The Cup race in Loudon New Hampshire was being run in an opening between the thunderstorms that had plagued the New England area over this final weekend in June. As the race progressed a wary eye was being kept on a weather front as it approached the race track from the west. The TNT race commentators were discussing the chances of rain as the race wound down to the final few laps. Kyle Petty jokingly refered to it as approaching humidity as he hoped out loud that the race would be completed.
Just as the race had run relatively caution free and it was beginning to become apparent that the lead cars were going to be forced to pit for fuel as the final 30 laps neared, the weather front could be seen not far from the track and it was readily apparent from the televised view that these weren't just clouds, it would be raining shortly. Finally the teams leading the race were faced with making a call. Then the hoped for caution occurred as Dale Earnhardt Jr. was evidently down on the apron to be the first into the pit and here came Jamie McMurray running on the apron and paying more attention to who he was running with than to anyone that might be in front of him. He plowed into Junior, David Ragan got spun as a result and debris went everywhere. Now, with the yellow out, the question became do you make a mad dash into the pits for fuel, or play the odds that you might be able to make it without additional fuel. If a caution or two came out before the checkered flag flew, it could mean all the difference. These are the normal strategy questions these people should have been mulling before pit lane was opened. But what about the nearing storm front? The TNT commentators were saying that the radio traffic between the pit bosses and the drivers was not only about such things as fuel and handling, but also of the possiblitiy of rain. What would be the right call?
Here's a look at the radar weather picture taken just before the rain started falling that would discontinue the LENOX Industrial Tools 301...
The white dot is where the Loudon Speedway is located. Notice the yellow and red areas of intense storm activity and remember the storms were moving west to east. You can't tell me the crew chiefs in this race didn't have access to information such as this...
Pit lane opened and here came all of the leaders with only a handful of cars staying out on the track. The Hendricks cars that had run strong at or near the front most of the day all came in for a quick gas n' go, as did most of those pitting. The race leader, Tony Stewart, made a right sides only tire change along with fuel. Between the eight cars that didn't pit and the gas n' go cars, Stewart found himself clear back in fourteenth place when the cars lined up for the restart. This would be a two row restart making Stewart as good as buried in the middle of the pack after having made a great run racking up over 130 laps as the race leader. The decision these folks made to pit for fuel is one thing, but why the tire change too?
By the time the restart took place, the Miller Lite number 2 Dodge driven by Kurt Busch was in first place on a wish and a prayer that there would be more cautions or that the skies would open up before the cars that had run up front all day could catch him as they gambled on their fuel situation.
The race no sooner restarted with Kurt having to deal with lapped cars than another wreck occurred bringing out yet another caution at the end of this race. Then Kurt's brother Kyle, who had been running in the middle of the pack all day, got intentionally spun by Juan Pablo Montoya while the race was under caution... Each driver blamed the other for the incident and thank goodness no one else became collateral damage. There will be more on this I'm sure.
Then the rains came... It wasn't long before NASCAR stopped the race, handing Kurt Busch his first Cup win of the 2008 season.
The winner Kurt Busch being interviewed after the LENOX 301 was discontinued...
Two races ago Dale Earnhardt Jr. pulled a victory from the jaws of defeat by continuing his run while his fuel gauge screamed for more fuel, now the Miller Lite Number 2 Dodge team is able to also grab the golden ring under similar circumstances, only the rain made it an elementary decision in my opinion... Rolling the dice.
Congratulations to whoever made the call to stay on the track among the Kurt Busch crew... Maybe Klvalus can find out... This Miller's for you!
May a thousand magot larve crawl up J.Macs #### tonight what a rookie move by a supposed experienced driver Jr. had a good car today I don't know if he would have won but top 5 at least and how bout the new battle between J.Pablo and K.Busch I can see this playing on in future races great scribble D-man and Congrats Kurt Busch
I think Kyle and JPM should put this incident behind them and move on. It was a racing deal. Both thought the other was wrong, and hopefully it's over with. Kyle's got a championship to try and win, and Juan's got uh, er, well he doesn't have much to lose. A good reason to give him a wide berth.
As a casual fan, it seems to me that more than a few NASCAR races this season are being won by those critical fuel decisions, etc, than by actual racing (I believe Gordo won earlier by staying out instead of pitting). I guess that's just how the yellow flag (and the rain) has been falling. Or maybe that's how it always is...
On another note, talk about instant gratification! I just got done watching that race, and already you've got a blog up. Nice work, dwindy- Like the NASCAR warriors you describe here, you must be given kudos for your speed!
