http://www.thatsracin.com/160/index.xml Motorsports News from ThatsRacin.com en-us Copyright 2008 ThatsRacin.com Kansas Speedway 60 Sun, 10 Aug 2008 15:26 EDT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss McClatchy Interactive Workbench webmaster@thatsracin.com http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/8545.html http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/8545.html Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:43 EDT A three-member panel of the National Stock Car Racing Commission announced Wednesday it has voted unanimously to overturn a $10,000 penalty assessed against Michael Bumgarner after the Busch Series race at Kansas.<p/>Bumgarner is crew chief on the No. 5 Chevrolets driven by Kyle Busch. After Busch won that race, NASCAR ruled that unapproved modifications had been made to the plenum area on the car’s intake manifold.<p/>Hendrick Motorsports officials objected strongly the next day, saying NASCAR had taken the same type of manifold from the No. 5 car at a Busch race at Dover to examine along with several others as better ways to measure that part were being devised for 2008. The team said it had not been told there was a problem and that the part used at Kansas was identical.<p/>While the commission reiterated that the fact a part has passed inspection one or more times doesn’t make it legal if a violation simply went undetected, in this case it found that the manifold in question did conform to applicable NASCAR-approved gauges and other measuring devices.<p/>Therefore, the penalty against Bumgarner was thrown out.<p/>"Obviously, we're pleased with the decision,” team owner Rick Hendrick said. “The team prepared a race-winning car that met every rule in the book. It's important that our fans, our sponsors and our competitors know that's the case.” http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7768.html http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7768.html Thu, 04 Oct 2007 19:46 EDT Nobody could blame two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart if he was upset after NASCAR waited out the rain last Sunday at Kansas Speedway, a decision that cost Stewart a win and eventually a lot of points in the Chase.<p/>Stewart, stretching his gas to the limit, was out front when heavy rains hit the speedway just past halfway in the race. If NASCAR had called it at that point, Stewart would have been the winner.<p/>Instead, officials waited more than two hours and eventually restarted the race. Stewart, who started the day just two points out of the lead, was involved in a crash, finished 39th and dropped to fourth – 117 points out. On his satellite radio show Tuesday night, he said NASCAR did the right thing.<p/>“You look at it from their standpoint,” he said. “If they call the race, we’re going to leave Kansas City with a 50- or 60-point lead and that could have been the difference between us stealing a championship away from somebody or not.<p/>“NASCAR, in my opinion, did exactly the right thing, did everything they could to get it in.<p/>"It’s the same thing we would have done at Eldora (the dirt track Stewart owns in Ohio). And the reason it was the right decision is let us settle it on the race track. Let us win the championship on the race track.<p/>"Don’t let weather be a determining factor in those last 10 races of who is going to win or not win the championship.” http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7677.html http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7677.html Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:33 EDT That’s Racin’s David Poole ranks the top 40 teams in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series following the LifeLock 400 at Kansas Speedway. (Rankings based on team performance and potential. Each team’s previous week’s ranking in parentheses:)<p/><b>1. (3) Jimmie Johnson – car No. 48</b><br /> With 10 more laps or five more minutes of daylight he might have won at Kansas.<p/><b>2. (2) Jeff Gordon – car No. 24</b><br /> Will he tick off the fans at Talladega and take charge in the Chase at the same time?<p/><b>3. (6) Clint Bowyer – car No. 07</b><br /> This team can officially stop saying nobody gives it a chance at the title. They have it.<p/><b>4. (1) Tony Stewart – car No. 20</b><br /> Isn ‘t the only guy who’d be mad if things turned out as they did for him at Kansas.<p/><b>5. (4) Carl Edwards – car No. 99</b><br /> Edwards can still get hot enough to make up the deficit dumped in his lap at Kansas.<p/><b>6. (5) Kyle Busch – car No. 5</b><br /> Busch would be buried by fans if he dumped Dale Earnhardt Jr. instead of vice versa.<p/><b>7. (7) Martin Truex Jr. – car No. 1</b><br /> Sometimes bad luck just stalks you until it gets you, like it did to this team at Kansas.<p/><b>8. (12) Kevin Harvick – car No. 29</b><br /> Made up ground at Kansas. Plate race certainly provides hope for more of the same.<p/><b>9. (10) Kurt Busch – car No. 2</b><br /> Can’t win for losing in Chase. Nobody here or lower can afford another bobble.<p/><b>10. (9) Matt Kenseth – car No. 17</b><br /> Engine woes at Dover. Wrong place at wrong time at Kansas. Title hopes flickering.<p/><b>11. (8) Denny Hamlin – car No. 11</b><br /> He and teammate Stewart could have clash of the frustration titans after Kansas mess.<p/><b>12. (11) Jeff Burton – car No. 31</b><br /> Made lemonade in the first half of last year’s Chase, but ’07 has been mostly lemons.