TRACK `Talk + 2/16/10
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02-16-2010, 05:19 AM
TRACK `Talk + 2/16/10
Valvoline's Track Talk Newsletter - For the Weekend of February 12 - 14
THE BIG STORY
A bizarre Sunday at Daytona International Speedway ended with the longest Daytona 500 in history - 520 miles and 208 laps because of a new NASCAR rule - and Jamie McMurray in victory lane after the 52d running of The Great American Race. With NASCAR allowing a maximum of three restart attempts before the white flag under the revised green-white-checker rule, McMurray took the lead on the second G-W-C and got to the line just ahead of a hard-charging Dale Earnhardt Jr. Restart leader Greg Biffle finished third, followed by Clint Bowyer and David Reutimann.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Mike Bliss spun in Wednesday practice, collecting Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano, all forced to use backup cars. In Thursday's Gatorade Duel 150-mile qualifying races, Johnson and Kasey Kahne were the winners. Jeff Gordon had to go to a backup car for the 500. Sunday, poleman Mark Martin led at the start. On lap eight, Brad Keselowski lost control in turn two, collecting Sam Hornish Jr., Regan Smith, Max Papis, Mike Bliss and Boris Said. Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Juan Pablo Montoya were the only top runners not to pit. Montoya took the lead on lap 13, then was passed by Junior. Kevin Harvick led and then Kurt Busch on lap 36. Those who didn't stop earlier had to make green-flag pit visits. On lap 46, A.J. Allmendinger took the lead, after starting at the back after an engine change. There were green-flag stops on lap 50 and Kurt Busch came out ahead. Joe Nemechek spun on lap 67. Busch and then Allmendinger led. On lap 78, Bliss spun. Allmendinger dropped to 19th after a lug nut problem. Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer led. John Andretti hit the wall and Jimmie Johnson pitted with a flat tire that caused some right-front damage. With 78 laps to go, the race was stopped to make repairs where a chunk of the track came out in turns one and two. It took 100 minutes to make a fix. Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart, under yellow, made major car adjustments since the race would go into the evening. Kasey Kahne led on the restart. With 58 laps remaining, Allmendinger spun down the backstretch while running sixth. Elliott Sadler took just two new tires on a pit stop and came out the leader, but was soon passed by Martin Truex Jr. and then Harvick was in front when the red waved again with 39 laps left because of renewed track problems that took an additional hour to repair. Scott Speed didn't pit and led to the green flag with 32 laps to go. Speed and Biffle went side-by-side for several laps. Johnson, with 17 laps left, had something break in the rear of the car and went to the garage. Speed faded to finish 19th. With seven laps left in the scheduled distance, Sadler got loose on the backstretch and that resulted in Ryan Newman going hard into the wall. Gordon and Kurt Busch pitted for tires. The green came on lap 198 with Biffle leading as the pack raced around toward the white flag, but Bill Elliott and Joey Logano wrecked. Next restart, Harvick dove under Biffle and Truex to grab the top spot. Gordon bumped Kahne, who wrecked. On the next restart, McMurray got the lead as Gordon spun and crashed on the last lap. Earnhardt powered from about 10th to second on the last lap. McMurray won by .119 second and averaged 137.284 mph with nine yellows for 40 laps. There were a record 21 leaders and 52 lead changes. First place was worth approximately $1.5 million. Others: Harvick, seventh; Carl Edwards, ninth; Martin; 12th; Kyle Busch, 14th; Tony Stewart, 22d; Kurt Busch, 23d; Gordon, 26th; Johnson, 35th.
