.
 
One circuit after a restart on Lap 47, Kurt Busch knocked the No. 2 Ford of reigning Cup champion and defending race winner Brad Keselowski across the track and into harm’s way. Busch turned his No. 78 Chevrolet down to the apron near the start/finish line, hit a large bump in the asphalt and shot back up the track into Keselowski’s car.
 
As the Blue Deuce slid across the track, Greg Biffle slammed into the Penske Ford and came to a stop as flames erupted under the hood. Others involved in the seven-car pileup included Paul Menard, Dave Blaney, Travis Kvapil and Landon Cassill.
 
"The track just threw me right back into him," Busch radioed after the wreck. "It was all my fault."
 
Keselowski agreed the contact was unintentional but questioned Busch’s judgment in running on the apron in the first place.
 
"I know he didn’t intentionally wreck me, but it’s just one of those things," Keselowski said after exiting the infield care center. "A chain of events with the way the cars drive, and the track has that really bad bump down there, and we all know it. There’s no reason to go down there, but he still did. …
 
"We were trying to get patient, because it looks like we’ll get the whole race in before rain, and there’s no reason to drive like an animal. Apparently, I’m the only one that got that memo."
 
If the Keselowski crash was violent, the incident that preceded it was simply bizarre. After a restart on Lap 36 — following a competition caution called on Lap 31 — Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota sailed toward the outside wall with a right front tire down.
 
Hamlin steadied the car and steered it to an access road inside the oval. As he rolled toward pit road, the carcass of his flat tire broke free and rolled onto the racing surface, right into the path of polesitter Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has leading the race.
 
After bouncing off the nose of Earnhardt’s car, the tire casing clipped the right front corner of the No. 48 Chevrolet of Johnson, who was running second at the time. Though Johnson’s car survived without significant consequences, the impact with the tire damaged the nose of Earnhardt’s car and bent the front splitter out of position.
 
Crew chief Steve Letarte and the No. 88 team spent the rest of the race trying to deal with the damage and salvaged a 12th-place finish. 

 

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Moments that changed the course of the race in the Bluegrass State

On the final pit-stop sequence of the Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts at Kentucky Speedway, only one driver in the lead pack took no tires, and that driver went on to win.

UPS

NO TIRES WINS FOR KENSETH

Matt Kenseth had cause to celebrate his fourth victory of the season after the driver of the No. 20 Toyota took advantage of a spin by the race’s dominant car — Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet — after a restart on Lap 247 of 267.

Kenseth, who got the lead by taking no tires during a pit stop on Lap 242, collected the 28th victory of his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career.

TIRE CARCASS COSTLY FOR EARNHARDT

After a restart on Lap 36 — following a competition caution called on Lap 31 — Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota sailed toward the outside wall with a right front tire down.

Hamlin steadied the car and steered it to an access road inside the oval. As he rolled toward pit road, the carcass of his flat tire broke free and rolled onto the racing surface, right into the path of polesitter Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was leading the race.

After bouncing off the nose of Earnhardt’s car, the tire casing clipped the right front corner of the No. 48 Chevrolet of Johnson, who was running second at the time. Though Johnson’s car survived without significant consequences, the impact with the tire damaged the nose of Earnhardt’s car and bent the front splitter out of position.

Crew chief Steve Letarte and the No. 88 team spent the rest of the race trying to deal with the damage and salvaged a 12th-place finish.

EARLY CRASH TAKES OUT KESELOWSKI

One circuit after a restart on Lap 47, Kurt Busch knocked the No. 2 Ford of reigning Cup champion and defending race winner Brad Keselowski across the track and into harm’s way. Busch turned his No. 78 Chevrolet down to the apron near the start/finish line, hit a large bump in the asphalt and shot back up the track into Keselowski’s car.

As the Blue Deuce slid across the track, Greg Biffle slammed into the Penske Ford and came to a stop as flames erupted under the hood. Other victims of the seven-car pileup included Paul Menard, Dave Blaney, Travis Kvapil and Landon Cassill.

“The track just threw me right back into him,” Busch radioed after the wreck. “It was all my fault.”

Keselowski agreed the contact was unintentional but questioned Busch’s judgment in running on the apron in the first place.

“I know he didn’t intentionally wreck me, but it’s just one of those things,” Keselowski said after exiting the infield care center. "A chain of events with the way the cars drive, and the track has that really bad bump down there, and we all know it. There’s no reason to go down there, but he still did …

“We were trying to get patient, because it looks like we’ll get the whole race in before rain, and there’s no reason to drive like an animal. Apparently, I’m the only one that got that memo.”

NASCAR Wire Service contributed to this report.

Posted on by Nascar

Restart hinders the No. 48’s Victory Lane effort for second time this season

Related: Results | Standings

SPARTA, Ky. — Jimmie Johnson did everything but win Sunday’s Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts at Kentucky Speedway.
 
The five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion led the majority of the laps (182 of 267) and his crew was practically flawless on pit road.
 
Even running over debris, which slightly damaged the front of his blue and white Chevrolet, failed to slow him down.
 
But his day took a turn for the worse, literally, in the closing laps, and Johnson found himself trying to regain lost ground before the checkered flag appeared.
 
That he was able to rally from 25th to ninth in the final 20 laps was testament to his car’s speed and Johnson’s resolve.
 
Which likely didn’t ease the sting of a missed opportunity.
 
Out front when he led the field onto pit road following a crash by Brian Vickers, Johnson found himself second on the ensuing restart, the result of a no-tire call by eventual race winner Matt Kenseth.
 
With Joey Logano in his rear-view and the field stacking up heading into Turn 1, Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports entry suddenly broke loose.
 
Although there was no damage, a quick trip to the pits put him deep in the field for the final restart.
 
