Crazy 2012 Daytona 500 Claimed by Matt Kenseth

Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

 

After 53 years of Sunday Daytona 500, NASCAR drivers, teams and fans could be forgiven for expecting the 500-mile event at the Daytona International Speedway would be resolved by the time many go back to work on Monday. Unfortunate for the 2012 running of the “Great American Race”, ended a long motorsport streak by postponing the classic stock car event on the 2.5-mile superspeedway oval for the first time ever.

 

Originally postponed to Monday afternoon, continuing rain showers gave the officials overseeing the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series reason to again reschedule the start of the Daytona 500 to 7pm Eastern time. To the delight of everyone, the precipitation left the track in time for engines of 43 cars to ignite. Already an unusual event based on the Monday evening start, the 54^th Daytona 500 reception of the green flag kicked-off one of the most bizarre, memorable races in the race’s history.

 

Carl Edwards took the green flag for the 2012 debut of the NASCAR Sprint Cup cars but the #99 Fastenal Ford was quickly unseated once the lead drivers came up to speed. Regan Smith in the #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet flew to the front by lap one just as the race’s first big wreck transpired. Just as most of the field completed the first lap of the Daytona 500, a multi-car tangle occurred when the #48 Lowes Chevrolet driven by Jimmie Johnson was tapped in the middle of the drafting pack. As Johnson was sent into the outer Daytona wall, David Ragan in the #38 car, the #51 Chevy of Kurt Busch and the #10 driven by high-profile Sprint Cup Series rookie Danica Patrick were damaged. Patrick and Busch were able to return to the event after extended stays behind the wall as crews repaired their racing machines but 2006 Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson and the #48 Hendrick Motorsports car was out of the event in just the second lap. The retirement of Johnson marked what would be a difficult Daytona 500 for Hendrick Motorsport that would be followed before halfway by a blown engine on Jeff Gordon’s #24 Chevrolet.

 

 

Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

After another yellow flag thrown on lap 14 for a spinning Ryan Newman (now major damage was sustained to his #39 Chevy), the race began to demonstrate advantages and perils of pack racing in the draft. After Lap 17, Denny Hamlin (who started 31^st position in the Daytona 500 following a disastrous finish in his Duel 150 event) led continuously for 24 laps. Unseating the #11 Toyota of Hamlin from the lead was the #31 Chevrolet belonging to Richard Childress Racing driver Jeff Burton. Green flag pit stops would cause the front position to be swapped with Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart until they pitted to return lead to Burton. A caution for debris would end 49 laps of green flag racing at Daytona International Speedway (a caution-free streak that would become the longest in the 2012 Daytona 500).

 

Martin Truex Jr in the #56 NAPA Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing led the NASCAR Sprint Cup pack across the line for the halfway-point in the 2012 Daytona 500 thereby making the race official. With concerns for rain around past the 100 lap-mark of the event, drivers were getting more aggressive than ever. After a short-lived fight, it was the #11 Toyota of Denny Hamlin that once again found the preferential lead position on lap 103. Holding up to first for another 28 laps, Greg Biffle took the lead of the Daytona 500 just ahead of a caution for the #15 Toyota of Clint Bowyer that ran out of fuel. Following the yellow flag, the Roush Fenway Racing group showing the near dominating pace identical to that displayed in the second Gatorade Duel 150 race. At lap 133, Biffle’s #17 Ford held the lead for 6 laps until the #17 Ford of Matt Kenseth would flourish to the led on lap 146 after a stint where two Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas were present at the found.

 

After the rain-out that delayed the race for over 30 hours, a caution initially called for a one-car spin involving the #30 Chevy of David Stremme after the vehicle blew an engine on-track. Crew members work to clean up the oil left by the #30 car incident (a safety crew that included a high-powered track jet dryer) under caution on lap 160 until a scary and surreal on-track moment.

 

The #42 Target Chevrolet piloted by Juan-Pablo Montoya, rushing to catch the back of the race, suddenly veered right on the backstretch hammering the jet dryer truck. A heavy hit, a fireball thrown up by the intense jet dryer heat. The front end of the #42 Chevy was briefly ignited but was extinguished quickly thanks partially to the damaged car spinning into the infield. However, as Juan-Pablo Montoya climbed out of his wrecked race vehicle, fuel from the jet dryer began running down the Daytona International Speedway’s 31-degree banking. A large fire burned as safety crew reinforcements with a fire truck raced to the scene. After several minutes of flames cooking overtop of the turn 3 asphalt, the fire was suppressed. Despite the inferno that erupted from the jet dryer fuel cascading down the track, neither Montoya nor the safety crew member Duane Barnes was seriously hurt in the accident (however both men were checked out by medical personnel for precaution).