I'm going to guess that it was the Number 2 car's crew chief that made the call to stay on the track and I think it was a great call. It was the team's only hope to win and they pulled it off due to the rain... I've gotta believe if it had been clear skies under the same circumstances someone would have overhauled the 2 in 10 laps or so...
I hated to see Stewart's effort thrown away like that...
Long time no type! This NASCAR deal has really taken hold of me. My first year as a fan and I like the guy most everyone else hates... Oh well, it's been exciting. His older brother won today by playing the weather deal just right. Sometimes you don't need to be the fastest, just the smartest! (Wish I could get that through my head!)
Well. Had a busy morning so i tuned in for the last 20 laps of the race.. LOL too bad there was only 6 of them.
Weather certainly ruined this one for a lot of fans and drivers,, but Hey what can ya do?
Only one guy has control over the weather, and he's a little too busy to worry about NASCAR.
Nice read.
They talked about the possibility of rain most of the second half of the race. Everybody and their dog knew it was coming. I guess it was just a question of when and the yellows worked out just right for the teams that were willing to risk the race on their existing fuel supply.
Again, I'll go with the crew chief as the source of the call for Busch, Pat Tryson. Nothing special though, just logical thinking really, something you don't see much in Nascar anymore apparently...
The look of those rain clouds approaching the race track when the TV cameras looked to the west sent me to the computer to take a look at the Doppler radar while the race was still running. Based on the proximity to those yellow and red areas on the radar sweep, I would've left my car on the track if it was running in the middle of the pack and hoped that everybody else made like sheep and followed the leader into the pits. That's just what everybody did and Kurt Busch won the race with a lesser car!
It was their only chance to win and it worked! Makes sense to me...
Kind of makes me wonder who would have won this race if they'd just stayed out on the course. As it ended up, Kurt Busch won his first Cup race of the year and Michael Waltrip came in second for what I believe is his first top five finish of the Cup season. They did it by taking a chance on the weather...
I don't know if anyone keeps statistics on circumstances such as these, but it seemed like a no brainer to me. They should have stayed out on the course, especially with the knowledge that the restarts usually result in more mishaps and cautions, just as today's race did...
Hey Dwindy! I doubt I have the inside scoop on this one...Pat Tryson made the call to pit on the caution with 75 laps to go knowing from there they could go the full distance (well, 2 laps short but whose counting) and play the fuel strategy esp b/c they knew the top 15 cars at the time needed to pit again. So really the #2 team had the right pit strategy all along, pitting later than the others had too, which set them up for the gamble at the end. He probably would have held them off to win without the rain b/c he raced his way up to 11th anyway. Either way, it was a GOOD CALL by the Miller team...I just wish I were there!!
Kudos to the Miller team for getting the strategy right and winning the rain shortened event. Kurt has matured so much since he was the Cup champion just four years ago. Good to see him in victory lane.
Kind of fun to see Waltrip finish in second just behind him.
You know this Miller has water in it...Lol..Great total teamwork. It takes taking a chance to win sometimes. That is this year. Taking a chance and it paying off. Mikey did it to. What an unseen finish. Kinda bunched the points to.
Will be fun to watch.
When you have the opportunity to again see the Miller Lite crew you'll have to have a bottle of the "tastes great, less filling" brew and lay it on Pat Tryson and tell him it's from the Fox Sports bloggers for his pit strategy at Loudon!
Thinking about it, you'd probably need a case so that no one would be left out... I'll carry the beer! lol
Thanks for the response! It was refreshing to see the number 2 in Victory Lane!
Now that Mike has revisited the top five and remembers how that feels, just maybe he'll drive back into the top again and make a habit of it! He could make it into the chase and then, like all the other drivers, who knows?
Congrats to the number 55 team (now everyone will claim it was the extra Toyota horsepower!)...
I guess if Kyle can't be in Victory Lane, then his older brother is the next best thing... Why weren't these other teams watching the weather more closely???
I have to say I prefer "The Champagne of Bottled Beer" over it's Lite brother...
I knew klvalus would know who made that call... The point of the blog is 'why didn't the other crew chiefs make that call too?' Seemed like a golden opportunity. All of the top 10 cars pitted. Not one was willing to gamble. I guess the number 2 pitting with 71 laps to go made it more feasible for them to gamble, but it makes me wonder about the other 7 teams that also stayed out. They all didn't pit with 70-75 laps to go. They were gambling and won!
