Surprising and Not Surprising: Charlotte Bank of America 500
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[/media-credit]In a race now known as one without an Earnhardt and without a North Carolina born driver, here is what else was surprising and not surprising from the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Surprising: At his worst track statistically and on a mile and half track where he has never won, this driver, although thrilled to be in Victory Lane after a fuel mileage battle extraordinaire, seemed also to be strangely depressed.
“I can’t do a burnout,” Clint Bowyer said woefully after having his No. 15 5-Hour Energy/Avon Foundation for Women Toyota pushed to the winner’s circle. “The thing doesn’t have enough fuel in it to do a burnout.”
“I’d like to practice a burnout,” Bowyer continued ruefully. “It’s so much fun burning rubber.”
“Oh hell, I don’t care,” Bowyer then said. “It’s a lot more fun getting handed that trophy – that’s what it’s all about.”
Not Surprising: Although Chaser Clint Bowyer survived on fumes to end the race, it was not surprising that his other Chase contenders, in fact the top three in the points battle, were also challenging their own fuel demons, literally having to slow down in order to finish the race.
“Yeah, you’re just running the race backwards basically,” Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota, said after finishing second. “You’re just seeing how slow you can go and maintain your track position.”
“It’s tough because I’m sitting there thinking I can go by this 15 (Bowyer) or catch him just about any time I want, but Darian (Grubb, crew chief) is screaming at me to back off.”
“We started saving with double the distance to just be cautious,” Jimmie Johnson, who finished third in the No. 48 MyLowe’s Chevrolet, said. “We didn’t want to go up there and chase the No. 11 (Hamlin) and get ourselves in trouble.”
Brad Keselowski, usually known as an excellent fuel-mileage racer, actually sputtered, coasting to pit road after running out of fuel. “I didn’t know what was going on,” the driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge said. “I think we probably would have finished fourth or fifth if we didn’t run out of fuel.”
“I had to coast for quite a ways and it wouldn’t start when I got back to pit road.”
This small fuel sputter, along with having to stop for fuel in the waning laps, cost Keselowski a top-5 finish, landing him in the 11th spot instead when the checkered flag flew.
Yet, in spite of the fuel challenges at Charlotte, Keselowski maintained P1 in the Chase standings but is now just seven points ahead of Jimmie Johnson and fifteen points ahead of Denny Hamlin.
Surprising: Jeff Gordon and team 24 Drive to End Hunger made some surprisingly costly errors in the Bank of America 500. Gordon, fighting an ill-handling race car most of the night, incurred a speeding road penalty and struggled to regain track position from that point on.
“We missed the setup at the beginning, but we worked on it and worked on it and had it driving good there at the end,” Gordon said. “We just couldn’t catch a caution to get us back on the lead lap.”
“It was just one of those nights.”
Gordon finished 18th, his fourth finish of 18th or worse in his last five races at Charlotte. He also fell three positions, from sixth to ninth in the Chase standings, 50 points back from the Chase leader.
Not Surprising: Pole sitter Greg Biffle had a good enough run to actually swap point’s positions with Jeff Gordon in the Chase standings. The driver of the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion finished fourth, gaining three Chase positions, from ninth to sixth in the standings, 43 points out of the lead.
“We had the fastest car, but couldn’t make it on fuel,” Biffle said. “We had the fastest car at the end, but didn’t quite get there.”
“It hurts to get beat on fuel mileage, but we were the first car behind the three that made it on fuel mileage, so I feel pretty good with fourth.”
Surprising: Stewart Haas Racing faced some surprising challenges at Charlotte Motor Speedway under the lights.
SHR Chase driver Tony Stewart started from deep in the field and got into an accordion-style accident on a restart that damaged the front of his No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet.
“I was following the 2 car (Keselowski) there and he had to check up,” Smoke said. “Man, I drilled him and it screwed up the nose of our race car.”
SHR teammate Ryan Newman forfeited a great starting spot in the front of the field due to an engine change, which forced him to the rear of the field in a race where track position was key.
“We definitely took a hit with the engine change,” Newman said. “We had a really fast car in practice and qualifying and it wasn’t the same in the race.”
“It was a tough night for us.”
Stewart rallied to finish 13th, while Newman, in the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet, finished a disappointing 20th.
Not Surprising: Kyle Busch, in the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota, finally had a good finish, in fact a top-five finish, to show for his efforts in front of the home crowd.
“The car was really good,” Busch said. “I felt like we had a winning car barring circumstances and how they played out.”
“But that just wasn’t there for us at the end with the strategy and everything,” Busch continued. “We came home okay.”
Surprising: With every other driver so fixated on fuel, it was surprising that this driver, who finished seventh, could have cared less.
