Surprising and Not Surprising: Samuel Deeds 400 at the Brickyard
At one of the most historic tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup venue, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 20th running of the Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 at the Brickyard Powered by BigMachineRecords.com.
Surprising: It is not often that Chad Knaus, one of the best crew chiefs in the business, gets outfoxed, however he surprisingly did at the Brickyard by none other than Matt Borland who won his first race since being reunited with driver Ryan Newman.
Borland made the gutsy two-tire call with just eleven laps left in the race to score the kissing of the bricks for his driver and the team of the No. 39 Quicken Loans/The Smurfs Chevrolet.
“Matt Borland just made an awesome call,” Newman said. “I have won more races with him on old tires and out of gas than I have with four tires and the best car.”
This was the first win of the season for soon to be unemployed driver Newman and the first win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for his team, Stewart-Haas Racing.
“It’s just a fantastic day,” Borland said. “This is Ryan’s hometown and the Brickyard is the Brickyard.”
“We were finally able to get everything right on race day.”
Not Surprising: Five-time champ Jimmie Johnson was disappointed but not surprisingly gracious in defeat. And the driver of the No. 48 Lowes/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet did not even throw anyone under the bus in the process.
“Second is never fun especially at the Brickyard,” Johnson said. “Bummed out with that, but stuff happens.”
“I believe the No. 39 took two (tires) as well where we took four (tires),” Johnson continued. “I don’t fault the call by any means.”
“We win as a team we lose as a team, it’s just how it is.”
Surprising: Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, was the highest finishing Camry, taking the checkered flag in the fifth spot. But even with that good run, Kenseth admitted that he had nothing for the surprisingly fast two-some of Ryan Newman and Jimmie Johnson.
“They were way faster than us and they were up there pretty far,” Kenseth said. “Jimmie went by me so quick that I thought he was going to suck the numbers off the doors.”
“Ryan had a really fast car,” Kenseth continued. “We had a top-10 car most of the day, but I couldn’t run with those guys.”
Not Surprising: Hendrick horsepower ruled the day at the Brickyard, with six of the drivers in the top-ten having that power under their hood. One of those drivers, Kasey Kahne even credited team Hendrick power in the engine of his No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet with his third place run.
“We had a really fast Great Clips Chevrolet,” Kahne said. “Great Hendrick horsepower was key.”
Not surprisingly and not coincidentally, Hendrick Motorsports also just named engine whiz Doug Duchardt as their new Executive Vice President and General Manager, effective immediately.
“Doug has led by example from his first day with us,” Mr. H. said “He understands the importance of relationships and has helped promote a culture of teamwork and communication.”
Surprising: Dale Earnhardt Jr. pulled off a surprisingly good finish, in fact a sixth place finish, in spite of troubles on and off the race track. The driver of the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet battled a loose wheel at the start of the race and troubles with the car running at the end of the race, as well as coping with the loss of his uncle Randy Earnhardt, whose death Junior learned of while at the track.
“The car was shaking real bad,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “Steve (Letarte, crew chief) is a good strategist and we ended up alright.”
“Randy was always there,” Junior said of his uncle who passed away. “It is just very, very sad but I am glad his suffering is over with.”
“I loved him dearly and will miss him a lot.”
Not Surprising: Kurt Busch has been running so well as of late that, not surprisingly, he was distressed with a top-15 finish. The driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Beautyrest Chevrolet finished the race in the 14th position, which was exactly where he stood in the point standings when the race was over.
“The 14th place finish is unacceptable,” Busch said. “We’ve accomplished a lot thus far this season, but one area we need to improve upon is finishing strong.”
“No question we have to run better than we did today if we want to get into the top-10,” Busch continued. “We need to have strong finishes in the next six races.”
Surprising: Brad Keselowski was the biggest Indy loser, falling four spots in the point standings to 13th with his 21st place finish in his No. 2 Miller Lite Ford.
“That was definitely not the day we wanted,” Keselowski said. “We weren’t a 21st place car.”
“It is just the way things worked out,” Keselowski continued. “That has been the story of the year.”
Not Surprising: With a hard fought battle, Jeff Gordon bounced back into the top ten in the point standings with his top ten finish in his No. 24 Pepsi Max Chevrolet at the Brickyard.
“You had to fight extremely hard in this race,” Gordon said. “It was just pit strategy and speed in the car and traffic.”
“It was not easy I can tell you that.”
Surprising: There is a surprisingly tight Sunoco Rookie of the Year battle going on at present, with Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. leading by just nine points over Danica Patrick in the ROTY standings.