 

 

Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

 

Cleaning up the Daytona International Speedway after one of the harshest fires ever transpiring on the race surface, NASCAR threw a red flag stopping the Daytona 500. Attempting to steal to the race by staying on-track while other cars pitted, the #36 Tommy Baldwin Racing car driven by Dave Blaney was in the lead and looked poised to win the 2012 Daytona 500. The uncertainty of the jet dryer fire’s affect on the track’s surface and a chance of more rain showers threatened the continuation of the event. However, with no major rainfalls, the track crews just over two hours to extract the burnt jet dryer and truck, clean off the jet fuel residue as well as repair the track surface with a fast-drying compound.

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

After an extended stay on the backstretch under red flag conditions, drivers were ordered back to their NASCAR Sprint Cup cars. Almost midnight, the field were again circulating around the 2.5-mile oval. Some questioned whether the resumption of the Daytona 500 was wise based on the considerable repairs conducted on the Daytona International Speedway. Concern for the track surface quickly dissipated when the field completed their first green flag laps over the restored turn 3 patch.

 

With 35 laps to go in the Daytona 500, the fight was on for the race’s Harley Earl Trophy. Matt Kenseth commanded the drafting pack waiting for the laps to count down. In three multi-car accidents in the final 21 laps consumed several frontrunners of the Daytona 500. Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, Regan Smith and AJ Allmendinger were removed from contention either in the garage area or marching wounded on the race track. The #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of Kasey Kahne was also caught in a lap 189 crash. With three out of four Rick Hendrick cars out of front-running position, the #88 Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr was the organization’s only chance at victory. On the final restart during a green-white-checkered period, Earnhardt Jr made a substantial fight to push the #16 Ford of Greg Biffle past the leading #17 car. Despite a hit pressing bump draft through the final two laps of the event, there was not enough pace to pass Matt Kenseth.

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Imags

 

After 202 laps (a race distance extended 2 laps due to the final green-white-checkered finish), the #17 Best Buy Ford of Matt Kenseth stormed across the start/finish line winning the 2012 Daytona 500. The 22^nd win for Kenseth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and second Daytona 500 victory, the #17 car win is also Roush Fenway Racing’s 300^th win within the top-3 NASCAR series (Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series).

 

Unable to push Greg Biffle to the lead, Dale Earnhardt Jr successfully passed the #16 car for second place. The 2012 race becomes Earnhardt Jr’s third runner-up finish in the Daytona 500 (His father finished second five times in the “Great American Race“). Biffle, Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton rounded out the top-5 for the 2012 Daytona 500. Racing to a sixth place finish, Paul Menard scaled from a 37^th place starting position to insert himself between Richard Childress Racing teammates Burton and Kevin Harvick. Michael Waltrip Racing also earns honourable mention with Mark Martin placing tenth behind the wheel of the #55 Toyota in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Clint Bowyer finishing 11th after in-race troubles. Both veteran drivers were making first point-paying race drives for Michael Waltrip‘s race team.

 

In 2009, Matt Kenseth won the rain-shortened Daytona 500 event after completing 152 of the scheduled 200 laps. One of only four times a Daytona 500 race was cut due to weather, that instance had NASCAR declaring the event as over in a relatively short time span. Kenseth's 2012 Daytona win in what was a marathon NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season opener would definitely make-up for that premature Daytona 500 running in 2009.

 

2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona 500
Race Results

 

1. 17 Matt Kenseth Best Buy Ford
2. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet
3. 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
4. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota
5. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
6. 27 Paul Menard Menards/Peak Chevrolet
7. 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
8. 99 Carl Edwards Fastenal Ford
9. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
10. 55 Mark Martin Aaron's Toyota
11. 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota
12. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
13. 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford
14. 47 Bobby Labonte Kroger Toyota
15. 36 Dave Blaney Ollie's Bargain Outlet Chevrolet
16. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
17. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Brown Toyota
18. 32 Terry Labonte C&J Energy Ford
19. 26 Tony Raines Front Row Motorsports Ford
20. 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Ford EcoBoost Ford
21. 39 Ryan Newman U.S. ARMY/Quicken Loans Chevrolet
22. 83 Landon Cassill Burger King Toyota
23. 38 David Gilliland MHP/Power Pak Pudding Ford
24. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row/CSX Play It Safe Chevrolet
25. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Ford
26. 93 David Reutimann Burger King Toyota
27. 33 Elliott Sadler General Mills/Kroger Chevrolet
28. 87 Joe Nemechek AM FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota
29. 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
30. 98 Michael McDowell No.98 KLOVE/Curb Records Ford Ford
31. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
32. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
33. 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Helping Hungry Homes Ford
34. 22 AJ Allmendinger Shell Pennzoil Dodge
35. 21 Trevor Bayne Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford
36. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
37. 30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Toyota
38. 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
39. 51 Kurt Busch Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet
40. 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
41. 7 Robby Gordon MAPEI/Menards/SPEED Energy Dodge
42. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
43. 34 David Ragan Scorpion Truck Bedliners Ford

