Hamlin in a hurry, seals second straight pole

Posted on May 31, 2013 by

Joe Gibbs Racing driver leads Toyota sweep in qualifying

Related: FedEx 400 qualifying results

DOVER, Del. — A broken back hasn’t slowed Denny Hamlin down, as his competitors in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series learned once again during Friday’s qualifying session for Sunday’s FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway.

Sidelined for five weeks after suffering a compression fracture of his first lumbar vertebra in a last-lap crash at Fontana, Calif., in late March, Hamlin won his second straight pole of the season, his second straight at Dover and the 15th of his career.

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Hamlin claimed the Coors Light Pole Award with a lap at 157.978 mph (22.788 seconds) at the one-mile concrete track that had given him fits until he qualified first and finished eighth in last September’s Chase race at the Monster Mile.

When Hamlin climbed from his car after the run, he indicated he would be happy with a starting spot in the top 10, but his time stood up to all challengers.

"I thought that all the strong cars were later in the field," explained Hamlin, who was the 19th of 43 drivers to attempt qualifying. "Especially the last two (Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch) were very strong. When I ran the lap, I wasn’t in love with it. Fundamentally, I didn’t do that great of a job, but I knew the track conditions were really bad.

"We were sixth in practice, and we were only a tenth (of a second) off of what we ran in practice (in cooler conditions). In the back of my mind, I’m preparing for the worst, hoping for the best."

Martin Truex Jr. (157.798 mph) qualified second, followed by Busch (157.756 mph), Matt Kenseth (157.736 mph) and Ryan Newman (157.715 mph).

Mark Martin, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Jamie McMurray nailed down starting positions six through 10, respectively.

Kenseth, a three-time winner in the series year and Hamlin’s teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, joked that the driver of the No. 11 Toyota was making things tough on his fellow drivers since his return.

"I don’t know why Denny has to come back and show off all the time right away," quipped Kenseth, who felt he got everything he could out of his car on the qualifying lap.

In a season where track records have fallen on a regular basis with NASCAR’s new Gen-6 car, no driver in Friday’s time trials came close to Jeremy Mayfield’s 2004 mark of 161.522 mph. That was no surprise, given the hot, slick conditions that confronted the field during qualifying.

But Joe Gibbs Racing, the pre-eminent organization in Cup racing with five victories so far this year, owned three of the top four starting spots, as Toyota drivers swept the top four positions on the grid for Sunday’s race.

Seven-time Dover winner and Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson got sideways off Turn 4 on his money lap and qualified 24th at 155.206 mph. Johnson needs a victory on Sunday to break a tie with Richard Petty and Bobby Allison for most career wins at the Monster Mile.

READ MORE:

READ: Harvick’s late charge
leads to 600 win

READ: Post-Coca-Cola 600
Driver Reports

READ: Kenseth, Johnson hopes
wrecked in 600

READ: Pit crew key as
Hamlin claws back

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Posted on May 31, 2013 by Holly Cain

Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders sort out Coca-Cola 600 accident on way home from track

DOVER, Del. — You bet. Danica Patrick readily admits she was miffed at her boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse Jr. after the two of them –- along with reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champ Brad Keselowski –- crashed late in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.

But after a ride home with Stenhouse that included many “silent moments,” Patrick insists everything was fine. They had beers together later that night and spent the next day relaxing on the lake.

"We’re just very honest and keep things simple. We didn’t even talk about what we were going to say. The only thing to know is we are honest about the things that happened, and it was just a racing incident."

—Danica Patrick on relationship with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Patrick was still good-naturedly answering questions about the incident Friday at Dover, Del. and wasn’t a bit surprised about all the interest the story has generated.

“Of course, there’s a little bit of a human interest story there with having Ricky and I being involved in that accident and being in the same general vicinity,’’ Patrick told reporters prior to opening Cup practice at Dover International Speedway. “I understand that, but at the same time, he was part of the three-wide that made the accident so it’s legitimately something that should be asked.

“We’re just very honest and keep things simple. We didn’t even talk about what we were going to say. The only thing to know is we are honest about the things that happened, and it was just a racing incident.

“We’re going to give our perspective on what happened. I understand it’s interesting. I’m sure I’d want to know how that all went down after the race too. We’re an entertainment sport.”

