Posted on by Holly Cain

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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Posted on by Holly Cain

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.

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“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:

Joey Logano (No. 22)

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.

Greg Biffle (No. 16)

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.

Ryan Newman (No. 39)

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.

Denny Hamlin (No. 11)

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.

Danica Patrick (No. 10)

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.

Tony Stewart (No. 14)

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.

Posted on by Staff Report

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.

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"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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Busch jumps into top 10 for Furniture Row; could jump into fourth car at SHR

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Kurt Busch continued his surprising journey into Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup contention Sunday, using a third-place finish in the Pure Michigan 400 to break into the top 10 in points and put his Furniture Row Racing team in the playoff picture. Whether he will still be with Furniture Row next season remains to be seen, however.

Media reports surfaced Sunday night that Stewart-Haas Racing made a formal offer to Busch for the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, seeking to add him as a fourth car on a team that will also include Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Danica Patrick. Ryan Newman, who is driving for SHR this season, was not asked to return for 2014.
 
Busch, the first driver to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title under the 10-race format when it debuted in 2004, was pleased enough with his result at Michigan. But he carefully avoided looking too far down the road. Three races remain before the 12-team field is locked in, and much can come undone between Bristol, Atlanta and Richmond.

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"Well, it’s being focused," he said. "I’m excited that we’re running well. We’re able to seal the deal, when that’s been some of our struggles through the midpoint of the season."
 
Ninth in points, Busch hasn’t scored a victory since October of 2011. A slip before Richmond (scheduled for Sept. 7) could easily find him back outside the top 10. And with the two Wild Card spots (for positions 11-20) determined by total wins and then points position, being winless isn’t a safe bet.
 
"You can’t celebrate with a third-place finish," he said. "You just have to feel confident and … know that you can go back next week and do it again.
 
"The biggest thing is just staying out of trouble. Bristol, trouble can happen at any corner. There’s going to be 500 laps that we have to perform there … where we have to protect our car and still finish well."
 
And consistency has been the problem for the Denver-based team this season. Sunday’s result was the sixth top-five finish for the group, which is more than some Chase contenders, but fewer than others. In those races in which Busch hasn’t finished well, he’s often finished well back. Seven times he has been 20th or worse.
 
It appeared that might be the case at Michigan as well, as Busch found himself forced to overcome poor track position on more than one occasion. The first was the result of a dropped lug nut during green-flag stops early in the race, a miscue that took him from the front and deposited him outside the top 10.
 
The second came much later, when Busch pitted and took four tires on Lap 158. With several others opting for two tires, the result was a loss of eight spots — from sixth to 14th.
 
Adding to the concern was the fact that most of those ahead of him at the time were those he needed to gain on in points.
 
"I was a little frustrated at that point," he admitted, "knowing we had a much better car. But our weaknesses were restarts today, trying to maneuver in traffic.
 
"But lo and behold, (I) got fired up, sometimes I get lucky, an opening opened up on the outside. I think I came on that restart from 14th to sixth. It was a game‑changer. That one moment was our race."
 
He may not be excited, but he admitted having the opportunity to contend for a spot in the Chase is "tremendous."
 
"It’s an amazing feeling to be in position right now, have a group of guys from Denver … in the Chase right now," he said. "That’s what we have to do, make sure when the door closes, (when) the music stops, that we got a place."

 

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Watch Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s live news conference, 1:30 p.m. ET.

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Penske driver riding hot streak after first win of season

When Joey Logano won the Coors Light Pole in a record speed of 203.695 mph at Michigan International Speedway, the first thought that might have run through fantasy owners’ minds was to stay away from him in fear of a poor score in place differential. When you’re at the top, sometimes there’s only one place to go, and that’s down, which would have meant a big loss in fantasy points.

But Logano managed to come through with a victory in the Pure Michigan 400 that delighted fantasy owners that didn’t shy away from the No. 22. In fact, Logano was the top-scoring driver in the NASCAR Fantasy Live game, pleasing a slight uptick in ownership after winning the pole. (His price increased by $0.25 due to more demand.)

Even with the increase, Logano was still priced at a manageable $22.25 and provided plenty of bang for the buck. Logano tallied 95.5 fantasy points, edging Kevin Harvick, who scored 93. Kurt Busch was third with 91 points, followed by Michigan favorite Greg Biffle with 90 and the red-hot Kasey Kahne with 86.

For a Penske-driven Ford to do well at Michigan was not a big surprise, but it still marked Logano’s first win of the season and only the third win of his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career. So even if you pegged Logano for a good showing, the amount of the payoff was still bigger than expected.

Now the question is whether Logano can continue to provide good value for the remainder of the races leading up to the Chase for NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Looking back, Logano’s win at Michigan was his fourth straight top-10 finish. And it was his 10th top-10 finish in the past 13 races. But Logano also had back-to-back 40th-place finishes at Daytona and New Hampshire that could have shaken the nerves of even the most confident fantasy owners.

Looking ahead, NASCAR Statistical Service’s Loop Data shows us that in the past eight seasons at Bristol Motor Speedway Logano ranks 22nd in driver rating. His average finish there has been 21.6, and in the spring he was 17th after a dust-up with Denny Hamlin.

So at least for the immediate future, it could be time to cash in your winnings with Logano and move to another mid-priced driver. Might we suggest Kurt Busch? His historical data is better at Bristol, and as you’ll see by reading on, the price is right, too.

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Key Fantasy Moment: When Jimmie Johnson felt a couple of cylinders drop in his engine early in the race, fantasy owners’ hearts dropped as well. Although Johnson has never won at Michigan International Speedway, many owners stuck with him even though he was starting from the back after a crash in final practice that forced him to go with a backup car. But for the poor souls who were looking for another big day from Johnson, it wasn’t meant to be at a track that continues to be the No. 48’s bugaboo. Johnson had a league-worst minus-23.5 fantasy points on the day. 

Best Value: On a point-per-dollar basis, Logano was a better value than Kurt Busch, but since we already talked about Logano in this column, pairing him with the No. 78 was an ideal situation. Both drivers were moderately priced at $22.50 for Busch and $22.25 for Logano and paid off handsomely with 93 and 95.5 fantasy points, respectively. Busch was no sure thing after finishing 35th at Michigan in June, but his third-place finish extended his run to six top-10s in the eight races since the first trip through Michigan. Kudos to fantasy owners who hopped aboard with Furniture Row Racing driver for this one.

Biggest Bust: Besides Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the biggest name closest to the bottom of the fantasy standings on Sunday. Junior tallied just 4.5 fantasy points and came in 37th among 43 drivers. That was a hard pill to swallow given that he cost fantasy owners $26.25 to have on their teams. It was doubly difficult given that Junior has done well at Michigan and was running up front when he got a flat tire and smacked the wall in Turn 2 on Lap 135. He finished 36th after leading 20 laps earlier in the race. 

Tip to take forward: The Sprint Cup Series switches from the two-mile track at Michigan to the close quarters of the 0.53-mile coliseum at Bristol. That means it’s time to bone up on the short-track bargains and busts for your fantasy team. Funny thing is, with the way Michigan played, it was almost as unpredictable as some of the situations that come to pass at Bristol. Kasey Kahne won the spring race in Bristol, but we’ll see how it goes the second time around. Kyle Busch comes in with the highest driver rating (103.0) at the track, according to NASCAR Statistical Service’s Loop Data. Logano’s rating of 75.1 over that same span ranks him 22nd.

 

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