Stewart, Kenseth Winners in Gatorade Duel 150 Races

Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

Continuing a long-standing spectacle unique to the Daytona Speedweeks, 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and teamed suited up to the only qualifying heat races on the series' schedule. With only the top-two spots for the Daytona 500 secured after Sunday time trial, the filling of 41 remaining positions would be resolved through a pair of 125-mile, 60-lap races. Dividing the Sunday qualifying field in half, pole winner Carl Edwards would lead race 1 for odd-numbered qualifiers while Roush Fenway teammate Greg Biffle had the top starting spot for race 2.

 

Following the Budweiser Shootout hosted at the Daytona International Speedway the previous Saturday night, a preview for the type of restrictor plate racing indicated drivers would need to reacquaint themselves with multiple-car packs. After spending 2011 experimenting with the two-car tandem drafting, NASCAR teams would be held in tighter quarter racing. Making for a more wide-open race where any driver with momentum could find their way to the front, pack racing also decreases the tolerable margin of error between competitors. The side effect of pack racing was shown at least three times in the 2012 Budweiser Shootout with major, multi-car wrecks. Some observers speculated NASCAR Sprint Cup series teams may have received new regulations in reaction to the sometimes wild racing. Allowing teams to increase the engine water pressure check valve from 25 PSI to 28 PSI, NASCAR made no other changes to the sporting rules heading into the Gatorade Duel 150s.

 

Races mixed with well-established teams and veteran drivers, first time Daytona 500 runners and teams outside of the top-35 needing a strong run simply to make the Great American Race Sunday, there was a total of 49 teams intent to compete at the 2.5-mile oval;s 43-car event this weekend. The last non-points competition to involve NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers ahead of the official start of the 2012 season with the Daytona 500, the Gatorade Duel 150s were staged Thursday as an important event for all drivers.

 

 

Race 1:

Photo Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

Daytona 500 pole sitter Carl Edwards led the 25-car field to green Thursday in the first Gatorade Duel 150 event. Edwards' #99 Ford Fusion led the first of 60 laps but was soon overhauled by Tony Stewart's #14 Chevrolet. By lap 5, the Hendrick Motorsports #88 Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr stormed to the top spot.

 

Historically regarded as the qualifying race containing the most cautions, the first Gatorade Duel 150 event for 2012 Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway delivered on yellow flag expectations. A four-car incident in turn 1 on lap 10 when the #38 Ford of David Gilliland was poked by the #98 machine driven by Michael McDowell. Gilliland's car continued a path up the 31-degree banking collecting the #42 of Juan Pablo Montoya and Paul Menard's #27 Chevrolet. David Gilliland, Juan Pablo Montoya and Paul Menard were out of the race due to significant crash damage.

 

Following the major accident, the first Gatorade Duel 150 stabilized with Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin taking the lead of the event at lap 17. Driving the #11 FedEx Toyota, Hamlin led 27 laps of the Duel 150 event.

 

Attempting to make the 2012 Daytona 500, two-time winner of the biggest NASCAR Sprint Cup series race Michael Waltrip was feverish in his efforts to make his 26th career Daytona 500-mile race. Unfortunately, a lap 54 incident ended his plans of making the 2012 race with the #40 Toyota. Leaving pit road after making a needed fuel stop, Waltrip miscalculated his reentry onto the Daytona race track. Combined with the likelihood of debris on the lower track surface, Michael Waltrip lost control of his Toyota race car crashing it into the outer backstretch wall. Following the failure to quality for the Daytona 500 in 2012, Michael Waltrip responded through team media "I just went the wrong way and lost the car. I feel like I let everybody down. I raced my way to the front and then I let them down. It's just really hard. I don't know what to say -- it's just sad.".

 

Setting up a 4-lap rush for the finish, the #14 car of Tony Stewart led the NASCAR Sprint Cup group to the final run to the checkered flag. Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Burton and Marcos Ambrose made the race interesting at the end coming down to the final lap. However, the race would conclude out of turn 2 when the #43 Ford of Aric Almirola made contact with Danica Patrick's #10 Chevrolet. Sent for a fast, violent ride, Patrick flew into the lower retaining wall. Fortunately unhurt, Danica Patrick's first Daytona 500 will have her starting the Stewart-Haas Racing team car deep in the field.

 

Under the protection of the yellow flag, Tony Stewart cruised to the start/finish line for the first Gatorade Duel 150 event with Dale Earnhardt Jr following in second place. Marcos Ambrose, Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards rounded out the top-5.

