pandr
09-20-2011, 10:56 AM
Race Rewind | Looking back at the GEICO 400
By Jim Utter - charlotteobserver
Tuesday, Sep. 20, 2011
Observations
-- It took an extra day to get in, but Monday's rain-delayed Chase opener was worth the wait. And while it was important to try to get the race in Sunday for the fans in attendance, the sport itself was served best by running the race under the best conditions not the worst-case scenario of starting and stopping for rain delays. There is much on the line and the races should be allowed to unfold in the most fair manner possible.
-- It still amazes me that for the second consecutive year, the opening race in the Chase featured so many title contenders taking such a large gamble. Last year, Tony Stewart and Jeff Burton ended up on the short end of fuel-mileage gambles and neither recovered the rest of the Chase. This year, Stewart came away the winner, which should put him in excellent position to win a third Cup championship.
-- Opening Chase races have not been kind to Kyle Busch, and Monday was more of the same. Busch had a bad pit stop during the race's third caution that put him back in the field. At the end, he also ran out of gas. Busch, who entered the Chase as the points leader, leaves with a 22nd-place finish and ninth in points.
How the Chase drivers fared
No. 1 Kevin Harvick
Harvick picked up several new pit crew members, and smooth pit stops and good fuel mileage helped him to a second-place finish and the points lead.
"I wasn't ever comfortable, but I knew I had saved a little bit (of gas) under caution and a little bit at the beginning of that run," he said.
No. 2 Tony Stewart (-7)
During a Chase media event Thursday, Stewart counted his among teams he thought didn't have a chance to win the championship. He might want to re-evaluate.
The win assured Stewart he would continue his streak of at least one victory in each of his 13 full-time seasons in the Cup series.
No. 3 Carl Edwards (-10)
Edwards was hot and cold in the race, but he did lead 39 laps, third-most in the race. He saved enough fuel to come away fourth.
No. 4 Kurt Busch (-11)
Busch led the most laps in the race (64), but his car didn't handle as well at the finish. He still finished sixth and moved to fourth in the series standings.
No. 5 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (-13)
For much of the race, Earnhardt hovered around midpack. As the race drew to a close, his No. 88 Chevrolet ran much better.
He also managed to save enough fuel to reach the finish. After several others ahead of him dropped out, he came away with a third-place finish.
No. 6 Brad Keselowski (-14)
Keselowski tried some strategy midway through the race, staying out when other lead-lap cars pitted. That got him on a different pit cycle than the leaders, which in the end helped his cause.
"It was a good first step for us in the Chase," he said.
No. 7 Ryan Newman (-14)
Newman led twice for 18 laps, using a two-tire pit stop at one time to gain the lead. He finished eighth and moved up one position in points.
No. 8 Jimmie Johnson (-16)
Johnson thought he had done everything needed to save fuel and still have a shot to run down Stewart. But he came up short on fuel and coasted to a 10th-place finish.
No. 9 Kyle Busch (-19)
A bad pit stop put Busch in a deep hole midway through the race, and he could not recover. To top it off, he ran out of fuel on the last lap and finished 22nd.
No. 10 Matt Kenseth (-24)
Kenseth ran strong the entire race but ran out of fuel as the last lap started. He received a push from J.J. Yeley to help make it to the finish, but that is illegal under NASCAR rules.
He crossed the finish line in eighth, but after the penalty was moved to 21st, the first car one lap down.
No. 11 Jeff Gordon (-25)
Not a good start to the Chase for Gordon, who was forced to pit under green for a flat tire and ran out of fuel at the finish.
No. 12 Denny Hamlin (-41)
Hamlin had a tire go down late in the race and was forced to pit under green. He ended up 31st, three laps down. He trails Harvick by 41 points just one race into the Chase.
5 key moments
Lap 1
Matt Kenseth leads the first 32 laps and remains in the hunt for the win the entire race.
Lap 41
Kurt Busch passes his brother, Kyle, to take the lead for the first time. He would lead a race-high 64 laps and finish sixth.
Lap 110
Jeff Gordon is forced to pit under green for a problem with his right-front tire. It would start a long, difficult day that would see him run out of gas and finish 24th.
Lap 209
Tony Stewart makes his way around Kenseth on a restart for the lead. He leads 34 of the final 58 laps.
Lap 267
Stewart stretches his fuel to take the checkered flag, but several others - including Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson - run out before the finish.
Sylvania 300
Where: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H.
