Predicting the 2014 NASCAR Chase Future Through Past Finishes

For ten years, NASCAR has been operating the Chase in the Sprint Cup series as a playoff for major league stock car racing. For 2014 though, the Chase has received a substantial makeover. Up to 16 drivers in contention, three rounds involving drivers getting knocked out and Homestead-Miami Speedway becoming a guaranteed showdown for four finalists is new traits found in the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chasse. The only lingering leftover from the last chase format is the 10 races used to decide the championship’s outcome.

Attempting to predict the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup, I have considered the prospect computing race results of the 16 drivers participating in this year’s hunt. Using the historical finishes or average finishes, I came up with three interesting outcomes. Keep note that I am not taking into consideration the bonus points for victory in calculations. Using the Challenger, Contender and Eliminator rounds, I compiled the average finishes of each driver. With this information, I have extracted some entertaining accounts of where the 16 Chase drivers could end up in the 2014 championship fight. While I tried to make this a decent math lesson for myself, please do not put money on this information (I most certainly would not put my money on the line).

The following scenarios is work compiled as merely an entertaining exercise to see if the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase champion could be arrived to even before the first race at Chicagoland Speedway has received a green flag:

Potential Chase Outcome Scenario #1: Based on 2013 Finishes

Let’s say if for some miraculous reason drivers somehow finish races in identical or similar positions as 2013, the conclusion will be highly favourable for three of the four Hendrick Motorsports cars heading into homestead. In this study, in addition to average finishes, I have taken into account 2013 wins by some drivers as automatic entry into the next Chase round. This allowed Brad Keselowski to advance through the Contender round and given Jeff Gordon a chance to compete for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in this possible Chase.

Since AJ Allmendinger did not run in all 10 races in 2013, I substituted 2014 results at the tracks where he did not run last fall.

Finalists	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	Jimmie Johnson
	Kevin Harvick
	Jeff Gordon
Eliminated in Eliminator Round	Brad Keselowski
	Carl Edwards
	Matt Kenseth
	Kurt Busch
Eliminated in Contender Round	Joey Logano
	Ryan Newman
	Kyle Busch
	Greg Biffle
Eliminated in Challenger Round	Kasey Kahne
	AJ Allmendinger
	Denny Hamlin
	Aric Almirola

　

Potential Chase Outcome Scenario #2: Last Race Run by Driver at Track

In this one, I used data from the last time drivers completed at a specific track on the Chase schedule. Eight of those race tracks have already held 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup races. In the case of Chicagoland Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway, I used the 2013 races for both ovals.

Finalists	Kevin Harvick
	Jeff Gordon
	Jimmie Johnson
	Matt Kenseth
Eliminated in Eliminator Round	Greg Biffle
	Carl Edwards
	Kyle Busch
	Brad Keselowski
Eliminated in Contender Round	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	Joey Logano
	Ryan Newman
	Denny Hamlin
Eliminated in Challenger Round	Kasey Kahne
	Kurt Busch
	AJ Allmendinger
	Aric Almirola

　

Potential Chase Outcome Scenario #3: Average Career Finishes Mixed with Last Race Finishes

Since I thought that average career finishes might not have been entirely accurate, I decided to weigh their recent results on a driver’s average. In the case of Denny Hamlin, the result was no change. For Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Aric Almirola, the computation of measuring career finishes against recent finishes showed a around five-position overall improvement for the final 10 Chase race tracks. Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch have shown the largest negative change with their recent finishes measuring poorly to their career averages.

Finalists	Carl Edwards
	Jeff Gordon
	Jimmie Johnson
	Kyle Busch
Eliminated in Eliminator Round	Kevin Harvick
	Kasey Kahne
	Denny Hamlin
	Aric Almirola
Eliminated in Contender Round	Brad Keselowski
	Ryan Newman
	Kurt Busch
	Matt Kenseth
Eliminated in Challenger Round	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
	AJ Allmendinger
	Greg Biffle
	Joey Logano

　

These three possible NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase outcomes are largely based on what has happened. One thing to know about the future is that it doesn’t always take advice from the past. There are so many variables beyond previous finishes to consider. The 2014 Chase has three drivers competing with their first full season with a different organization than in previous years. Also, Carl Edwards and long-time team Roush Fenway Racing are parting company at the end of this season potentially influencing the #99 Ford in a strongly positive or negative way. Tracks like Talladega Superspeedway and even Martinsville Speedway have to potential to radically shift the points balance.

With Chicagoland Speedway readying to host the first race of the 2014 Chase, all 16 drivers will be trying to register the right numbers to compete for the Sprint Cup at Homestead-Miami.

Information and photo source: NASCAR, Richmond International Raceway

Jeff Gordon Takes Cup Pole for Aaron's 499 at Talladega

Photo Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR

Qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 race at Talladega Superspeedway took place late Saturday morning on the 2.66-mile high-speed oval.

Prevailing in qualifying with his first pole of 2012, Jeff Gordon and the #24 Chevrolet fielded by Hendrick Motorsports clocked a 49.973-second time averaging 191.623 miles per hour. Just 0.034 seconds behind Gordon was the #22 Dodge of AJ Allmendinger. Allmendinger starting 2nd, Marcos Ambrose placed third-fastest and Aric Almirola in 4th are all driver hunting for a first-career Sprint Cup victory. A wide-open race track known for first time victories since Richard Brickhouse won the inaugural 500-mile stock car event, Talladega Superspeedway last played host to Brad Keselowski's first-time win in the series in 2009. As well as searching for a first NASCAR Sprint Cup race win at Talladega Superspeedway, Allmendinger is one of two Dodge Charger stock cars attempting to place the brand in the Alabama victory lane for the first time since 1976. 

This is the second year in a row that Jeff Gordon will lead the field to green in the spring Talladega event and the third straight team a Hendrick Motorsports car starts at the front of this NASCAR Sprint Cup race. Hendrick Motorsports enters the 2012 spring race as the defending winner after Jimmie Johnson was pushed to victory by teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. Still chasing the 200th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win for the organization, Hendrick Motorsports cars behind Gordon are scattered. Kasey Kahne's #5 Chevrolet starts 5th while #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr is positioned 18th ahead of the #48 of Jimmie Johnson in 19th.

