Surprising and Not Surprising: Chicagoland Geico 400
After a valiant attempt to battle the rain drops and start the race as advertised on Sunday, NASCAR finally gave in and postponed the race until Monday. This is what was surprising and not surprising from the 11th running of the GEICO 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.
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[/media-credit]Surprising: Although without fuel for a burnout, smoke still surprisingly rose from Victory Lane as the driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, Tony Stewart, celebrated his first win of the season with crew chief Darian Grub and his team.
This was Stewart’s 40th victory in 455 Cup races, tying him with Mark Martin for 16th on the all-time victory list. This also ended 32-race winless streak, but extended Smoke’s streak of having one win every season for the past 13 years.
“You couldn’t pick a better weekend to get that first win of the year than here at Chicago,” Stewart said. “We’ve had a miserable year, by our standards. But the last three weeks we’ve really started coming into it.”
“At the end you hate to have to play the fuel mileage game,” Stewart continued. “We didn’t do any wild burnouts or anything like that and ran out before we ever got on pit road.”
“So, we were closer than I wanted to be,” Smoke said. “But I had a good enough car to get us there and Darian and his calls gave us the opportunity to get the lead. I was glad I saved as much as I did.”
Stewart’s win catapulted him up seven spots in the Chase point standings, moving from the ninth position to second, only seven points out of first.
Not Surprising: While driver and team owner celebrated in victory lane, it was not surprising to see the other half of Stewart-Hass Racing dynamic duo also have a good day at the office.
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 US Army Medicine Chevrolet, finished eighth. Newman led twice during the race, for a total of 18 laps.
Highlighting on his hood the medical men and women of the US Army, Newman also scored his 14th top-10 finish of the season and his sixth top-10 finish in his 10 career Cup starts at Chicagoland Speedway.
Newman’s finish garnered him one step up in the Chase, moving from eighth to seventh. He is in a tie, however, with sixth place Keselowski, who has three wins to Newman’s one on the season.
Surprising: Granted that the race was delayed due to rain and decided by fuel mileage, it was still surprising the lack of impact qualifying had on the race finish. At one extreme was Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford, who not only qualified on the pole but also led off and on throughout the race only to be done in by fuel mileage but also by a penalty for being pushed by J J Yeley on the last lap. Kenseth finished 21st and fell six positions in the Chase standings to tenth.
“It is really frustrating to be a race car driver and they drop the green on the last run of the day when you are supposed to put on a show for the fans and you have to run full throttle and can’t floor it or you will run out of gas,” Kenseth said. “It is pretty aggravating to do all the work and qualifying and pit stops and adjustments but none of it makes a difference.”
On the flip side of the coin was Kevin Harvick, behind the wheel of the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet, who qualified 30th only to live up to his ‘Closer’ reputation to finish second in the race. This was Harvick’s seventh top-10 finish in 11 races at Chicagoland Speedway and his 14th top-10 finish in 2011.
Harvick’s finish catapulted him into first place in the Chase standings.
“I knew that we had saved a little bit under caution and a little bit at the beginning of that run,” Harvick said of his fuel status at the end of the race. “Everybody on our Budweiser Chevrolet did a great job knowing exactly how far we could go, so good first race for us.”
Not Surprising: When it comes to fuel mileage racing, it is never surprising to see Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and his crew chief Steve Letarte go for broke and roll the dice. The race at Chicagoland was no different with the driver taking his No. 88 Amp Energy/National Guard Chevrolet to a 3rd place finish.
“We worked real hard all weekend trying to be smart,” Junior said. “The car was a bit of a struggle in the middle part of the race but in that last run, we were one of the best cars on the track.”
“We started trying to save a little gas and we made it further than most,” Junior continued. “It was a good weekend for us.”
Surprising: The driver of the No. 18 Wrigley’s Doublemint Toyota and the driver of the No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet had a surprising statistic in common. Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon both lost eight positions in the Chase standings due to their Chicagoland race struggles, thanks to their 22nd and 24th finishing positions respectively.
“We had a good car and kept fighting back all day long,” Busch said. “I saved as much fuel as I could but I guess it just wasn’t enough and we ran out with two to go. Just a really disappointing day.”
Gordon echoed those sentiments, although he acknowledged that not only did he qualify poorly but his car was a handful all race long.
“It was just one of those days,” Gordon said. “We were just off.”
“We actually got the car halfway decent there at the end,” Gordon continued. “Then it came down to saving fuel and we obviously didn’t save enough fuel.”
