Earnhardt Jr Rises at Michigan! Ends 143-Race Winless Streak

Photo Credit: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images for NASCAR

The lead storyline through the first two days of the NASCAR Sprint Cup race weekend at Michigan International Speedway circulated around the tires Goodyear brought to the newly repaved 2-mile oval. With an emergency Saturday evening practice session subtracting magnitude of the issue, Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway would receive headlines for another more positive reason. After 200 laps, a driver piloting a superhero-themed car battled his foes for a much-needed triumph.

The Sunday main event was initially threatened by rain showers that drenched the Michigan oval. Pushing the start of the Quicken Loans 400 past 3pm eastern time, the 43-car Father’s Day race still received enough daylight in the mid-June sky to create a rich, Sprint Cup spectacle.

Pole-sitter Marcos Ambrose #9 Ford was part of a trio of blue oval-badged race cars that would lead all but one of the race’s first 69 laps. Ambrose, the #16 Ford of Greg Biffle and the #17 car driven by Biffle’s Roush Fenway Racing teammate Matt Kenseth led early at the Michigan racetrack. Over the span of the Ford Fusions leading, four cautions would slow the progress of the Quicken Loans 400. With two being competitions caution called so the tire situation of days prior would be assessed, the issue was ultimately defused in the 400-mile race limited to only some blistering Goodyear rubber coming off some cars. The race’s first caution involved a lap 3 spin by the #51 Chevrolet driven by the heavily scrutinized Kurt Busch. The Phoenix Racing #51 car would also spin on lap 121 of the Quicken Loans 400 ending with the elder Busch driver placed 30^th in the finishing order.

Photo Credit: Drew Hallowell/Getty Images for NASCAR

Progressing from a 17^th place qualifying position, the black and green #88 Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr had been moving in the right direction during the first one-third distance of the Michigan International Speedway race. On lap 70, the Hendrick Motorsports car themed to support the upcoming Batman movie “Dark Knight Rises” flew to the front of the Quicken Loans 400. The site of Earnhardt Jr’s last points-scoring win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series back in 2008, crowds were anxious to see if the #88 Chevrolet will have the staying power to keep the top spot to the end.

Unwilling to simply allow NASCAR Sprint Cup’s most popular driver to claim a win, the efforts of Dale Earnhardt Jr was challenged by auto racing comrade Tony Stewart. In a similar Hendrick Motorsports prepped Chevrolet Impala to that of Earnhardt Jr’s team vehicle, Stewart powered his #14 car around the #88 on lap 87. Jeff Gordon’s #24 Chevrolet and the #42 of Juan-Pablo Montoya would also spend a handful of laps at the front of the 400-mile event. After Ford’s dominating the early stage of the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Chevrolet had an impressive control of the later stages of the NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
As Chevrolet and Ford teams enjoyed being at the peak of competition at Michigan, one of Toyota’s most prolific organizations had an outing at Michigan they would prefer to forget. Joe Gibbs Racing saw all three cars fall deep in the running order. First, the #18 car of Kyle Busch spent an extended time in the garage due to a valvetrain issue on the car’s race engine. Busch returned the race 40 laps down to the leader and would finish the day 32^nd across the start/finish line.

In back-to-back incidents, the remaining Joe Gibbs Racing vehicles driven by Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin were taken out of competition. Logano’s #20 Toyota was part of a lap 127 wreck that collected the #38 of David Gilliland and the #5 Hendrick Motorsports car of Kasey Kahne. Both winners in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, Joey Logano and Kahne would retire from the Quicken Loans 400. The #11 Toyota of Denny Hamlin would leave the Michigan race on lap 134 when an apparently harmless spin turned into an inferno from the Joe Gibbs Racing car’s engine compartment. Denny Hamlin was classified 34^th in the race while the #20 of Joey Logano ended the day in 35^th spot.