 

 

Race 2:

Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

Under the guidance of 2012 Daytona 500 front row starter Greg Biffle, the second Gatorade Duel 150 qualifying race. Unlike race 1, the second Gatorade Duel 150 event ran without the appearance of a yellow flag. The result in this second race was a more methodical competition where NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers carefully made their moves through the field.

 

With a Roush Fenway Racing Ford leading the event early, race 2 for the Gatorade Duel 150 would show some impressive pace for the Ford Fusions. Between Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth, 50 of the 60 race laps would be led by the Roush Fenway Racing organization. Leading for five laps apiece, the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas of Joey Logano and Kyle Busch would the only vehicles able to compete with the Ford brigade.

 

After having his Sunday qualifying time disallowed when the #15 5-Hour Energy Toyota failed to meet post-qualifying inspection, Clint Bowyer fought hard through the Gatorade Duel 150 round to make up positions. Taking his Michael Waltrip Racing car near the front early in the event, Bowyer's efforts were hindered by engine overheating problems. Costing him a lap in the qualifying race, Clint Bowyer could not obtain a spot better than 15th place.

 

Maintaining a single-file drafting train in the final laps, the #16 Ford of Greg Biffle was the top driver. Coming to the white flag though, Biffle's teammate Matt Kenseth made a run on the #16 car along the outside line of turn 4. Getting a push from Jimmie Johnson, Kenseth rapidly roared up on Greg Biffle resulting with the #16 Ford to veer into the path of the #17 teammate. Attempting to hold off Kenseth, Greg Biffle lost momentum causing Matt Kenseth to pass the #16. On the final lap behind Kenseth's #17 Ford, there was contact between the #78 Chevrolet of Regan Smith and Jimmie Johnson's #48 Chevrolet through the Daytona superstretch. While there was a brush-up between the vehicles, both Chevys raced to the finish.

 

At the finish line, Matt Kenseth pulled off a Gatorade Duel 150 victory over the #78 of Regan Smith. Jimmie Johnson, Elliott Sadler and Greg Biffle finished 3rd through 5th in this second qualifying race.

 

 

Starting Lineup for 2012 Daytona 500

 

1. 99 Carl Edwards Fastenal Ford
2. 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
3. 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
4. 17 Matt Kenseth Best Buy Ford
5. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet
6. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row/CSX Play It Safe Chevrolet
7. 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford
8. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet
9. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
10. 33 Elliott Sadler General Mills/Kroger Chevrolet
11. 98 Michael McDowell No.98 KLOVE/Curb Records Ford Ford
12. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
13. 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
14. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Brown Toyota
15. 22 AJ Allmendinger Shell Pennzoil Dodge
16. 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
17. 7 Robby Gordon MAPEI/Menards/SPEED Energy Dodge
18. 39 Ryan Newman U.S. ARMY/Quicken Loans Chevrolet
19. 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
20. 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
21. 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Ford EcoBoost Ford
22. 55 Mark Martin Aaron's Toyota
23. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
24. 36 Dave Blaney Ollie's Bargain Outlet Chevrolet
25. 34 David Ragan Scorpion Truck Bedliners Ford
26. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
27. 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Helping Hungry Homes Ford
28. 51 Kurt Busch Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet
29. 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
30. 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota
31. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota
32. 47 Bobby Labonte Kroger Toyota
33. 38 David Gilliland MHP/Power Pak Pudding Ford
34. 87 Joe Nemechek AM FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota
35. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
36. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Ford
37. 27 Paul Menard Menards/Peak Chevrolet
38. 93 David Reutimann Burger King Toyota
39. 83 Landon Cassill Burger King Toyota
40. 21 Trevor Bayne Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford
41. 26 Tony Raines Front Row Motorsports Ford
42. 30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Toyota
43. 32 Terry Labonte C&J Energy Ford

Kenseth Leads Ford Front Row for Sunday's Phoenix Cup Race

Photo Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Still possessing a mathematical chance at the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, Matt Kenseth emerged from Saturday's qualifying with the Kobalt Tools 500 pole position. Kenseth steered his #17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford around the newly-paved Phoenix International Raceway with a lead time of a 26.26 seconds averaging 137.10 miles per hour. A tad slower than teammate Carl Edward's spring qualifying benchmark, Matt Kenseth's time is the quickest run achieved during a late fall event at the one-mile Phoenix oval. 

Allowing Ford's blue oval to shine with supremacy from the start of Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race, AJ Allmendinger lapped the race track at 26.38 seconds. Ford Fusions swept the top three positions with the second Richard Petty Motorsports #9 car of Marcos Ambrose registering a time just 3/100ths of a second slower than Allmendinger.