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Tony Stewart won Saturday's Drive4COPD 300 at Daytona for the third consecutive year and fifth time in the last six years. Driving a Kevin Harvick Inc.-owned Chevrolet, Stewart beat Carl Edwards' Ford by .309 second after 120 laps. Harvick was third. Qualifying was rained-out so the field was set by 2009 owner points, with Kyle Busch on the pole. Danica Patrick started 15th, fell back to near the end of the field, worked her way into the 20s after pit-stop adjustments, then was caught in a 12-car accident around lap 69. She was credited with 35th place. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran up front but flipped when tagged in a multi-car backstretch wreck triggered by contact between Edwards and Brad Keselowski. Stewart averaged 123.683 mph with seven yellows for 32 laps.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Timothy Peters won Saturday night's NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona, delayed by rain from Friday. Peters' Toyota charged leader Todd Bodine going down the backstretch on the last lap, Bodine got loose, and Peters got to the line .068 second ahead. Bodine slid across the line after getting bumped by another Truck. Dennis Setzer was third in a Dodge. The event was crash-filled, starting on lap one, with an incident involving Austin Dillon, Johnny Sauter, Kyle Busch and others. Ron Hornaday Jr. was in a separate wreck. There were seven cautions for 33 of the 100 laps. Peters averaged 115.296 mph.
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
Sunday's season opening 50th anniversary Kragen O'Reilly Winternationals in Pomona ended with Larry Dixon, John Force and Mike Edwards in the winner's circle. In Top Fuel, Dixon got his 49th career victory with a 3.808 second, 316.60 mph pass vs. Doug Kalitta's 3.848, 310.05 mph. In Funny Car, Force won for the first time since mid-2008. His Ford Mustang won on a holeshot, 4.124, 298.67 mph to Ron Capps' 4.123, 305.08 mph in a Dodge Charger. In Pro Stock, defending class champion Edwards stayed hot. His Pontiac GXP clocked 6.577, 210.47 mph to Greg Anderson's 6.618, 209.62 mph in a GXP. Jack Beckman qualified seventh in the Valvoline/MTS Dodge Charger Funny Car and lost in the semifinals. Ron Krisher qualified third in the Valvoline Chevrolet Cobalt Pro Stocker and lost in the first round.
Racer of the Week
NASCAR fans, in the grandstands and at home, who sat through two long red flags at Daytona.
Yes, He REALLY Said
Newman. "Drivers control the race cars. We can crash on the first lap or we can crash on the last lap. It is up to us to decide when."
This Weekend
NASCAR heads west for Saturday Nationwide and Sunday Cup racing. NHRA powers into Phoenix.
THE BIG STORY
A bizarre Sunday at Daytona International Speedway ended with the longest Daytona 500 in history - 520 miles and 208 laps because of a new NASCAR rule - and Jamie McMurray in victory lane after the 52d running of The Great American Race. With NASCAR allowing a maximum of three restart attempts before the white flag under the revised green-white-checker rule, McMurray took the lead on the second G-W-C and got to the line just ahead of a hard-charging Dale Earnhardt Jr. Restart leader Greg Biffle finished third, followed by Clint Bowyer and David Reutimann.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Mike Bliss spun in Wednesday practice, collecting Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano, all forced to use backup cars. In Thursday's Gatorade Duel 150-mile qualifying races, Johnson and Kasey Kahne were the winners. Jeff Gordon had to go to a backup car for the 500. Sunday, poleman Mark Martin led at the start. On lap eight, Brad Keselowski lost control in turn two, collecting Sam Hornish Jr., Regan Smith, Max Papis, Mike Bliss and Boris Said. Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Juan Pablo Montoya were the only top runners not to pit. Montoya took the lead on lap 13, then was passed by Junior. Kevin Harvick led and then Kurt Busch on lap 36. Those who didn't stop earlier had to make green-flag pit visits. On lap 46, A.J. Allmendinger took the lead, after starting at the back after an engine change. There were green-flag stops on lap 50 and Kurt Busch came out ahead. Joe Nemechek spun on lap 67. Busch and then Allmendinger led. On lap 78, Bliss spun. Allmendinger dropped to 19th after a lug nut problem. Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer led. John Andretti hit the wall and Jimmie Johnson pitted with a flat tire that caused some right-front damage. With 78 laps to go, the race was stopped to make repairs where a chunk of the track came out in turns one and two. It took 100 minutes to make a fix. Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart, under yellow, made major car adjustments since the race would go into the evening. Kasey Kahne led on the restart. With 58 laps remaining, Allmendinger spun down the backstretch while running sixth. Elliott Sadler took just two new tires on a pit stop and came out the leader, but was soon passed by Martin Truex Jr. and then Harvick was in front when the red waved again with 39 laps left because of renewed track problems that took an additional hour to repair. Scott Speed didn't pit and led to the green flag with 32 laps to go. Speed and Biffle went side-by-side for several laps. Johnson, with 17 laps left, had something break in the rear of the car and went to the garage. Speed faded to finish 19th. With seven laps left in the scheduled distance, Sadler got loose on the backstretch and that resulted in Ryan Newman going hard into the wall. Gordon and Kurt Busch pitted for tires. The green came on lap 198 with Biffle leading as the pack raced around toward the white flag, but Bill Elliott and Joey Logano wrecked. Next restart, Harvick dove under Biffle and Truex to grab the top spot. Gordon bumped Kahne, who wrecked. On the next restart, McMurray got the lead as Gordon spun and crashed on the last lap. Earnhardt powered from about 10th to second on the last lap. McMurray won by .119 second and averaged 137.284 mph with nine yellows for 40 laps. There were a record 21 leaders and 52 lead changes. First place was worth approximately $1.5 million. Others: Harvick, seventh; Carl Edwards, ninth; Martin; 12th; Kyle Busch, 14th; Tony Stewart, 22d; Kurt Busch, 23d; Gordon, 26th; Johnson, 35th.
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Tony Stewart won Saturday's Drive4COPD 300 at Daytona for the third consecutive year and fifth time in the last six years. Driving a Kevin Harvick Inc.-owned Chevrolet, Stewart beat Carl Edwards' Ford by .309 second after 120 laps. Harvick was third. Qualifying was rained-out so the field was set by 2009 owner points, with Kyle Busch on the pole. Danica Patrick started 15th, fell back to near the end of the field, worked her way into the 20s after pit-stop adjustments, then was caught in a 12-car accident around lap 69. She was credited with 35th place. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran up front but flipped when tagged in a multi-car backstretch wreck triggered by contact between Edwards and Brad Keselowski. Stewart averaged 123.683 mph with seven yellows for 32 laps.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Timothy Peters won Saturday night's NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona, delayed by rain from Friday. Peters' Toyota charged leader Todd Bodine going down the backstretch on the last lap, Bodine got loose, and Peters got to the line .068 second ahead. Bodine slid across the line after getting bumped by another Truck. Dennis Setzer was third in a Dodge. The event was crash-filled, starting on lap one, with an incident involving Austin Dillon, Johnny Sauter, Kyle Busch and others. Ron Hornaday Jr. was in a separate wreck. There were seven cautions for 33 of the 100 laps. Peters averaged 115.296 mph.
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
Sunday's season opening 50th anniversary Kragen O'Reilly Winternationals in Pomona ended with Larry Dixon, John Force and Mike Edwards in the winner's circle. In Top Fuel, Dixon got his 49th career victory with a 3.808 second, 316.60 mph pass vs. Doug Kalitta's 3.848, 310.05 mph. In Funny Car, Force won for the first time since mid-2008. His Ford Mustang won on a holeshot, 4.124, 298.67 mph to Ron Capps' 4.123, 305.08 mph in a Dodge Charger. In Pro Stock, defending class champion Edwards stayed hot. His Pontiac GXP clocked 6.577, 210.47 mph to Greg Anderson's 6.618, 209.62 mph in a GXP. Jack Beckman qualified seventh in the Valvoline/MTS Dodge Charger Funny Car and lost in the semifinals. Ron Krisher qualified third in the Valvoline Chevrolet Cobalt Pro Stocker and lost in the first round.
Racer of the Week
NASCAR fans, in the grandstands and at home, who sat through two long red flags at Daytona.
Yes, He REALLY Said
Newman. "Drivers control the race cars. We can crash on the first lap or we can crash on the last lap. It is up to us to decide when."
This Weekend
NASCAR heads west for Saturday Nationwide and Sunday Cup racing. NHRA powers into Phoenix.
Last edited by Space; 02-16-2010 at 05:23 AM.
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