Photo Credit: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images for NASCAR

When the final caution period of the Quicken Loans 400 concluded on lap 140, the #88 Chevrolet of Dale Earnhardt Jr led Tony Stewart across the flag for the crucial green flag. Without another yellow flag slowing the Michigan race in the last 60 laps, teams would require one remaining pit stop for fuel under green flag racing conditions. A pivotal moment, the Hendrick Motorsports crew rose to the occasion to give Earnhardt Jr a flawless, final pit service stop for two tires and fuel on lap 164. Retaking the lead on lap 171, the #88 Chevrolet would lead the final 30 circuits around the Michigan International Speedway to cross the line first.

Victorious at the Quicken Loans 400, Dale Earnhardt Jr entered the winner’s circle in what was celebrated as a popular 2012 race win. Convincing winning the Michigan International Speedway race by 5.3 seconds over Tony Stewart, the #88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet led for 95 laps on the day. In what had previously been a rare state, Dale Earnhardt Jr was the class of the field. “I saved a little in my pocket in the last 50 laps and ran only as hard as I thought I needed to, and at the end of the race, this thing was a rocket and I couldn’t slow it down, it was so fast.” said Earnhardt Jr.

143 races and 4 years since his last Sprint Cup Series win in a regular event, this second win with Hendrick Motorsports is the result of some long struggles. Responding to the racing fortunes of past races, Earnhardt Jr commented, “I was so nervous in the last few laps of that race four years ago, and today, this was the worst -- that’s the worst feeling riding around there with 15 laps to go wondering what’s going to happen or how you were going to lose.” While just winning his first race of 2012, Dale Earnhardt Jr has actually been enjoying a strong season overall with the victory at Michigan now catapulting him to second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver points standing.

Finishing second, Tony Stewart placed ahead of the Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusions of NASCAR Sprint Cup point’s leader Matt Kenseth and the #16 car of Greg Biffle. With Dale Earnhardt Jr becoming the third driver to add a win to Hendrick Motorsports’ 2012 tally, two teammates also had strong outings at Michigan concluding with top-10 runs. Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Chevrolet finished 5^th just ahead of Jeff Gordon’s #24 car. Clint Bowyer for Michael Waltrip Racing was the highest finishing Toyota Camry in the Quicken Loans 400 with the #15 5-Hour Energy car.

With many of the approximate 82,000 spectators in audience electric in the celebration of the Dale Earnhardt Jr victory, the next trip for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup tour is to the California road course in Sonoma for the Toyota/Save Mart 350.


2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Quicken Loans 400
Michigan International Speedway
Race Result
　

Pos #	Car #	Driver	Sponsor/ Car Make
1	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	DietMtnDew/TheDarkKnightRises/NtnlGuard Chev
2	14	Tony Stewart	Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
3	17	Matt Kenseth	Ford EcoBoost Ford
4	16	Greg Biffle	3M/Salute Ford
5	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe's Chevrolet
6	24	Jeff Gordon	DuPont Chevrolet
7	15	Clint Bowyer	5-hour Energy Toyota
8	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	Target Chevrolet
9	9	Marcos Ambrose	Stanley Ford
10	29	Kevin Harvick	Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet
11	99	Carl Edwards	Fastenal Ford
12	56	Martin Truex Jr.	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
13	2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite Dodge
14	1	Jamie McMurray	McDonald's Chevrolet
15	39	Ryan Newman	US ARMY Chevrolet
16	47	Bobby Labonte	Charter Toyota
17	43	Aric Almirola	Medallion Ford
18	83	Landon Cassill	Burger King Toyota
19	22	AJ Allmendinger	Shell Pennzoil Dodge
20	13	Casey Mears	Valvoline NEXTGEN Ford
21	31	Jeff Burton	Caterpillar Chevrolet
22	27	Paul Menard	Menards/Duracell Chevrolet
23	34	David Ragan	Front Row Motorsports Ford
24	33	Austin Dillon	American Ethanol Chevrolet
25	36	Dave Blaney	Seal Wrap Chevrolet
26	93	Travis Kvapil	Burger King Toyota
27	38	David Gilliland	Long John Silver's Ford
28	78	Regan Smith	Furniture Row Chevrolet
29	55	Mark Martin	Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
30	51	Kurt Busch	Phoenix Construction Services, Inc. Chevrolet
31	32	Ken Schrader	Federated Auto Parts Ford
32	18	Kyle Busch	Snickers Toyota
33	5	Kasey Kahne	Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
34	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Office Toyota
35	20	Joey Logano	The Home Depot Toyota
36	10	Tony Raines	Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
37	49	JJ Yeley	America Israel Racing/JPO Absorbents Toyota
38	98	Michael McDowell	Presbyterian Healthcare Ford
39	19	Mike Bliss	Humphrey Smith Racing, LLC Toyota
40	87	Joe Nemechek	AM/FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota
41	23	Scott Riggs	North TX Pipe Chevrolet
42	26	Josh Wise	MDS Transport Ford
43	21	Trevor Bayne	Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford

Race Weekend Schedule & Weather Forecast: June 17th to 19th 2011

Photo Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR

West Allis, Wisconsin
Milwaukee Mile
IZOD INDYCAR Series/ Firestone Indy Lights Series

Friday:

3:00pm- IZOD INDYCAR Practice

Temperature: 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

 
3:45pm- IZOD INDYCAR Practice (All Cars)
 
Temperature: 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 0%




Saturday:


8:45am- Firestone Indy Lights Practice

Temperature: 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy with chance of thunderstorm
Chance of Precipitation: 50%


9:45am- IZOD INDYCAR Practice

Temperature: 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy with chance of thunderstorm
Chance of Precipitation: 50%


11:55am- Firestone Indy Lights Practice

Temperature: 18 degrees Celsius (65 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy with chance of thunderstorm
Chance of Precipitation: 50%


12:55pm- IZOD INDYCAR Practice

Temperature: 19 degrees Celsius (67 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy with chance of thunderstorm
Chance of Precipitation: 50%


3:50pm- Firestone Indy Lights Qualifying
 
Temperature: 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy with chance of thunderstorm
Chance of Precipitation: 50%


4:45pm- IZOD INDYCAR Qualifying
Temperature: 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy with chance of thunderstorm
Chance of Precipitation: 50%


Sunday:

12:30pm Firestone Indy Lights David Hobbs 100



Temperature: 19 degrees Celsius (67 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy with chance of thunderstorm
Chance of Precipitation: 20%


3:30pm- IZOD INDYCAR The Milwaukee 225
Temperature: 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy with chance of thunderstorm
Chance of Precipitation: 20%



Brooklyn, Michigan
Michigan International Speedway
NASCAR Sprint Cup/NASCAR Nationwide Series/ ARCA Racing Series

Thursday:

2:30pm- ARCA Practice

Temperature: 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Partly cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 30%




Friday:

10:00am- ARCA Qualifying

Temperature: 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Partly cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 20%


11:30am- NASCAR Nationwide Practice

Temperature: 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Partly cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 20%


12:30pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Practice

Temperature: 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Partly cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 20%


2:00pm- NASCAR Nationwide Practice

Temperature: 24 degrees Celsius (74 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 20%


3:30pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Practice

Temperature: 24 degrees Celsius (74 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 20%


5:15pm- ARCA RainEater Wiper Blades 200

Temperature: 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Partly Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 20%


Saturday:

11:10am- NASCAR Nationwide Qualifying

Temperature: 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy with chance of thunderstorm
Chance of Precipitation: 50%


1:10pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Qualifying

Temperature: 22 degrees Celsius (71 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy with chance of thunderstorm
Chance of Precipitation: 50%


3:30pm- NASCAR Nationwide Alliance Truck Parts 250

Temperature: 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy with chance of thunderstorm
Chance of Precipitation: 50%



Sunday:

1:00pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400

Temperature: 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy with chance of thunderstorm
Chance of Precipitation: 30%

Harvick Streaks Past Hamlin for Michigan Sprint Cup Win

Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

With 22 races in the books, the pressure is weighing heavily on a multitude of NASCAR Sprint Cup teams as the series arrives for their second yearly visit to the Irish Hills of Michigan. As 43 cars were led to the start of the Carfax 400 at Michigan International Speedway, Kevin Harvick's 2010 season had been the year NASCAR race fans were long expecting from the driver who took over the vehicles of Dale Earnhardt Sr ten seasons ago. Leading the points ahead of Hendrick Motorsports pair of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson as well as the highly-energized Penske Racing lead veteran driver Kurt Busch, Harvick and Richard Childress Racing are riding high heading into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. On the other side of the points, several drivers such as Ryan Newman, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jamie McMurray are on the outside of the top-12 Chase positions with Michigan being the 4th to last opportunity to gain valuable ground.