“I was definitely upset and angry about the situation. I was a little bit upset with him and we talked about it. It’s absolutely fine now, and we were fine by the end of the ride home. That’s what happens out there. Tensions are high and so are emotions.’’

Those emotions extended to Patrick’s team owner Tony Stewart, who criticized Stenhouse on SIRIUS XM Radio after Sunday’s race saying that although Stenhouse is “like family” he would “choke (him) right now if I could get to him” for some of his recent racing moves.

Despite the fact Keselowski immediately shouldered the bulk of the blame for the Charlotte accident — he said he didn’t realize they were three-wide –- Stewart and Patrick questioned Stenhouse’s hard racing at the time. He was two laps down, and Patrick was contending to become beneficiary of the free pass that would have put her back on the lead lap as the race wound down.

A week later, Patrick chalks it up to hard racing and different agendas.

And, she reminded, Stewart and Stenhouse are actually good friends.

“Don’t you want to choke your kids every now and then?’’ Patrick joked about Stewart’s word choice. “That’s between them, and I know they had a conversation about it Sunday night. He (Stewart) loves him (Stenhouse) like a son. You’d never hurt your son; you’d only help your son.’’

Stewart didn’t just single out Stenhouse. He also suggested on the radio that maybe all the rookies and several young racers could use a reminder on racing etiquette.

“If Tony’s hard on rookies, I just thank the good Lord above I’m on his team,’’ Patrick said laughing.

“What I’d say about Tony is he wants to help teach the rookies. … the rookies he respects and feel like they should get that time of day. If he didn’t think they were good, he wouldn’t try to help them because they won’t be around for long in his opinion.

“He wants them to learn to play the game the way he’s learned to play the game, and he’s been around a long time and has been very successful. It’s actually a good thing that he wants to help and will speak up because, at the end of the day, we don’t see each other every two weeks; we see each other every five days and you need to take care of those relationships or they can bite you.’’

As far as Patrick is concerned, Charlotte was a good lesson in many regards. Since she and Stenhouse went public with their romance in the preseason, she had been expecting increased scrutiny during this first-of-its-kind Sunoco Rookie of the Year battle.

“These are racing things, you know,’’ Patrick said. “We find ourselves frustrated with other drivers all the time along the way. There are lots of them. It’s just one of those things that we had to deal with, but we knew that and we’re better for it.’’

READ MORE:

READ: Harvick’s late charge
leads to 600 win

READ: Post-Coca-Cola 600
Driver Reports

READ: Kenseth, Johnson hopes
wrecked in 600

READ: Pit crew key as
Hamlin claws back

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Posted on May 31, 2013 by Holly Cain

Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch continue to battle with second- and third-fastest speeds

DOVER, Del. — Jimmie Johnson led Sprint Cup Series opening practice at Dover International Speedway on Friday setting the tone for what could be a historic weekend for him.

Johnson’s No. 48 Lowe’s/Monster University Chevy set fast time at the Monster Mile with a quick lap of 159.603 mph. His Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne was second fastest in the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevy at 159.447 mph.

The Busch brothers, Kyle (Toyota) and Kurt (Chevy) were next fastest with Chevrolet’s Jamie McMurray rounding out the top-five.

Johnson sat atop the speed chart the entire practice, boding well for his race day efforts. A victory in Sunday’s FedEx 400 Benefitting Autism Speaks would make him the all-time winningest driver in the storied history of the track, breaking a tie at seven wins he currently shares with NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Bobby Allison.

Last week’s winner Kevin Harvick was 19th fastest in practice. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 16th and Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Danica Patrick and Tony Stewart were 32nd and 36th quickest with Ryan Newman again leading the SHR efforts with the ninth best lap in practice.

There were no incidents in the hour and a half session that saw temperatures nearing 90 degrees — a morning so hot that crews were putting 5-pound ice bags on the wheels to cool them down.

Qualifying is scheduled for 3:15 ET on SPEED. The race will air Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX.

READ MORE:

READ: Harvick’s late charge
leads to 600 win

READ: Post-Coca-Cola 600
Driver Reports

READ: Kenseth, Johnson hopes
wrecked in 600

READ: Pit crew key as
Hamlin claws back

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Posted on May 31, 2013 by Staff Report

21 Means 21 Pole Award winner Darrell Wallace Jr. gets the first pit pick

After winning his third pole in as many series at Dover International Speedway, Darrell Wallace Jr. earned the first pick of pit stall for Friday’s Lucas Oil 200 at the Monster Mile at 5 p.m. ET on SPEED, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

The 19-year-old previously had poles in the K&N Pro Series East — along with a win in that series — and the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The former NASCAR Drive for Diversity driver seeks his first national series win, driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

Wallace became the youngest driver to win a Keystone 21 Means 21 Pole Award.

