Sorenson wins at Road America
Reed Sorenson had enough fuel to make it to the finish line to win Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide race at Road America.
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[/media-credit]Justin Allgaier was leading when the final yellow flag came out on the final restart in the third attempt. But Allgaier ran out of fuel before making it to the finish line. Unable to keep pace lap speed, Allgaier surrendered the lead to Sorenson.
At the same time, Ron Fellowes did not slow when the final yellow flag came out and passed both Sorenson and Allgaier before getting behind the pace car. Fellows appeared to have won the race until NASCAR reviewed the tapes a saw that Fellows did not slow when the caution light was displayed, giving Sorenson back the lead and the win.
| Unofficial Race Results | |||||
| Bucyrus 200, Road America | |||||
| http://www.speedwaymedia.com/n2s/race.php?race=16 | |||||
| ========================================= | |||||
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Make | Points | |
| ========================================= | |||||
| 1 | 12 | 32 | Reed Sorenson | Chevrolet | 47 |
| 2 | 5 | 7 | Ron Fellows | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 3 | 3 | 22 | Jacques Villeneuve | Dodge | 0 |
| 4 | 7 | 2 | Elliott Sadler | Chevrolet | 40 |
| 5 | 25 | 1 | Mike Wallace | Chevrolet | 40 |
| 6 | 21 | 153 | Andrew Ranger | Dodge | 0 |
| 7 | 22 | 62 | Michael Annett | Toyota | 37 |
| 8 | 8 | 6 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Ford | 36 |
| 9 | 17 | 167 | J.R. Fitzpatrick | Ford | 35 |
| 10 | 23 | 15 | Timmy Hill * | Ford | 34 |
| 11 | 15 | 30 | Ricky Carmichael | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 12 | 1 | 18 | Michael McDowell | Toyota | 0 |
| 13 | 18 | 39 | Josh Wise | Ford | 31 |
| 14 | 26 | 19 | Mike Bliss | Chevrolet | 30 |
| 15 | 13 | 11 | Brian Scott | Toyota | 30 |
| 16 | 24 | 81 | Blake Koch * | Dodge | 28 |
| 17 | 32 | 28 | Derrike Cope | Chevrolet | 27 |
| 18 | 39 | 70 | Dennis Setzer | Dodge | 26 |
| 19 | 14 | 31 | Justin Allgaier | Chevrolet | 26 |
| 20 | 9 | 38 | Jason Leffler | Chevrolet | 24 |
| 21 | 19 | 23 | Alex Kennedy | Dodge | 0 |
| 22 | 20 | 88 | Aric Almirola | Chevrolet | 22 |
| 23 | 2 | 33 | Max Papis | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 24 | 28 | 87 | Kevin Conway | Toyota | 0 |
| 25 | 41 | 52 | Tim Schendel | Chevrolet | 19 |
| 26 | 6 | 66 | Steve Wallace | Toyota | 19 |
| 27 | 29 | 14 | Eric McClure | Chevrolet | 17 |
| 28 | 16 | 9 | Kenny Wallace | Toyota | 16 |
| 29 | 42 | 113 | Jennifer Jo Cobb * | Ford | 15 |
| 30 | 30 | 141 | Doug Harrington | Ford | 14 |
| 31 | 11 | 16 | Trevor Bayne | Ford | 13 |
| 32 | 27 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Chevrolet | 12 |
| 33 | 4 | 60 | Billy Johnson | Ford | 0 |
| 34 | 10 | 164 | Jason Bowles | Toyota | 0 |
| 35 | 35 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 36 | 33 | 175 | Carl Long | Ford | 8 |
| 37 | 40 | 40 | Charles Lewandoski * | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 38 | 31 | 44 | Jeff Green | Chevrolet | 6 |
| 39 | 36 | 103 | Scott Wimmer | Dodge | 5 |
| 40 | 34 | 146 | Chase Miller | Chevrolet | 4 |
| 41 | 38 | 142 | Tim Andrews | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 42 | 37 | 55 | Brett Rowe | Chevrolet | 2 |
Jeff Gordon Ready to Put Sonoma 2010 in the Rearview Mirror
Once known as a road course king, Jeff Gordon was more a menace to his competitors during last season’s Toyota/SaveMart 350. He might have come home with a top five finish but it didn’t come without controversy or in a fashion he and many others would rather forget.