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver points leader entering the 10th race, Greg Biffle will start 6th in the Aaron's 499 with the #16 Ford Fusion. Biffle starts one position above Roush Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards at Talladega. The 2012 Daytona 500 winning #17 Ford of Matt Kenseth starts 10th behind his teammates seeking to establish two-straight restrictor plate wins in 2012 if he can finish up front at the end of 187 laps. Roush Fenway Racing is chasing their first win at Talladega since Jamie McMurray took the team to a 2009 victory in the fall event.  



2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Talladega Superspeedway
Aaron's 499
Starting Line-up

Pos #	Car #	Driver	Sponsor/Car Make
1	24	Jeff Gordon	DuPont Chevrolet
2	22	AJ Allmendinger	Shell Pennzoil/AAA Dodge
3	9	Marcos Ambrose	Stanley Ford
4	43	Aric Almirola	VeriFone Sail Ford
5	5	Kasey Kahne	Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
6	16	Greg Biffle	3M/O'Reilly Auto Parts Ford
7	99	Carl Edwards	Fastenal Ford
8	14	Tony Stewart	Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
9	55	Michael Waltrip	Aaron's Color Your Way Toyota
10	17	Matt Kenseth	Best Buy Ford
11	21	Trevor Bayne	Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford
12	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	Target/Kraft Chevrolet
13	2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite Dodge
14	39	Ryan Newman	Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
15	56	Martin Truex Jr.	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
16	26	Josh Wise	Morristown Driver's Service Ford
17	27	Paul Menard	Menards/Turtle Wax Chevrolet
18	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet
19	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe's Chevrolet
20	29	Kevin Harvick	Rheem Chevrolet
21	18	Kyle Busch	M&M's Toyota
22	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Express Toyota
23	1	Jamie McMurray	Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
24	15	Clint Bowyer	Aaron's/Alabama National Champ Toyota
25	13	Casey Mears	GEICO Ford
26	38	David Gilliland	Taco Bell Ford
27	30	David Stremme	Stock Car Steel and Aluminum Toyota
28	32	Terry Labonte	C&J Energy Ford
29	31	Jeff Burton	Caterpillar Chevrolet
30	20	Joey Logano	Dollar General Toyota
31	78	Regan Smith	Furniture Row Chevrolet
32	34	David Ragan	Front Row Motorsports Ford
33	51	Kurt Busch	Phoenix Construction Services Inc. Chevrolet
34	10	David Reutimann	Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
35	98	Michael McDowell	Curb Records Ford
36	97	Bill Elliott	NEMCO Motorsports Toyota
37	87	Joe Nemechek	AM/FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota
38	36	Dave Blaney	Golden Corral Chevrolet
39	23	Robert Richardson Jr.	North TX Pipe Toyota
40	83	Landon Cassill	Burger King/Dr. Pepper Toyota
41	93	Travis Kvapil	Burger King/Dr. Pepper Toyota
42	47	Bobby Labonte	Bush's Beans Toyota
43	33	Tony Raines	Little Joe's Autos Chevrolet

Busch Smokes Smoke for Bud Shootout Win at Daytona

Photo Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

A race almost three months in the waiting, the 2012 Budweiser Shootout launched the NASCAR Sprint Cup competition with a non-points event. Bringing the new fuel-injected V-8 engines of the world's most premier stock car series to life, the Daytona International Speedway plays host to an annual event that combines the accomplishments of the previous season with a perspective towards the upcoming season. The scheduled 75-lap event brought 25 selected drivers into a Saturday night fight for a purse just over a million dollars as well as the all-important begging rights entering the following Sunday's Daytona 500.

Michael Waltrip Racing's #56 Toyota piloted by Martin Truex Jr led the 25-car field to the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season's first green flag (although unofficial). After several rule changes designed to eliminate last year's prevalent 'two-car tandem' drafting at restrictor plate races, the first major competition at Daytona International Speedway saw the multi-car packs return as the main method for lapping the 2.5-mile oval. The racing action immediately became anxious as the Budweiser Shootout saw drivers frequently going up to three-wide.

At the front of the Budweiser Shootout early, Truex Jr's pole advantage was nullified by the #88 Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr surge from a 7th place spot to the lead in the first lap. In addition to Earnhardt Jr, drivers Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray and Kevin Harvick also possessed the top spot across the Daytona start/finish line within only the first 10 laps.

A wild race within 25 cars, the Budweiser Shootout competition would be reduced early by an accident on lap 9. Through turn 2, the #34 Ford of David Ragan and Paul Menard's #27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet made contact that caused a chain reaction wreck collecting 9 cars. Among the vehicles damaged in the race's first caution was the #11 FedEx Toyota of Denny Hamlin, Jeff Burton's #31 Chevrolet and the #55 Toyota driven by Michael Waltrip. Of the five cautions for the night, three (including the lap 9 altercation) would be for multi-car accidents.

A race divided into two segments (first a 25-lap and second a 50-lap stint), the NASCAR Sprint Cup racers aggressively ran through the initial 25 laps. Showing some considerable speed, the #1 Chevrolet piloted by 2012 Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray made the most of his Earnhardt-Childress Racing engine once again at Daytona. With a 10-minute break for teams to tune their cars for the final 50 laps, the race was wide-open for any competition (or situation) to win out.

Photo Credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Similar to the first racing segment, the second part of the 2012 Budweiser Shootout would involve rapid lead changes. Coming strong in the first 25 laps, Jeff Gordon's #24 Chevrolet took the lead in the second segment's first lap. The #16 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford of Greg Biffle and AJ Allmendinger, driving the #22 Dodge for the first time in competition for Penske Racing, added their names to the leader board of the event.

Having started alongside Martin Truex Jr on the front row after the Budweiser Shootout qualifying draw Friday, the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the hands of Kyle Busch remained quiet during the event until a wild slide on lap 47. Sent sideways, Kyle Busch showed off some brilliant car control by saving his M&Ms-sponsored race vehicle avoiding major damage and a caution. Through the latter stage of the event, Busch and the #18 Toyota involved deeply in the action of the 2012 Budweiser Shootout.