Fellow front-row starter Chase Elliott chose the sixth pit stall, behind the first opening on pit road.

Jeb Burton, who starts third, chose the 10th pit stall next to the second opening on pit road.

READ MORE:

READ: Harvick’s late charge
leads to 600 win

READ: Post-Coca-Cola 600
Driver Reports

READ: Kenseth, Johnson hopes
wrecked in 600

READ: Pit crew key as
Hamlin claws back

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Posted on May 31, 2013 by Staff Report

Austin Dillon rolls off last for the Coors Light Pole at the Monster Mile

Track Qualifying Record:
Driver Date Time Speed
Kyle Busch 05/15/10 22.752 158.228

#   Car   Driver   Team   Time   Speed   Time   Speed
1   00   * Blake Koch   SupportMilitary.org Toyota
2   89   * Morgan Shepherd   Shepherd Racing Ventures Chevrolet
3   70   * Tony Raines   ML Motorsports Toyota
4   37   * Matt Dibenedetto   NationalCashLenders.com Dodge
5   74   Danny Efland   Dave Novak Racing Chevrolet
6   23   Harrison Rhodes   Chick-fil-a Ford
7   79   Jeffrey Earnhardt #   Oath Keepers Ford
8   24   Jason White   JW Demolition Toyota
9   52   * Joey Gase   Donate Life Toyota
10   40   Reed Sorenson   E-Swisher.com Chevrolet
11   92   * Dexter Stacey #   Maddie’s Place Ford
12   87   Joe Nemechek   Herbal Mist Tea Toyota
13   4   Landon Cassill   Flex Seal Chevrolet
14   14   Eric McClure   Hefty/Reynolds Wrap/Best Western North East Inn Toyota
15   01   Mike Wallace   Iron Source/Meding’s Seafood Chevrolet
16   51   Jeremy Clements   RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet
17   60   Travis Pastrana   Roush Fenway Racing Ford
18   10   * Jeff Green   TriStar Motorsports/Best Western North East Inn Toyota
19   46   * JJ Yeley(i)   Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet
20   42   * Josh Wise   Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet
21   32   Kyle Larson #   Vizio/Hulu Chevrolet
22   44   Cole Whitt   Lockton/Best Western North East Inn Toyota
23   33   Ty Dillon(i)   WESCO Chevrolet
24   11   Elliott Sadler   OneMain Financial Toyota
25   43   Michael Annett   Flying J Travel Plaza Ford
26   30   Nelson Piquet Jr. #   Worx Chevrolet
27   19   Mike Bliss   TriStar Motorsports/Best Western North East Inn Toyota
28   22   Joey Logano(i)   Hertz Ford
29   31   Justin Allgaier   Brandt Chevrolet
30   12   Sam Hornish Jr.   Wurth Ford
31   5   Kasey Kahne(i)   Great Clips Chevrolet
32   18   * Matt Kenseth(i)   GameStop/Grid 2 Toyota
33   54   Kyle Busch(i)   Monster Energy Toyota
34   77   Parker Kligerman   All Metal Fabricators Toyota
35   7   Regan Smith   TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet
36   6   Trevor Bayne   Ford EcoBoost Ford
37   2   Brian Scott   Shore Lodge Chevrolet
38   20   Brian Vickers   Dollar General Toyota
39   99   Alex Bowman   St.Jude/SchoolTipline.com Toyota
40   3   Austin Dillon   AdvoCare Chevrolet
* Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

READ MORE:

READ: Harvick’s late charge
leads to 600 win

READ: Post-Coca-Cola 600
Driver Reports

READ: Kenseth, Johnson hopes
wrecked in 600

READ: Pit crew key as
Hamlin claws back

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Posted on May 31, 2013 by Staff Report

Find out where your favorite driver rolls off for Coors Light Pole qualifying at the Monster Mile

Track Qualifying Record:
Driver Date Time Speed
Jeremy Mayfield 6/06/04 22.288 161.522