While Ford teams claims some important victories at Phoenix International Raceway (including the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race by Alan Kulwicki in 1988 and Carl Edward's victory in last season's fall event), Chevrolet have won 13 of the 15 Phoenix Sprint Cup runnings. At the start of Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500, the top Chevrolet will be in 4th spot; the Hendrick Motorsports #5 machine driven by Mark Martin. Martin's fellow Hendrick Motorsports teammates are positioned in mid-field positions with Jimmie Johnson in 16th, Dale Earnhardt Jr starting 22nd and Jeff Gordon qualified in 23rd. Of the 12 race won by Chevrolet since 2003, 7 times it was a Hendrick Motorsports car stationed in victory lane.

Wrapping up the top-10 qualifiers for the Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway is Martin Truex Jr (the highest starting Toyota), Jamie McMurray, David Reutimann, title-contending Tony Stewart, Chase points leader Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne. With Edwards and Stewart entering the Phoenix separated by just 3 points in the 2011 Chase points, one slight miscue by either driver could result in a drastic event as only the series finale Homestead-Miami Speedway round left after this race.

Interesting notes heading into the resurfaced Phoenix International Raceway is neither Toyota or Dodge have recorded a Cup victory at the one-mile Arizona track. Also, the Phoenix race Sunday will be the first career Sprint Cup start with Camping World Truck Series rookie Cole Whitt driving a third Toyota Camry for Team Red Bull.

Scheduled for 312 laps, the 500-kilometer NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Phoenix is set for a 3pm Eastern time start.

  

2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Kobalt Tools 500
Phoenix International Raceway
Starting Lineup

  

1. 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford
2. 43 A J Allmendinger WIX Filters Ford
3. 9 Marcos Ambrose DeWalt Ford
4. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
5. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
6. 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald's Chevrolet
7. 0 David Reutimann TUMS Toyota
8. 14 Tony Stewart Mobil 1 / Office Depot Chevrolet
9. 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
10. 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
11. 27 Paul Menard Peak / Menards Chevrolet
12. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
13. 6 David Ragan UPS My Choice Ford
14. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Global Mining Chevrolet
15. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
16. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's / Kobalt Tools Chevrolet
17. 22 Kurt Busch Shell Pennzoil Dodge
18. 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
19. 84 Cole Whitt Red Bull Racing Toyota
20. 7 Robby Gordon SPEED Energy / MAPEI Dodge
21. 51 Landon Cassill Phoenix Construction Chevrolet
22. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Retro Diet Mt. Dew / National Guard Chevrolet
23. 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
24. 46 Scott Speed Green Stuff Absorbent Ford
25. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
26. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
27. 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
28. 33 Clint Bowyer USO / Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
29. 16 Greg Biffle 3M / Meguiar's Ford
30. 39 Ryan Newman U.S. Army Veterans Day Chevrolet
31. 47 Bobby Labonte Wounded Warrior / Clorox / Kleenex Toyota
32. 87 Joe Nemechek AM FM Energy Pellet & Wood Stoves Toyota
33. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota
34. 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota
35. 66 Michael McDowell HP Racing Toyota
36. 37 Mike Skinner MaxQ Motorsports Ford
37. 55 Travis Kvapil Aloft Hotels Ford
38. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
39. 32 Mike Bliss Veterans United Home Loans Ford
40. 36 Geoffrey Bodine Luke & Associates Inc. Chevrolet
41. 38 J J Yeley Vampt Ford
42. 34 David Gilliland Aloft Hotels Ford
43. 35 Dave Blaney Golden Corral Chevrolet

Ragan Rolls to First Cup Win at Daytona

Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Little less than halfway through the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, drivers and teams return to where this unpredictable year started. The Saturday night running of the Coke Zero 400 comes in a race schedule stretch that has run on a 2-mile oval and a 1.98-mile road course. the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway sends the Sprint Cup teams back into the perils of restrictor plate racing. Drawing the 40 spot of 45 cars making a qualifying run, Mark Martin and his #5 Carquest/Godaddy.com Chevrolet overcame 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne to take pole. The Chevrolet Impala lapped the speedway with a speed of 182.065 miles per hour. Guaranteed to be a aggressive show, the 43-car field for the 400-mile, 160-lap Coke Zero 400 was sent underway with the likelihood of expecting the unexpected.

Starting 3rd in the Coke Zero 400, Trevor Bayne’s fairy tale win in the Daytona 500 was not going to be repeated in this 400-mile July event. On lap 5, the #2 Miller Lite Dodge of Brad Keselowski had bump drafted the #21 Motorcraft Ford through turn 1. Sending the #21 of Bayne sideways, the Ford would pound the outer wall destroying the stock car’s front end. Slowing down for the accident, the #11 Toyota was into by the #1 of McMurray. Bayne and the Wood Brothers team were rendered too damaged to continue the Coke Zero 400 after running only 12.5 miles.

Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

As soon as the green flag started the Coke Zero 400, drivers reformed into the two-car tandem drafts with prearranged partners. For Hendrick Motorsports, the #48 of Jimmie Johnson and the #88 of Dale Earnhardt Jr began working together while Jeff Gordon’s #24 Chevy partnered with the pole sitter Mark Martin. Other teams including Richard Childress Racing and Red Bull Racing quickly adapted this trend within major organizations.

Supported by a push from Jeff Gordon, the pole-starting vehicle of Mark Martin stayed up front through the first 16 laps of the event but only eventually overhauled for the leading position for one of race leaders in the Coke Zero 400. From lap 16 to lap 150, the front spot was so heavily contended that no driver was able to lead more than 8 laps for a single period. Carl Edwards was among the early leaders of the event at Daytona International Speedway. Leading for lap 19, fortunes shifted quickly for Edwards and the #99 Ford just 5 laps later. Impacted by teammate Greg Biffle driving the #16 Ford, Edwards was sent sideways in turn 4. Almost missing the inside wall, the #99 Ford did make contact with rear and side damaging the stock car’s crush panels. The Roush Fenway Racing team was able to repair the #99 car, but were only able to muster a 37th place result at the end of the event.

At the Coke Zero 400’s halfway point, the Red Bull Racing team showed wings at Daytona in the top two spots. Kasey Kahne led with Brian Vickers’ #83 Toyota tucked behind the #4 teammate. Joe Nemechek, Travis Kvapil and Casey Mears rounded out the top-5 at lap 80. By lap 99, every car had attended pit road under green with Clint Bowyer assuming the lead. Martin Truex Jr in the #56 NAPA Toyota swept to the lead on lap 100 with Kyle Busch’s #18 car taking the top spot a lap later. With pit stops performed under green, the field continued caution-free for 106 laps.

Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

With three laps remaining as drivers and engines were running hot, a pack of 14-cars was beginning to size up their competition for what could be a run to the checker flag. However, as the Sprint Cup vehicles charged into turn 4, the #4 Toyota slid up the race track after receiving a misplaced bump from the #83 of Brian Vickers. Kahne kept control of his Red Bull Toyota but the chain reaction caused squeezed the #18 of Kyle Busch into the minor contact with the Daytona outer wall. Most dramatically in the melee, the #24 Chevrolet of Jeff Gordon was sent sideways but was able to avert any serious damage.

On the first restart, Joey Logano attempted to make a move on the inside of Martin but found his passing lane was narrowed as the #20 Toyota approached the #83 car running the lower lane. With no room for three-wide racing, Logano ended up clipping the #5 Chevy causing the Coke Zero 400’s big wreck. The #5, #13 #22, #38, #56 and #78 were all among cars collected as cars crashed out of turn two.

Lining up for a second run to the checker flag, David Ragan and Ryan Newman took formation for the restart. Newman was quickly sorted out of the front as Ragan’s teammate in the draft Matt Kenseth pushed the Ford Fusions by the Chevrolet. Down the backstretch for the final lap, David Ragan and Joey Logano were being propelled by respective pushers to the Coke Zero 400 start/finish Line. However, as those drivers competed for victory, 5th place and back came a perfect storm for a contact-filled last few corners. In turn 3, the #51 of Landon Cassil and the #9 Ford of Marcus Ambrose made contact.

Diving the big wreck on the green-white-checker restart, Dale Earnhardt Jr would be unable to escape chaos on the second run to the start/finish line. Running in the lower groove of the pack, the #1 Chevrolet of Jamie McMurray came down on the right front quarter panel of the #88 National Guard Chevy forcing Earnhardt Jr onto the apron. Incapable of preserving the 190 mile per hour speed on the dirty part of the race track, the #88 car careened back into the pack wrecking cars that included #1 Chevy, the #31 Chevrolet of Jeff Burton as well as the #83 Toyota of Brian Vickers. Earnhardt Jr ended the race in 17th place for the Hendrick Motorsports team. The #88 Chevrolet’s result was actually an improvement over poorer finishes at the last two Sprint Cup series events at Michigan and Infineon Raceway.




Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images



Racing to the finish, David Ragan crossed the line first in the #6 UPS Ford for the driver’s 1st ever Sprint Cup victory. Enduring 163 races, this Daytona victory will undoubtedly defend the 25 year-old’s presence in the top stock car racing series. Ragan’s previous career-best at Daytona International Speedway was 5th scored on two occasions.

Pushing his teammate Ragan, Matt Kenseth in the #17 Ford finished 2nd in at Daytona continuing a 7-race streak of finishes 14th or better. With Ford Fusions taking the top-2 spots in the Coke Zero 400, Toyota drivers Joey Logano, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch obtained the 3rd through 5th place positions. Making a hard charge in the late stage of the race, Jeff Gordon finished 6th ahead of Richard Childress Racing cars Kevin Harvick and Paul Menard.