With a big wreck at lap 9 of the Daytona event, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitors were once-again to be swept by a major accident in turn 2. When the #9 Ford of Marcos Ambrose tagged Joey Logano's #20 Toyota, the ensuing accident collected several front runners. The #17 Ford of Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr were all finished for the night following major damage from the wreck.

Photo Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

As the field of the Budweiser Shootout thinned after two major restrictor plate accidents, there was still a considerable pack of NASCAR Sprint Cup cars in position for the 2012 edition of the event. With just a handful of laps remaining, almost every race car remaining stood a chance of taking the 2012 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona but Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart appeared to be primed as favourites within 2 laps to go. Entering into turn 3 on lap 73, Kyle Busch was sent sideways once more by an aggressive Jeff Gordon. While Busch chased control in his #18 machine, the contact created a chain reaction that swept up 8 cars. Among the vehicles caught up included Gordon's #24 Chevrolet that flew into the turn 4 wall, was lifted onto its side and sent burrow-rolling down the frontstretch. Landing upside-down, Jeff Gordon carefully climbed out of his Hendrick Motorsports car unhurt. This second-to-last lap wreck also ended the Budweiser Shootout for Jamie Mcmurray, the #48 Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch Piloting his first race with the Phoenix Racing #51 Chevrolet.

Once the accident scene was cleaned up, NASCAR issued a green-white-checkered restart to the field of 10 lead lap cars. Tony Stewart led the group to the final green flag of the 2012 Budweiser Shootout and was immediately placed under attack by the multi-car drafting trains. On the final lap, 2011 Watkins Glen winner Marcos Ambrose received credit for the lead. However, it would be a fight between Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch off the final corner on the final lap that would settle the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. Skillfully holding onto the #18 Toyota from near accidents twice, Kyle Busch placed himself along the passenger side of Stewart's #14 Chevrolet en route to the checkered flag. To the line, Busch ended a fantastic Saturday night performance by inching Tony Stewart by a 0.013-second margin (The closest ever in the Budweiser Shootout event's history). Behind Tony Stewart, Marcos Ambrose, Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-5 for the Budweiser Shootout.

With 13 of the 25 cars classified as running at the end of the Budweiser Shootout, question now exist on whether the return to large drafting packs could be done in a safe manner for the Gatorade Duel 150s or the Daytona 500 race. What may come into play is the Budweiser Shootout differs from the Daytona 500 as a non-points sprint event where there was little to lose by taking chances. The Daytona 500 is a far more methodical event that is prepared to run February 26th as the official beginning of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.


2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Budweiser Shootout
Daytona International Speedway
Race Results


Position        |   Car No.      | Driver                 | Sponsor/Car Make

1	18	Kyle Busch	M&M's Toyota
2	14	Tony Stewart	Mobil 1 / Office Depot Chevrolet
3	9	Marcos Ambrose	Stanley Ford
4	2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite Dodge
5	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Express Toyota
6	16	Greg Biffle	3M Ford
7	39	Ryan Newman	WIX Filters Chevrolet
8	15	Clint Bowyer	5-hour Energy Toyota
9	99	Carl Edwards	Fastenal Ford
10	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	Target Chevrolet
11	31	Jeff Burton	CAT Chevrolet
12	22	AJ Allmendinger	Shell Pennzoil Dodge
13	5	Kasey Kahne	Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
14	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe's Chevrolet
15	24	Jeff Gordon	Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
16	1	Jamie McMurray	Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet
17	51	Kurt Busch	Tag Heuer Avant-Garde Chevrolet
18	20	Joey Logano	The Home Depot Toyota
19	56	Martin Truex Jr.	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
20	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	National Guard / Diet Mtn. Dew Chevrolet
21	17	Matt Kenseth	Best Buy Ford
22	29	Kevin Harvick	Budweiser Chevrolet
23	27	Paul Menard	Menards / Peak Chevrolet
24	34	David Ragan	MHP / Power Pak Pudding Ford
25	55	Michael Waltrip	Aaron's Toyota

Wizard of the Chase Johnson Wins Kansas Cup Race

Photo Credit: Tom Whitmore/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

Kansas Speedway is the second of four 1.5 mile tri-oval track locales in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup. At the first so-called "cookie-cutter track", Tony Stewart become an early championship favourite when he won the Chicagoland Speedway event on fuel mileage. With 43 NASCAR Sprint Cup series drivers entered for the Hollywood Casino 400, the 12 Chase drivers continue to be under a microscope as some contenders are attempting to assert themselves in this fourth event in the 10-race championship fight.

 

Non-Chase driver Greg Biffle in the #16 Ford took the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole Friday outrunning his Roush Fenway Racing teammate and Chase points leader Carl Edwards. One of the 29 other cars and teams caught in the delicate spot of racing for wins without performing any costly moves against Chase contenders, Biffle was undaunted from racing to win. However, the #16 driver himself would realize having raced within the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship format in previous years.

 

Starting in 19th place, the Hendrick Motorsports #48 Lowes Chevrolet was led to the front quickly by the skillful Jimmie Johnson. Up to 9th place after only the first 15 laps, Johnson took the lead for the first time in the Hollywood Casino 400 at lap 24. Competitors and race fans would soon realize as the Kansas Speedway Sprint Cup event endured the force of the #48 team was in full force. After a rather dormant existence in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup, Jimmie Johnson resided at the front for 197 laps over the 267-lap race distance. At one point in the race, Johnson pulled out a 12-second lead on the second-place running vehicle.

 

Other than Jimmie Johnson, the Roush Fenway Ford Fusions of Matt Kenseth and Kansas race pole winner Greg Biffle recorded the only significant collection of laps at the end of the Hollywood Casino 400. With Biffle leading most of his 23 total laps early in the #16 Ford, Matt Kenseth led for 26 laps in the #17 Crown Royal Ford. Between lap 64 and lap 66, Kenseth and Biffle battled to stay at front prior to pit stops. Important for the 2011 NASCAR Chase standings, Kyle Busch in the #18 Toyota, Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon would lead laps during the Kansas Speedway event netting a single championship point a piece.