# Car Driver Team Time Speed Time Speed

1   13   Casey Mears   GEICO Ford
2   39   Ryan Newman   Haas Automation Chevrolet
3   51   Austin Dillon(i)   Phoenix Construction Chevrolet
4   35   Josh Wise(i)   MDS Transport Ford
5   14   Tony Stewart   Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
6   83   David Reutimann   Burger King/Dr.Pepper Toyota
7   29   Kevin Harvick   Jimmy John’s Chevrolet
8   22   Joey Logano   Shell Pennzoil Ford
9   44   Scott Riggs   No Label Ford
10   34   David Ragan   Front Row Motorsports Ford
11   87   Joe Nemechek(i)   Royal Teak Toyota
12   7   Dave Blaney   SANY Chevrolet
13   99   Carl Edwards   Subway Ford
14   78   Kurt Busch   Furniture Row/Sealy Chevrolet
15   32   Timmy Hill #   OXY Water Ford
16   30   David Stremme   Widow Wax Toyota
17   98   Michael McDowell   Phil Parsons Racing Ford
18   33   Landon Cassill(i)   Bicycle NASCAR Playing Cards Chevrolet
19   11   Denny Hamlin   FedEx Freight/Autism Speaks Toyota
20   9   Marcos Ambrose   DeWalt/Ace/CMN Ford
21   88   Dale Earnhardt Jr.   National Guard Chevrolet
22   27   Paul Menard   Menards/Libman Chevrolet
23   15   Clint Bowyer   5-hour Energy Toyota
24   2   Brad Keselowski   Miller Lite Ford
25   93   Travis Kvapil   Burger King/Dr.Pepper Toyota
26   55   Mark Martin   Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
27   16   Greg Biffle   RiteAid/Ace Ford
28   42   Juan Pablo Montoya   Energizer Chevrolet
29   48   Jimmie Johnson   Lowe’s/Monsters University Chevrolet
30   19   Mike Bliss(i)   Plinker Tactical Toyota
31   1   Jamie McMurray   Parade Media Group Chevrolet
32   20   Matt Kenseth   Dollar General Toyota
33   17   Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #   Best Buy Ford
34   24   Jeff Gordon   AARP Credit Cards from Chase Chevrolet
35   10   Danica Patrick #   GoDaddy Chevrolet
36   31   Jeff Burton   Cheerios Chevrolet
37   38   David Gilliland   Long John Silver’s Ford
38   56   Martin Truex Jr.   NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
39   47   Bobby Labonte   Scott Products Toyota
40   36   JJ Yeley   DOHS Click it or Ticket Chevrolet
41   43   Aric Almirola   Smithfield Ford
42   5   Kasey Kahne   Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
43   18   Kyle Busch   M&M’s Toyota
* Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

READ MORE:

READ: Harvick’s late charge
leads to 600 win

READ: Post-Coca-Cola 600
Driver Reports

READ: Kenseth, Johnson hopes
wrecked in 600

READ: Pit crew key as
Hamlin claws back

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Posted on May 31, 2013 by Staff Report

Charlotte winner Kyle Busch can’t hold on to top spot

Austin Dillon was fastest in the single Nationwide practice at Dover International Speedway, the only driver to hit a speed above 152 mph. His speed of 152.433 and best lap of 23.617 seconds shot him to the top of the leaderboard with less than five minutes left in the practice session. Dillon ran a total of 58 laps, getting his top speed on his second-to-last.

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Alex Bowman, who was among the drivers spending the most time on the track, finished the practice with the second-fastest speed of 151.305. His best lap came on Lap 73 of 74.

Brian Vickers took the third spot with a best time .001 seconds off that of Bowman. Brian Scott clocked a lap of 23.8 seconds, making him the fourth-fastest on the leaderboard.

Trevor Bayne took the final position in the top-five.

Kyle Busch, aiming for a three-race sweep at Dover, spent much of the practice atop the leaderboard, with a fastest lap of 23.918 on his 10th lap. He fell to second after Regan Smith ran faster, continuing to fall until he landed in eigth as the practice wound down.

Michael Annett, who made his return to racing last week after recovering from a sternum injury, was 16th-fastest. Travis Pastrana ran 66 laps but only reached 24th on the leaderboard. Smith took the most turns about the Monster Mile, ending practice with 75 laps under his belt.

