1. Jimmie Johnson- The No. 48 Lowes team dominated at Johnson’s home track in Southern California, from qualifying to the checkered flag, putting on a perfect performance unlike any other we have seen with the new car. Looks like JJ and Knaus have figured out the flat tracks—if they can keep up the consistency a three-peat may be in their future.
2. David Reutimann- The Michael Waltrip Racing driver qualified well and took advantage of his good starting spot on Sunday night. Reutimann kept himself up front and out of trouble, and even led a lap on his way to a top-10 finish. The No. 44 UPS Camry is starting to deliver!
3. Roush-Fenway Racing- Greg Biffle watched Jimmie Johnson’s bumper all night long and had stellar pit stops, but could do no better than second. Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards were both predictably solid as they finished fifth and sixth in the Pepsi 500. David Ragan needed a good run to stay in Chase contention and his 13th -place finish kept him within 17 points of 12th in the standings with one race left to make the Chase. That all adds up to a pretty solid team effort.
4. Denny Hamlin- Hamlin needed to haul the mail in an effort to get away from the “edge” of the Chase cutoff at California, and he did more than that. Hamlin was the class of Joe Gibbs racing as he kept his Toyota in the top five for most of Sunday afternoon and came home in third. Are you happy now Denny?
5. Bubble Boys- Kasey Kahne and Clint Bowyer both needed good runs to keep their Chase hopes alive and both accomplished their goals. Kahne’s eighth-place finish keeps him within spitting distance of 12th place where Bowyer resides after he brought home his No. 07 in 10th. It looks like a three-man race for the final spot in the Chase as Kahne is battling to keep Dodge from being locked out.
NOT
1. The Race- TV made this race look better than it was in person—that’s Hollywood for you. Uber-BORING single-file racing made the Auto Club Speedway two for two in awful races this year. Factor in the fact that two of the cautions were due to parts of the track falling off (the caution lights!) and the grandstands were half-empty, tell me again how this track got a Chase race in 2009?
2. Kurt Busch- Unfortunately, Sunday was just another typical race week for Kurt Busch and his crew. The Miller Lite Dodge snapped loose and body-slammed Martin Truex, Jr. coming out of a turn, cutting down the left side tires. The left rear came off hitting the No. 12, and Kurt went for another spin. Busch was never in the right place at the right time for a lucky dog and California was another long test session for the No. 2 team.
3. Jamie McMurray- On lap 4, the No. 26 Crown Royal car was already in trouble with a cut tire and a broken splitter, putting them one lap down to start. McMurray did his best to battle back and finished a respectable 24th given their troubles--but when the rest of your teammates are running up front you are making Jack’s decision on who to cut next year too easy.
4. Red Bull Racing’s Pit Crews- Team Red Bull was racing up front and had stout cars… but their pit crews just couldn’t hang much to the dismay of both BrianVickers and AJAllmendinger. The 83 team had a penalty for a loose tire and the 84 team was slow on every stop making their top five cars into top 15 cars. But kudos must go to Allmendinger who qualified on the outside pole and then strutted his stuff for the first time in a Cup car at California.
5. Tony Stewart- Smoke’s “Subway Fit” ride (anyone else find that sponsor ironic?) was slow, slow, slow all weekend long and Zippy just couldn’t find the zip. Stewart’s lackluster 22nd-place finish begs the question: Have all the parties on the No. 20 team already turned their attention to next year? Check out the Hot or Not photo gallery here: http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/pgStory?content Id=8513888
My weekly picks are dedicated to the memory of Cindi Redding who was respected and loved by all who knew her, especially her friends in the FOXSports.com community.
I won't bore you recapping the race on Sunday! LOL Pictures tell a better story anyway. Suffice to say domination isn't that exciting but kudos to the 48 team.
Unfortunately for me and the Miller Lite guys, our race went up in cut tires...
The tire smoking is actually the left front, the left rear is in shreds in the corner. Not good. I had a great time in the garages with the guys as usual though. They really are a fun bunch. I have some answers to questions, more "guess the car parts" and some scoop that I will post on the MLR More 2 It blog later. It really was just a long hot day with not much to do once the car went thru inspection. I did go to the drivers meeting and got these shots..."Sliced Bread" is walking in in the black shirt/jeans.
Everyone's favorite bad boy...
and in the next shot you see that tweedle dee and tweedle dum were in the house! OOPS! Did I type that!! LOL
I always have to get a shot of Jamie Mac doing something funny...you may recall the porta potty shot from Sonoma. Well, this week he is loading up on pasta off the grill. Did you know that the other teams call him "Cupcake". TOO FUNNY!
And last but certainly not least! As promised...our very own 3fan in his Logano t-shirt just for HotFootLori holding up the Stewart lug I stole for him. Thanks for everything Sal!
Yes, I am still stealin' lugs...
The "real" race report will be up on the Miller Lite Map later this week. Have a great Labor Day everyone!
1. Carl Edwards- “Concrete Carl” used the ole’ bump-and-run on Kyle Busch to take the lead and the victory in Thunder Valley on Saturday night. The No. 99 team has racked up six wins this year and is the only one putting any heat on Busch for the championship. A nod must go to his teammate, David Ragan whostarted dead last in a back-up car and finished 10th climbing to within 12 points of a spot in the Chase.
2. Joe Gibbs Racing- Turned their attention back to racing and all three teams finished in the top 10. Kyle Busch dominated the race and showed uncharacteristic patience out on the track --until he took out Edwards on his victory lap. Denny Hamlin had a solid performance and finished third after his angry tirade last week. Tony Stewart started 28th, got in trouble for rough driving, and finished eighth--Pretty much a typical day in the office for him.
3. Kevin Harvick- Harvick needed a good run at Bristol and he delievered. Happy was loose, fast and lucky as he barely avoided the “Big One.” He brought home his No. 29 Chevrolet fourth and can breathe a little easier now that he is more securely in the Chase.
