Matt Kenseth Finds Victory Lane at the Daytona 500!

Matt Kenseth, winless a year ago, added the biggest jewel in NASCAR to his trophy collection Sunday, winning a dramatic, rain-shortened Daytona 500 before a capacity crowd of some 200,000 at Daytona International Speedway, plus a Fox national television audience.

Kenseth somehow dodged a huge pileup shortly after lap 125 that easily could have sent him to the scrap-pile like it did young sensation Kyle Busch.

Busch, who had led 88 laps to clearly establish himself as the race favorite, was a victim in a 10-car wreck that had cars sliding through the backstretch infield apron and down the end of the backstretch straightaway in a huge cloud of smoke and debris.

The accident was triggered when Brian Vickers moved over to block Dale Earnhardt, Jr. near the end of the backstretch. Earnhardt was forced off the track onto the apron and into the grass. When Earnhardt tried to steer his sliding car back on the track, he clipped the rear end of Vickers’ Toyota, sending Vickers shooting across the track directly in front of the oncoming field of 200-mph stock cars. At that point, it was pure havoc.  No one was injured, but the accident sent a number of cars to the junk heap.

Besides Busch, who finished 41st, others involved included Carl Edwards (18th), Kurt Busch (10th), Vickers (39th), Earnhardt (27th), Jamie McMurray (37th), Jimmie Johnson (31st), Robby Gordon (34th), and Denny Hamlin (26th).

Kenseth started the race from 39th position after his crew had to change an engine in his Jack Roush Ford sponsored by DeWalt.

Ironically, the runner-up in the abbreviated race — 152 out of a scheduled 200 laps were completed — and winner of the Daytona 500 two years ago, Kevin Harvick, also started in the rear of the field due to engine problems.

Third-place finisher AJ Allmindinger had a storybook finish since he just hooked up with the Valvoline Dodge team several weeks ago. His performance Sunday should help him find additional sponsorship.

Clint Bowyer finished fourth, Elliott Sadler fifth, David Ragan sixth, former Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip seventh, Tony Stewart eighth, and Reed Sorensen ninth. Truex was 11th.

It was a cool, overcast afternoon when the 51st running of this classic got underway. Drivers mashed the gas to the floor right from the git-go and three different drivers led the first three laps, Truex, Martin and “wild thing” Busch, who took over on the third lap and was leading when Almirola spun by himself on the eighth circuit.

When racing resumed, Busch remained out front with Martin, Labonte, Earnhardt and Edwards right behind.

A mandatory caution at lap 26 allowed the teams to check their tire wear after rain washed the rubber off the track Saturday night and Sunday morning. NASCAR officials informed the teams at the start of the race of the mandatory caution.

Once all the teams had pitted, Busch resumed his lead with Earnhardt on his bumper. Gordon was third, Hamlin fourth and Martin fifth.

Jeremy Mayfield, who started his own team about a month ago and was one of the feelgood stories in making the race, had his luck change at lap 33 when a problem cropped up with his motor.

At 40 laps, Busch had Kenseth on his bumper, who had started from the rear after changing motors. Ragan had moved to third, Earnhardt was fourth, Hamlin fifth and Ragan sixth.

Robbie Gordon dropped from the middle of the pack to 42nd when a punctured tire prompted an unscheduled pit stop.

At 50 laps, Busch still led and looked as though he clearly had the fastest car in the field but Earnhardt and Stewart were just a car length behind. Earnhardt and Stewart, however, blew past Busch on lap 53. One lap later, Busch pushed Stewart past Earnhardt. On the next lap, Travis Kvapil smacked the wall, bringing out the afternoon’s second caution.

When the green flag fell again, it was Stewart out front with Gordon second. Busch was third. Also running in the front pack was McMurray, Hamlin, Edwards, Martin, Kenseth, Vickers, Ragan and Kurt Busch, who finished second in this race last year.

Earnhardt, who completely missed his pit stall and had to go around the track again, was way back in 35th on the restart.

By lap 70, Gordon led, followed by Busch, Hamlin, McMurray, Kenseth, Edwards, Vickers, Stewart, who was shuffled backwards by one of the famous Daytona drafts, Martin and Allmindinger.

Stewart’s teammate and defending champion of the Daytona 500, spent considerable time in the pits and lost several laps, which pretty much ended his chance for winning “The Great American Race” again.

On lap 81, rookie Joey Logano, running back in the field to gain some experience, was in the wrong place at the right time. Another rookie, former Formula One driver Scott Speed, got loose coming out of four and had to ease off the throttle. Logano, right behind him, had to make a jerky turn left to stay off Speed and spun across the track. He smashed into the inside retaining wall almost head-on, tearing his Home Depot machine to smithereens. Logano was not injured.