Joey Logano, who swept both 2012 Nationwide Series races at Dover in 2012, was 13th-fastest in the practice. Carl Edwards, who will not race in the Nationwide event this year, won both races for that series at Dover in 2011; Busch won the two in 2010. Qualifying for the 5-Hour Energy 200 will take place at 11:05 a.m. ET Saturday and will air on ESPN2.

READ MORE:

READ: Harvick’s late charge
leads to 600 win

READ: Post-Coca-Cola 600
Driver Reports

READ: Kenseth, Johnson hopes
wrecked in 600

READ: Pit crew key as
Hamlin claws back

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Posted on May 31, 2013 by Staff Report

Roll for the Keystone Light Pole at Dover’s Monster Mile

Track Qualifying Record:
Driver Date Time Speed
Kevin Harvick 06/01/12 22.751 158.235

#   Trk   Driver   Team
1   0   * Chris Lafferty   Koma Unwind Relaxation Drink RAM
2   38   * Johnny Chapman   Chevrolet
3   57   * Norm Benning   Stone Mountain Guns and Gold Chevrolet
4   84   * Mike Harmon(i)   Chevrolet
5   10   * Jennifer Jo Cobb   Koma Unwind Relaxation Drink Chevrolet
6   59   * Kyle Martel   Patriot Energy/Hanover Cold Storage Chevrolet
7   50   * Danny Efland(i)   Advanced Electronic Services Chevrolet
8   93   * Chris Jones   RSS Racing Chevrolet
9   99   * Bryan Silas   Rockingham Speedway Ford
10   81   David Starr   Striping Technology Toyota
11   60   Dakoda Armstrong   Winfield Chevrolet
12   07   CJ Faison   Delmarva Chevy Dealers Chevrolet
13   75   * Caleb Holman   Food Country USA/Morning Fresh Farms/Lay’s Chevrolet
14   13   Todd Bodine   SealMaster Toyota
15   39   Ryan Sieg   RSS Racing Chevrolet
16   5   Tim George Jr.   Applebee’s Chevrolet
17   98   Johnny Sauter   Carolina Nut Co./Curb Records Toyota
18   9   Ron Hornaday Jr.   Anderson’s Maple Syrup Chevrolet
19   88   Matt Crafton   Goof Off/Menards Toyota
20   7   John Wes Townley   Zaxby’s Toyota
21   8   Max Gresham   Trimmer Assist Chevrolet
22   77   German Quiroga #   Net 10 Toyota
23   24   Brennan Newberry #   Qore-24 Chevrolet
24   31   James Buescher #   Rheem Chevrolet
25   27   Jeff Agnew   Friends of Coal Chevrolet
26   3   Ty Dillon   Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Chevrolet
27   19   Ross Chastain   Melon 1 Ford
28   18   Joey Coulter   Darrell Gwynn Foundation Toyota
29   54   Darrell Wallace Jr. #   Camping World/Good Sam Toyota
30   51   Kyle Busch(i)   ToyotaCare Toyota
31   29   Ryan Blaney #   Cooper Standard Ford
32   62   Brendan Gaughan   South Point Chevrolet
33   32   Miguel Paludo   AccuDoc Chevrolet
34   17   Timothy Peters   Parts Plus Toyota
35   4   Jeb Burton #   Arrowhead Chevrolet
36   94   * Chase Elliott   Aaron’s Dream Machine/Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet
* Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

READ MORE:

READ: Harvick’s late charge
leads to 600 win

READ: Post-Coca-Cola 600
Driver Reports

READ: Kenseth, Johnson hopes
wrecked in 600

READ: Pit crew key as
Hamlin claws back

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Posted on May 31, 2013 by Nascar

Paul Wolfe, Todd Gordon back at Dover after suspensions

DOVER, Del. — Penske Racing crew chiefs Paul Wolfe and Todd Gordon, joined by team manager Travis Geisler, returned to the track for the first time Friday at Dover International Speedway after completing suspensions that included two points races and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series all-star event.

“For me … it was tough,” Wolfe, crew chief for defending series champion Brad Keselowski, said of having to sit out races at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. “It was tougher to deal with that I thought it would be.

“I’m a hands-on kind of guy and for me to be able to watch the car in practice and see how it runs around other cars is important for me … to see that and make decisions based on what changes to make.