4. Jeff Gordon- Gordon led a lap early and got those precious five bonus points. He then kept it in the top five the rest of the night en route to a fifth-place finish. His night was not without controversy, though, as the No. 20 messed with him for a second week in a row. Gordon is not likely to forget that and neither are his fans.
5. Clint Bowyer- It was official at Bristol that he would be changing his car and crew next year, a distraction for sure. Mix that in with his biggest problem of the weekend, which was when Bowyer got serious front end damage, and it could have equaled a disappointing result. However, Bowyer did a terrific job driving himself back into the Chase with a seventh-place finish.
NOT
1. Kasey Kahne- Kahne lost three spots in the standings last week at Michigan and was running 12th at Bristol when he got caught up in the “Big One.” He was on fire in a bad way and said “it’s the way it goes here” as the No. 9 Budweiser team was done for the night. Kahne finished 40th and fell 56 points out of 12th place with two races to go before the Chase begins.
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.- Junior was black-flagged for passing cars before the start-finish line and got a pass-through penalty putting him one lap down at the start of the Sharpie 500. That bone-headed mistake cost Junebug big because he could never get the lucky dog despite trying all night long. The No. 88 was lapped two more times before the checkered flag fell and Junior finished 18th. You can’t win championships with mistakes like that.
3. Jimmie Johnson- On lap 27, Johnson cut a tire and smacked the wall, knocking himself right out of contention early for the second race in a row. The No. 48 finished 17 laps down in 33rd and it looks like bad racing luck has found a home with this team.
4. Jeff Burton- Running sixth, Burton got caught up in a wreck on lap 195 that caused heavy damage to the No. 31 Chevrolet knocking him out of the race Saturday night. Another Chaser-to-be with problems, Burton finished 42nd-- his second DNF this year and yet another sign this team seems to be losing steam.
5. Elliot Sadler- Sadler slid his No. 19 Stanley Dodge into his pit stall at a 45 degree angle and his crew couldn’t get the left side tires on without him backing up. Several laps later Sadler was back in the pits to fix a loose seat belt. As if that wasn’t enough—NASCAR nailed him for speeding off pit road. Sadler finished 10 laps down in 32nd and cannot get any kind of momentum this season.
The Miller Lite Racing website had been updated (www.millerliteracing.com)! Look for videos of the hauler with Cindy, pit preparation on race day with Larry and everything you wanted to know about tires with Mule.
My weekly picks are dedicated to the memory of Cindi Redding who was respected and loved by all who knew her, especially her friends in the FOXSports.com community.
1. Carl Edwards- Starting from 27th on Sunday, Edwards was up front by lap 60 and he never looked back as he went on to lead the most laps in a dominating performance at Michigan. He gave himself a birthday to remember by sweeping the weekend’s races and now has 40 bonus points--and counting--heading into the Chase.
2. Roush-Fenway Racing- The rest of Roush-Fenway racing didn’t do too shabby either. David Ragan was threatening to win his first Cup race and his third-place finish launched him into a tie for 13th in the standings only 26 points out of the Chase. Teammates Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth were right behind in fourth and fifth and Jamie McMurray rounded out the amazing day for the Roushkateers by finishing 10th. The two-mile track is definitely the “House that Jack Built.”
3. Kevin Harvick- The No. 29 team has strung together two top-10 efforts in two weeks with his eighth-place finish on Sunday. As a result, they have been duly rewarded with a three-spot jump in the point standings. Happy and crew might be peaking at just the right time to make things interesting.
4. Brian Vickers- Not only did Vickers grab Team Red Bull’s first ever pole, he also kept his No. 83 in the top 10 all race long and finished an impressive seventh. He showed tremendous sportsmanship helping both Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Greg Biffle remove debris from their grills, eliminating their overheating problems. Vickers is still making a play for a spot in the Chase and even more importantly, he is gaining respect and friends on the track.
5. Kyle Busch- The points leader showed tremendous improvement in performance since his last visit to Michigan, so much so Busch was in contention for the win but had to settle for second. Look for the No. 18 team to go for broke before the Chase begins using trick setups and testing as they go for bonus points.
NOT
1. Denny Hamlin- With six laps remaining at Michigan, the No. 11 FedEx engine let go. Hamlin was clearly frustrated with his 39th-place finish that dropped him three spots in the point standings only 26 points inside the Chase. Hamlin said his team “didn’t deserve to be in the Chase” and with a bad attitude like that he might just get his wish.
2. Hendrick Motorsports- Rarely do we witness greatness implode like we did at Michigan on Sunday. HMS started the day running first, second, and fourth. But then Jeff Gordon’s crew couldn’t hold onto their lugs and Jimmie Johnson was “cranky” according to his crew chief and fell like a rock--until that fateful lap 91, when Johnson was forced into Gordon and they both suffered cut tires. Let’s not forget Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s b.a.n.g up job on the wall with 17 laps to go ending his bid for a top-10 finish. JJ and Junebug remain safely in the Chase but Gordon’s 42nd-place finish puts him only 82 points ahead of 13th place in the Cup standings.
3. Kasey Kahne- The No. 9 Budweiser machine started sputtering and blew up resulting in yet another Chaser with a surprisingly bad finish (40th). Kahne also lost three spots in the standings falling to 11th just 47 points ahead of 13th. However, at least Kahne had a positive outlook and praise for his team despite the disappointing finish and I bet it will create some good karma for him.
4.Clint Bowyer- The Jack Daniels’ team has been struggling, and this weekend was no different. Bowyer had a horrible qualifying effort (41st ) and struggled home to finish 20th. Not bad, but when you are sitting outside the Chase by 26 points, you have to capitalize in the races when others falter--and Bowyer missed his chance on Sunday.
5.Kurt Busch- The Miller Lite team had a top-10 car for half of the race, but then bad luck struck yet again. The No. 96 got into the No. 2 on a late restart and cut the left rear tire down and Busch couldn’t get to pit road without a spin through the grass. They ended up three laps down in 36th and are looking to work out their frustrations with a win at a short track—like Bristol.
