Army Birthday, Bud Moore Tribute – added incentives for Newman at Michigan
Surprising and Not Surprising: Pocono 5-Hour Energy 500
Under threatening skies in Long Pond, PA and after the ARCA race was called for fog the previous day, the Cup Series took the green flag for one of the longer races of the season.
Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, PA.
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[/media-credit]Surprising: One of the most surprised at Pocono Raceway was the driver in Victory Lane celebrating his 84th career win, tying the record for third on the all-time NASCAR Spring Cup Series win list, along with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip.
Race winner Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, also tied NASCAR Champ Bill Elliott for the most series wins at the ‘Tricky Triangle.’
“It’s so amazing because I was so excited about the win and the hard work that Alan (Gustafson) and his guys have been putting into our speedway program or whatever we call these kinds of race tracks, because we struggled on them and I was just so excited to get that win and see what we’ve been working on,” Gordon said.
“So, today to see it all come together, I was so caught up in that,” Gordon continued. “Plus my family was here to celebrate it.”
“I didn’t even think about 84 until they reminded me when I went to do the Speed Channel show Victory Lane,” Gordon said. “And I was like, oh yeah, that’s unbelievable.”
“I really can’t even express in words what it means because I never thought it would happen for me or for anybody.”
Not Surprising: As expected, he new ability to shift, fuel issues, and problems in the pits all played significant roles in the 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway. Probably most affected was Carl Edwards, the Series point’s leader, who experienced a valve problem that almost caused him to have an engine failure, however, other drivers struggled as well.
While Edwards was able to turn a lap towards the end of the race, the driver of the No. 99 Kellogg/Cheez-It Ford, finished 37th, narrowly maintaining his points lead over Jimmie Johnson by six points.
Another driver Tony Stewart complained bitterly throughout the race about the new-found ability to shift. The driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet finished 21st.
“I just want to thank NASCAR for having us shift about 100 times today,” Stewart said bitterly after losing third gear. “We could have had a good day.”
Kevin Harvick, behind the wheel of the No. 29 Okuma Chevrolet, had fuel issues early in the race, which relegated him to an earlier pit stop strategy than the rest of the field. Harvick was able to redeem himself, however, and finished top-five.
“It was a total team effort to get our Okuma Chevy up there,” Harvick said. “It was a good solid day for us.”
The driver most bit by problems in the pits was Brian Vickers, driver of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota. Vickers received a speeding penalty and then to make matters worse, sped again as he was serving his penalty. Vickers finished 22nd.
Surprising: Although Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota, technically finished third, he along with his crew chief Dave Rogers, were surprised during the post-race inspection when their car officially failed.
“It’s a huge surprise,” Rogers said. “I didn’t present anything to tech that hasn’t been through tech before, several times.”
“The car was 1/16th low at the end,” Rogers continued. “NASCAR gives you a range to be in and they give us a yellow range and we exceeded the yellow. We were 1/16th in the red so we were wrong.”
“We have to go back to the shop and figure out why.”
Not Surprising: Kyle’s big brother Kurt, who scored the pole position in his back up No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger, finished in the runner up position to race winner Gordon.
“It was a great run,” Busch said. “The old boy Jeff Gordon had it in him today. We ran him strong, we ran him hard.”
“We were excited with the finish.”
Surprising: It was most surprising to see young gun Landon Cassill, behind the wheel of his No. 41 Security Benefit/Thank A Teacher Chevrolet, lead a few laps towards the end of the race.
“We were just trying a little pit strategy to see if we could catch a caution or something,” Cassill said. “It’s cool leading laps in the world’s greatest motorsport so I’m proud of that.”
Not Surprising: At least two of Jeff Gordon’s other teammates were pretty happy with their run at Pocono Raceway. Old ‘Five Time’ Jimmie Johnson, piloting the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, finished fourth and NASCAR’S most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., in the No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet, finished sixth.
“It was a great day,” Johnson said. “Our engine package held up today with the abuse we gave it.”
“I’m real happy with where I finished,” Dale Jr. said. “The car was pretty good. I was good with the shifting.”
Surprising: Yes indeed, most surprising was the fact that Denny Hamlin, who has mastered the ‘Tricky Triangle’ so often, did not win the race. In fact, the driver of the No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota Camry finished an uncharacteristic 19th.
“We were just coasting there at the beginning and just nothing went really right,” Hamlin said. “We struggled a little bit on pit road, we got a little bit tighter, I felt like the front bump rubbers just gave up, and then when we left pit road, we had a flat tire.”
“When we did that, it sheared the tire and wrapped it around the housing and broke the brake lines so I had no brakes,” Hamlin continued. “It was just a slew of problems there at the end.”
Not Surprising: To no one’s surprise, newly named crew chief Chad Johnston encouraged his driver, Martin Truex, Jr., behind the wheel of the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, to a top-10 finish.
“That was a hard fought 10th,” Truex, Jr. said. “Chad did a good job of keeping me calm. We were just missing a little and I hope we can find it soon because we’ll have some fun if we do.”