<p/><br /> 13. (15) Greg Biffle – car No. 16<p/>14. (14) Casey Mears – car No. 25<p/>15. (13) Dale Earnhardt Jr. – car No. 8<p/>16. (16) Mark Martin – car No. 01<p/>17. (21) Kasey Kahne – car No. 9<p/>18. (23) Reed Sorenson – car No. 41<p/>19. (17) Ryan Newman – car No. 12<p/>20. (18) Jamie McMurray – car No. 26<p/>21. (19) Juan Pablo Montoya – car No. 42<p/>22. (22) Robby Gordon – car No. 7<p/>(25) David Ragan – car No. 6<p/>(20) Bobby Labonte – car No. 43<p/>(24) J.J. Yeley – car No. 18<p/>(29) Elliott Sadler – car No. 19<p/>(27) Tony Raines – car No. 96<p/>(26) Jeff Green – car No. 66<p/>(33) David Stremme – car No. 40<p/>(28) David Gilliland – car No. 38<p/>(37) Dave Blaney – car No. 22<p/>(30) Kenny Wallace/Ricky Rudd – car No. 88<p/>(32) David Reutimann – car No. 00<p/>(34) Paul Menard – car No. 15<p/>(38) Scott Riggs – car No. 10<p/>(35) Ken Schrader – car No. 21<p/>(36) Johnny Sauter – car No. 70<p/>(31) Brian Vickers – car No. 83<p/>(39) Kyle Petty – car No. 45<p/>(40) Michael Waltrip – car No. 55 http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7666.html http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7666.html Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:22 EDT Where does that elevator stop on a day like Sunday at Kansas?<p/><B>UP</B> – Greg Biffle<p/>It’s not going to be the best season he’ll ever have, but picking up a victory sure helps.<p/><B>UP – Kansas Speedway<p/>Who says this track puts on boring races?<p/><B>DOWN</B> – A close Chase<p/>There were six guys within 28 points of the lead coming in. Now there are only three within 117 points of first. http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7665.html http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7665.html Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:19 EDT Some observations on Sunday's race from David Poole of The Charlotte Observer and ThatsRacin.com:<p/><LI>Greg Biffle won the race. It wasn’t the smartest thing in history for him to cut his engine off and on coming off the final turn, hoping to save fuel to do burnouts and steering with his knees to unbuckle his belts.<p/>But he was leading and under power behind the caution car. He should have worried about getting to the line first before thinking about what he wanted to do after getting there, but that doesn’t mean that Clint Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson were right to pass him.<p/>And no, the business about keeping a cautious pace that figured into the silliness with Robby Gordon after the Busch race in Montreal doesn’t apply here. In that instance, Gordon’s car was part of the incident that caused the yellow. The rule about maintaining the pace applies to cars that are part of an incident, not the winner coming to the checkered flag.<p/>Biffle’s car made it to the finish line. He won.<p/><LI>Undoubtedly there will be those who question whether NASCAR was right to restart the race knowing it couldn’t get all 267 laps in.<p/>Yes, deciding 225 laps would be the finish was arbitrary. So was deciding to shorten it to 210. But shouldn’t NASCAR at least try to get in as many laps as possible?<p/>At some point, it was going to get dark and NASCAR was going to have to say, “OK, that’s it.” That’s arbitrary, too, isn’t it?<p/><LI>Kyle Busch handled what happened to him in the crash with Dale Earnhardt Jr. about as well as anybody could have handled anything like that. http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7664.html http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7664.html Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:15 EDT Key moments in Sunday's race at a rainy Kansas Speedway:<p/><B>Lap 145</B> – Tony Stewart stays on the track instead of going to pit road with rain rapidly approaching. The rain begins falling on the next lap and Stewart makes it to the red flag after Lap 148. If the race hadn’t resumed, it would have been the winning move.<p/><B>Lap 156</B> – Ken Schrader’s No. 21 Ford snaps sideways in traffic, just in front of the pack of leaders who’re behind cars trapped on the end of the lead lap. Stewart runs into the back of Martin Truex, who then hits Matt Kenseth.<p/><B>Lap 174</B> – With everything else that’s going on, it almost goes unnoticed that Greg Biffle passes Kevin Harvick to take over the lead. With Biffle seeking his first win of the season, the clean air helps his No. 16 Ford take command.<p/><B>Lap 176</B> – Stewart’s tire blows after rubbing from the damage suffered in the earlier wreck. It happens just in front of Kurt Busch, who gets minor damage and sends Stewart into the wall. Carl Edwards is then collected, too, ending his day.<p/><B>Lap 210</B> – With the cars behind the pace car after Juan Pablo Montoya blows a tire and slings debris all over the track to force a caution, Biffle slows and goes down onto the apron. Clint Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson pass Biffle before he reaches the finish line, but NASCAR rules Biffle was under power and therefore the winner. http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7663.html http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7663.html Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:23 EDT Jimmie Johnson was trapped on the tail end of the lead lap after a two-hour, 15-minute rain delay, so he had a very simple strategy for the portion of the race that came after action resumed.<p/>“Go like hell,” Johnson said.<p/>“We had a strong enough car where I could race my way up. ...We rebounded nicely.”