Check out the Miller Lite Racing website for new videos from Michigan! (www.millerliteracing.com) Also be sure to check out my weekly insider reports with No. 2 team here on FOXSports.com every Thursday at http://msn.foxsports.com/millerlitemap. My weekly picks are dedicated to the memory of Cindi Redding who was respected and loved by all who knew her, especially her friends in the FOXSports.com community.
It is midnight here in MI and I am finally done with Hot or Not and my Miller article for the week, so unfortunately that means the quality of this blog will suffer as a result! But I wanted to get it up...forgive me, I am exhausted!!
I got to the garage when it opened at 8:00 AM and immediately found the crew hard at work finishing up their checklists so they could get through inspection. While they finished up, I headed out to pit road to say hello to the pit crew who had just arrived at the track that morning and were busy setting up the pit box. We were in pit stall number 4, nearly at the exit of pit road and right next to eventual race winner Carl Edwards pit. Here is a shot of the crew celebrating.
For Tyler, I asked them about pitting the car last weekend at Watkins Glen where pit road is “backwards." Larry Robinett, the rear tire carrier, said they only practiced for 3 days at the shop because they didn’t really want to get out of their regular rhythm too much just for one race. Despite not having any problems pitting the car, the change slowed their stops by several seconds. The biggest problem was for the rear tire changer Travis, and Larry to avoid the gas man and catch can man. They were definitely happy to be back to pitting “normally” this weekend. One other note, Larry was picked by ESPN to be on camera during his pit stops so you may have seen him in action. Here he is posing with the helmet they gave him to wear that was rigged for sound and video.
I also had the pleasure of spending a quick but fun 15 minutes with fellow FOXSports blogger Gerrel and her husband Craig. It was great to meet you! Could you see me in the No. 2 pits from your seats?? LOL
After meeting Gerrel, I headed back to the garage to follow the crew as they pushed the car through four main inspection sites (without incident) and out onto pit road to be lined up for the race. After the car is on pit road, the crew can finally relax for a bit. They tend to have several hours because they are consistently one of the first cars through inspection on Sundays. They head back to the hauler for an always tasty BBQ lunch served up by Cindy and hold their team meeting.
I was also enjoying Cindy's cooking out front of the hauler and watched as David Stremme had a long conversation with one of Penske's brass...HMMMmmmm, perhaps an announcement will be coming very soon. Also the crew had a blast showing me odd parts for the "Guess the Car Part" feature I will put up on the MLR More 2 It Debate blog. There are several that are sure to stump you guys!
Just before drivers’ introductions, Kurt and Eva stopped by the hauler and I got a chance to ask Eva about the horse Kurt bought her for their anniversary. ‘CJ’ is a beautiful grey Arabian that she plans to show next year. She laughed as she said Kurt’s golf game might improve because she will be spending more time at the barn.
I followed them out to pit road for driver introductions and stayed behind the Miller Lite pit box the entire race. Kurt had the Blue Duece in the top 10 for much of the first half of the race and was looking good until a two tire pit stop altered the handling on the car and he started sliding back. Then the No. 96 car hit Kurt on a restart and sliced the left rear tire. Before Kurt could get back to pit road the tire blew spinning him through the grass. He quickly saved it and got it on the apron so no caution was thrown, but that only sent Kurt down another lap. Here is that tire still smoking...you can see the inner liner held up just fine.
They finished a disappointing 36th after another rough day, but the fact that they were up front early is a sign they are figuring out how to set up this car better. After watching Carl do his flip and Victory Lap I watched the pit crew tear down the pit box and headed slowly back to the garage. There were tons of teams picked to go through post race inspections and the dyno after the NW cheating scandal yesterday so the garage was crazier than usual and no one was leaving. I watched for a bit but then remembered once they finished I would be stuck leaving behind all the team haulers so I said my goodbyes and skeedaddled out of there!
Despite the disappointing race for Kurt and the Brew Crew, I have to say MI was a great race to be at. Good racing and lots of drama added to the Chase. I'll have a week off and then will be traveling to Fontana in 2 weeks so more garage reports will come!
Today I managed to get to the garage right before it opened so I had the opportunity to line up outside with the Miller Lite crew along with the rest of the teams and pour into the garage area as soon as NASCAR opened the garage. It was a cool scene to see the crews rush in and go immediately to work!
I started off watching JP, the engine guy, tear down Ryan Newman's blown engine from yesterday. I wasn't able to take pictures of it and he was very stealthy as he took it apart. He covered the parts with rags so no one could see them. The parts he took off the engine he wrapped in rags or put in ziplock bags and put them in a "tear down box." They then lifted the engine and took it over to a NASCAR inspection station where JP had to show the officials enough proof to justify the engine change.
While JP was working he was kind enough to answer some questions. First, it was interesting to learn that Penske has about 75 engines in stock for all 3 race teams and the part time NW team. That seems like a lot of engines to me! He also answered the questions Photo asked me on the MLR More 2 It blog which I will put on that blog soon but in short, the answers were "no, no, and we don't but you could..." That will make more sense soon! LOL
I was able to ask one of the officials about the Cup flagman for Noah, our future flagger! There are 2 flagmen working every race and they alternate time on the flagstand. They also work as inspectors during the weekend. One inspects the fuel cells and the other works with Goodyear handing out tires to the team. The advice for Noah was to keep flagging but also learn everything you can about inspecting cars and everyone said he will make it to Cup in no time!
For Forensic, I inquired about the pit stop rule and keeping control of the tires. Forensic had noted that several teams didn't have their hands on the tire as it rolled towards the pit wall and wanted to know why that wasn't a violation. Apparently, in the past, if you were a good tire changer you could pull the tire off with one hand and send it rolling somewhat wildly towards the wall. NASCAR put the new rule in place to stop them from doing that and now essentially the tire needs to be "rolled under control" towards the wall. So they don't have to have their hands on it necessarily...of course "control" is TBD by the official working the pit stall. BTW, the officials are assigned to the pit stall to work, not to the team and they are assigned by NASCAR at the same time pit selection takes place.