When: 2 p.m. Sunday
TV: ESPN
Radio: Performance Racing Network
Last year's winner: Clint Bowyer
C/P Thats Racin
By Jim Utter - charlotteobserver
Tuesday, Sep. 20, 2011
Observations
-- It took an extra day to get in, but Monday's rain-delayed Chase opener was worth the wait. And while it was important to try to get the race in Sunday for the fans in attendance, the sport itself was served best by running the race under the best conditions not the worst-case scenario of starting and stopping for rain delays. There is much on the line and the races should be allowed to unfold in the most fair manner possible.
-- It still amazes me that for the second consecutive year, the opening race in the Chase featured so many title contenders taking such a large gamble. Last year, Tony Stewart and Jeff Burton ended up on the short end of fuel-mileage gambles and neither recovered the rest of the Chase. This year, Stewart came away the winner, which should put him in excellent position to win a third Cup championship.
-- Opening Chase races have not been kind to Kyle Busch, and Monday was more of the same. Busch had a bad pit stop during the race's third caution that put him back in the field. At the end, he also ran out of gas. Busch, who entered the Chase as the points leader, leaves with a 22nd-place finish and ninth in points.
How the Chase drivers fared
No. 1 Kevin Harvick
Harvick picked up several new pit crew members, and smooth pit stops and good fuel mileage helped him to a second-place finish and the points lead.
"I wasn't ever comfortable, but I knew I had saved a little bit (of gas) under caution and a little bit at the beginning of that run," he said.
No. 2 Tony Stewart (-7)
During a Chase media event Thursday, Stewart counted his among teams he thought didn't have a chance to win the championship. He might want to re-evaluate.
The win assured Stewart he would continue his streak of at least one victory in each of his 13 full-time seasons in the Cup series.
No. 3 Carl Edwards (-10)
Edwards was hot and cold in the race, but he did lead 39 laps, third-most in the race. He saved enough fuel to come away fourth.
No. 4 Kurt Busch (-11)
Busch led the most laps in the race (64), but his car didn't handle as well at the finish. He still finished sixth and moved to fourth in the series standings.
No. 5 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (-13)
For much of the race, Earnhardt hovered around midpack. As the race drew to a close, his No. 88 Chevrolet ran much better.
He also managed to save enough fuel to reach the finish. After several others ahead of him dropped out, he came away with a third-place finish.
No. 6 Brad Keselowski (-14)
Keselowski tried some strategy midway through the race, staying out when other lead-lap cars pitted. That got him on a different pit cycle than the leaders, which in the end helped his cause.
"It was a good first step for us in the Chase," he said.
No. 7 Ryan Newman (-14)
Newman led twice for 18 laps, using a two-tire pit stop at one time to gain the lead. He finished eighth and moved up one position in points.
No. 8 Jimmie Johnson (-16)
Johnson thought he had done everything needed to save fuel and still have a shot to run down Stewart. But he came up short on fuel and coasted to a 10th-place finish.
No. 9 Kyle Busch (-19)
A bad pit stop put Busch in a deep hole midway through the race, and he could not recover. To top it off, he ran out of fuel on the last lap and finished 22nd.
No. 10 Matt Kenseth (-24)
Kenseth ran strong the entire race but ran out of fuel as the last lap started. He received a push from J.J. Yeley to help make it to the finish, but that is illegal under NASCAR rules.
He crossed the finish line in eighth, but after the penalty was moved to 21st, the first car one lap down.
No. 11 Jeff Gordon (-25)
Not a good start to the Chase for Gordon, who was forced to pit under green for a flat tire and ran out of fuel at the finish.
No. 12 Denny Hamlin (-41)
Hamlin had a tire go down late in the race and was forced to pit under green. He ended up 31st, three laps down. He trails Harvick by 41 points just one race into the Chase.
5 key moments
Lap 1
Matt Kenseth leads the first 32 laps and remains in the hunt for the win the entire race.
Lap 41
Kurt Busch passes his brother, Kyle, to take the lead for the first time. He would lead a race-high 64 laps and finish sixth.
Lap 110
Jeff Gordon is forced to pit under green for a problem with his right-front tire. It would start a long, difficult day that would see him run out of gas and finish 24th.
Lap 209
Tony Stewart makes his way around Kenseth on a restart for the lead. He leads 34 of the final 58 laps.
Lap 267
Stewart stretches his fuel to take the checkered flag, but several others - including Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson - run out before the finish.
Sylvania 300
Where: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H.
When: 2 p.m. Sunday
TV: ESPN
Radio: Performance Racing Network
Last year's winner: Clint Bowyer
C/P Thats Racin