Patrick, however, did not help her case with her 30th place finish at the Brickyard, although her ROTY competitor Stenhouse Jr. did not fare much better, finishing 25th.
“We tried something, it just didn’t work, and that’s that,” Patrick said. “It just was what it was.”
“It would have been nice to have a better day than this and be able to march forward,” Patrick continued. “We just didn’t and that’s just all there is to it.”
Not Surprising: With the lack of passing on the track, it was not surprising that many were calling for some changes, including driver Carl Edwards, who finished 13th in his No. 99 Fastenal Ford Fusion.
“When you rely on down force and your car is going 200 mph and everything has to be perfect and there is a car up there in front of you that disrupts that air, it just becomes difficult,” Edwards said. “I don’t know that there is a fundamental problem with the car but I would be really curious to see what no front splitter and a really tiny rear spoiler would do.”
“I think it would allow Goodyear to make a tire that is softer so it would fall off more and I think you would see those great races.”
Samantha Busch: A Swiffing Machine, Kyle’s Biggest Supporter and a Fans Social Connection
Sometimes it may be hard to like Kyle Busch. All you see on the track is his competitive drive that can lead to heat of the moment actions. That’s in the public eye. What you don’t get to see is what he is like behind the scenes, how much of a nice and caring guy he actually is.
A gateway to behind the scenes Kyle is through his lovely wife Samantha. She has grown to love racing and basically become an expert in the motorsports field. What she gets to see that fans don’t is the nice and caring Kyle. Samantha is an avid social media user and what she tries to do is show that side of Kyle along with keep fans updated on what the superstar is doing on the track.
I was able to do an interview with Samantha and what she shares with me is exactly what I described above. Kyle’s other side. Besides that, she discusses what makes Samantha , Samantha. In the insightful interview, read all of that along with some of her favorite activities that make up one of the most fascinating people in NASCAR.
Jason: You’re very active with the fans through all the social media platforms, what are some of your favorite ways you get to interact with fans socially?
Samantha: I love interacting with the fans, and in the last few years there have been so many more ways! At one time, Facebook was the only way, but Twitter is so fantastic for the races because you can use short little messages that people can scan and keep up with if they want more in-depth coverage, or if they can’t actually watch the race that day. Also, I have really gotten into Instagram this year. It’s been fun to show off pictures of Kyle’s awesome pit stops and of course adorable little Miss Lucy (our puppy).
I think the best way to use social media is to make it a two-way street. I love to keep people updated on Kyle and myself, but I also love to hear what’s going on with everyone else! I love when people ask me to help them pick out outfits, to tell or ask me about fitness tips, to share recipes, and of course to tweet me their new shoes!
I also think giveaways are a great use of social media because they give people the chance to get exclusive stuff such as victory lane hats!
Jason: After a tough 2012, what has it meant to you and Kyle to be so successful this season?
Samantha: Last year was really an eye opener and really makes you appreciate every good finish and win even more. But even a tough 2012 on the track, I think there are a lot of positives that came out it for this year and for the future. The No. 18 team went through tough times together and therefore became stronger together in my opinion. The success of this season is so rewarding because it shows the hard work and determination of the team to persevere, and they’ve all become stronger because of what they went through last season.
Jason: Is there one major difference you could pinpoint between this season and last?
Samantha: That’s a great question, but I can’t really pinpoint one thing. The team and Kyle worked just as hard and had the extreme drive and passion they do this year, but sometimes luck just doesn’t go your way. Going back to the other question, I still believe the obstacles you face will ultimately make you stronger. It’s hard to see that when you are going through it, but looking back on those times I feel strongly it was good for everyone in the long term.
Jason: What would be one major thing that fans don’t get to see of Kyle that may change their opinion of him?
Samantha: I think through social media they are seeing more and more of what a funny, light-hearted and caring man he is. Whether he is playing with the dogs, giving me kisses or just having fun, fans get to see the side of him that I get to see away from the track. He’s such a competitive person at the track, but there’s another side to him at home that we have an opportunity to show people through social media.
Jason: Which win this season has meant the most to you?
Samantha: No doubt that Fontana was a big win. After going through what he did last year when he was close to winning a Cup race or dominating all day and then having something silly happen at the end to take that away, it was just so great to finally get that checkered flag!
Jason: Is there one track on the Cup circuit that has eluded Kyle for awhile that you would like to see him win at?
Samantha: There are obviously the big races like the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 that (he) hasn’t been able to win yet that he would love to win, but I am going to surprise you and say Kansas. My reasoning is that he has always run well at places like Daytona and Indy, but Kansas has not been his friend over the past few years. The Kansas race is really important since it’s in the Chase, so I would love for him to have a strong run there.