I saw there was another question on the blogs about how the weight of the car was affecting the setups so I asked Corey, the car chief more about that today for you. He said it is not that the car is 300 lbs heavier on the left side. In fact, the total car weight has to be 3500 lbs. and NASCAR dictates how heavy the right side of the car has to be based on the weight of each driver...Kurt is a pretty slender guy (unlike some, ahem!) so the Miller Lite Dodge has to weigh 1700 lbs on the right side. So really, the left side of the car is only 100 lbs heavier. Corey says one of the main problems with the setup is that the COT has a much higher center of gravity and the car is very top heavy now making it very difficult to turn. The other main problem is that the teams are limited by how much they can "travel" the front end suspension. On the old car they could move it 6.5 inches and now they can only move it 3.5 inches.
During practice today we filmed another couple videos for millerliteracing.com. The first is of the hauler and cab, which I had never been in before. It is very impressive and Cindy did a great job explaining it all. I can tell you it is a diesel freightliner 1500 and they get new haulers every 2 years! After Happy Hour, we caught up with Mule who did a great bit on the tires for us so look for those videos to be up soon.
After Happy Hour I watched the team tear down the car in preparation for raceday. I was able to go in the garage and watch Corey and JP work on the front end and the engine for the first time ever (again, unfortunately no pictures) and Bill let me lean in the interior and get good and close to the cockpit as well as explained everything on the dash to me (again no pictures allowed!). They have the gauges set up so they are illuminated blue when normal but turn to red if there is a problem so Kurt doesn't have to focus too hard to figure out if there is a problem during the race. I also got some great pictures of car parts to use on the MLR- More 2 It blog for a "Guess this Car Part" game...I have a few that I *know* will stump you!
Finally, after the garage closed for the day at 5p, me, Stretch, Bill and Luke headed over to the Miller Lite Beach Party Deck in Turn 1. Here is a shot of the entrance complete with a Miller Lite Girl off to the right there (sorry its kinda a small image!)
We hung out there with the fans for awhile and watched Carl Edwards win the NW race. A little later Pat Tryson, Mule and Corey joined us also. The best thing though was the Miller Lite guy in charge of the party got me an infield parking pass for race day. That will be a godsend tomorrow saving my poor feet!
That is the full report from today! I still have several questions I am trying to get answered for you guys, hopefully tomorrow. As always, thanks for reading!
Greetings from the Michigan International Speedway garages! Wanted to fill you all in on my adventures for today and give you the scoop on all the Non-Miller Lite happenings since my Miller Lite articles will be all about the Brew Crew....so some of this may be repeated later.
I started off with about an hour drive up to the track from Toledo, OH and made it to the track with no problems. We hopped in the golf cart and went in the backstretch entrance to the garage and when I say backstretch, I mean it! We literally drove across the track in the golf cart, very daunting! And thankfully we didn't have to play Frogger with any race cars!
Once inside you could see why the crew doesn't love this garage, apparently it is setup much like Fontana's and despite having a huge infield, there is very little room for the teams to work. The cars are angled into the garage stalls so that their rear ends are nearly touching and it takes about a 6-point turn to back the cars into the garages (usually a 3-point turn). The ONLY good thing about the garage setup is that the haulers aren't parked directly across from the garage stalls. Now why is that a good thing? Well for fans lucky enough to be in there it means the drivers can't sprint across and hide as easy so you have lots more opportunities for autographs...more on that later.
Bobby Labonte was walking into the garage right behind us so I turned and asked him if he was ok. He assured me he was and thanked me for asking. Course most of the hubbub early this morning was the Stewart-Hass press conference introducing Ryan Newman in the #4 car for next year. Both Ryan and Tony were out in the garage a lot today and were all smiles (still no autograph from Smoke though...sorry guys! I am trying!!) Lots of drivers were doing interviews today and due to the garage set up it was easier to get good shots of the drivers. Here are shots of Jeff and Kasey for their fans out there. I am still working on good shots of some others!
Of course I found the Brew Crew and discovered that we have a new engine guy working with us starting this week. JP or "HOP" is taking over for Darren who tore his ACL and had to have surgery. JP sets up the Penske engines at the shop and is well qualified to do so at the track. He was extra busy today because as soon as practice started the #12 blew a valve spring so to be safe they changed the whole engine out. Ryan wrenched on the car helping his crew and I finally got some secret shots of an engine. As I said, the garages are actually too small to do any real work so they did all this out in the open.
I have some interesting tidbits to tell you about the car and some of the procedures but am saving those for one of the articles. I bit later I spent a half hour talking with Corey, the car chief and his USAC adventures that will also be an article to look for in the future.
One thing you notice right away about this track is how loud it is because the noise of the cars on the track echoes off the banking and the grand stands and the infield buildings and for once I actually had to wear ear plugs and my scanner on pit road during practice. It is going to be really loud on Sunday.
I watched as NASCAR literally used a LOTTO ball machine to pick the qualifying order...I couldn't believe they actually use this!
After qualifying was picked several of the drivers held media interviews outside their haulers. Of course I camped outside the #88 hauler with most of the media and here is a picture of me getting yelled at to move out by Jr's new PR woman!
Luckily I ran into our very own Lee Spencer who made sure I got some good pictures of Jr. and she was kind enough to take this one with me.
While waiting for qualifying to start we golf-carted over to the infield around turn 1 where Miller Lite has a hospitality suite setup. This thing is amazing! It is a mock beach complete with sand, a "lake", palm trees, hammocks and beach chairs and 3 20 person hot tubs! Of course it has food, ice cold Miller Lites and several viewing decks to watch the race from. Saturday it will be open and full of fans along with the Miller Lite girls. The crew is going over after the garage closes tomorrow and I will tag along to see what kind of trouble they get into!