What Went Down In The 5 Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway
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[/media-credit]On a day where one Jacques Debris reigned supreme, Jeff Gordon was able to win the 5 Hour Energy 500 at the Pocono Raceway. It was Gordon’s 84th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win, which places him in a tie on the all time wins list with Hall Fame inductee, Bobby Allison, and 2012 class nominee, Darrell Waltrip. It was the second win of the 2011 season for Gordon which just about guarantees him a wild card spot in the chase.
Denny Hamlin once again looked as though he was going to make the Pocono Raceway his personal playground early on in the race. That all came to an end after the 11 team suffered a flat tire coming off of pit road. Denny was able to nurse the car back to the pits without doing too much damage to his race car. His day was a different story however. Denny was never able to recover from the flat as he then lost his brakes and finished the day in the 19th position. The day wasn’t a total lose though, Denny now moves into the 12th spot in the point standings, which currently qualifies him for the elusive wild card birth.
For the second straight week, both of the Penske entries were solid. Kurt Busch started on the pole for the second consecutive week and ran strong in his Pennzoil Dodge. Kurt finished in the second position after running up front and leading laps throughout the day. His teammate however, wasn’t as lucky. Brad Keselowski’s day started out well. For a moment, he had his blue deuce just outside of the top ten. The team then had to make an extra pit stop for a vibration thought to be caused by a loose wheel. That was not the case. The problems wound up being much more severe for last weeks winner as he was forced to limp the car around for the remainder of the race and finish in the 23rd position. It may not sound like a good day, but the team is making improvements every week. Look for both Penske machines to be weekly contenders in the coming weeks.
After how dominant Juan Pablo Montoya has been at Indianapolis, it was only a matter of time before he got his arms around the Pocono Raceway. Montoya ran most of the race in the top 5 and at one point had a lead that wasn’t even worth Denny Hamlin chasing down. The Target team made some interesting calls by taking two tires on numerous pit stops which left a lot of people scratching their heads. When the black flag with white squares flew, Montoya was in the seventh position. It’s only a matter of time before Juan picks up a win on an oval.
Two drivers that you rarely see run well at Pocono did just that on Sunday. Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. This is just the run these drivers needed as they further their case as championship contenders. By running good at a “weak track”, they and their team prove that they are “in it to win it”. Look for this to be the case from not only them, but all of our title contenders this season.
Speaking of Harvick, he and Kyle Busch come of their probation next weekend in Michigan. But in the beginning of the race, they sure didn’t race like it. Harvick was seen running Busch down to the water on the front stretch and beating on his bumper. Harvick said after the race, “He’s got one comin'”. “It says a lot about his character” said Busch when asked about Harvick. I know all you fans, including myself, can not wait to see what transpires between the two in the coming weeks.
With Pocono now in the books, the eyes of the NASCAR world look towards the Irish Hills of Michigan. Will we see the fuel mileage battle that is so common at MIS and lately in NASCAR? Will the Harvick and Busch fued resume? All these questions and more will be answered next Sunday.
Next Race- Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400
Sunday on TNT at 12pm EST. MRN Radio
HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: THE MULTIPLE SIDES OF A TRICKY TRIANGLE
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[/media-credit]During the previous NASCAR weekend, at the Pocono Raceway, we saw multiple sides, ie: story lines, from a famed speedway that is known as the tricky triangle because of its unique three turn shape. We watched a four time Sprint Cup champion put on a sterling performance that could very well guarantee his place in the 2011 Chase. We watched an expected Pocono race winner, and Chase contender, experience more bad luck from a bizarre tire and brake incident. We also watched the interesting saga of Childress versus Busch take new twists that ranged from monetary donations from fans to an expensive post race inspection. With those thoughts in mind, let’s begin with:
HOORAH to Jeff Gordon for winning the 5 Hour Energy 500 at Pocono. Gordon and his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet cruised under the checkers a full three seconds ahead of runner up Kurt Busch. It also marked the four time champion’s 84th career win which ties him at third, with Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison, on NASCAR’s all time win list.
However, of more importance to the current racing season, the Pocono win moved Gordon to 11th in the standings and only six points away from the coveted top ten which determines the final line up of Chase contenders in September. Gordon also bought himself a Chase insurance policy as well. Pocono was his second win of the season and that may make him eligible for one of the two wild card berths in the Chase system if he falls out of the top ten in points. That wild card system will place the drivers with the most wins, in points positions 11 through 20, into the Chase. Before the season even began there were theories that said any driver with at least two wins was likely going to become a championship contender.
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WAZZUP with that tough break suffered by Denny Hamlin and his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Hamlin virtually owns the driver stats at Pocono and was heavily favored to finally get his first win of the season there. For that matter Hamlin was also heavily favored to win the 2011 Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship. After a surprisingly slow start to the 2011 season, Hamlin slowly but surely worked his way back to 11th in the points standings prior to the Pocono race.