“Everyone that stepped up and helped out did a great job and did all that we could ask but obviously it is just not the same.”

"We aren’t hitting the panic button by any means and Brad has kept a positive attitude through it all."

— Paul Wolfe

Keselowski has fallen six spots, from fourth to 10th, in the points battle since NASCAR officials hit the Penske organization with six-race suspensions and fines following the Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. At issue were changes to the rear-end housings of the No. 2 and 22 Fords.

Car chiefs and team engineers for the respective teams were suspended as well.

All of those involved continued working at the track while the ruling was under appeal, and on May 7, the suspensions were reduced to two points races and the all-star event.

Wolfe, who was replaced by interim crew chief Kevin Buskirk, said his team’s problems weren’t necessarily the result of his absence.

“It started a little earlier than before I was gone,” Wolfe said. “We had some issues at Richmond … and lost points there. At Darlington we felt like we had a competitive car but we had issues there with a loose wheel and getting caught up in a wreck.

“It seems like as a team we are going through one of those slumps right now. We aren’t hitting the panic button by any means and Brad has kept a positive attitude through it all.”

Gordon, crew chief for Joey Logano, said there was “definitely a disconnect” with not being allowed to be at the track.

“That is why NASCAR implements the penalties they do, to make sure there is a penalty to it,” Gordon said. “There is a penalty to it.”

Steve Reis served as crew chief during Gordon’s absence. Logano finished 22nd at Darlington and fifth at Charlotte.

“I think it is just a testament to the strength of the people that we have around this race team and their ability to all step up and help the whole situation,” Gordon said. “We did as much front planning as we could before we left the race shop and I think we had a good implemented plan going forward.

“Fortunately we had good speed to unload with and didn’t have to deviate from the plan too hard.”

READ MORE:

READ: Harvick’s late charge
leads to 600 win

READ: Post-Coca-Cola 600
Driver Reports

READ: Kenseth, Johnson hopes
wrecked in 600

READ: Pit crew key as
Hamlin claws back

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Posted on May 31, 2013 by Nascar

Driver still upbeat with 10th-place finish during historic day

Related: Lucas Oil 200 results | Recap | Video

DOVER, Del. — Darrell Wallace Jr. started on the pole and led the first 119 laps of Friday’s Lucas Oil 200 at Dover International Speedway.

But the end of the race found the 19-year-old hanging on to his No. 54 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota, the handling gone awry and a top-10 finish suddenly in jeopardy.

Seventh and stuck on the inside line for a Lap-197 restart, Wallace fell three spots in the final four laps to finish 10th.

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“That was tough,” Wallace said of his position on the restart. “I had been going to the top every time; we got all bunched up, (I) checked up and there they went around the outside.”

The youngest pole winner in the history of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Wallace gave up the lead when he pitted under green on Lap 119. By the time the remainder of the field had stopped, he trailed only eventual race winner, and team owner, Kyle Busch.

But the truck never handled as well as it had in the beginning, slowly grew a bit worse, but Wallace said he knew the team was "about one more adjustment" away from correcting the problem.

“When we put on new tires during that (green-flag) pit stop, with all the rubber (on the track), the truck just got freer,” he said. “My crew chief (Jerry Baxter) said the tires were ‘just picking up rubber, it’ll come into you.’ But I ran four more laps and it was still doing it.

“Just right as it landed (in the turn), it came around on me; I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t come in high or low. I was just stacking up everyone behind me, trying to keep them behind me.”

Fifth when the caution appeared at Lap 180 for debris, Wallace hit pit road for two tires. He restarted ninth and had moved up to seventh when the final caution appeared just nine laps later.

“Still a top-10,” said Wallace, who moved from 10th to eighth in the standings after six races. “That’s good for our new sponsor, Camping World and Good Sam, so I’m happy. But I’d love to win; I’d love to get me another monster (winner’s trophy).”

It was the third top-10 finish for Wallace, and a turnaround after wrecking while racing for third at Charlotte two weeks earlier.

“I stepped on it (there) and it cost us,” he said. “A 27th-place finish … learned my lesson.”

There was no wreck this time, just a suddenly uncooperative truck.

“Kyle never got by me, so that was cool,” Wallace said. “Until we pitted.

“That just shows more and more about this team. They worked their tail off to get us here. We led 120 laps or something like that. That’s impressive and it goes all to those guys (on the team).”

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