I watched about half of qualifying from the roof of the hauler. Surprisingly, you could only see turn 4 and only if the cars were running the high line so that won't be the place to watch the race this Sunday. We also did some video up there for a future hauler tour video for millerliteracing.com which will include the cab of the hauler this time.
I came down in time to catch some of the drivers trickling back to their haulers for the night. I was actually waiting for Stewart when I heard a bunch of people yelling "JUUUUNNNIOR!" and low and behold he was race-walking right for me! He had gotten ahead of the herd chasing him and I managed to slide right in with him and get 3 seconds of his time alone to gush and babble and get an autograph before he ducked into his hauler! FINALLY!!!! LOL I was shaking for a good 30 minutes after that and my Miller Lite bosses were cracking up at me!
I had taken this picture of him earlier...I couldn't snap pictures and babble at the same time! We headed out after my "Jr encounter" and am looking forward to another great day in the garage tomorrow. You'll get a full report as soon as I am able!
1. Joe Gibbs Racing- Kyle Busch ends the “slump” with his eighth win of the season as he sweeps the road courses and takes another bow. Love him or hate him, Rowdy can drive. Tony Stewart’s runner-up finish was quiet and he needed Kyle to pull over so he could grab five bonus points, but he is more securely in the Chase. Denny Hamlin rounded out the total team effort with a stout eighth-place run.
2. The International Playboys- Aussie Marcos Ambrose came from last to finish third as he showed off his superior road racing skills in his No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford. Good Day Mate! Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, always a favorite on the road courses, stayed in his car this year and fought his way up to a fourth-place finish. Caliente!
3. Jimmie Johnson- JJ’s day was nearly disastrous after he cut a tire on the on lap 43 after a brief but unforgiving trip off the pavement. The champs kept their heads and came up with a new strategy on the fly and to grab a seventh-place finish. A three-peat isn’t looking so far fetched anymore.
4. Martin Truex, Jr- Finally, someone is racing to win! Truex Jr. had a great car all day and was going for broke in an effort to get his No. 1 Bass Pro Shops machine into the Chase. He raced smart, clean, and fast to snag a fifth-place finish. If he can do that four more times, it will be a Chase comeback story to remember!
5. AJ Allmendinger- The Red Bull driver started 36th and finished 11th showing he too can wheel a car on the road courses. He kept the fenders on it and his pit crew ripped off great pit stops as they continue to fight to get into the top 35 in points for the first time ever. The Dinger’s performance this year has been outstanding, why is he driving to save his job?
Honorary “Hot” – HoosierRacer 13- Friday night, HoosierRacer won his heat race competing against 23 other racers. He started fourth in the feature after the re-draw/invert, and finished second in the feature!. The racer who won is undefeated this year but second is HoosierRacer’s best finish to date! Congrats!
NOT
1. Michael McDowell – Blatantly took out David Gilliland with eight laps to go by pile-driving him into the tire barrier, triggering a nasty nine-car wreck. The race was red-flagged for the second year in a row as several drivers took huge hits and Bobby Labonte, clearly in pain, was taken to the hospital. The rookie was touted as a road racer with a chance at a good finish, but instead he got to enjoy your a visit to the big yellow trailer.
2. Jeff Gordon- The road course warrior was never a factor with radio troubles and a loose, twichy race car. Even a two tire stop couldn’t help Gordon get track position as he raced in the back of the pack on Sunday. To add insult to injury, the No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet went for one last spin on the last lap as Gordon wheel hopped home in 29th. Gordon is in real danger of going the entire season without a win.
3. Tony Eury Jr.- Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was impressive in the beginning of race as he led easily but his cousin and crew chief had a screwy pit strategy that cost him the race. Despite losing time on the track to cars with fresh tires, Eury kept Junebug out on the track long after the rest had pitted and the No. 88 team was caught by a caution. Earnhardt Jr.’s 22nd-place finish dropped him two spots in the standings but what is worse is the fact that this team can’t put together a race-winning strategy.
4.Roush Fenway Racing- Only Carl Edwards cracked the top 10 on Sunday at the Glen as the Roushkateers were the most aggressive with fuel mileage. Matt Kenseth (12th), Jamie McMurray (16th), and Greg Biffle (21st) salvaged points but it was David Ragan who took the biggest hit with his 30th-place finish. He is now 92 points out of 12th with only four races left to get into the Chase.
5.Ryan Newman- Running in third late in the race, the No. 12 Kodak car came flying into Turn 1 with a wheel hop and went spinning. Newman was stuck in a scary spot in the middle of the track until his teammate Sam Hornish, Jr. gave him a push. The car kept stalling and Newman could do no better than a 26th-place finish. They are done chasing the Chase.
The Miller Lite Racing website had been updated! (www.millerliteracing.com) Check out my video showing how the teams go through shock inspections.
Also be sure to check out my weekly insider reports with No. 2 team here on FOXSports.com every Thursday at http://msn.foxsports.com/millerlitemap. Click on the star for Watkins Glen to get my latest article.
My weekly picks are dedicated to the memory of Cindi Redding who was respected and loved by all who knew her, especially her friends in the FOXSports.com community.
1. Carl Edwards- Cousin Carl started 15th with an experimental setup on his No. 99 Office Depot Ford that clearly worked for him. Edwards and crew chief Bob Osborne had a heated argument about the call to pit before the rain but they were one big happy family in Victory Lane. Edwards got his fourth win of the season and moved up two spots to third in the Cup standings. A nod must go to teammate David Ragan whose fifth place finish has him only 46 points out of 12th.
2. Kevin Harvick – Happy sure does like to keep things interesting--he was spun on the very first lap of the Pennsylvania 500. He fought his way back but then worried about his engine sounding “off” midrace. Harvick and the No. 29 crew kept their heads in the game to bring home a fourth-place finish and jumped back into the Chase.
3. Tony Stewart- The No. 20 Home Depot Toyota started way off on Sunday and the crew threw every adjustment possible at it. Zippy made the right call to pit before the rain delay and Smoke took it from there. He is still searching for his first win this year, but his second-place finish at Pocono moved him up one spot to ninth in the point standings. He can’t rest on his laurels though, he is only 58 points out of 13th.
