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| Photo Credit: Jason Smith/ Getty Images for NASCAR |
With Brad Keselowski settling the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series title last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, the main focus through the final two races of this middle-level stock car tour was the racing action. The one-mile oval of Phoenix International Raceway supplies a quaint-essential mix of large track speed and short track competition.
Setting up 200 laps of Saturday afternoon action on the desert, Joey Logano secured the WYPALL 200 pole in morning qualifying. Breaking out to a lead through the first 24 race laps, Logano relinquished the first place position during pit stops made during the event's earliest caution for fluid originating from the #70 Chevrolet of Mark Green.
As several top vehicles pitted for fresh tires and fuel at this point of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race, the #35 Chevrolet of Tony Raines remained on track to lead when the WYPALL 200 resumed on lap 30. At a clear disadvantage on older tires, Raines was no match for the cars behind him on the restart. Aric Almirola was the first car to pass the #35 Chevrolet elevating the JR Motorsports #88 car to the front at Phoenix International Raceway.
Lasting for just 8 laps, Almirola's run with JR Motorsports (in preparation for a full campaign in the #88 Chevrolet in 2011) went far better than the drive of teammate Danica Patrick. Still learning the finer points of racing a stock car through her off time from the IZOD IndyCar Series, Patrick spent much of the race hovering in the low to mid-20s on track in the #7 Godaddy.com Chevy. While running respectively, an incident between the #7 Chevrolet and the #27 Ford of Alex Kennedy got into a shoving match on-track. While Kennedy got into the car of Patrick on lap 133, the IndyCar star demonstrated her knowledge of the fine art of payback on the following lap. While mostly harmless to both vehicles, Danica Patrick's contact with the wall 24 laps later. The #7 Chevrolet would finish 7 laps down in 32rd place.
On several occasions, Carl Edwards held a lead of multiple seconds over second place runners.
With Edwards' Roush-Fenway Racing #60 Ford in a class of his own throughout the WYPALL 200, Kyle Bucsh was holding down the runner-up place for much of the race distance. While able to lure the lead of the Phoenix event for 10 laps total on the day, this Saturday afternoon race would not be Busch's 13th victory on the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide calender.
Fighting for best of the rest for the event, Busch's hopes for a good run was deflated (literally) by a softening tire on his #18 Toyota. Three laps after radioing the problem, Busch pitted on lap 163 to receive four fresh tires from his Joe Gibbs Racing crew. The #18 crew returned the driver quickly but Busch would drop one lap down to the leader. Some additional concern surrounded the #18 Toyota in the late laps as light smoke was pluming from the Joe Gibbs Racing vehicle. Fortunately, the smoke dissipated through the final circuits of the WYPALL 200 and would not present any problems as Busch used the advantage of new tire to hard charge back up to the lead lap for 16th place.
Coming across the line 5.12 seconds ahead of Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards easy ride in Phoenix ends with his 4th win of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide season. Out front for 153 of this race's 200 laps, the impressive performance of the #60 Ford even surprised the driver.
Rounding out the top-5 for the WYPALL 200 at Phoenix International Raceway, 2nd place Kevin Harvick was followed by Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Reed Sorenson. In 6th place, Aric Almirola ended the NASCAR Nationwide Series backing up the 5th place finishing result after Friday's Camping World Truck Series event.
Almirola's effort in the #88 car did result in one critic, the driver of the #12 Dodge Justin Allgaier. While the #12 Penske Racing Dodge appeared destined to a strong top-5 effort running second early in the WYPALL 200, Allgaier realized his race car's performance faded in the last 50 laps. Dropping down the field but fighting to retain a top-10 result, the #88 Chevrolet of Almirola rushed the Penske Racing car of Allgaier in lap 193 into turn one. Sizing up the #12 Dodge on the inside, the #88 Chevrolet leaned on Allgaier while making the pass. Unhappy with the pass, contact after the checkered flag resulted with the #12 and #88 cars. Justin Allgaier did not appear outspokenly mad at Almirola but he was disappointed the driver of the #88 Chevy could not race him clean.
Next week, the NASCAR Nationwide Series tour will combat for the last time in 2010 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Ford 300 is set for late Saturday afternoon.
NASCAR Nationwide Series
November 13, 2010
WYPALL 200
Phoenix International Raceway
Race Results
- 60 Carl Edwards Copart Ford
- 33 Kevin Harvick Rheem Solar Water Heaters Chevrolet
- 20 Joey Logano GameStop/Afterglow Toyota
- 22 Brad Keselowski Discount Tire Dodge
- 32 Reed Sorenson Dollar General Toyota
- 88 Aric Almirola GT Vodka Chevrolet
- 16 Colin Braun # Con-way Ford
- 12 Justin Allgaier Verizon Wireless Dodge
- 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. # Blackwell Angus Beef Ford
- 66 Steve Wallace 5-hour Energy Toyota
- 09 Brian Scott # Shore Lodge Toyota
- 40 Mike Bliss Westerman Companies Chevrolet
- 98 Paul Menard Richmond/Menards Ford
- 17 Trevor Bayne Roush Fenway Ford
- 84 Cole Whitt Red Bull Toyota
- 18 Kyle Busch NOS Toyota
- 23 Coleman Pressley R3 Motorsports Chevrolet
- 15 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Coffee Toyota
- 35 Tony Raines BeAStockCarDriver.com Chevrolet
- 28 Kenny Wallace Iron Horse Jeans Chevrolet
- 10 Ricky Carmichael Monster Energy Toyota
- 11 James Buescher # Great Clips Toyota
- 99 Ryan Truex Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
- 27 Alex Kennedy LawMemorial.org/Sacred Power Ford
- 05 David Starr Super Pawn Chevrolet
- 81 Michael McDowell Red Line Oil/Drive Reply Dodge
- 62 Brendan Gaughan Alliance Parts Toyota
- 87 Joe Nemechek Gator.com Chevrolet
- 01 Mike Wallace Suncore Industries Chevrolet
- 83 John Borneman III Nicky Rottens/Borneman Plastering Ford
- 21 Morgan Shepherd Victory In Jesus Chevrolet
- 7 Danica Patrick GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
- 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota
- 00 Martin Truex Jr. Travis Pastrana Toyota
- 79 Tim Andrews 2nd Chance Race Parts Ford
- 49 David Green Jay Robinson Racing Chevrolet
- 90 Danny O'Quinn Jr. D'Hondt Humphrey Racing Chevrolet
- 70 Mark Green Iron Horse Jeans Chevrolet
- 91 David Gilliland D'Hondt Humphrey Racing Chevrolet
- 34 Charles Lewandoski Tri-Star Motorsports Chevrolet
- 26 Brian Keselowski K-Automotive Motorsports Dodge
- 92 Dennis Setzer K-Automotive Motorsports Dodge
- 36 Jeff Green Tri-Star Motorsports Chevrolet
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