Jason: What are some of your favorite activities to do outside of the track?
Samantha: Kyle and I have really gotten into playing golf! It’s a fun activity that we can do together. At the same time, we are both learning it together so it’s great that when one of us picks up on a technique we can share it with the other and improve on our game.
I also really enjoy working out. I do a variety of different types and it really just makes my whole day better! I enjoy reading as well and thrillers are my favorite. Aside from that Kyle and I really just enjoy spending time at home together with our puppies just swimming and watching our favorite shows!
Jason: Is there one thing that you love to do, but Kyle isn’t a fan of?
Samantha: Cooking and cleaning. I really love to cook, I love to experiment with different recipes and make big meals! It does sound weird but I’m a nut with cleaning certain things. Kyle, along with my friends and family, laugh at me but I’m obsessed with cleaning the counter tops in our kitchen. Seriously give me a swiffer and I’ll see you in a few hours because I am a swiffing machine! That’s probably not a word, but you know what I mean.
Jason: If you had to describe yourself in a few sentences, what would you say?
Samantha: I am an outgoing, talkative, compassionate Italian girl. Being raised in a big Italian family I love being around people! I love to help people through all walks of life. I am also a fitness and health nut :)
You can keep up to date with Samantha on twitter when you follow her handle of @SamanthaBusch
Ryan Newman Makes a Statement With Brickyard 400 Victory
After a rare pit mistake by the No.48 team that cost them a shot at history, Indiana race fans rejoiced as they watched native Hoosier, Ryan Newman triumph over all at the Brickyard. Newman and Johnson were the class of the field all day with Jimmie showing the most strength but this is a team sport and a 17 second pit stop with just a handful of laps remaining is nearly impossible to overcome when your rival takes two tires. To me, the prudent decision for the usually cunning Chad Knaus would have been to call an audible and take two tires after the issues on the right side; that would have saved their race. It was a huge win for Newman and considering his situation, one that may ensure the longevity of his NASCAR career.
Ryan Newman is a very underrated driver in my opinion. A large contingent of fans look at him as that driver who is decent and occasional snags a win here and there but in 424 Cup starts, he’s amassed 50 poles, 90 top five’s, 175 top ten’s and 17 wins which include the Daytona 500 and now the Brickyard 400. He’s won multiple Nationwide races, is serious threat every time he gets behind the wheel of a Modified and in five Camping World Truck Series starts, his worst finish is 5th. Those numbers are Hall of Fame worthy but people still fail to appreciate the natural talent this USAC champion possesses.
His impressive stats alone were not enough for him to keep his seat at Stewart-Haas Racing. NASCAR is money driven and we have seen too many situations where cash talks and talent walks; Newman being the just the latest driver to get the boot due to that unfortunate policy. The team owners in NASCAR are not ignorant to the fact that Ryan can wheel a racecar and there have been rumors that RCR and Furniture Row were looking at adding him to their roster in 2014. What he did at Indy was substantial in salvaging his career and maintaining a presence at the pinnacle of NASCAR. A ride for next year seemed feasible going into Indy but this win may have launched him to the top of the list for a few owners that were already contemplating him. I’m sure team owner Tony Stewart felt ambivalent about the victory knowing that Ryan will no longer be his driver next year but going out a winner would be the best way for the “Rocket Man” to go.
He is making it known that the “lame-duck” status that departing drivers are often labeled with does not apply to him. At Loudon, he was informed that his services at Stewart-Haas would no longer be needed after 2013 and just one race later, he’s breaking track records and celebrating in victory lane at Indianapolis. SHR has experienced something similar to this back in 2011 when crew chief Darian Grubb was told he would be released at the end of the season…he and Tony Stewart went on to win the championship. Matt Borland and Ryan Newman have enjoyed great success with one-another in the past and they seem to have one of those rare driver/crew chief combinations that just works much like Johnson/Knaus, Keselowski/Wolfe or Kahne/Francis.
The No.39 team does not seem beleaguered by the recent announcement regarding their driver’s imminent release; their dedication and hunger to succeed seems unshakable as they set out to make some noise in the final 16 races of the year. An uncertain future has only seemed to motivate Ryan and make him more determined to take 2013 by the horns and leave SHR in a blaze of glory rather than quietly into the night.
Why NASCAR NOT penalizing teams is wrong!
I am normally much more timely on these articles than this, and had actually toyed with the idea of scrapping this one completely to move to something more pressing. But, once I re-read what I had started writing I got fired up about the subject again and decided that this article deserved to be posted and hopefully read.