“We were kind of in an awkward situation in that restart there,” Johnson said. “And then we were like three- and four-wide going in the corner, then something happened with the air and just kind of turned me around.”

"Once he started spinning I started checking up to not finish him off and give him a shot to save it. It happens. That is racing."

— Joey Logano

It was “unfortunate,” he said, “but at least we rallied back for a good finish.”
 
Logano, who wound up fourth, said he didn’t think there was contact between his Penske Racing Ford and the Chevrolet of Johnson.
 
“I don’t think I ever touched him,” Logano said. “I went down there three-wide and am 95 percent sure I never touched him. It was an unfortunate deal.
 
“Once he started spinning I started checking up to not finish him off and give him a shot to save it. It happens. That is racing.”
 
Johnson said he felt Kenseth “broke the pace car speed” and caused the initial logjam heading into the turn.
 
“But they aren’t calling guys on that,” Johnson said, “so I need to start trying that in the future.”
 
Kenseth, who led twice for 38 laps, said he didn’t feel he did anything wrong or out of the ordinary on the restart.
 
“I have no idea what happened to him or what I possibly could have done to upset him,” Kenseth said afterward. “When I got ready for the restart, we were up on top and we were the leader, so it’s anywhere in that (restart) box we can start the race.”
 
When the pace car pulled off, “I didn’t check my (tachometer) to see if we were exactly the same pace, but I think you can look through data and see I didn’t slow down,” Kenseth said.
 
It wasn’t the first time Johnson had voiced issues with restarts this season. In the closing laps at Dover, where he was also strong and in position for a win late in the race, Johnson was black-flagged for jumping the restart.
 
And he was nearly turned by teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. during a restart at Michigan earlier this month.
 
Sunday, Earnhardt and Johnson were running 1-2 at Kentucky when the casing off a tire on Denny Hamlin’s car rolled across the track in front of the leaders. Both Earnhardt and Johnson ran over the debris, with Earnhardt’s car suffering the more severe damage.
 
The ninth-place finish enabled Johnson to extend his points lead over second-place Carl Edwards to 38 points.
 
But the opportunity to score a fourth win, and three more bonus points toward this year’s Chase For the Sprint Cup, was lost.

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Relive the action from Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Kentucky

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Posted on by Brad Norman

Keselowski tumbles in standings; teammate Logano is big winner

Related: Results | Standings

Three up

                  
     

 

Three down

In the green

Joey Logano (Change: 14th to 10th)
There’s a Penske Racing driver slotted in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field, but it’s not the defending champion. Joey Logano’s streak of strong finishes reached six consecutive races Sunday in Kentucky. A fourth-place finish vaulted Logano into the final Chase spot … for now.

Kurt Busch (Change: 17th to 14th)
The No. 78 Chevrolet was all over the track Sunday. That includes the apron, where Kurt Busch tried to make a pass and ultimately bumped Brad Keselowski, causing a seven-car accident that red-flagged the race. In the end, though, the 2004 series champion drove through the field after a final restart and finished sixth.

Jamie McMurray (Change: 21st to 19th)
McMurray finished second at Kentucky, his first top-five since the 2011 fall race at Bristol. Snapping that skid was important, and so was climbing two spots in the standings. Now in 19th, McMurray would be in consideration for one of two Wild Card spots to the Chase. Of course, he still needs to win, but his performance at Kentucky showed that winning isn’t an unreasonable expectation.

In the red

Brad Keselowski (Change: Ninth to 13th)
At one of his favorite tracks and running the tripleheader, this was supposed to be a banner weekend for Keselowski. After finishing second in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series race, Keselowski had the car — and the mindset — capable of winning his first Sprint Cup race of the season. He was spun out by Kurt Busch, however, on Lap 48 and destroyed his No. 2 Ford. The resulting 33rd-place finish puts the defending champion on the outside of the postseason picture.

Greg Biffle (Change: Sixth to ninth)
Biffle was an innocent bystander when Keselowski was spun, but when the No. 2 Ford careened onto the track, Biffle’s No. 16 Ford got caught up in a big way. To be exact, his car caught on fire. The three-place drop in the standings isn’t quite so precipitous, though, given that Biffle has a win to fall back on.

Paul Menard (Change: 12th to 15th)
Consistent all season, Menard got caught up in the Lap 48 wreck. His 14-point effort tied for his worst outing of the season, and it puts Menard 20 points out of 10th place, a significant blow to his Chase chances.

Missed chances

Carl Edwards (Change: Stays second)
What an up-and-down day for Edwards’ team. Trailing Jimmie Johnson by 25 points in the standings entering the day, it looked like Edwards would put a sizable dent in that lead. Johnson spun out on a late restart and was 24th with 15 laps to go. Edwards was running in the top five and, at the time, Johnson’s point lead was cut to six points. But then the No. 48 charged through the field to finish ninth, and Edwards faltered late to finish 21st. As a result, the gap between him and Johnson widened to 38 points.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Change: Stays sixth)
First of all, Earnhardt and his No. 88 team should be commended. Junior drilled a piece of debris just after the caution flag came out early on, tearing up his grille. At the time, Earnhardt Jr. — who was on the Coors Light Pole — was leading the race. The team taped up Earnhardt Jr.’s grille to the point where he didn’t lose a lap, but it wasn’t the same machine after the incident. So although Earnhardt rallied to finish 12th, he missed out on a great shot at his first win since June 17, 2012.

Denny Hamlin (Change: Stays 25th)
This just isn’t Hamlin’s year. Needing wins, he cut a tire early in the race and lost his top-five position. Then he got it back with some great driving. Then he lost it all, for good this time, after losing another tire and slamming into the outside wall. He finished 35th.

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