Photo Credit: Tyler Barrick Autostock USA

 

While Johnson enjoyed a glorious time at the front of the Kansas Speedway event, the rest of the Hendrick Motorsport team participated in a relatively quiet scheduled 400.5-mile event. Previous Kansas track winner Mark Martin came home 10th in the #5 Chevrolet while Dale Earnhardt Jr soldiered through a rather uneventful race in the #88 car. Concluding without a tire issue, the 14th place finish was improved over the previous two NASCAR Sprint Cup races.

 

The final Hendrick Motorsport car, the #24 Chevrolet of Jeff Gordon, had a dramatic end to his day. Chancing older tires against the force of new tires, Gordon and the #24 Dupont stayed on track improving his track position. Restarting on lap 211, Gordon and the #14 Chevy of Tony Stewart made slight contact causing the #24 car to lose pace, falling out of the top-10 quickly. As the end of the car neared, Jeff Gordon's day turned worse when mechanical problems caused the Hendrick Motorsports engine to break spectacularly with only on lap 265. Dropping to 34th place at the end, the timing of this caution inadvertently threatened what was an almost guaranteed sprint to victory by teammate Jimmie Johnson. 

Photo Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

 

In the late stage of the Hollywood Casino 400, the #4 Red Bull Toyota piloted by Kasey Kahne. Starting 5th and demonstrating strong race pace with the Toyota Camry stock car, Kahne lost considerable ground early at Kansas Speedway on a pit stop under the race's first caution on lap 21. Combined with a broken jack, Kahne's entrance out of pit road was blocked by the #48 car of Jimmie Johnson.

 

Bypassing the #2 Dodge of Brad Keselowski in late laps at Kansas, Kasey Kahne was the closest contender showing any ability of defeating the Lowes-sponsored Chevy. On a green-white-checker restart resulting from the blown engine of the #24 Chevrolet, Jimmie Johnson obtained a major jump that allowed a safe distance ahead of Kahne through the final 2 laps of the race. Winning his 55th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, the Kansas victory was Johnson's first since the Talladega spring 2011 race.

 

Behind second place Kasey Kahne in the finishing order of the Hollywood Casino 400 was Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards. Besides non-Chase driver Kahne, four other drivers outside of the 12-driver end of season points fight for 2011 were in the Kansas race's top-10. From 7th to 10th were the cars of Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, Marcos Ambrose and Mark Martin.

 

The Hollywood Casino 400 top-4 consisted of a Chevrolet ahead of a Toyota with a Dodge and a Ford resulting in some close manufacturer parity. However, Chevrolet clinches the Sprint Cup Series manufacturer's championship thanks to the #48 Impala's Kansas win.

 

Elevated in the points with the win, Jimmie Johnson is in 3rd place in the Chase points standing. Driver of the #99 Ford Carl Edwards obtains a one-point gap over Kevin Harvick who came home in 6th place. Edwards and Harvick entered the Kansas race tied with the difference of a single position breaking the draw.

 

A 500-mile night race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is next for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Jamie McMurray won the Charlotte event in 2010 over Kyle Busch.

  

2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Hollywood Casino 400
Kansas Speedway
Race Results


Pos #| Car #| Driver | Sponsor | Car Make

1. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
2. 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
3. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
4. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
5. 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
6. 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
7. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
8. 16 Greg Biffle Sherwin-Williams Ford
9. 9 Marcos Ambrose DeWalt Ford
10. 5 Mark Martin CARQUEST / GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
11. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
12. 27 Paul Menard Schrock / Menards Chevrolet
13. 22 Kurt Busch Shell Pennzoil Dodge
14. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet
15. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet
16. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota
17. 51 Landon Cassill Security Benefits / Thank A Teacher Today Chevrolet
18. 39 Ryan Newman HAAS Automation Chevrolet
19. 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
20. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
21. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
22. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Arctic Cat Chevrolet
23. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
24. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing / Farm American Chevrolet
25. 43 A J Allmendinger Best Buy Ford
26. 98 Austin Dillon President Ronald Reagan Centennial Chevrolet
27. 38 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
28. 32 Mike Bliss Street King Ford
29. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
30. 47 Bobby Labonte Bush's Beans / Kingsford Toyota
31. 36 Dave Blaney Big Red Chevrolet
32. 34 David Gilliland A&W All American Food Ford
33. 46 Scott Speed ordergreenstuff.com Ford
34. 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
35. 0 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
36. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
37. 71 Andy Lally # Interstate Moving Services Ford
38. 7 Reed Sorenson SPEED Energy / MAPEI / Menards Dodge
39. 66 Michael McDowell Victory Junction Toyota
40. 30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Chevrolet
41. 87 Joe Nemechek AM FM Energy Toyota
42. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
43. 55 J J Yeley Front Row Motorsports Ford

Kurt Busch thumps Cup field in Sonoma win



Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR




By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

SONOMA, Calif. (June 26, 2011) — Sonoma County is famous for wineries, not woodsheds, but Kurt Busch found the latter Sunday at Infineon Raceway, administering a good old-fashioned whipping to his NASCAR Sprint Cup competition in the Toyota/Save Mart 350.

Busch led 76 of 110 laps and beat runner-up Jeff Gordon to the finish line by 2.685 seconds to win his first race of the season and the 23rd of his career, tying him with Ricky Rudd for 26th on the career win list. The victory, which broke a 38-race drought, was Busch’s first on a road course.

By staying out front for most of the afternoon, Busch avoided the wildness exploding behind him — including a revenge play featuring Tony Stewart and Brian Vickers and sustained late-race drama involving Juan Pablo Montoya and a host of extras.

Gordon, who was mired in traffic for much of the day, parlayed pit strategy into his second-place finish by staying out on old tires late in the race. Series leader Carl Edwards did the same and came home third, extending his advantage in the standings to 25 points over second-place Kevin Harvick, who finished ninth Sunday.

Clint Bowyer ran fourth, followed by road-course ace Marcos Ambrose and polesitter Joey Logano. Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr., Harvick and Brad Keselowski — Busch’s Penske Racing teammate — completed the top 10.

Busch and crew chief Steve Addington hit on a two-pit-stop strategy for a race in which most drivers would require three stops. It worked to perfection.