Let me get this straight, NASCAR decided that it was “O.K.” for teams to play with the spacers, because they deemed that the teams didn’t get a “performance” gain? So if I were Chad Knaus and I arbitrarily decided that it was ok to shave some weight off of the “Newman” bar to relocate that weight to a lower section of the car, it would be ok? The structural integrity of the part be damned? When coupled with the fact that there were so many teams to be in violation of the rule, gives us in the media plenty of fonder to spin this story in plenty of directions.
This is the spin I personally am going to take on this, when NASCAR decides to allow teams, crew/car chiefs to decide that a part that they purchase from an outside vendor to be used as they deem fit, it is a VERY slippery slope that NASCAR is allowing to be used. My second point is simply this, did NASCAR decide to not move forward with penalties because there were too many teams to be worth the effort of penalizing and then going through the appeals process?
Let’s stop and think about this for a moment, like I mentioned above; if a team decides to simply “shave” a few grams or ounces off of a component that is part of the structural reliability of the car who is to say that it will simply stop with the roof flaps?
The “Newman” bar is so named because of the numerous times that Ryan Newman has flipped over at the restrictor plate tracks and NASCAR deemed that supporting the cockpit with this bar would help to ensure the safety of the driver. Now I do not know the exact weight and component break down of this piece, and let’s face it neither does anyone outside the NASCAR garage since as of right now the NASCAR rulebook is clouded in more mystery than the location of the Holy Grail, or for that matter the actual launch codes for the United States missile defense system. But suffice it to say that it isn’t exactly light, and as we all know that any weight that you can move from the top part of the car and can place on a lower portion of the car is a good thing. Since moving the weight lower improves the overall performance and handling of the car.
So for the sake of argument let’s say that some crew/car chief decides that they could gain some slight advantage by shaving just the slightest little bit from this “Newman bar,” then somehow this information “leaks” out and a few more crew/car chiefs decide to do the same thing. Suddenly we have a garage with let’s say five to ten teams that have done the exact same thing, Does NASCAR again step in and say, “Well since there was no ‘technical’ advantage gained there won’t be any fines in this instance.”
Let’s continue to break down the above scenario thusly, if, for the sake of argument, Matt Borland decided that by shaving a few ounces off of the “Newman bar” that he could gain no performance enhancement. But instead gained a weight advantage by being able to move a few extra ounces lower on the car, would this be a punishable offense? Let’s go reductio ad absurdumon (the process of taking an argument to the worse possible conclusion, then criticizing the outcome of said argument.) this, if Matt Borland did shave the ounces. Again, building upon Newman’s penchant for flipping his car at a restrictor plate track; Newman flips his car. The shaved ounces on the bar that is supposed to secure the integrity of the cockpit of the car leads to a structural failure and Newman is killed in the wreck, gods forbid of course. Then what happens? Would there be a huge outcry because of yet another death in racing? Would Matt be ultimately tried for manslaughter since he put Newman in an unsafe car?
I know that you are thinking that I am just being an extremist on this, that there is no way that shaving ounces and grams off of an item will lead to a complete parts failure. Please for a moment stop and think about the number of times that we have heard of someone saying that they were trying “experimental” components in various areas of the car and how it has led to a catastrophic failure of a component leading to devastating results for not only car and team, but also potentially fans as well.
Again my main argument on this is rather simple. NASCAR has opened the door for the potential abuse of this inaction. What do I feel should have happened in the aftermath of “roof flapgate?” Probation should have been handed out to any team/crew chief not already on probation. For teams that were already on probation, then fines and suspensions needed to be handed out to show the seriousness of messing with anything on the car. Let alone a component on the car that is there to protect not only the driver but the fans as well. (Do I really need to make an argument for keeping cars on the track after the Nationwide Series race at Daytona?) I’m not saying that the penalties needed to be extravagant or over the top; but something needed to be levied against these teams to send a message.
For teams that were already on probation, a simple three to five point penalty would have been enough to grab the attention of every team in the garage area. Suspension to the car and crew chief of at least one week would have also had the same effect, especially as we get closer to the Chase.
My honest feeling on this is that NASCAR has taken a beating in the appeals process in recent years, didn’t want to get yet another black eye for penalties/sanctions and simply decided to take the path of less resistance and therefore simply let this incident “slide by” hoping that once Danica took out Stenhouse during a race, ( oh wait she already did that) that the media would move onto that topic and forget that they (NASCAR) are allowing people to play with the safety of not only the drivers but of the fans as well. If they are going to do that then why even bother with the rest of the inspection process?