<p/>Johnson started last after wrecking his primary car in practice on Saturday, but by Lap 64 he had already worked his way up to eighth and into contention. http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7662.html http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7662.html Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:06 EDT Jeff Gordon said that he, like everybody else, had a long day at Kansas Speedway.<p/>“But when you have this type of a fan base, with the people at home who kept watching and the ones who stayed here, it fires you up as a driver,” Gordon said after rallying for a fifth-place finish.<p/>Gordon supported the decision to resume racing after the delay.<p/>“I think that was an awesome call,” Gordon said.<p/>“I think NASCAR recognized what is going on in the Chase and what a disaster that was going to be. I think that as long as there is daylight, they are going to race.” http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7661.html http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7661.html Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:04 EDT As badly as Clint Bowyer wants to win at Kansas Speedway, it was hard for him to argue there was enough daylight left to resume the race after the caution flag on Lap 206.<p/>But Bowyer still was confused by the weird finish, thinking Greg Biffle had run out of gas and didn’t make it to the finish the way he should have.<p/>“It was dark,” he said.<p/>“But it wasn’t so dark I couldn’t see that. …It didn’t look right.” Bowyer wound up second, but said he’s proud of his team that started off 12th in the Chase.<p/>“We knew we were going to have to step up our program, and we have answered that call,” he said. http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7660.html http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7660.html Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:02 EDT As it turned out, the driver who most needed the rain that swept through just after halfway to hang around a little longer was Tony Stewart.<p/>Had the race not resumed, daring pit strategy would have resulted in a race victory and a comfortable lead in the standings for the No. 20 team.<p/>But Stewart got damage to his car in a wreck on the first lap after the race resumed, and that led to a blown tire and a wreck on Lap 176 that ended Stewart’s day and put him 39th in the finishing order. http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7659.html http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7659.html Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:00 EDT Kevin Harvick’s team was among the lucky ones that held off pitting and remained on the track before the heavy rains arrived on Lap 146.<p/>He was running third at the time.<p/>Harvick eventually took the lead when he avoided the five-car pile-up when the race restarted on Lap 156.<p/>As the race wore on, Harvick’s older tires slowed him up but he still finished sixth. http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7658.html http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7658.html Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:24 EDT Every little bit helped.<p/>At one point, Kyle Busch was dead last in the running order after his early race accident with Dale Earnhardt Jr.<p/>His team worked diligently and made extensive repairs to his No. 5 Chevrolet.<p/>He eventually made it back out on the track and finished 41st, picking up two positions.<p/>Sunday’s finish was Busch’s first outside the top-five in the three Chase races. http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7657.html http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7657.html Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:55 EDT Carl Edwards had the makings of a decent day until he became a collateral victim of Tony Stewart’s problems.<p/>As Stewart slowed from a blown tire, Kurt Busch slid into the rear, then dashed below him.<p/>Edwards, traveling right behind the No. 20 Chevrolet, couldn’t avoid Stewart and slammed into him.<p/>“Tony was doing everything he could to get out of the way, and Kurt got him there,” said Edwards, who finished 37th.<p/>“I guess we’ve got seven races left, but we’re here to win this championship.” http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7656.html http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7656.html Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:52 EDT Martin Truex Jr. had already survived a flat tire, then was among the cars that pitted right before the long rain delay.<p/>That put him back in the field and in position to get collected in the wreck that when Ken Schrader got turned.<p/>“We had a lot of bad luck today. Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong,” said Truex, who finished 32nd. http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7655.html http://www.thatsracin.com/160/story/7655.html Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:50 EDT Rain altered Kurt Busch’s fuel strategy and put him in the wrong place at the wrong time.<p/>Busch led the most laps (76) in the race, but after several teams – including his – had made green-flag stops for fuel, rain started falling, bringing out the caution.<p/>While battling his way back to the front, Busch ran into the back of Tony Stewart.<p/>“I thought we had a really fast race car, it just didn’t pan out on the fuel strategy,” Busch said.<p/>“Around halfway when the rain came out, what it did is it took all the guys that were about 15th to 25th and put them up front.”