“We developed the strategy from practice,” Busch said. “It gave us the calculations we needed, and it showed that we could make it on two stops. A lot of guys said that they couldn’t make it on two stops, so we knew there were going to be teams pitting around Lap 10, Lap 15 to get those fresher tires.

“So my thought was, inside the car, ‘Well, I need to continue to push this car hard and run a lap time that won’t allow those guys with fresh tires to chop off (the margin) and catch me. It was just one of those feelings where the crew was helping me, I was helping them, and the race played out perfectly for us.”

Busch led Truex through Turn 11 on Lap 87, but right behind him, Vickers jack-hammered Stewart into the tire barrier, destroying the rear end of Stewart’s Chevrolet. The back of Stewart’s car came to rest on top of a stack of tires, unable to move.

Vickers, who waited for Stewart to pass him before wrecking him, exacted revenge for a Lap 37 incident in which Stewart pile-drove Vickers’ Toyota into the same corner and started a seven-car chain-reaction collision that collected Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Chevrolet and eventually knocked the No. 88 out of the race.

Photo Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Busch stayed on the track during the final caution and led the field to a restart on Lap 92. From that point on, it was no contest.

On more than one occasion, Montoya drove aggressively through the field, only to be derailed by contact with other cars. On fresh tires late in the race, he advanced to the sixth position before turning Kasey Kahne’s Toyota and falling back.

Soon after that incident, a three-car wreck involving Montoya, Keselowski and Kyle Busch dropped Montoya to 22nd at the finish.

“We got through the corner, and I just got on his bumper a little bit and moved him a little,” Montoya said of the incident with Keselowski. “Got a good run, and I guess he didn’t like it … he just plain and simple wrecked us.”

Not surprisingly, Keselowski had a different view.

“I don’t take any pride in all that stuff, but at some point, you’ve got to run your own deal,” he said. “It was pretty obvious that it was eat or be eaten, and I wasn’t going to be eaten.”

Gordon Ties Waltrip, Allison With 84th Win at Ponoco



Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR




By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(June 12, 2011)

LONG POND, Pa. — Jeff Gordon may be starting to feel his age, but he certainly didn’t show it in Sunday’s 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway.

“I’m just so excited to be a part of this sport,” Gordon said in victory lane, after taking the checkered flag 2.965 seconds ahead of runner-up Kurt Busch. “I’m going to be 40 this year (Aug. 4). I’m an old man now.”

Statistically, the old man already is an important part of NASCAR Sprint Cup history. His victory Sunday was his second of the year, his fifth at the tricky 2.5-mile triangular track and the 84th of his career, tying Gordon with Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison for third on the all-time list.

As NASCAR’s elder statesman and four-time champion later pointed out, the race was won on pit road. The No. 24 Chevrolet crew got Gordon out ahead of Busch on a stop under caution for debris on Lap 156 of 200, enabling Gordon to streak away from eventual seventh-place finisher Juan Pablo Montoya after a restart on Lap 160.

During a green-flag stop on Lap 177, the No. 24 crew again performed flawlessly, increasing the cushion Gordon held over Busch.

“If we can just get out front, I think we’ll be OK,” Gordon had told crew chief Alan Gustafson before the Lap 160 pit stop — and that’s exactly what happened.

“You guys won that one in the pits—way to go,” Gordon radioed to his crew after crossing the finish line.

Kyle Busch ran third, followed by Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Busch’s No. 18 Toyota, however, failed postrace inspection, with the left front being too low when measured by NASCAR’s height stick. If penalties are forthcoming, they will be announced later in the week.

Montoya, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr. completed the top 10. Series points leader Carl Edwards suffered an engine failure 58 laps into the race and finished 37th. Edwards’ lead in the standings shrank to six points over second-place Johnson and 10 over third-place Earnhardt.

Clean air proved decisive, as Kurt Busch, the polesitter, couldn’t close on Gordon significantly during the final 41-lap green-flag run.

“It was a great, hard-fought battle with Jeff Gordon at the end,” Busch said. “It started about 130 laps in, about 70 to go, where we were able to take the lead, stretch it out. Then there was a caution (the fourth debris caution of the race, on Lap 155). The 24 beat us out of the pits.

“I thought we could gain on him after 15 laps into the run. We were able to do that most of the day. We were able to do that again at the end, but we just couldn't close the gap far enough. The old ‘Golden Boy’ had it in him today.

“Neither one of us slipped those final few laps. It was just one of those, ‘I'm giving it all I got, and I can’t close the gap.’ ”

Denny Hamlin, a four-time winner at Pocono, led a race-high 76 laps, but a broken valve stem forced him back to the pits after a stop on Lap 160 and relegated him to 19th at the finish. Hamlin lost one position in the standings to 12th, as Gordon jumped past him into 11th, his highest position since winning at Phoenix in the second race of the season.

After a disappointing stretch that started with a crash in Las Vegas in week No. 3, Gordon feels his team is beginning to realize its potential.

“We were embarrassed by the way we were running,” Gordon said. “When I came on board with Alan (the result of a crew chief swap in the offseason), I knew that they were special and amazing. Phoenix came a little sooner than we thought, but I felt like we could do that this year.

“Then we went on a streak where we just weren’t competitive, but what it takes is a team that believes in you, and you believe in them, and you work together to get there. That’s what we did today.”

Hendrick Hubbub: Reorganization in Major Cup Team Sees High-Profile Personnel Change

Photo Credit: Hendrick Motorsports

The Hendrick Motorsports #48 Lowes Chevrolet was again piloted to the NASCAR Sprint Cup highest honours by now 5-time consecutive champion Jimmie Johnson. Picking up 6 wins through the process of the 2010 season, it appears on the surface that Hendrick Motorsports has a reason to celebrate.

Despite all of the success of the #48 team, the other three teams in the popular Chevrolet-powered organization endured a very tough 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The Hendrick Motorsports drivers Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr left this year winless on the Sprint Cup schedule finding solace in much smaller non- victory victories. In a radical move to turn the #5, #24 and the #88 teams around, Hendrick Motorsports is prompted just two day after the end of the 2010 Sprint Cup season to swap crew chiefs for 2011.