“We got good fuel mileage, but that wasn’t our focus,” Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Fastenal Ford, said. “Our focus was going as fast as we could and I think we showed a little more promise than we have in a long time.”
“It’s been a long time since we’ve been this competitive on a mile-and-a-half, so I’m very happy with it.”
Not Surprising: With Dale Earnhardt, Jr. out of the race car due to a concussion, it was no surprise that all eyes were on Regan Smith, substituting for Junior in the No. 88 Amp Energy/National Guard Chevy, and also on Kurt Busch, who took over Smith’s No. 78 Furniture Row/Farm American Chevrolet ride for the first time this season.
Busch finished 21st while Smith finished 38th with an engine failure.
“The important part was that we had a really fast race car,” Smith said. “It’s disappointing and it’s a shame.”
“Finishing 21st might not appear that we made progress,” Busch said. “But the fact of the matter is that we did in our first three days together at the track.”
“It was an uneventful race, but an eventful weekend.”
Surprising: With the shuffling of Kurt Busch to Furniture Row and Regan Smith to Dale Earnhardt Junior’s seat, there was one surprising opening for a driver that needed a second chance.
A.J. Allmendinger, returning from suspension after completing NASCAR’s Road to Recovery program, took the wheel of the No. 51 Phoenix Construction Chevrolet and finished 24th at Charlotte under the lights.
“I have a lot of unfinished business,” the ‘Dinger said. “I have a lot of things I want to accomplish still.”
“It’s not going to be easy,” Allmendinger continued. “I’m going to have to do a lot of work for it, but I’m willing to do it.”
Not Surprising: Michael Waltrip Racing had another stellar day at the race track. One MWR driver, Clint Bowyer, was in Victory Lane while the other two MWR drivers both had top-ten runs.
Mark Martin, in the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota, finished sixth and Martin Truex, Jr., behind the wheel of the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, finished tenth.
“We started racing in 2007 and here we are in 2012 racing for a championship,” Michael Waltrip, team owner, said. “There are a few things that have happened to me over my racing career that are really special and this is one of those.”
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte
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[/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
1. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski ran out of fuel while leading on lap 59 at Charlotte, and that miscalculation may have cost him the win. After a late stop for gas, Keseklowski emerged 16th and finished 11th. He now leads Jimmie Johnson in the point standings by seven.
“The Miller Lite Dodge was the hottest car in the Chase until Saturday,” Keselowski said. “And we all know what happens with a cold Miller Lite—you get a ‘coaster.’
2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished third in the Bank Of America 500 after fuel mileage concerns forced him to race conservatively. Still, Johnson cut into Brad Keselowski’s points lead, and now trails by only seven.
“Keselowski led for 139 of 334 laps,” Johnson said. “It was his race to lose, and he did. But I don’t mind trailing in the point standings right now. I’m a five-time champion; Keselowski’s got no titles to his name. That puts me ‘second to none.”
3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin led 36 laps at Charlotte and finished third behind Clint Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson, while Brad Keselowski finished 11th. Hamlin is now 15 behind points-leader Keselowski, and eight behind Johnson in second.
“The No. 11 Fed Ex Toyota was not made to conserve gas,” Hamlin said, “so we have to savor every drop. It seems that my pregnant girlfriend isn’t the only one carrying ‘precious cargo.’”
4. Clint Bowyer: After a beneficial fuel gamble, Bowyer held off a charging Denny Hamlin to take the Bank Of America 500, his third victory of the year. Bowyer is now fourth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 28 behind Brad Keselowski, and well within striking distance for the Cup.
“I proved I’m still a force in the Chase,” Bowyer said. “But I realize I’m gonna need some luck as well. So I’ve got to ask myself, “Do you feel lucky, punk?’”
5. Kasey Kahne: Kahne finished eighth at Charlotte, one lap down to the leaders. He is now fifth in the point standings, 35 out of first.
“It was weird not seeing Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the No. 88 car,” Kahne said. “I’m sure Junior was disappointed. But look on the bright side: he found another way to break a winless streak.”
6. Greg Biffle: Biffle started on the pole at Charlotte and led 71 laps before finishing fourth, his best finish of the Chase. He leaped three spots in the point standings to sixth, and is 43 out of first.
“Carl Edwards couldn’t win with the points lead in last year’s Chase,” Biffle said. “Matt Kenseth is leaving Roush Fenway. And I couldn’t win from the pole at Charlotte. It doesn’t seem that anyone at Roush Fenway Racing can finish what they started.”
7. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex posted his 17th top-10 finish of the year with a 10th at Charlotte. He is seventh in the Sprint Cup point standings, 49 out of first.
“I’ve got five races to make up 49 points,” Truex said. “I’m guessing the five races beats the 49 points to the finish line. And that’s one more win than I have this year.”