Not Surprising: In spite of burying the hatchet with his nemesis Jimmie Johnson and having a decent finish, it was not surprising that controversy continued to dog the driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger. After skirmishing with the media at last weekend’s race, Kurt Busch skirmished instead with his crew chief and team, sharing a few choice words over the radio during the race.
“We had speed in the car early, but just didn’t keep up with the track,” Busch said after the race. “We just struggled with making adjustments as the race went on.”
Not surprisingly, Busch’s crew chief Steve Addington seemed to especially take the criticism to heart, falling on the sword for the team.
“It seems like we can get our cars tightened up, but can’t free them up at all and we struggled with that,” Addington said. “I’m disappointed that we led a lot of laps and should have had a better showing with the Shell/Pennzoil Dodge.”
“We just couldn’t stay on top of the race track like we needed to once the track got rubbered-in,” Addington continued. “I’m disappointed in myself.”
Surprising: It was surprising to watch the metamorphosis that took place for Brad Keselowski as he moved from the ‘Iron Man’ performance that got him into Chase contention to NASCAR’s version of Cinderella.
Keselowski, behind the wheel of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge finished the race in the fifth position. With that top-five finish, he also moved up five positions to sixth in the current Chase standings.
“Whew, an amazing day to get this Miller Lite Dodge Charger a top-five finish,” Keselowski said. “It wasn’t easy.”
“It really was a matter of trying to be patient,” Keselowski continued. “Our fuel mileage was awesome.”
“It was a good first step for us in the Chase.”
Not Surprising: With the futures of several drivers uncertain, it was not surprising to see them achieve some hopefully eye-catching finishes. Tops among those drivers who finished alongside the elite Chase contenders were Clint Bowyer, who took seventh, as well as Mark Martin with a top-10 finish and Brian Vickers with a top-15.
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Chicagoland
Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.
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[/media-credit]1. Tony Stewart: Stewart leaped to the forefront in the Chase For The Cup, leading the final 30 laps to win the Geico 400 at Chicagoland. He shot seven places in the point standings to second, and trails Kevin Harvick by seven.
“Just days ago,” Stewart said, “I declared several drivers as favorites to win the Cup. My name wasn’t on the list. Was I sandbagging? Unlike some drivers, I can only play dumb. But it’s obvious I went from ‘pretender’ to contender in a hurry, even faster than Brad Keselowski earlier this year.
“But of all people, Harvick should appreciate the intricacies of getting every last drop out of an engine. His Craftsman Truck team made plenty of ‘dry runs,’ racing despite a lack of funding.”
2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished second to Tony Stewart at Chicago, running out of time as many others ran out of fuel. Harvick took sole possession of the points lead as Kyle Busch ran out of fuel with one lap to go. Harvick now leads Stewart by seven points and Carl Edwards by ten.
“I was running on fumes,” Harvick said, “so a caution wouldn’t even have helped me. So, it helps to have gas in your tank, or a teammate in your pocket. Luckily, we didn’t need Paul Menard in order for the No. 29 Budweiser car to finish strong.”
3. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson led 39 laps at Chicagoland, and was running third when his fuel tank ran dry entering the final lap. He still finished tenth, and fell three places in the point standings to eighth, 16 behind Kevin Harvick.
“Tony Stewart’s not the only driver who ‘tanked,’” Johnson said. “However, he wisely did his tanking before the race. I still contend that I’ll ‘coast’ to my sixth Sprint Cup title; I just didn’t think it would be this soon.”
4. Carl Edwards: Edwards had a solid start to the Chase, finishing fourth in the Geico 400 after leading 39 laps. He improved two spots in the point standings, and now trails Kevin Harvick by ten points.
“What do you know?” Edwards said. “There’s a caveman giving the ‘Gentlemen, start your engines’ command. And Matt Kenseth says I’m the only ‘Neanderthal’ in racing.”
5. Kyle Busch: Busch’s title hopes took a hit at Chicagoland Speedway, running out of fuel on the last lap to see a top-10 result turn into a 22nd. He tumbled eight places in the point standings to ninth, 19 out of first.
“Now I can say I’ve ‘run out of gas early’ in the Chase,” Busch said, “literally and figuratively. If form holds, I’ll next run out of steam, then patience.”
6. Kurt Busch: Busch led the most laps in the Geico 400, 64, and came home sixth, despite being generally unhappy with his car for much of the day Monday. The No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge was good when it counted, and Busch is now fourth in the point standings, 11 out of first.