For the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the following team complexion will disturb every team with exception to the championship-winning #48 team:

• #5 Team: driver Mark Martin is partnered with former #88 crew chief Lance McGrew
• #24 Team: driver Jeff Gordon will be working with Mark Martin's crew chief of 2009 and 2010 Alan Gustafson
• #88 Team: Dale Earnhardt Jr will be partnered with the #24 car's crew chief Steve Letarte

Photo Credit: Hendrick Motorsports

Matching crew chiefs with new teams, Hendrick Motorsports is also repositioning the team's amongst the two race shops. Moving, the #88 cars will join the #48 team while the #24 team will now be positioned with the #5 crew. Team Owner Rick Hendrick commented on the personnel change saying "This will improve us as an organization, across the board,".

Concluding the year, the #5, #24 and #88 Hendrick Motorsports teams experienced mixed results. In 2010, Jeff Gordon was able in the Chase for the Sprint Cup hunt thanks to 10 top-5 finishes after the first 26 races. Maintaining 3rd prior to the Chase points realignment, Gordon was dropped to 8th starting the 10-race championship playoff. Through the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup, the #24 Chevrolet compiled only a single top-5 finish. Two additional DNFs in the final ten races left Jeff Gordon in 9th in the Chase after the Homestead-Miami finale.

Photo Credit: Hendrick Motrsports

Winning 4 times in 2009 with his first season at Hendrick Motorsports, Mark Martin extended the time period between his planned retirement through this year and into the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup tour. Starting the season strong with his #5 Chevrolet by winning the pole for the Daytona 500, Martin and team were sent through a feast and famine campaign for 2010 resulting in 7 top-5s but suffered 12 finishes outside of the top-20. After only a slight chance of making the 2010 Chase, Martin missed the top-12 in points field but held on to 13th place in NASCAR Sprint Cup overall points.  

As for the #88 Chevrolet team of Hendrick Motorsports, the trouble plaguing the team and driver Dale Earnhardt Jr was evident. With a 2010 season which resulted in 21st in the overall points, this year adds to the frustration felt within the #88 team as well as among Earnhardt Jr's considerable fan base. Well-documented, the only win Dale Earnhardt Jr has achieved with the Hendrick Motorsports #88 car was at Michigan in June of 2008. Rounding off the season in 27th at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the writing was on the wall for Lance McGrew's departure after 16 finishes of 22nd or worse in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Another rough year for Earnhardt Jr, some positive Sprint Cup moments this season involved a front row start and 2nd place finish at the Daytona 500 as well as leading 90 laps most recently during the Martinsville event. The #88 Chevrolet also left the 2010 season without a single DNF. Dale Earnhardt Jr has most recently been complementary to McGrew for advances made with the #88 team but knew a change was approaching.

Texas-Sized Tempers for Some, Denny Hamlin Wins AAA Texas 500

Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/ Getty Images for NASCAR

With 6 of the 10 races completed in NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup, a close three-way title fight finds Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick facing off in the Lone Star state. Running the NASCAR Sprint Cup's AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, this race will be the last time this season that Sprint Cup cars will run 500 miles. The desire for a lot of teams are to win this final longer distance race for 2010.

 

Expressing importance through qualifying, a strong Ford brigade arose with Elliott Sadler taking the race's pole in surprising fashion. While this pole sitting performance served as a pleasing action during Friday and Saturday for Sadler and the #19 Richard Petty Motorsports team, the race immediately displaced the achievement. Before Elliott Sadler's Ford had an opportunity to lead a single lap, Greg Biffle blew by to lead lap 1 of the AAA Texas 500. Driving the #16 Ford for Roush-Fenway Racing, Biffle would be the class of the field in front for 224 laps at Texas Motor Speedway.

 

Former driver for Jack Roush, Mark Martin drove his #5 Chevrolet to the front leading on 4 occasions early in the event. With Jimmie Johnson in the thick of the Chase, the performance of Hendrick Motorsports overall had varied. While Martin and Johnson were able to maintain themselves as top-10 cars, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr spent the Texas event chasing the setup.

 

While last week's race at Talladega occurred on Halloween day, this Texas Motor Speedway event seemed to have brought out some of the drivers' inner demons. Started on lap 160, the #18 Toyota of Kyle Busch appeared to have been helped into a turn 1 spin. Suffering no noticeable damage from other cars or the wall, Busch hurried to pit lane for the of his Joe Gibbs Racing pit crew. As the pit stop service was underway, the Chevrolet Camaro pace car was dangerously close to lapping the #18 Toyota. Needing to pass the pit-out line ahead of the pace car, Kyle Busch flew down pit road beating the caution vehicle by a slight margin. 

 

Celebrating the fact they had appeared to have beaten the pace car, NASCAR passed word to the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing crew chief Wally Rogers that their Toyota Camry was detected to be too fast leaving pit road. This penalty erased the lap Kyle Busch and crew thought they had retained with beating out the pace car. Commended lately on his more mature manner, this AAA Texas 500 race would see the easily-angered Kyle Busch of old return.

 

Pitting to serve the NASCAR-levied penalty on pit road, Kyle Busch vividly displayed an obscene hand gesture (known as 'the finger') to NASCAR official supervising his car on pit road. On returning to the race track, Kyle Busch was told he was now being penalized two more laps by NASCAR for unsportsmanlike conduct in relations to that gesture when serving the previous penalty. While Busch tried to argue "freedom of speech" on radio communications, his crew was less than impressed with their driver's judgement. Recovering one of the three laps lost, Kyle Busch finished 32rd in the event.

 

Just as the Kyle Busch saga ended, another show of emotions manifested on lap 192. This caution fell on the field for a 7th time in the AAA Texas 500 for a single-car accident for Martin Truex Jr's #56 Toyota (the 3rd and final time in the race for the #56 car). While Truex's part in this NASCAR Sprint Cup race effectively over, this caution bred a situation which resulted between in the eventual retirement of two different cars.