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[/media-credit]“Disaster,” said Gordon Friday in Sonoma when asked about last year. Disaster because Gordon drove through the field, literally, and in the process angered many of his peers. They went home with wrecked cars and bad finishes as Gordon went home with a target on his back.
“It was just one of those terrible days where I made a lot of mistakes,” said Gordon. “No doubt made a lot of people unhappy and been trying to move on from it ever since.”
Gordon knocked fenders with Brian Vickers who then spun David Ragan. Later that same lap he drove down into turn 11 and drove through Martin Truex Jr. who spun and was later caught up in a wreck on a restart because of his track position. Truex wasn’t pleased and promised payback on Gordon, saying what goes around comes around.
In turn 11 again a few laps later Gordon drove into the back of Elliott Sadler who hit Clint Bowyer and they both spun. His actions left broadcasters and fans wondering out loud, “What is Jeff doing?”
Gordon’s final victim was Kurt Busch. Coming up the hill in turn two Gordon forced Busch off the pavement. When he attempted to get back on track it stacked the field up behind him, including Marcos Ambrose who was trying to gain back positions he lost after being placed seventh by NASCAR after his car didn’t refire under caution.
Gordon drove with one eye over his shoulder for many weeks to come, expecting payback. Entering Sunday’s race he admits that he’s not sure if those drivers will remember a year ago but says he won’t be thinking about any of them.
“I’ve tried to apologize to the ones that I really made mistakes with,” he said. “There were some racing incidents that went on that day too that were just racing and that you just move on and race one another however you race one another. I have to approach this race the same way I do any other race and just go out there and do everything I can to get the best finish I can. Not put too much effort into thinking about what those guys have planned or whatever.”
Guys like Truex Jr. who will start next to Gordon on Sunday. The two qualified 13th and 14th respectively. Truex Jr. though said he won’t be focused on the past, instead he’s focused on getting the car to perform as well as last years and capitalizing.
Busch, who starts 11th, might not be as nice. He had numerous run-ins with Hendrick Motorsports drivers last season and has no problem talking about it. He made sure everyone was well aware on Friday that the last two years at Sonoma a HMS driver ran him off track.
“It was an off day for Jeff,” said Busch. “He apologized to a handful of guys afterwards and for some reason pinpointed me. I thought that was interesting. He drove straight through our right rear and we finished 32nd.”
Yet, both Gordon and Busch acknowledged that there’s a different style of aggressiveness when it comes to Sonoma. One Gordon most likely won’t repeat anytime soon, at least not as he did last year. Whereas a rhythm can be found and executed on an oval, racing at Sonoma allows a driver to throw the car around and drive much harder into a corner.
There’s also the added fact that NASCAR’s new car doesn’t damage as easily. Drivers are willing to take more chances, trade more paint and even lean on other drivers. Even if that means leaning a little too hard to where it doesn’t always work out for the other driver.
While Gordon hopes he doesn’t end up in the position he put many a year ago, he knows that if those drivers see a chance to put a fender to the No. 24, they might take it.
“I’m sure if they’re in a position to kind of get back what happened then I’m sure they will,” he said. “My goal this weekend is not to allowed myself to get in that position.”
Carl Edwards Pulling Out of Nationwide Race A Good Thing; My Picks For Sunday
Carl Edwards did what most diehard race car drivers just hate to do and that is to pull out of any event. Edwards, who was displeased with how his car has been running in both practice and qualifying for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 tomorrow, did just so. In 2009, Kyle Busch dominated in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, yet he struggled in the Sprint Cup Series and failed to make the Chase. If Kyle had pulled out of more Nationwide races to focus on his cup program, would it have made a serious dent in the championship picture?
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[/media-credit]Yes, I did lose a lot of respect for Edwards after the incidents with Brad Keselowski, but instances like this prove to all the fans of the sport that Carl is indeed a man that is dedicated to his job and will not leave his team in a pile of trouble. Edwards said, “In the end, this puts us in the best position with both teams to perform well, so I’m grateful to be able to make the change and I feel like we are doing the right thing.”
