The Final Word – Ambrose was slick as Busch saw one slip, sliding away
[/media-credit]Watkins Glen’s storyline consisted of two things; a great finish and a lot of bad things happening to good people. Kyle Busch was one of the day’s better entries, was leading on the last lap, but when he struck oil he was not as thrilled as Milburn Drysdale was when Jed Clampett did the same. After Bobby Labonte’s engine went south, he started pebbling the track with the black gold like a Minnesota curling ice maker, which was hard to spot but real easy to grease up the tires. No one saw the stuff, but they felt it.Kyle Busch felt it, went wide. Brad Keselowski felt it, and slid into Busch to erase the leader from the equation. Marcos Ambrose charged up from third, did a little beating and banging as the pair went sliding through the mud, the blood, and the beer, with the man from Snowy River coming out ahead. For Ambrose, he was career win number two as he became the king of the Glen again and gave the King, Richard Petty, another win as a team owner.
So, did NASCAR’s non-call cost Busch a victory, one that might have locked him into the Chase? Yup. The trouble is, no one actually saw oil on the track even though everybody suspected it was out there. I mean, it was either oil or the track turned real icy in one of those Day After Tomorrow sort of weather change moments, but Dennis Quaid was nowhere to be found. However, with the race down to its final lap, it was too late. Busch was out and they let the boys fight it out to see who would endure. It was the right call, though Jeff Gordon would disagree.
Gordon has a win, had the final wildcard spot coming in, but he slipped behind both Ryan Newman and Kyle Busch when he slipped on the slick that final lap to wind up 21st instead of within the Top Ten. With four races to go before the deadline, Gordon is ten behind Newman and four off of Busch.
The rest of the wrecks did not much matter. Brian Vickers is looking to return full time next year, but blew up three laps in. Jamie McMurray was 7th, but a tire blew to conclude his day. Pole sitter Juan Pablo Montoya broke something up front and was gone by the midpoint. Denny Hamlin went from 6th to adios when his engine packed up. Tony Stewart was second, but spun off to oblivion. Dale Earnhardt Jr was in a top ten fight, but spun his way to outside the Top Twenty. It made things entertaining, unpredictable, and kept us watching, but it all did not mean much as far as who hunts for the title and who does not.
The Top Ten remain our Top Ten. Kasey Kahne’s two wins gives him one wildcard spot. Newman has the other, with he, Busch and Gordon in the only points battle that matters. Carl Edwards is six points up on Newman, but still can’t capitalize as he remains winless. Ambrose and Joey Logano still have a shot, but they need at least one more win. They have Michigan, Bristol, Atlanta, and Richmond left to do just that.
Heading to Michigan this Sunday, ten are pretty much locked in yet ten others still have a shot. If McMurray, in 20th, can win two of the final four, even he could slip in. Yet, Jamie has never won at Michigan. Kyle Busch did at about this time one year ago. Carl Edwards did in 2008 and 2007. So has Newman and Gordon…and Kasey Kahne. It should be an interesting race. Enjoy the week.
Third consecutive top three finish moves Hornish closer in Nationwide title fight
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[/media-credit]Since things changed dramatically in the Penske Racing camp back in early July at Daytona, no one would have thought differently if Sam Hornish Jr.’s performance started to slip. The Nationwide Series driver quickly found himself going from worrying solely on his championship hopes to doing double duty for the past month. Sometimes flying from state to state, bouncing between cars and teams.
That could have happened but Hornish hasn’t missed a beat. His NNS is still on the right track as he contends for the championship; gaining on the leaders, again, Saturday following another top five finish. Coming after Hornish captured his first NASCAR pole earlier in the day.
“Little wild. I raced with Carl [Edwards] and Kyle [Busch] most of the day and they were beating each other up pretty good,” Hornish said afterwards. “I had fun having the ability to be in the front row seat to it and the benefit of it a couple times. It’s nice to have cars that run as good as they do, the Penske guys are really continuing to go above and beyond with what they give as far as racecars go.”
His third place finish came after a hard fought and fun day for Hornish. He led 15 laps and was running behind Cup drivers Edwards, Busch and teammate Brad Keselowski for much of the event. Never finding himself far out of their tire tracks, ready to pounce if the door opened. He was there on a restart with less than five laps to go, sitting third but found himself unable to advance. Settling for being the highest finishing NNS regular and his first top 10 at Watkins Glen but his ninth consecutive top 10 finish.
The worst part of Hornish’s day being that he couldn’t deliver Penske a win when his cars led the most laps – 59 of the 82. Yet, he knows that third is nothing to sneeze at, especially behind Cup drivers. Feeling he’s “got to be happy” with what he earned but always wanting more.
“You have some of the best guys in the business, plus the points don’t matter to them, so you have a double threat,” said Hornish on racing Cup drivers. “The restarts were the biggest thing. Just trying to get through the restarts, I felt like we probably gave up a few positions here and there just trying to be overly cautious. That’s what you have to do.
“I felt like today was the day that we were going to have an opportunity to gain on the championship points lead. When we have days like this and can be smart about the things that we do, it always helps to have a good handling racecar to allow you to do that. We need to win races but we know we need to get top-fives and be consistent before that happens.