Polesitter Kasey Kahne driving the #9 Budweiser Ford was quickly dethroned from the top spot by a strong start from the #48 Lowes Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson.Surprising in the light of Jimmie Johnson's NASCAR Sprint Cup career, Johnson has been winless in 19 previous races at Michigan International Speedway. Leading the Carfax 400's first 14 laps, Johnson's luck would not change at the race track. By lap 15, Johnson was hunted by the #16 Ford of Greg Biffle and passed for the 1st place position. With a history of good finishes at Michigan, Biffle was a definite presence through the first half of the Carfax 400 race. Returning to the NASCAR Sprint Cup race track for the first time since his private jet crash, Roush-Fenway Racing's founder Jack Roush witnessed first-hand the improving state of his Ford Fusions in competition. 


Calmly, the first 200 miles of the race resulted in two cautions. The initial yellow flag was thrown for oil spewing from the blown engine of Kurt Busch's Dodge. Back-sliding 6 spots in the 2010 driver's point standings, Kurt Busch lost touch with the top half of the Chase but is still holds a 180 point cushion on 12th place Clint Bowyer. Compounded by poor finishes of Busch's teammate, the Carfax 400 was a tough day for Penske Racing. A track Penske Racing team owner Roger Penske within his business portfolio, the best race result from the 3-car team was 32rd for Sam Hornish Jr.   


Ending Greg Biffle's stint in the lead after the #16 Ford led 3 times for 66 laps, Tony Stewart's #14 Chevy took over in front through the midpoint of the Carfax 400. Handing off the lead briefly over a pit stop, Stewart's rear-view mirror filled with the #29 Chevrolet of Kevin Harvick. Taking the lead for lap 111, Harvick stayed out in front for the longest consecutive period in the Michigan race. On the latter side of Kevin Harvick's 45-lap stint, a series of two-car incidents occurred to bring out yellows. Both conflicts residing in turn 4, Ryan Newman was first spun out with assistance coming from the Home Depot #20 of Joey Logano. After the race, Newman angrily confronted Logano over the lap 149 contact.

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR

With one Chase contender involved in the lap 149 caution, top 12 drivers Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton wound up with damaged cars just 6 laps later. Running solidly in the top-10 up to that stage in the Carfax 400, Burton ended the race 24th while Gordon would find himself 27th in the final running order.

In a final caution for debris on lap 169, teams had three laps to plan for their final run. Opting for the superior control of new tires, Greg  Biffle led a contingent to pit road while Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and a few others chanced track position being more valuable. While Stewart led off the restart for 11 laps, his fast-moving former teammate Denny Hamlin flew by to lead lap 178. A different circumstance to the dominant (yet arguably boring to watch) performance in the June race, the #11 FedEx Toyota started buried in the back after the Joe Gibbs Racing team elected to switch to a back-up car. Denny Hamlin would lead 12 laps under the hot pursuit of the #29 Chevy. Kevin Harvick ate into the small interval to Hamlin up until he was able to make his winning move on lap 190.   

As the choice to stay out proved to be the winning decision for Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle was able to charge to only 4th place at the end one position behind the #99 Ford driven by teammate Carl Edwards. With Matt Kenseth behind Biffle in 5th, Roush-Fenway Racing delivered 3 cars home in the top-5 motivated by their team owner's presence. Also having inspiring runs at the end was Martin Truex Jr 8th in the #56 NAPA Toyota and Elliott Sadler who brought his #19 Ford across for 9th place. Truex Jr overcome early difficulties having suddenly lost several positions early in the Carfax 400. 

When selecting NASCAR Sprint Cup championship contenders at the beginning of the year, no one mention forwarded the possibility of Kevin Harvick leading the points following 23 races. Thanks to his victory in the Carfax 400, Kevin Harvick now leads by 293 points over Jeff Gordon with a Chase opportunity all-but guaranteed.