4. Jimmie Johnson- The pole sitter stayed near the front most of the race and other than a big pesky splattered bug on his windshield that blocked his view, JJ had a fairly uneventful race—for once! Crew chief, Chad Knaus made all the right calls and managed the fuel mileage perfectly, the No. 48 Lowes Chevy ran out of gas as it crossed the finish line in third. The Cup Champs are on a roll.
5. Mark Martin- Despite having a dominant car this weekend at Pocono, Martin remains winless at the 2.5 miler. The veteran racer led the most laps but the pit and the problems during two pit stops kept him from Victory Lane once again. Martin overcame the problems to finish eighth but DEI is still searching for some inspiration.
NOT
1. Kyle Busch- Rowdy was putting on his typical show of hard-driving, wall-smacking, and power-sliding as he battled his No. 18 M&M’s Toyota all race long. He was up to fifth late in the race but ran out of gas with only two laps to go. He stalled the car and was pushed too far by his crew all of which added up to a disappointing 35th-place finish. At this point in the game, Rowdy can afford to take risks—sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
2. Jeff Burton- Started the Pennsylvania 500 in his typical manner--from the back-- and was impressive early has he moved through the field with ease. He had a solid run going until he had to serve a pass-thru penalty for an uncontrolled tire and ended up with a 21st place finish. He falls two spots in the point standings but more worrisome, the No. 31 team needed a good run to get out of the “slump”--mission not accomplished.
3. Denny Hamlin- Ponoco is considered one of Hamlin’s best tracks but he couldn’t get the car set up to his liking. Instead the No. 11 FedEx team tried playing the pit strategy game by staying out before the rain delay and then pitting very early for his final pit stop of the race. Unfortunately, it didn’t work as they finished 23rd and dropped to 10th in the standings--this team is in real danger of not making the Chase as they sit only 36 points inside the Top 12.
4.Kurt Busch- Again the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge snapped out of control early in the race and sent Kurt Busch spinning. He climbed up to fourth by staying out before the rain delay and even cycled through to lead laps until Busch ran out of gas with 40 laps to go. He ended up with a 38th place finish--not the 30th birthday gift Busch wanted.
5. Chip Ganassi Racing- Juan Pablo Montoya started the race with a spark plug wire problem and went one lap down early. The No. 42 Havoline Dodge was back in it and looking racy but then blew up, resulting in a 40th-place finish. Teammate Reed Sorenson was never a factor and ranout of fuel late, dropping him to 36th. If this team doesn’t show some life soon, I fear they may have to pull the plug on the entire operation.
The Miller Lite Racing website had been updated! (www.millerliteracing.com) Check out my video showing how the teams go through shock inspections.
Also be sure to check out my weekly insider reports with No. 2 team here on FOXSports.com every Thursday at http://msn.foxsports.com/millerlitemap. Click on the star for Pocono to get my latest article.
My weekly picks are dedicated to the memory of Cindi Redding who was respected and loved by all who knew her, especially her friends in the FOXSports.com community.
1. Jimmie Johnson- Now a two-time Brickyard winner, pole-sitter Jimmie Johnson outlasted the tire problems and a stout Carl Edwards at the end to kiss the bricks on Sunday. Crew chief Chad Knaus called a perfect race and as a result the Champs are throwing their hat back in the ring. A nod goes to teammate, Jeff Gordon whose patience paid off with a fifth-place finish.
2. Roush-Fenway Racing - Carl Edwards was the class of the Roushkateers as he ran up front all day in his speedy No. 99 Aflac Ford and battled to the bitter end to come up just short, finishing second. His teammates, Jamie McMurray (6th), Greg Biffle (8th), and David Ragan (14th) all had good finishes inside the Top 15. With three drivers in the Top 12, the Cat-In-The-Hat looks to contend for another title.
3. Denny Hamlin- Used tire strategy to grab the lead with 30 laps to go, and once out front, the No. 11 FedEx Toyota was bad fast. Crew Chief, Mike Ford, had visions of redemption after blowing the call last year. Alas, once the No. 41 machine sent a tire flying towards the pit box on the last stop, Hamlin had to pause just long enough to lose the lead. He finished third climbing four spots in the standings to eighth, and looks to be a favorite heading into Pocono.
4. Gillett-Evernham Motorsports- Elliott Sadler was looking for his first win in four years as he ran in the Top 10 for most of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and finished an impressive fourth. Teammate Kasey Kahne was lucky his No. 9 Budweiser Dodge did not suffer any ill effects from a cracked header. Kahne finished seventh, gained two positions in the point standings and remains Dodge’s sole hope for a championship.
5. A.J. Allmendinger- The only open-wheel convert to put on a good show at Indy. The ‘Dinger brought his No. 84 Toyota home 10th for his best career finish and is clearly clicking with new crew chief Jimmy Elledge. Seems these days there is always a Red Bull car racing up near the front.
NOT
1. NASCAR - With the longest green flag run of the race only 12 laps long and six competition cautions for excessive tire wear, NASCAR should be embarrassed to call this a race. The combination of the new car, the diamond grinding on the track, and the softer Goodyear tire took the blame for the problems but no matter how you slice it, NASCAR should have prevented this debacle.
2. Kurt Busch- A very disappointed Kurt Busch admitted he made a mistake on lap 14 as the Miller Lite Dodge snapped loose in Turn 1 and turned into Kevin Harvick, spinning both cars hard into the wall. Busch finished 40th and is now 281 points out of 12th place in the standings--effectively ending any opportunity to get into the Chase.
3. Matt Kenseth- Kenseth was a victim of the tire situation, staying out too long and having a tire explode--taking much of the right side of the No. 17 DeWalt Ford with it. The Killer Bee’s patched it up, but Kenseth finished 17 laps down in 38th and fell three places in the standings to 11th as he holds onto a spot in the Chase by only five points. Yikes!