On the restart at lap 85, it was Busch again and Hamlin moved into second. Allmindinger was third with Truex fourth. Gordon held on in fifth, followed by Edwards, Kenseth, Stewart, Ragan, McMurray and Burton.

The best race drivers in the world were mixing it up as though it was the last lap, rather than halfway. Gordon went from fifth to second with a nifty slingshot move down the backstretch, which resulted in Truex getting shoved back to 20th spot. Once Gordon made his move, others tucked in on his bumper and formed a freight train back to where Truex wound up.

The competition in the first half of this event was similar to what fans had seen in the Twin Gatorade 150 Qualifying Races last Thursday.

Thanks to NASCAR.com for this press release.

Two To Go!

This weekend 43 drivers and almost 35,000 horsepower charge into the valley at Phoenix International Raceway for the Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500. There are just two races left in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, and a number of story lines are continuing to build.  Check out the rest of the “Two To Go” posts to get the skinny on what is shaping up to be an exciting finish!

 

Two To Go: Will Jeff Gordon be able to find victory lane in 08′?

Over the past 14 years Jeff Gordon has racked up some ridiculous numbers – 81 victories, 239 top-5’s, and 324 top-10’s, with an average finishing position of 13.4 in 513 races.  With the sun setting on the season, 34 races in the books, Gordon finds himself in an unusual position he hasn’t felt in a long time…winless!

The 24 team has had their ups and downs in 08′. During the early stretch of the season it seemed as though all the good luck experienced in 2007 came lashing back at them. Accidents at Daytona, Las Vegas and Texas found them on the outside of the Chase looking in. The middle stretch was a constant battle for consistency, finding great set-ups, testing, and figuring out how to recapture the magic that made them so successful the previous year. With fingers being pointed, Steve Latarte on the hot seat, and frustration mounting, the 24 managed to do enough to make the Chase.

Eight races into the Chase, it seems as though JG and company have begun to figure some stuff out. 3 top-5’s, 3 top-10’s, and a 2nd place finish last week at Texas have them moving in the right direction. But, is it enough to propel them to victory lane with just two races remaining.

Gordon has won at least two races every year since 1994, a statistic unmatched by any other competitor currently in the cup series. This weekend in Phoenix may be his last and best chance to grab the elusive checker flag. At PIR, Gordon has an average finish of 8.5, trailing only Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson in that category, and won his only race there in the spring of 07′. Homestead (the final showdown of the year) offers more of a challenge. With a respectable 10.6 average finish there since 1999, Homestead still remains as one of only two tracks Gordon has never found victory lane.

Go JG!!!!!

Two To Go: Can the #48 team maintain their lead and all but secure their place in NASCAR history?

Jimmie Johnson is the undeniable King of the Chase, with 12 wins out of 48 total Chase races to date. The competition is mystified and, to some extent, frustrated with the dominance Johnson has displayed over the course of his past two, and most likely third straight championship.

While the rest of the field continues to spin their wheels, Johnson and crew look to put another nail in history. Only Cale Yarborough has tasted the sweet success of three straight NASCAR Championships, the last coming in 1978.  A strong run this weekend at PIR, and Carl Edwards in his rear-view mirror, will all but seal the deal and allow Jimmie to put the 48 on cruise control at Homestead a week from Sunday.

An interesting note on this weekend – In last years Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500, Jimmie Johnson defeated Greg Biffle by 0.87 seconds to gain his 10th Sprint Cup Series win of 2007 and move closer to a second consecutive series championship. Guess who was on the pole? Carl Edwards by turning a lap of 27.114 seconds (132.774 mph).

Two To Go: Will Carl Edwards close the gap on Jimmie Johnson?

Cousin Carl has shown some incredible moxie over the past two races. The win at Atlanta was all but expected, having notched three wins and seven top-10’s in nine career starts at the track. However, the road to victory lane at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend was a little more unexpected. This not due to his history at the track, notching two prior victories there, one in 2005 and earlier this year.

Despite dominating most of the race, leading 199 of the first 264 laps, Edwards lost the lead after taking four tires during his final pit stop. While the others in front of him chose to pit for fuel over the closing laps, Edwards gambled and stayed out, making every drop of fuel last in an eight-second victory over Jeff Gordon. He completed the final 69 laps without stopping for a refill!

Now, the #99 team finds themselves sitting 106 points behind Jimmie Johnson. What looked to be an insurmountable deficit to overcome with three races left, now is at least in the realm of possible, yet still not probable.