But, after leading a race high 76 laps, the high expectations hit a sudden low in the race when a flat tire forced unscheduled time on pit road. This was followed by the flat tire somehow completely shearing off the brake line connected to the left rear wheel. Between the loss of track position in the pits, combined with virtually no brakes on a track like Pocono, the best Hamlin could do was limp home to a 19th place finish and a drop to 12th in the points. In other words: another round of bad luck for this team.
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On the topic of unexpected problems for Joe Gibbs Racing, WAZZUP with Kyle Busch’s Toyota failing to pass post race inspection? After finishing third at Pocono, NASCAR officials discovered an irregularity with the car and ran it through inspection three time. The final result determined that the the left front of the car was too low but only by a mere one-sixteenth of an inch outside of NASCAR’s accepted tolerances. The car was transported to NASCAR’s Research and Development Center, in Concord-North Carolina, for further inspection.
On Monday afternoon NASCAR announced that crew chief Dave Rogers had been fined $25,000. They also docked Kyle Busch six championship points and Joe Gibbs six owner’s points.
Now I’m wondering if any fans of Kyle Busch and/or Joe Gibbs are going to send money to help pay the crew chief’s fine.
(Oh yeah, you know where I’m going next.)
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HOORAH to the fans of Richard Childress who actually sent the veteran NASCAR team owner money to help him pay the massive $150,000 levied against him by NASCAR officials last week. This was, of course, the aftermath from the physical altercation between Childress and Kyle Busch following the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kansas. On Friday Childress announced that he would be paying the fine from his personal account and, as far as he’s concerned, the matter is now a closed issue.
But Childress did admit that he was completely overwhelmed by the show of fan support. He deserves a HOORAH for announcing that the fan money will be donated to the Childress Institute For Pediatric Trauma. It’s yet another reason why everyone thinks Richard Childress is a class act.
HOORAH to Kevin Harvick for injecting a little humor into this situation via “Twitter”. Harvick has been taking the credit for teaching his team owner how to use his very own brand new “Twitter” account. Harvick, updating us all on that progress, wrote: “RChildress3 gained almost 2,500 followers in a couple of hours. I had is watch timing it,” a reference to Childress removing his wrist watch prior to the altercation with Busch,
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Whether or not this next item is a HOORAH or a WAZZUP I suppose depends on how you feel about the drivers involved and their recent personal dealings with each other. This item is about Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch referencing their pit road altercation following the Darlington race, that resulted in a four race probation period levied on each driver.
That probation period ended at the conclusion of the Pocono race. But Harvick apparently decided to have some fun and surprise Busch with some early race tactics that included a little pushing while in the process of trying to make a pass. Meanwhile, in the control tower, NASCAR officials were not exactly amused over what they were watching and made quick work of sending radio messages to tell both drivers to settle down and “just race.”
Kyle Busch wasn’t that amused either and, over the radio, said “apparently he thinks probation is over so he’s back to wrecking me.” After the race Busch said “it seems like he was trying to make it awfully difficult on me. There were a couple of times I had to back off and wait, (to complete a pass), It’s not my fight, he’s trying to turn it into one.”
With that famous faint half smile on his face, Harvick said “I was just playing with him. He hasn’t seen the last of it yet. He knows he’s got one coming, I just wanted him to think about it.”
I have to give Harvick a somewhat reluctant WAZZUP for pushing that envelope during the final race of his probation. He had to know NASCAR was watching every time he and Busch got close to each other. In one more week the probation would have been over and he would be fully reinstated in the “have at it boys” club again.
At the same time I also have to give Harvick a HOORAH for his Pocono prank because I was enjoying watching it way too much.
A reluctant WAZZUP also goes to Kyle Busch for finding himself in the middle of most NASCAR major stories lately despite trying to behave himself even to the point of seemingly choosing his words very carefully during interviews. Ever since his extreme embarrassment of getting a speeding ticket, for doing 128 MPH in a 45 zone, Busch has had to deal with the backlash of his Darlington incident with Harvick, getting pummeled by a 65 year old team owner in Kansas, the surprise tactics of a race rival during the Pocono race followed by his car’s failure to pass technical inspection. It’s enough to make the leaves of any shrub fall off.
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The final HOORAH of the week goes to the SPEED Channel’s Kenny Wallace for an on air comment made following the Pocono race. When asked if he felt the Harvick-Busch feud would continue after their probation was over, Wallace replied “they must continue, simply because it’s awesome.”
There’s two final WAZZUPS for you to consider this week. The first goes to Carl Edwards. Heavily favored as a Pocono race winner, a very rare engine failure, reported to be a faulty valve, sidelined that effort on lap 56. He still maintains his status as the points leader but the 37th place finish has slashed his lead to six points over Jimmie Johnson and ten points over Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The final WAZZUP goes to Johnny Sauter for literally giving away a win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the Texas Motor Speedway. Lined up against Ron Hornaday Jr, for a green-white-checker double file restart, Sauter changed lanes prior to crossing the start-finish line. That’s against NASCAR’s restart rules and they made quick work of showing Sauter the black flag. He was regulated to a 22nd place finish while a surprised Hornaday went to victory lane.