Due to Carl Edwards’ trouble-filled Daytona event, Kevin Harvick has assumed the top spot in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points after 17 races. Five points ahead of Edwards, there is an additional five-point gap to the third place driver Kyle Busch.



2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Coke Zero 400
Daytona International Speedway
Pos #  | Car #/ Driver/ Sponsor/ Ford

1. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
2. 17 Matt Kenseth Affliction Clothing Ford
3. 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
4. 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
5. 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota
6. 24 Jeff Gordon PepsiMAX Chevrolet
7. 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
8. 27 Paul Menard Quaker State / Menards Chevrolet
9. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
10. 43 A J Allmendinger U.S. Air Force Ford
11. 14 Tony Stewart Burger King Chevrolet
12. 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
13. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota
14. 22 Kurt Busch Shell / Pennzoil Dodge
15. 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
16. 34 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford
17. 9 Marcos Ambrose DeWalt Ford
18. 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford
19. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard Heritage / AMP Energy Chevrolet
20. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Summer Salute Chevrolet
21. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
22. 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald's Chevrolet
23. 39 Ryan Newman NRA / Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet
24. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
25. 0 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
26. 51 Landon Cassill Security Benefit / Thank A Teacher Today Chevrolet
27. 71 Andy Lally # Interstate Moving Services Ford
28. 32 Terry Labonte C&J Energy Ford
29. 38 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
30. 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota
31. 47 Bobby Labonte Kingsford Toyota
32. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
33. 5 Mark Martin CARQUEST / GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
34. 7 Robby Gordon Speed Energy Dodge
35. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
36. 33 Clint Bowyer Wheaties FUEL Chevrolet
37. 99 Carl Edwards SUBWAY Ford
38. 35 Geoffrey Bodine Luke & Associates Chevrolet
39. 36 Dave Blaney Golden Corral Chevrolet
40. 60 Mike Skinner Big Red Toyota
41. 21 Trevor Bayne Motorcraft / Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford
42. 66 Michael McDowell HP Racing LLC Toyota
43. 97 Kevin Conway ExtenZe Toyota

Kenseth Caps Losing Streak with Texas Win

Photo Credit: Tom Pennington/ Getty Images for NASCAR

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(April 9, 2011)

FORT WORTH, Texas — After a 76-race absence from victory lane, Matt Kenseth needed a quick refresher course.

“Show me where to park this thing,” Kenseth radioed to crew chief Jimmy Fennig after beating race runner-up Clint Bowyer to the checkered flag by a whopping 8.315 seconds in Saturday night’s Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. “It’s been a while.”

That it had. Kenseth’s NASCARSprint Cup Series winless streak dated to February 2009, when he won the Daytona 500 and the second race of the season at Fontana, Calif. — and nothing after that.

The victory was Kenseth’s second at Texas and the 19th of his NASCAR SprintCup career. Kenseth’s Roush Fenway Racing teammates Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle came home third and fourth, respectively, with Paul Menard completing the top five.

Marcos Ambrose ran sixth and polesitter David Ragan seventh, as Ford drivers claimed five of the top seven positions. Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kurt Busch completed the top 10.

“I’ve said it after every win, but especially after over two years, I didn’t know if I’d ever have a chance to get here again,” Kenseth said after climbing form his car in victory lane. “We had a packed house tonight, and it probably wasn’t the closest finish for them, but we had great racing all night.”

Kenseth, who led 169 of 334 laps, said staying out front in clean air was the key to winning the race.

“A couple of times, when we got behind a little bit, it took awhile to get to the front. We were short on fuel (because of a fueling issue on pit road), but because of the tire situation—how much time you could gain on (new) tires — we got lucky. When we pitted, it forced the field to pit. That was the key in long runs.”

Long runs indeed. The race ended on a green-flag run of 114 laps, after the only violent wreck of the night caused the fifth caution of the race on Lap 215.

Kenseth passed Bowyer for the lead on Lap 249, but one lap later, Kenseth relinquished the top spot when he brought the No. 17 Ford to pit road.

With Kenseth bearing down, Bowyer had made a spectacular save a few laps earlier, after his car slid sideways as he tried to pass the lapped car of Brian Vickers.

“Dang it,” Bowyer said. “That was my fault, totally my fault. You come up on those lappers, and they hold you up so bad. Matt started to catch me, and I was pressing, trying to get around (Vickers). He gave me room. I just slid up and got into him.

“Man, I thought it was going to end our day completely.”

Kenseth’s pit stop on Lap 250, necessary because his car hadn’t taken on a full load of fuel on the previous stop, started a parade to pit road that lasted 26 laps. Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch pressed the issue by staying out as long as possible, hoping for a caution.