In a bizarre incident, veteran and chase drivers Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon collided on turn 2 after the caution period. As the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars slowed, Gordon's #24 Chevrolet slowed but the #31 Chevrolet of Burton did not sufficiently drop speed. Saying in post race that he wanted to drive aside of Gordon to communicate in regards to an earlier incident, Jeff Burton miscalculated his speed and drove into the right rear of the #24 car. Locked together, Jeff Gordon was propelled into the outside wall causing massive front end damage to the Hendrick Motorsports Dupont machine. Jeff Burton also sustained damage as he passed the #24 Chevy as Gordon's car sliced into the right side of the #31 Chevy like a can opener. As both cars lay stricken with drivers stepping out onto the Texas Motor Speedway oval, Jeff Gordon got out of his Chevrolet highly frustrated. So angry, Gordon stormed towards the Richard Childress Racing driver. Once together, Jeff Gordon grabbed and shoved Burton in an aggressive physical display rarely seen from the four-time NASCAR Cup champion. Requiring two NASCAR officials to keep the dueling drivers apart, they both got into the same Ambulance for the customary check-up after an accident.




Photo Credit: NASCAR Media with no photographer named


Emotions continued as reporters were finally able to get accounts from both drivers on the crash. "I honestly don't know what happened. It was my fault, 100 percent it was my fault. Once we were together, I couldn't get off of him" Burton said on camera for ESPN afterwards admitting responsibility for the accident. Jeff Gordon said "With all the people out there, I never thought it would happen with Jeff Burton." expressing he has lost respect for the #31 Chevrolet driver. Jeff Gordon added "Thankfully I had a long walk down to him, because I think I did the least amount I wanted to do". Burton finished 36th while Gordon placed one position lower in 37th place.

Having been so dominant at Texas Motor Speedway this race, Greg Biffle's performance hit a snag late when the #16 Ford developed an possible gear problem which caused acceleration difficulty on restarts. As the field was slowed two more times for caution, the restarts cost Greg Biffle a chance to bring home his effort with 3rd win of the season. On lap 301, Biffle was past by Mark Martin's Chevrolet who would hold the lead for a short amount of time. Emerging at the right time, Denny Hamlin's #11 Toyota, fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing, took the point on the 306th lap. Hamlin survived a potential charge from a late-race caution to win the AAA Texas 500, the #11 Toyota driver's 8th win of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Coming from a 30th place starting spot, Hamlin almost repeated has spring Texas performance where he won after rising from 29th position.

By taking victory, Denny Hamlin also retook the Chase points lead building a 33-point cushion on Jimmie Johnson. Johnson experienced a second fall race in a row at Texas Motor Speedway which ended poorly for him and the #48 Hendrick Motorsports Lowes team. Experiencing inconsistent pit stops early in the Texas race, crew chief of Jimmie Johnson's #48 Chevrolet Chad Knaus was so upset with the crew members' work that he ordered #24 car pit team (out for work for the day as their car was retired) to replace the regular #48 guys. While the stops improved, it leaves to be seen if this move will have lasting effects on the #48 team. Johnson finished 9th on the day losing ground late when he needed to react to Biffle's slow-starting car on the lap 331 restart.

Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/ Getty Images for NASCAR 

Third in the Chase and closing after the AAA Texas 500, Kevin Harvick finished 6th in the race just ahead of teammate Clint Bowyer. Harvick now stands unofficially 59 points back heading into Phoenix.

Honourable mentions in the AAA Texas 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup event goes to David Ragan who delivered another classy performance in the #6 UPS Ford in 8th place. Paul Menard also gave Richard Petty Motorsports another gasp of life by rounding out 10th on the field. Finally, NASCAR Nationwide series standout Trevor Bayne had a very respectable first outing in the big league Cup series. Driving the #21 Wood Brothers Ford, Bayne remained on the lead lap in 17th place.

With the championship in hot contention between three drivers and three teams, the second to last round in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season takes on Phoenix International Raceway next Sunday.


2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
November 7, 2010
AAA Texas 500
Texas Motor Speedway
Race Results

1. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota
2. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Black Ford
3. 5 Mark Martin CARQUEST / GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
4. 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota
5. 16 Greg Biffle American Red Cross Ford
6. 29 Kevin Harvick Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet
7. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
8. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
9. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
10. 98 Paul Menard Quaker State / Menards Ford
11. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Old Spice Chevrolet
12. 47 Marcos Ambrose Tom Thumb Toyota
13. 83 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
14. 43 A J Allmendinger Valvoline Ford
15. 00 David Reutimann Aaron's Outdoors Toyota
16. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Arctic Cat Chevrolet
17. 21 Trevor Bayne Motorcraft / Quick Lane Ford
18. 77 Sam Hornish Jr. AAA Dodge
19. 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
20. 39 Ryan Newman Tornados Chevrolet
21. 9 Aric Almirola Budweiser Ford
22. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
23. 19 Elliott Sadler Stanley Ford
24. 2 Kurt Busch Operation Home Front / Miller Lite Dodge
25. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet
26. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
27. 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota
28. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Lysol Chevrolet
29. 38 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford
30. 10 Bobby Labonte Gander Mountain Outdoors Chevrolet
31. 26 Patrick Carpentier Air Guard Ford
32. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
33. 12 Brad Keselowski No. 12 Penske Dodge
34. 71 Andy Lally TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet
35. 7 Robby Gordon MAPEI / Menards Toyota 
36. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
37. 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
38. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts / Susan G. Komen Signature Toyota
39. 66 Mike Bliss PRISM Motorsports Toyota
40. 09 Landon Cassill Phoenix Racing Chevrolet 
41. 34 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
42. 37 Dave Blaney A&W All American Food Ford
43. 87 Joe Nemechek HostGator.com Toyota

Charlotte Surprise: McMurray Motors Late to Win Bank of America 500



Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

One of the first major speedways to be lit artificially, the race under the stars had the beaming personalities of NASCAR running 500 miles at Charlotte Motor Speedway. 

Marking the midway point of the 2010 NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup, the premier stock car series enters Charlotte, North Carolina to play a home game for many of the multi-million dollar teams. The Bank of America 500 at the 1.5 mile Charlotte Motor Speedway presents a Saturday night racing backdrop for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series.

Sitting on pole for the first time since fall Texas Motor Speedway event in 2009, the Jeff Gordon #24 Dupont Chevrolet led the field to the start line. As Gordon preserved has lead for the initial green flag laps, caution flew shortly with only 3 laps being completed. Sailing through turn 3 and 4 high, the #39 Chevrolet of Ryan Newman experienced a loss of traction. Backing into the outer wall, considerable damage was done to the right rear bodywork of the Stewart/Haas Racing-owned #39 Chevy. Requiring an extended stay in the Charlotte garage, Newman would return to finish 36th through a long night.

