Rewind | Texas race, Chase notes

Sunday, Nov. 08, 2009

Rearview mirror

Sunday shows why you run the race. I certainly couldn’t have conceived of a scenario that would send Jimmie Johnson to the garage two laps into a race, and I doubt many others would either. The bottom line is Johnson is still in remarkably great position to win a fourth consecutive title, although it is far more likely he will not be able to clinch the title until the season finale Nov. 22 at Homestead, Fla.

I have never seen so many contenders for race wins push the limit on fuel mileage as I have this season. The same scenario that unfolded in the final laps Sunday also happened at Michigan – as contender after contender fells to the wayside before the finish, many of them several laps short. I understand the win-or-go-home philosophy, but when you are four, five or six laps short is there really even a gamble to be made?

Denny Hamlin made some interesting prerace comments on his Twitter account regarding Jeff Gordon’s decision to ask NASCAR to restrict the bump-drafting at Talladega. Hamlin contends all drivers should have equal input on NASCAR decisions. “Who’s in charge?” he wrote.

Checking out the Chasers

1. Jimmie Johnson

Johnson’s worst finish of the Chase turns out to be his worst of the season.

He lost 111 points of his lead but still holds a 73-point advantage over Mark Martin heading into Phoenix next weekend, where he’s won three of the past four races.

“I felt like we had a chance to win the race today. I felt like at least we could stretch the margin or keep it like it was,” he said. “But it wasn’t meant to be. We still have a nice lead and we’ll take it from here.”

2. Mark Martin (-73)

The championship battle is not over yet and Martin remains in a decent position, considering he won the spring race at Phoenix.

“I still have got my hands full for the top-six positions (in the points) with all those guys. Two guys that knocked me out of championships are breathing down my neck so the race is still on,” Martin said.

3. Jeff Gordon (-112)

Although he spun out once and had handling problems with his No. 24 Chevrolet, Gordon fought all day to stay near the front. He finished 13th and made up considerable ground in the points race with Johnson.

“I am just really disappointed in this day. A total missed opportunity that completely got away from us,” Gordon said.

“We had more of our typical Texas race where we needed our spectacular Texas race like we had in (the spring).”

4. Kurt Busch (-171)

Crew chief Pat Tryson decided before the start of the Chase that he was leaving the Penske organization to move to Michael Waltrip Racing at season’s end. It made for an odd scenario, but Tryson and Busch have come on strong lately.

Even team owner Roger Penske, on hand for Sunday’s win, thanked Tryson for his work and called him “a class guy” during the post-race news conference.

5. Tony Stewart (-178)

Stewart had a mostly uneventful day, never led a lap, and ended up sixth.

6. Juan Pablo Montoya (-236)

Montoya got caught up in a wreck with Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski on 175, which sent him to the garage for prolonged repairs. He finished 37th.

“I think Carl was really close to me and drove right beside me and the car got loose and I lost it,” said Montoya.

“This week, we didn’t have the car we wanted, but we were getting better and better as the day went on.”

7. Greg Biffle (-247)

Biffle said no matter what his team did to his No. 16 Ford on Sunday, he couldn’t get it running up front. Yet when several top-10 cars ran out of fuel at the finish, Biffle was able to salvage an eighth place.

8. Denny Hamlin (-322)

Hamlin spent most of the race running right around 15th. His team elected not to pit late for fuel and Hamlin ended up second – his second runner-up finish in the Chase.

“Usually, these fuel-mileage races don’t go our way,” Hamlin said. “We just hurt ourselves real bad on pit road. We lost a ton of spots.”

9. Ryan Newman (-324)

His car was loose the entire race but Newman’s pit crew made up some ground for him with fast stops. He finished 12th.

10. Kasey Kahne (-399)

Kahne ran out of fuel at the end of the race and was credited with a 33rd-place finish.

11. Carl Edwards (-440)

After getting involved in a wreck on Lap 175 with Montoya, Keselowski and Gordon, Edwards had perhaps the quote of the day: “Well, I guess I’m going to win the race home.”

12. Brian Vickers (-520)

Vickers struggled all day and finished three laps down.

Key moments

Lap 3

While David Reutimann is racing Sam Hornish Jr., Hornish gets loose and hits Johnson, sending Johnson into the wall. Suddenly, a runaway points race becomes more interesting. Johnson slumps home 38th.

Lap 58

Kyle Busch takes the lead for the first time and leads 107 of the first 168 laps (and a race-high 232 of 334 for the day).

Lap 175

Carl Edwards, Juan Pablo Montoya and Brad Keselowski wreck in Turn 1. Jeff Gordon spins out as well but doesn’t hit the wall. He still ends up struggling with handling most of the race.

Lap 269

Kyle Busch makes his final pit stop for fuel under green and brother Kurt Busch is fifth after everyone pits.

Lap 332

Kyle Busch runs out of gas which allows Kurt Busch to inherit the lead, and he holds on for his second win of the season.

Next race

Checker 500

Where: Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Ariz.

When: 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

TV: ABC.

Radio: Motor Racing Network.

Last year’s winner: Jimmie Johnson.

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