4. Brian Vickers- The No. 83 Red Bull’s engine blew up with 55 laps to go, ruining a good day after Brian Vickers ran in the Top 10 for much of the race. His 42nd-place finish put a serious damper on his bid to make the Chase as he is now 132 points out of the final postseason spot. The good news—he runs well at Pocono.
5. Kevin Harvick – Happy was one of the favorites to win at Indy but was taken out early by Kurt Busch, and was happy-no-more. Part of racing is luck and Harvick was in the wrong place at the wrong time on Sunday. His 37th-place finish leaves him two points out of the Chase battling with teammate Clint Bowyer for the coveted final spot.
My latest exploits with the Miller Lite Racing team are up at www.millerliteracing.com in the “Team Forum” section! Check out the new video showing how the teams go through shock inspections. Also be sure to check out my weekly insider reports with No. 2 team here on FOXSports.com's NASCAR page every Thursday.
My weekly picks are dedicated to the memory of Cindi Redding who was respected and loved by all who knew her, especially her friends in the FOXSports.com community.
1. Kyle Busch- Rowdy is tops again by making it look easy and sweeping the Chicagoland weekend. Busch dominated as he led the most laps, but had to manhandleJimmie Johnson with two laps to go to get his seventh Cup win of the year. He now has a whopping 262-point lead and 70 bonus points--and counting—to start the Chase. A nod must go to his soon-to-be-ex-teammate, Tony Stewart who put in a solid run to finish fifth.
2. Jimmie Johnson- JJ admitted his No. 48 Lowe’s team had lost a step to the competition going for the championship last year, but it looks like they got their 1.5-mile track performance back. Johnson’s duel to the finish against Kyle Busch was the most exciting racing of the night and Johnson probably would have had the win had he not given Busch the outside line. Even better than his second-place run, Johnson was “racing for relief” and made a lot of money for the Red Cross to aid victims of the recent floods and tornadoes in the Midwest.
3. Kevin Harvick – Happy hasn’t had a top-five finish since Richmond more than 10 races ago, but the two-time Chicagoland winner battled a steering wheel that was adjusted too close to him to finish third on Saturday night. His solid run moves him back up four spots to ninth in the point standings and Happy has two full weeks to stretch his arms before climbing back into his No. 29 Shell machine at Indy.
4. Matt Kenseth- Kenseth looked to be back to his old self as he hugged the bottom line and ran in the top five all day until he punctured a right rear tire and went a lap down on lap 125. Kenseth was even more impressive as he proved you could pass with this car as he came from 30th to finish seventh on Saturday night. He moves up to eighth in the point standings just one point behind his teammate, Greg Biffle who finally broke the hex, had a great run and finished fourth. Teammate David Ragan’s eighth-place finish also deserves a nod.
5.Team Red Bull- Brian Vickers used excellent pit strategy to get up to third early in the race, led a few laps, and kept his loose Red Bull car in the top 10 most of the race before finishing sixth. His result helped him move up one spot in the point standings, only 95 points out of 12th place. Mark my words, this team will make the Chase. Teammate AJ Allmendinger ran his first-ever Cup race at Chicagoland and also kept his Red Bull machine in the top 10 most of the night, finishing 13th.
NOT
1. Denny Hamlin- The No. 11 FedEx machine was off the pace early with an ignition problem as the Toyota engine was cutting out in the corners. The wrecker pushed Hamlin to the garage and he returned to the race 4 laps down. Hamlin finished 40th and took a huge hit in the point standings as he dropped five spots to 12th and is hanging on by just 27 points. The middle child at Gibbs is getting lost in the shuffle and looks to be in serious danger of missing the Chase.
2. The Rest of Richard Childress Racing- Unfortunately, Jeff Burton’s No. 31 A####mp;T Chevrolet was “off” all weekend and it didn’t help when he missed his pit stall during the first caution and ended up going a lap down as a result. He rallied to finish 19th but lost major ground to the points leader for the second race in a row. Teammate Clint Bowyer was not even mentioned during the TV broadcast as he raced in the middle of the pack all night and brought it home 22nd. Not good enough has he fell three spots to 13th in the standings and is on the outside looking in for the Chase.
3. Carl Edwards- Cousin Carl was looking stout early at Chicagoland as he enjoyed the sunset and was one of the only cars to pass Kyle Busch for the lead under green. On lap 212, his luck changed as he was forced to pit with a broken splitter and ended up one lap down. Edwards finished 32nd and maintained his fourth spot in the standings but lost ground to the leader. Carl might be able to run with Kyle Busch but he has to be able to beat him to the checkers.
4. The No. 96 Team- For a team battling for a spot in the top 35 in owner standings, Hall of Fame Racing must be squeaky clean and follow all procedures to a tee. They didn’t and it cost them as driver J.J. Yeley was forced to serve a pass-through penalty as the race began Saturday night. After such a stellar run in the No. 20 car last weekend subbing for Tony Stewart, Yeley must be wondering what he has to do to have better luck with his own team.
5. Petty Enterprises- Much hoopla was made of Richard Petty’s 50 years in NASCAR racing this weekend at Chicagoland as the drivers lined up for pictures with The King. Hype aside, the Petty’s have to figure out how to get the magic back on the track. Bobby Labonte in the famed No. 43 finished 29th and his brother Terry Labonte in the No. 45 finished 38th. This last decade has been very unkind to the Pettys on the track, and everyone is pulling for them to get back to their winning ways.
My weekly picks are dedicated to the memory of Cindi Redding who was respected and loved by all who knew her, especially her friends in the FOXSports.com community. Don’t forget to check out my latest exploits with the Miller Lite Racing team with video reports from the garages at www.millerliteracing.com in the “Team Forum” section!
1. Kyle Busch- Rowdy undeniably made the save of the race when teammate, Denny Hamlin, hooked him on lap 83 and shot the No. 18 Toyota straight across the track. Busch saved it on the apron but fell to 37th. No matter, with five laps to go Busch was back up front and held off Carl Edwards as the caution flew during the Green-White-Checkered finish on Saturday night. Nothing seems to faze Busch as he now has his largest points lead of the year (182 points).