With Ryan Newman's troubles, the Stewart/Haas Racing boss Tony Stewart's #14 car was also not immune to punishment during the Bank of America 500. In avoiding the Newman lap 3 incident, Stewart's Old Spice Chevy also sustained rear damage. As the race progressed, Tony Stewart encountered miscues entering his pit stall. When entering to attention of his pit crew on lap 26, Stewart needed to take evasive action to avoid contact with the #99 Ford of Carl Edwards which was exiting pit road. Overshooting his team's pit area, Tony Stewart was forced to wait until the coast was clear to reverse and enter his pit. With all the complications of the race, Stewart was left with only a 21st place finish to follow-up his win at California's Auto Club Speedway.

Kurt Busch's troubles were the reason for the second caution at lap 25. The winner of the Sprint All-Star and the Coca-Cola 600 races during late May, Busch and his #2 Dodge spun sideways through turn 4. Fighting a loose race car early left Busch and his Penske Racing team struggling in 30th place.

While one Busch brother faced a difficult Saturday night at Charlotte, the younger brother and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch provided a lingering presence at the front of the field throughout the Bank of America 500. Leading 109 of the race's first 127 laps, Busch's #18 Toyota shot to a multiple car-length interval on almost every restart.

In the only multi-car incident of the Bank of America 500, the #9 Ford of Kasey Kahne unsuccessfully fought a loose exit off turn 4 creating a lap 125 caution. Making contact with the #77 Dodge of Sam Hornish Jr, both cars sustained damage to render them out of competition. While the Richard Petty Motorsports crew was able to repair the #9 Budweiser Ford in order to complete more laps, the car by J.J. Yelley instead of Kasey Kahne. While Kahne explained that he was feeling to ill to continue driving for the night, there has been some rumours that Kahne simply left the #9 Ford team after the crash at Charlotte. Going to Red Bull Racing for 2011 with a Hendrick Motorsports ride waiting for him in 2012, some questions Kasey Kahne's dedication to his current race team. It was reported that Kasey Kahne, having left the race track with illness a matter of 8-10 hours prior, ran a 5k charity marathon Sunday morning.    

Photo Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images

Kurt Busch was not the only driver left struggling within the Chase following a difficult result. Having led the first 7 laps of the Charlotte night race, pole sitter Jeff Gordon would be robbed from contention of the Bank of America 500. An electrical fault within the #24 Dupont Chevrolet presented itself dramatically during the race when the Hendrick Motorsports car of Gordon appeared to have lost power momentarily on the race track while running as a front runner. Losing positions initially with the brief engine power failure, Gordon's #24 car would continue to the distance but will finish one lap down in 23rd place.


For a race that contained 27 lead changes amongst 19 leaders, the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway was decided on a lap 313 restart following the race's final caution for debris. Gaining ground from a brilliant pit stop from the Earnhardt/Ganassi Racing crew, 27th place starting #1 Chevrolet piloted by Jamie McMurray surged forward all night to an inside front row start on the final journey to green with Kyle Busch on the outside. Showing superiority all race long during restarts, this particular coming to green saw the #1 Chevrolet of McMurray shoot to command the top position. As the final 31 laps ticked away, Jamie McMurray took the checkered flag more than 1.8 seconds ahead of 2nd place Busch.


Recovering with a front-running performance and finish at Charlotte following the past two races being marred with disappointing results, Kyle Busch plays to win and left the race car largely unsatisfied by missing victory lane. Charlotte Motor Speedway continues to be a track the younger Busch brother had never reigned supreme after a NASCAR Sprint Cup event.

Jimmie Johnson recovered from a lap 35 spin on the backstretch to finish 3rd in a repeat of his result at Auto Club Speedway last race. Running in the lower 20s after his #48 Chevrolet looped around uninjured, Johnson and the Hendrick Motorsports regained their track position by staying out during a caution where leaders pitted. Continuing to show the right stuff for a run at a 5th straight Sprint Cup title, Jimmie Johnson was able to squeak out an additional 5 points over Denny Hamlin. Now 41 points behind after the Bank of America 500, Hamlin's 4th place finish affirms that the #11 Toyota is still in prime pouncing position as the series enters wild card races through the 2nd half of the Chase.

The top-10 of the Charlotte Motor Speedway night race allowed the squads of Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush-Fenway Racing an moment of atonement after misfortunes at California. With Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin scoring top-5 finishes, sophomore driver of the team's #20 Toyota posted a 7th place result for a collectively encouraging night for the Toyota's lead NASCAR Sprint Cup team. Roush-Fenway Racing was led by a 5th place-finishing Greg Biffle as all four of their team's cars finished inside the top-12 which included David Ragan in 10th. 

NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and teams will next plan for running Martinsville Speedway (2010 Sprint Cup season's last race on track smaller than one-mile). Jimmie Johnson has won 5 of the past 11 races held on the 0.526 mile short oval but Denny Hamlin has won the past two Sprint Cup events at Martinsville.

2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup

Bank of America 500

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Race Results

Top-10:

1. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet
2. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
3. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
4. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground Toyota
5. 16 Greg Biffle Scotch Blue Ford 
6. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Black Ford 
7. 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota
8. 29 Kevin Harvick Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet
9. 00 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
10. 6 David Ragan UPS-United Way Ford

Other Notables:

11.  42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
12.  99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
13.  78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
17.  33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
20.  31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
21.  14 Tony Stewart Old Spice / Office Depot Chevrolet
22.  10 Bobby Labonte Gander Mountain Outdoors Chevrolet
23.  24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
29.  88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. AMP Energy / National Guard Chevrolet
30.  2 Kurt Busch Operation Home Front / Miller Lite Dodge
35.  21 Bill Elliott JDRF / Motorcraft / Quick Lane Ford
36.  39 Ryan Newman Haas Automation Chevrolet
37.  26 Patrick Carpentier Air Guard Ford
38.  9 Kasey Kahne Budweiser Ford