8. Kyle Busch: Busch finished fifth at Charlotte, one of only six cars on the lead lap. It was his ninth top-5 result of the year.
“I didn’t qualify for the Chase For The Cup,” Busch said, “so I, like about 8 of 12 Chasers to far behind to matter, am not eligible to win the title. It may be lonely at the top, but not at the bottom.”
9. Tony Stewart: Stewart sustained front-end damage after an early re-start went awry. He recovered to finish 13th, one lap down, and now finds himself in a 50 point hole to points leader Brad Keselowski.
“If it’s not someone going too fast behind me,” Stewart said, “it’s someone going too slow in front of me. Normally, I’m more prepared in crunch time.”
10. Jeff Gordon: Gordon’s day was ruined by a pit road speeding penalty that put him one lap down. He finished two laps down in 18th for his worst finish of the Chase. He trails Brad Keselowski by 50 points in the Sprint Cup point standings.
“That’s a deficit from which I can’t escape,” Gordon said. “I was once married to a ‘gold digger;’ she, in turn, was married to a ‘hole digger.’”
Admiring Junior’s Decision While Pondering the State of the Sport
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[/media-credit]One has to admire Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Even though medical test couldn’t show that he had a concussion, he knew something was wrong and the symptoms indicated that he shouldn’t drive a stock car. How many drivers would have come to the same conclusion? If the comments of Jeff Gordon are any indication, not very many would have. The old adage about a good athlete playing through pain does not equate to traveling at high speeds in a Sprint Cup car. I am reminded of a recent conversation with former All-American quarterback Pat White, who suffered a concussion while playing for the Miami Dolphins. When asked if he might suit up again, he commented, “Life’s too precious.” And it is.
The fear is now that Earnhardt will come back too early, and the pressure is on for him to return in two weeks. That shouldn’t even be a concern to Earnhardt. Despite reports that people were leaving the campgrounds upon learning of Earnhardt’s absence from Charlotte Motor Speedway (by the way, I saw no such exodus from the Hellmann’s campground on Thursday. The place was empty anyway), Junior’s health is more important and he is to be commended for visiting Dr. Petty and getting treatment.
The issue of attendance is in play because lately NASCAR’s top series has been playing to less than good crowds. This weekend, the “official” attendance figures were a joke. The Nationwide Series race on Friday night was poorly attended and the 100,000 estimate for Saturday night’s Sprint Cup race was laughable. The campground that I have parked in for several years was nearly empty before the Earnhardt announcement. Once upon a time, you had to squeeze into your camping space, but no more. There was a hundred yards between our camper and the next attendant. It was the same all over the speedway property campgrounds. Traffic was so sparse that for the first time, a quick trip to the grocery could be taken a couple of hours before the race without problems. The reasons are many and have little to do with the absence of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. So what is it?
The NASCAR line is it’s the economy, as we’ve mentioned before in these pages, but it’s a lot more than that. Take this weekend as an example. With temperatures in the low fifties by the time the Friday night race started, many people just decided to skip the event, which was a shame. It was action packed from start to finish. Saturday night was somewhat different. With tickets costing upwards of $100, more people attended. It’s obvious to everyone but those in charge that a night race in October is not the best idea. I doubt that will change anything, but it is a reason.
Secondly, unlike the Nationwide race on Friday, the Cup race was less than exciting. With Chase points so precious, as well as fuel mileage rearing its ugly head, drivers were cautious and not very racy. The race started with a wonderful side-by-side battle between Greg Biffle and Mark Martin and morphed into several runaway leads. The only excitement was who would run out of fuel and who wouldn’t coupled with a final push by Denny Hamlin that fell way short. The Chase has become so important that taking chances and actually winning races is secondary to how many points might be gained on any given night. Headlines from scribes much more talented than me were dominated on how many points Brad Keselowski lost to Jimmie Johnson and how far behind Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth were in the “big picture.” No matter that Kenseth had just won Talladega. He and Biffle are non-factors. Clint Bowyer’s win was only significant because he narrowed the gap in the almighty Chase. Madness.
Attendance at races, contrary to popular belief, has more to do with a championship or a single driver. Each event should stand on its own with every driver not seeking points, but victories. That’s the way it used to be. The winner each week was the champion and got the spoils of victory for the week. Maybe it’s the fact that so many don’t have a realistic chance at victory these days. It wasn’t whether you drove for a certain team or manufacturer. It was desire and ingenuity. And the race was the ultimate in any given week. Those days are gone with playoffs and wild cards, more suited to stick and ball sports than racing ruling the roost. I hope Junior uses his head and makes sure he is ready to race again and does not succumb to pressure. As Pat White would say, “life’s too precious,” and points are only points.
