The Final Word – Watkins Glen was all about rain, walls, and a man from down under
Maybe the greatest legacy Dale Earnhardt left behind for those who followed him were the safety measures taken following the icon’s death a decade ago. After watching the rain delayed action at Watkins Glen on Monday morning, maybe two or three drivers remain with us because of the features since found in those cars. It sure in heck wasn’t about safety barriers this time.
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[/media-credit]Kurt Busch went sailing into the corner when a tire let go, and he found himself plowing into the tire cushioned wall. His day, at least his car’s day, was done but Busch wasn’t. A short time later, Denny Hamlin suffered the same problem and the same fate. If anything, Hamlin’s experience hit even harder as the fender met the fence at a spot where it had a concrete support behind it.
On the final lap, David Ragan got a nudge from Boris Said and he met the wall, 100% unprotected concrete, and glanced off it on the driver’s side to smack into the barrier on the other side of the track. In doing so, he clipped David Reutimann who took it hard on his driver’s side before flipping into the air and across the track to nail the wall on the outside. Four cars, nothing but junk, but four drivers who will be ready to roll next week at Michigan.
Marcos Ambrose has been rolling on NASCAR tracks since 2006 when he arrived as a champion driver from New Zealand. He won three times in Nationwide events, but Monday’s Cup win on the road course marks a high water mark. It was his first win in the series, and a fourth Top Five this season to go with those at Las Vegas, Dover, and the road adventure at Sonoma. Ambrose remains a point out of the Top Twenty but, regardless, still would need another victory to have any chance at a Chase place.
With just Michigan, Bristol, Atlanta, and Richmond left before the twelve Chase positions are finalized, Brad Keselowski finished second. Those two wins still has him laying claim to the first wild card berth. Kyle Busch led most of the way until the final few laps and wound up third, tied with Carl Edwards for the points lead. Clint Bowyer was 11th at the Glen, remains 11th in the standings, winless and outside the Chase, with 25 points separating him and the man in tenth, Tony Stewart.
Denny Hamlin’s wreck left him 36th on Monday, 33 points out of the over-all Top Ten, with a 27 point lead over Paul Menard for the final wild card entry. That is good, as long as Bowyer does not win on Sunday at Michigan, or Menard or Ambrose, something none of them has yet done. Hamlin, on the other hand, has claimed the June race both this year and last. Things could be looking up for the Pied Piper. Enjoy the week!
After the Ashes – Victory!
It has been a long time. Yes, we can count that Kasey Kahne victory so long ago (really only a few seasons ago), but how long has it really been since a Petty car won a NASCAR Sprint Cup race? I don’t have the time to look, but it’s been awhile. Bravo!
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[/media-credit]The Petty name has gone through a long history of problems. Petty Enterprises partnered with an investment group to try to save the organization. That didn’t work and they finally merged with George Gillette’s team to survive. That didn’t work either. After signing an agreement with Roush-Fenway, there were times that the money to continue wasn’t there and it appeared the biggest name in NASCAR would go away. Credit Richard Petty, the King, for having the good sense to find a way to continue in the sport he almost created with his big smile and personality. Today was the start of that new era.
Petty assembled two talented drivers with a hope and a prayer. A. J. Allmendinger is enormously talented. He’s rough around the edges, but shows signs of being a force in the series eventually. Marcos Ambrose is likewise talented, and a master on road courses. Today, the stars aligned right and Ambrose won the race at Watkins Glen. He deserved it. And the car owner did too, even though he was home caring for his ailing wife. It’s a shame the King wasn’t there. Seeing his smiling face and cowboy hat would have been priceless, but the result is the same. The first win for the new Richard Petty Motorsports is significant. I didn’t look it up, but Petty’s victory total is now huge
In these days where younger fans don’t remember guys like Petty and his organization were so dominant, this is a flashback for those of us who have followed the sport for 40 years or more. It’s so good to see good people—people who made this sport what it is (the Wood Brothers also come to mind) be successful. It’s been a magical season for those two teams and now Marcos Ambrose has given the legendary team a chance to run for a championship. What could be better? Nothing is the answer.
Congratulations to the Tasmanian devil! May he finally win one on an oval and he and his teammate continue the tradition of wins for the Petty family.