“You don’t need to win every race to win the championship. You just have to be smart and that’s what we’ve done so far.”
Winless this season, Hornish is using the road courses as his ace in the hole. Whereas his competition has found Victory Lane, Hornish continues to outrun them on the left and right hand tracks. He did so in Road America back in June, finishing fifth, and at Watkins Glen.
Good news is that the series has another one next weekend. Montreal is the third and final road course on the NNS schedule. Heading into the event the No. 12 PPG Dodge team sit third in points, a career best, just 24 markers behind the leader. The closest they’ve been all season.
It will be even closer if Hornish can find himself in Victory Lane for the second time in his NNS career. But in order to do that, he’ll need to better execute late race restarts. On Saturday he was outsmarted by the competition, specifically Edwards the leader, whom he felt slowed the restart down. Hornish wanted to go and started to, only to have to check up as Edwards took off.
“Racing there with Brad and Carl and Kyle feels good when we can take our PPG Dodge and be that competitive,” said Hornish. “I’m really thankful for what the guys at the Penske shop do to these cars. The engine shop today gave me a great car.
“I made a mistake on a shift and didn’t know if the engine was going to make it all day long. I’m thankful for Nationwide Insurance for what they do for the series. A great day for sure.”
Edwards won the race. Hornish won in the bigger picture. Something that seemed a bit of a long shot when the season started, yet he continues to slowly climb, scratch and claw his way back to the top. Fighting for a championship in one series and fighting for a second chance in another.
The Once and Always King
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[/media-credit]I remember when the King was, well, the King. Back in those days the King won everywhere and bagged seven championships. They weren’t consecutive because there wasn’t a lot of multi-car teams and none named Hendrick Motorsports. He was simply the best no matter where the circuit went. He won at half-miles, dirt tracks and super speedways. It was just the way it was. He drove Plymouth’s, Dodges, and even several GM brands, but he was always winning until he decided to hang it up. Since then it has been tough for Petty Enterprises. The group that created all those wins is gone and today it’s Richard Petty Motorsports with a financing group behind him, but the King clearly in charge. Nothing has changed but the domination.
I remember how much the competition hated him. Ford hated him and his organization so much that they made him part of their team in 1969. He did well (10 wins), but he came back to Plymouth in 1970. Much like Jeff Gordon in the 1990’s and Jimmie Johnson today, he was loathed by most everyone except the loyal fans. And yet, he became the most beloved of all drivers. The once and future King.
On Sunday, just like a year ago, Richard Petty returned to victory lane. This time it was as a car owner and Marcos Ambrose was the driver. The road racing specialist fell behind and came back and battled Brad Keselowski for an unsuspected win. But the lineage was clear, Richard Petty is a winner. He doesn’t have the money of a Hendrick or a Penske or even a Roush, but he knows what it takes to win and instills in in his drivers. It worked. No one can deny that Ambrose was up on the wheel during that last lap. Seeing the King in Victory Lane was magical to many of us.
Petty spoke of his manufacturer relationship. Apparently RPM had been in negotiations with Dodge and Ford prior to Dodge’s announcement that they would be leaving the sport. Petty and Ambrose wanted to stay with Ford and his partner was more concerned with the money Dodge was offering. The decision was made with Dodge’s pullout. It appears that Petty will join the Roush-Fenway group, Penske, and Front Row Motorsports for another year with Ford. Never doubt the King. He knows the way to win. It may have taken him years to be on top of the the competition, but his comfort zone is undeniable.
Yes it was only a road race and it was the road course king winning. But good things seem to be happening and maybe it was a stroke of luck that RPM will be with Ford for 2013.
Stability is so very important.
Marcos Ambrose Wins Watkins Glen
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[/media-credit]Watkins Glen, NY- Sunday afternoon, Australian driver Marcos Ambrose was looking to defend his 2011 win at Watkins Glen. It looked as if Ambrose was going to finish third until the last lap turned chaotic.
“It was absolutely chaos at the end,” Ambrose said. “I had really burned off the brakes. I couldn’t figure out where the oil was coming from. It was just absolutely crazy at the end.”I managed to fight my way past Brad and then I tried to chase Kyle down, but he wasn’t making any mistakes and he had a fast car. I just burned my stuff up trying to get to him. I was thinking, ‘OK, it may be second place here.’ But then the oil came down and I slipped to third and I thought, ‘That’s not the plan.’ So I just put my head down and just kept trying.”
Kyle Busch, who lead at the white flag, looked like he was going to win. He dominated the entire race until oil on the track sent the No.18 car spinning on the last lap. That allowed Keselowski to take the lead and Ambrose to take second.
“Kyle hit the oil. The 47 broke. You can see him, he just went by smoking. He left oil down all over the track. Kyle hit the oil and it allowed Keselowski to get to us.” Busch’s crew chief Dave Rogers said.
Ambrose and Keselowski, taking advantage of Kyle’s spin, battled for the last lap lead and the race win. Marcos held on to the lead to win followed by a hard charging Brad Keselowki, Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer and Sam Hornish Jr.