2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Carfax 400
Michigan International Speedway


Race Results


Top-10

1 29 Kevin Harvick Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet

2 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota

3 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford 

4 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 

5 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford

6 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet

7 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet

8 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Toyota

9 19 Elliott Sadler Henry Ford Museum: Racing in America Ford

10 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota

Other Notables 

12 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet

13 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet

18 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota

19 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard Drive the Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet

20 1 Jamie McMurray Philips Norelco Chevrolet

27 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet

28 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet 

34 12 Brad Keselowski No. 12 Penske Dodge Dodge

40 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite/Vortex Dodge

Keselowski's Challenger Meets the Challenge in Michigan Nationwide Race

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

 

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

 

(August 14, 2010)

 

BROOKLYN, Mich.—Despite clutch problems that plagued him on pit road, Brad Keselowski dominated Saturday’s Carfax 250 Nationwide Series race at Michigan International Speedway.

 

“I don’t need no stinking clutch,” Keselowski said shortly after crossing the finish line 3.179 seconds ahead of second-place Carl Edwards.

 

No, he didn’t. Clutch or no clutch, Keselowski’s No. 22 Penske Racing Dodge was the class of the field, starting from the pole and leading 89 of the 125 laps, in the first race for NASCAR’s new Nationwide Series car on a downforce track.

 

Keselowski pulled away from Edwards after a Lap 117 restart, necessitated by the second caution of the race. Slow leaving the pits after a green-flag stop on Lap 105, Keselowski was running second, 3.4 seconds behind Edwards and closing, when the caution flag flew.

 

The caution bunched the field and gave Keselowski the opportunity to pass Edwards on the restart. Keselowski now leads second-place Edwards by 347 points in the series standings.

 

“The clutch problems just affect our pit stops, and at the end, it affected my (celebratory) burnout,” Keselowski said. “It still was an awesome racecar. When you’ve got cars this good, man, life is a lot easier.”

 

Kyle Busch finished third, followed by Justin Allgaier and Paul Menard. Joey Logano, Elliott Sadler, Reed Sorenson, rookie Colin Braun and Kevin Harvick completed the top 10. Danica Patrick came home 27th, four laps down, in her sixth race in the series and her first in the new car.

 

The Nationwide Series will use the new car in upcoming races at Richmond and Charlotte before its introduction as the full-time car in 2011. Saturday’s race dramatically increased Keselowski’s comfort level with his new Dodge Challenger.

 

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

 

“For me, I was nervous about this car for a lot of reasons,” Keselowski said. “I was nervous because, quite honestly, I haven’t run that well on the (Sprint) Cup side, and this chassis is based off the Cup car. I looked at it and thought, ‘Geez, if I haven’t run that well in the Cup car, what am I going to do when they bring it to the Nationwide side?’

 

“I was a little bit nervous about it from that standpoint, and obviously, the reliability of anything that’s new. So to be able to go out and win in that car, knowing it’s the same chassis as the Cup car—with some very subtle differences—is a huge boost of momentum that, hopefully I can carry over to (Sunday’s Cup race) as well.”

 

Edwards was aware that the second caution had deprived him of his best opportunity to win the race.

 

“Until that last caution, I thought, ‘Man, we might win this thing,’ ” Edwards said. “Then we had the caution, and Brad was able to just launch out front on that last run. It was just a battle for second then.

 

“But I could taste victory. I thought, ‘Man, this is going to work out—we’re going to steal one here today.’ But the best car ended up winning. Those guys did a good job.”

 

Keselowski and Edwards have a history of violent confrontations on the racetrack. In fact, both are on probation until the end of the year after a massive wreck on the last lap of a Nationwide race at Gateway International Raceway in July, where Edwards retaliated after Keselowski bumped him.

 

At Michigan, however, they raced hard but without contact. The ingredients were there for another melee, Keselowski said, but on Saturday it didn’t happen.

 

“The cake didn’t bake,” Keselowski said.