“I never stop complaining,” Busch said. “Even after a top-10 finish in a fuel mileage race, I wasn’t happy, and I let the No. 22 hear about it on the radio. They were shocked, that after 400 miles of radio belligerence, I still didn’t run out of ‘sass.’
“You may have seen me throw out the first pitch at the Chicago Cubs game on Monday. Silly me. I thought they asked me to throw out the first ‘bitch.’”
7. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt posted his best finish since a second in Kansas in June with a third at Chicagoland, buoyed by the fuel mileage problems of several Chase contenders. Earnhardt moved up four spots to fifth in the points, and trails Kevin Harvick by 13.
“I’m impressed by my fuel conservation abilities,” Earnhardt said. “And so are my fans. Junior Nation loves it when Junior rations.”
8. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski’s Chase debut was a success, as he piloted the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge to a fifth in the Geico 400, his sixth top-6 finish in the last seven races. He is now tied for sixth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 14 out of first.
“I’ll take a firth-place finish,” Keselowski said. “Unlike the former driver of the Miller Lite car, I can’t complain. I know when to shut up, and when to put up. Confidence is the name of the game in the Chase, and I feel I’m as talented as any one else. Maybe that’s youth talking. That makes me too young to know ‘better.’”
9. Ryan Newman: Like many, Newman ran out of gas on the final lap, but coasted to a still-solid eighth in the Geico 400 as Stewart-Haas teammate Tony Stewart took the victory. Newman is tied for sixth in the point standings, 14 out of first.
“Next up on the schedule isNew Hampshire,” Newman said. “As you know, Me and Tony finished one-two at New Hampshire back in July. Hopefully, we can repeat that. Most drivers fear the Newman-Stewart one-two punch, especially Joey Logano and Kurt Busch.”
10. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth had the best car for much of the day, but fuel worries forced him to back off the throttle near race’s end. Nevertheless, he ran out of gas with a lap to go, and with a push from J.J. Yeley, was scored with an eighth-place finish until NASCAR ruled the push illegal. Kenseth was credited with a 21st-place finish, and dropped six places in the standings to tenth.
“I couldn’t go ‘all out,’” Kenseth said, “but, ironically, I ended up going ‘all out’ anyway.”
The Final Word – Chicago’s Chitty – Chitty – Bang – Bang finish
Do you know what a good crew chief is? He is the guy who tells his driver/boss that they are good to go in the fuel department, and is right. That does not necessarily mean that those who are wrong are bad, but maybe Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, and Matt Kenseth can enlighten us on the subject after what went down in Chicago on Monday.
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[/media-credit]It might have been for just the first time this season, but for Tony Stewart Monday marked his 40th career Cup victory. The win moved him to within seven points of Chicago runner-up Kevin Harvick atop the rejigged standings, standings that actually matter as we are down to the final nine races of the season. Still, it is a bit early to get overly excited just yet with eleven drivers still within 25 points of the top dog.
That guy 25 points back would be Jeff Gordon. They worked on his car, got it just right at the end, but then a funny thing happened to the engine. It started to sputter due to lack of fuel, yet he still managed to speed coming into the pits. I wish my car would run out of gas and still allow me to speed to the gas station. Gordon might have been better off just to let it die out there, as he lost a lap due to the infraction to wind up, ironically enough, 24th.
Matt Kenseth finished 8th, but while getting a push from your friends is alright most of the time when you find yourself sitting in a fancy go-cart, it can’t be done on the last lap. So, take that 8th place finish and shove it to the head of those a lap down, and you wind up in 21st. At least he sits a big point ahead of Gordon in the Chase.
That might not sound like a big deal to you, but Denny Hamlin would swap places with Kenseth in a second. Hamlin sits 16 points behind Mr. Gordon, 41 points off the pace after one event. I had heard that he went into the Chase liking his underdog role. He must love it today, as tire woes left him 31st on Monday, leaving him more like a ran over dog. Rain might have delayed the action a day in Chicago, but Hamlin had his own personal storm on Monday to put a beat down on his championship hopes.
Dale Earnhardt Jr wound up third, with Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, and Jimmie Johnson all with Top Tens. They sit between ten and 16 points back as they motor on to New Hampshire. Newman won there this summer to become one of four Chase drivers who have won three times at the track, with eight of those drivers having won at least once there. In fact, only Edwards, Earnhardt, Kenseth, and Keselowski have not. Now might be a good time to change that. Enjoy the week!