2. Roush-Fenway Racing- Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth both raced stealthy and smart to get their second- and third-place finishes at Daytona. Edwards came from nowhere to nearly get the win and Kenseth got his best finish ever at the Superspeedway to jump four spots to ninth in the standings. David Ragan ran in the top 10 most of day and-- despite a mishap on pit road, causing a wreck, and being sideways on the Green-White-Checkered finish-- came home fifth. The Cat-in-the-Hat has to be pleased with the performance of these three Roushkateers.
3. Kurt Busch- The elder Busch had the fastest car in practice but it was totaled after he blew a right front tire and had to go to his backup car for the race. The Miller Lite Dodge started 36th and hung around in the back of the pack most of the race as the Brew Crew dialed the car in. He stayed out of the late race melee and it was February all over again as he was pushing the leaders to the finish. Busch is on a roll and his fourth-place finish puts him 191 points out of 12th place in the points.
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. - The hand-painted No. 88 National Guard machine was in its familiar spot up front at Daytona as Earnhardt Jr. led the most laps and looked to be the one to beat. Alas, the pied piper no more, Junior reported a “whipping out” problem as no one would draft with him. His eighth-place finish was good enough to move him up to second place in the points as he continues to be Hendrick’s best shot at the championship this year.
5. The Substitute- On lap 72, JJ Yeley took over the Home Depot Toyota for an ailing Tony Stewart. Yeley restarted 33rd and was saddled with the job of salvaging points while racing in a tornado. He got into the top 10 but was so loose that he had to save the race car several times before getting involved in the wreck on the final lap. He ended up finishing 22nd but kept the No. 20 in the top 12 in the point standings. That has to make Smoke feel a little better.
NOT
1. Hendrick Motorsports “A” Team- Jimmie Johnson drove like a lunatic on pit road and wasn’t doing much better on the track as he insisted on running the middle line even as his crew chief begged him to run the top line to keep cars from blowing by. Johnson got into Kyle Busch and had to pit, putting him in the middle of the pack as he became the eye of the storm triggering the “big one” with three to go. He ultimately finished 23rd. On the other hand, Jeff Gordon drove a near perfect race as his No. 24 Chevrolet looked to be on rails until the final restart when he got turned by Carl Edwards when he missed the restart and tried to block. Angry only at himself, Gordon came home 30th.
2. Jeff Burton- For the first time this season, Burton has not finished the race in the top 15. The No. 31 Chevrolet was turned early and sent spinning through the grass. He got back up front just in time to get caught up in the chain reaction wreck with 20 to go. Burton finished 37th and slipped one spot in the standings to third. Not to worry—the cool-headed veteran has to have a bad race here and there.
3. Greg Biffle- On lap 70, The Biff needed too much track to save his No. 16 Ford as he came up across hood of Juan Pablo Montoya, smacked the wall and headed straight to the garage. Biffle did not return and finished 43rd, falling three spots to 11th in the standings--only 10 points inside the top 12. This team is still headed in the wrong direction.
4. Ryan Newman- The Daytona 500 winner was hoping for a repeat performance but was involved in one too many wrecks. Newman was clipped and spun but was still game as he worked his No. 12 Alltel Dodge all the way back up to third. Unfortunately, he was involved in two more wrecks before the finish and ended up 36th as he fell to 17th in the point standings. I think it is time to sign a contract and re-focus on the racing.
5. Denny Hamlin- The driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota was a player in Coke Zero 400 as he led several times. However, he did “accidentally” punt his teammate and eventual race winner, Kyle Busch. He was looking good until he got punted himself by Martin Truex, Jr. and then wrecked in the “big one” at the end. Hamlin finished 26th but retains his 7th-place spot in the point standings—he needs to figure out how to tap into some of Kyle’s magic, though.
My weekly picks are dedicated to the memory of Cindi Redding who was respected and loved by all who knew her, especially her friends in the FOXSports.com community.
And finally, check out my latest behind the scenes exploits with the Miller Lite Racing team at www.millerliteracing.com in the Team Forum section.
During the race weekend at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA I was lucky enough to catch Pat Tryson, the crew chief of Penske Racing’s No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge for a little chat outside the team hauler. The Sonoma race marked Pat’s one year anniversary with the team and to date he has enjoyed three trips to Victory Lane (Pocono and Michigan in 2007; New Hampshire in 2008) with the Brew Crew. Pat is an intimidating guy around the garage, kind of the strong silent type, but really he is easy to talk to, has a great sense of humor and a lot of Pennsylvania pride!
Pat has been hanging around racing garages for a long time. At age 16, he got his first taste in the garage at the drag racing strips with his father, who was an engine builder. Pat didn’t only get his education in the garages though, he graduated from West Chester University of Pennsylvania with a B.A in Business Administration (but really he went there to play football!). He moved to North Carolina and worked with the Allison brothers building chassis and then landed a job as the car chief/mechanic on Kenny Bernstein’s top fuel dragster.
His first year as a NASCAR crew chief came in 1997 for Geoffrey Bodine and then in 1998, he was the crew chief for Geoff’s brother, Todd Bodine. In 1999, Pat was snatched up by the Roush organization where he started as Kevin Lepage’s crew chief. He left Roush in 2001 to work for the Wood Brother’s as the crew chief on the No. 21 car with Ricky Rudd and Elliott Sadler but returned to Roush in 2003 as the crew chief for the No. 6 team and Mark Martin and then for Greg Biffle before joining the Miller Lite team in June 2007.
Pat worked his way up through the ranks but it has come with some sacrifices. His schedule is grueling as he works at the Penske shop Monday through Thursday, when he gets the afternoon off and then leaves with the team on Thursday evening and is on the pit box until Sunday night. Pat admits the hardest part is not spending much time with his wife and seven year old daughter, but unfortunately, it comes with the territory of being a crew chief on a top team.