I think we would all feel the same way. If I were in that position, I know for a fact that I would have to think really hard. Road course racing doesn’t appear too often during the NASCAR season and I love road courses, but does that love go too far? I would hate to leave my team in a state of confusion and I admire Carl for his action on this issue.
Now, we have the race on Sunday. I think the two big favorites for this race have to be Marcos Ambrose and Kurt Busch. Ambrose wants redemption after last years gaffe. Kurt Busch has been taken out by both Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon the past couple of seasons and his results from practice show that he is a true contender with his avg practice result of 2.3. Watch out for the 9 and the 22, but don’t forget about Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and Juan Montoya.
Matty’s Picks – Vol. 7 – Infineon – June 26, 2011
Matty’s Picks
Vol. 7 – Infineon – June 26, 2011
Its time to go road racing for the first time in the 2011. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series makes its next stop in Sonoma, California on Sunday for the first of two road courses on the 2011 Cup schedule.
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[/media-credit]California is home to the highest and lowest points in elevation in the Continental United States, and surprisingly both points are within 100 miles of one another. Mount Whitney in the Eastern Sierras measures 14,495 feet while Bad Water located in the hottest and driest place in the US, Death Valley, is 282 feet below sea level.
Now, the debate still rambles on what is missing from The Chase. I am an extreme advocate for a road-course race to be ran during the last ten races of the season. Road-courses show a driver’s true talent with the constant shifting, breaking, right and left corners, and the overall toughness of a driver behind the wheel.
Infineon makes the most sense for a race in The Chase just because of the weather there during Chase season. The other road course on the schedule, Watkins Glen International, happens to be my home track, and has been known to see snowfall during the last ten weeks of the NASCAR season. The only other option would be to add another road course like Barber Motorsports Park, Road Atlanta, or a true test the brand new Circuit of the Americas being built for next year’s US Grand Prix just outside of Austin. Nonetheless, to really make The Chase complete, a road-course must be added if for nothing else, another wild card race.
Michigan Recap
I won’t spend too much time on my recap of last week in this week’s picks because my picks last week were less than impressive. I scored no imaginary points last week for myself and my top finisher was shown 14th when the checkered flag flew Sunday afternoon. Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne both had a decent runs going very early, but fell out of the Top 10 in the running order by lap 50. The action picked back up by the mid-way point in the race, Harvick and Kahne battled each other for a Top 5 spot around lap 100. Kahne would eventually make it to fifth before his pitfall of the race came on lap 155 when he ran his car out of fuel. He would make it to pit road, but struggled getting his car fired and sat in his pit box for over a minute before his car finally started once again. Kahne would go on to finish one lap down in 28th, netting me zero points. Harvick lasted a bit longer towards the front, but would eventually hit the wall around lap 182, and bring his Chevy home 14th, also netting me zero points.
Infineon Picks
I’m a bit torn this week on defining what a Dark Horse is on a road course. I would like to say that it’s a guy that nobody sees coming, sort of like pole-sitter Joey Logano. I sure didn’t see him starting up front tomorrow when I started this column on Thursday Afternoon. Kudos to him for surprising everyone with the pole.
For my Dark Horse pick this week I have to play a little track-position game and go with a guy that has not won on a road course. Clint Boyer does have two Top 5’s at Sonoma and also boasts an average finish of 12.6. Bowyer starts ninth on Sunday and was 14th quickest in practice on Friday. Starting up front at a road course can set the pace for the entire race, and Bowyer has given himself a spot in the Top 10 for Sunday.
The Thunder from Down Under, Marcos Ambrose is my pick to win this Sunday at Infineon. He starts one position in front of Bowyer in eighth and has an astounding record on road courses. Ambrose has an average finish of 9.8 in all his starts on road courses, with four Top 5’s in just six starts. Ambrose was born to drive on road courses and is utterly familiar with left and right turns from his days of Supercar Racing in Australia. He’s got a great car and a great starting spot on Sunday, so watch for him to finish towards the front.
Stay tuned for next week’s preview as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads back to Florida to go night racing once again at Daytona. Until next time…..you stay classy ROAD COURSE NATION.