Busch pitted on Lap 270. Stewart waited until Lap 276, opening a fuel window that would allow him to finish the race without another stop—or so he thought. But Stewart was penalized for speeding on pit road and then ran out of fuel on the last lap, finishing 12th, the last car on the lead lap.

Bowyer had just grabbed the lead after a restart on Lap 214 when a bone-jarring wreck on the backstretch sent the cars of Martin Truex Jr., Mark Martin and Regan Smith to the garage. Brad Keselowski checked up in front of Truex, who did likewise, and the chain reaction turned Truex sideways after slight contact from Kevin Harvick.

Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR

Martin and Smith were innocent victims, but their cars were crippled nonetheless.

Notes: Edwards regained the series lead by nine points over Kyle Busch, who finished 16th. Kenseth moved up six spots to third. … Earnhardt climbed two positions to sixth in the standings, his highest ranking since he finished second in the 2010 season-opening Daytona 500. … The 169 laps Kenseth led were 61 more than he led all last year.

How the 2009 Chase for the Cup could shape

Saturday night's Chevy Rock and Roll 400 of the 2009 Sprint Cup series once again becomes the stage for what has been 25 races of hard work for competitors and teams. Besides dicing around the ultra-competitive 3/4 miles Richmond International Raceway, 14 drivers are fighting for the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup championship will finally be set at the end of the night for an 10 race run between 12 Sprint Cup drivers.

I thought it would be entertaining to compute a possible prediction to the how the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship may shape. Since drivers 1st through 4th (Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Denny Hamlin) are locked into the championship, the drivers on the so-called bubble remains undecided at the green flag tonight's (September 12) Chevy Rock and Roll 400. What I have compiled is a statistical calculation of two scenarios that may shape positions 5th to 14th place going into the Chase for the Cup. The first involves a comparison and averaging of the past 3 Richmond races and the other uses average finishes through the past 3 races in 2009. Neither of the averages account for points leading a lap or the most laps.


Kyle Busch

Current position in Cup points: 14th (3,040)
Average 3 Finishes at Richmond: 1.33
Average Last 3 Races: 12.33


Brian Vickers

Current position in Cup points: 13th (3,057)
Average 3 Finishes at Richmond: 26.3
Average Last 3 Races: 6.67


Matt Kenseth

Current position in Cup points: 12th (3,077)
Average 3 Finishes at Richmond: 30
Average Last 3 Races: 13


Greg Biffle

Current position in Cup points: 11th (3,125)
Average 3 Finishes at Richmond: 15
Average Last 3 Races: 11.33


Mark Martin

Current position in Cup points: 10th (3,126)
Average 3 Finishes at Richmond: 4.33
Average Last 3 Races: 12.67


Ryan Newman

Current position in Cup points: 9th (3,138)
Average 3 Finishes at Richmond: 14.33
Average Last 3 Races: 10


Juan Montoya

Current position in Cup points: 8th (3,145)
Average 3 Finishes at Richmond: 24
Average Last 3 Races: 15.67


Kurt Busch

Current position in Cup points: 7th (3,152)
Average 3 Finishes at Richmond: 21.33
Average Last 3 Races: 27


Kasey Kahne

Current position in Cup points: 6th (3,153)
Average 3 Finishes at Richmond: 19.33
Average Last 3 Races: 13.33


Carl Edwards

Current position in Cup points: 5th (3,162)
Average 3 Finishes at Richmond: 15.33
Average Last 3 Races: 19


Points 5-14 According to Past 3 Richmond Finishes

5. Mark Martin 3259
6. Carl Edwards 3280
t7. Ryan Newman 3259
t7. Kasey Kahne 3259
9. Kurt Busch 3252
10. Greg Biffle 3243
11. Juan Pablo Montoya 3236
12. Kyle Busch 3225
13. Matt Kenseth 3150
14. Brian Vickers 3142


Points 5-14 According to Past 3 Races

5. Kasey Kahne 3277
6. Ryan Newman 3272
7. Carl Edwards 3268
8. Juan Pablo Montoya 3260
9. Greg Biffle 3255
10 Martin Martin 3250
11. Kurt Busch 3234
12. Matt Kenseth 3204
13. Brian Vickers 3203
14. Kyle Busch 3167


With this being a statistical calculation, one thing NASCAR racing teaches us is that the race takes place for a reason. Likely to foil these numbers Brian Vickers, Kurt Busch, and Juan Pablo Montoya have put together much better 2009 Sprint Cup season runs overall than compared to 2008. Also, Kyle Busch (a driver never needing motivation to win) will be inspired to break into the Chase after leading the race into the championship last year.

The broadcast for the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 is set for 7PM Eastern with the green expected to drop at 7:30PM tonight.