"Then the hoped for caution occurred as Dale Earnhardt Jr. was evidently down on the apron to be the first into the pit and here came Jamie McMurray running on the apron and paying more attention to who he was running with than to anyone that might be in front of him. He plowed into Junior, David Ragan got spun as a result and debris went everywhere."
Dwindy - Good read. It was an interesting finish. Since I sat out two rain delays at Kansas, I don't really agree with calling it so soon. In my mind Nascar needs to clarify the rain-rules. Does it make a difference that only 17 laps were left? Does it make a difference that Kansas was a chase race? Who knows?
You've got me on the rain deal... I'd have to say it is based on a case by case basis. It was a heavy rain bearing down on Loudon yesterday, the crowd scattered and it was late. Was it like that in Kansas too?
I think McMurray just isn't a worthy target... I know I saw Junior spinning around at the entrance to pit lane and I knew Kyle was back there somewhere. I'm thinking "OH NO! Kyle spun out Earnhardt again!" I sure was glad it was another driver. But you're right, hardly a bad word about McMurray... Go figure.
WOW! Fantastic job Dwindy1. NH is not the best place to try and dry out fast, so I knew it was over when it came. That track sits low to everything around it and I bet the tunnel was flooded before the big riggs had gone threw.
I think old Tony E was thinking bring Jr in sooner and get fresh tires and maybe make some time up, but he wouldn't have made the time up on the ones not pitting. I am surprise the car kept going after the shot lifting it way in the air.
You just never know in these races who isn't paying attention... I heard that Junior's spotter was supposed to announce that the 88 was pitting but didn't. Seems to me this is a driver deal. McMurray should have been paying attention. I heard another explanation saying Junior swerved onto the apron in a fake out move to get into the pits and that's why McMurray nailed him... It did not appear that way to me...
TNT didn't have a view of Jr's manuever to enter pit road. He wasn't down on the line midway thru 3 and 4 like they say in the driver's meeting. He tried to enter as fast as he could by staying in the racing groove, and then swooping down. Too bad his spotter didn't tell him that J Mac was down there, at full speed.
J Mac knew it was Jr's fault, that's why he didn't take the blame during his interview. Jr knows it was Jr's fault. I think the Nation must know too, or they would be calling for Jamie's permanent suspension.
Hanny, so you can't see the forest for the "shrub" I guess.LOL Jamie did say that it was his fault. I understand that with all of the safety gear it is difficult to see out the sides and the rear of the car. However, you can't see out the front a COT? If that is the case, Jamie needs to be parked or the COT needs to be pulled. The main point is, why should Jr. Nation complain when Jr. never does? BTW, you know I am NOT a Jr. fan.
volfan...Kyle has nothing to do with Jr's wreck. In the only interview that I saw after the race with Jamie he never appologized or accepted any blame. He blamed his spotter.
Jamie was on the apron at full speed. Jr was outside of him, slowing down, and cut over in front of Jamie while braking sharply for pit road. Imagine you're in the left lane on the interstate. A drunk in the right lane swerves over in front of you, while jamming on his brakes. He might get hit in the rear.
Going by TNT's coverage, I thought Jamie was an ####. Today I talked with a couple of friends who were at the race, one is a Jr fan, and that's where I got this info.
Jr doesn't complain when he knows he was at least partially at fault. Like yesterday and Richmond.
Thanks, Hanny. I was sitting here huffing, puffing, and pouting like a Jr. fan.LOL (ALL JR. FANS, I'M JOKING AGAIN.)
BTW, I miss HR13. Hope his racing is going well.
We probably shouldn't consider this a turn around for Mikey just yet.He still has this stigma that his car Number is the speed limit. This was a rare incident. Mikey is much like the Big Bird on the Muppets. He has wings but don't know how to use them.
I'm a sports fanatic living on the west coast of Florida. I'm a rare bird that moved here from the left coast a couple of years ago. I advocate an even playing field in all of life's endeavors.
best slot
for caution occurred as Dale Earnhardt Jr. was evidently down on the apron to be the first into the pit and here came Jamie McMurray running on the apron and paying more attention to who he was running with than to anyone that might be in front of him. He plowed into Junior, David Ragan got spun as a result and debris went everywhere. Now, with the yellow out, the question became do you make a mad dash into the pits for fuel, or play the odds that you might be able to make it without additional fuel. If a caution or two came out before the checkered flag flew, it could mean all the difference. These are the normal strategy questions these people should have been mulling before pit lane was opened. But what about the nearing storm front? The TNT commentators were saying that the radio traffic between the pit bosses and the drivers was not only about such things as fuel and handling, but also of the possiblitiy of rain. What would be the right call?
