Rewind | Just talking about ex-teammate doesn't seem to be working

JIM UTTER

The Charlotte Observer

Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008

• McDowell-Gilliland race, wreck off Turn 11 turns ugly for several drivers

Taking another look at Sunday's Cup race, the Centurion Boats at The Glen, at Watkins Glen International:

REAR-VIEW MIRROR

Maybe mum's the word?

Perhaps it's time Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson stopped playing word games with their ex-Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Busch. It seems that every time they try to get under his skin with comments that praise his skill but highlight his immaturity they end up eating their words.

In the past two races Busch hadn't finished better than 15th. The duo struck again in Friday's interview sessions. Result? Busch wins his eighth race of the season.

A round of applause for the pavement, please

The unusually low number of cautions in Sunday's race came in part because the track decided to pave the run-off area in Turn 1, which has produced many incidents in the past, particularly after restarts.

Cars previously would get stuck in the gravel and a caution would be required to get them out. Now, they simply spin on the pavement, restart and drive back on the track.

Keeping the media comfortable couldn't hurt

Kudos to Watkins Glen for starting from scratch and building a new, first-class media center worthy of the top racing series the track hosts each season.

Making a visit to the media center on Friday, driver Tony Stewart asked, "When do we get our new garage?"

Easy there, Tony. One thing at a time.

KEY MOMENTS

Lap 43

Jimmie Johnson, running second, is forced to pit under green for a flat left-rear tire. He later recovers to take the lead and ends up seventh.

Lap 48

The race's first caution comes as a result of Sam Hornish Jr. dragging a pile of gravel onto the track in Turn 7 after he took an excursion off the pavement.

Lap 78

Ryan Newman brings out the first non-debris caution of the race but nearly a dozen cars at full speed pass his stopped car on the track before NASCAR finally throws the caution flag.

Lap 83

Michael McDowell and David Gilliland race hard side-by-side into Turn 11 and neither gives. McDowell appears to slide Gilliland nose-first into the tire barrier. His car bounces back onto the pavement and a violent nine-car erupts.

Lap 86

Kyle Busch waits patiently through a nearly 45-minute red flag before he can restart as the leader. He wastes no time pulling away from second place Tony Stewart.

PIT STOPS

Crew to Gordon: Can you hear us now?

Jeff Gordon should have had an idea things weren't going his way again when he lost radio contact with his crew early in Sunday's race and crew chief Steve Letarte needed NASCAR to black-flag Gordon to get him to come to pit road for his stop.

He returned to the track in 23rd and could never make any progress after that, finishing 29th in the race, his worst finish at the track since 2003.

"I really feel like we've been gaining on our 1.5-mile program, but we have absolutely missed our road course program," Gordon said. "We even went and tested, and I thought we were going to be pretty good.

"We were good on our short runs in testing and here, but we just didn't make enough long runs, and that's what we're going to have to work on."

Gordon remains sixth in the series standings with four races to go before the Chase field is set.

Allmendinger credits Elledge for spot in top 35

A.J. Allmendinger got an extra reward for his recent string of strong performances.

His 11th-place finish in Sunday's race propelled the second-year Red Bull Racing driver and his team forward two spots in the car owner standings, to 35th, which assures him a spot in next weekend's field at Michigan.

"That's been our big deal and I know once we get in we're not going to fall back out," Allmendinger said. "Jimmy (Elledge, crew chief), like usual, used awesome strategy.

"When we get to Michigan I'll be a lot happier when we don't have to qualify on (speed). Right now, I'm just a little disappointed because I wanted that top 10."

Kenseth in, Bowyer out

With four races to go before the field for the Chase for the Sprint Cup is set, Matt Kenseth got a boost in his bid to make the field again with his 12th-place finish on Sunday.

Kenseth moved to the 12th in the series standings and holds a 22-point lead over Clint Bowyer, who dropped to 13th after a 23rd-place finish.

"It doesn't matter where you are in the points until after Richmond, really," Kenseth said. "We didn't run that great. We had a real average car and we had a real above-average strategy and pit crew."

Working with Brian Pattie paying off, Montoya says

Juan Pablo Montoya credited his fourth-place finish - his second-best of the season - to the improved chemistry between himself and his crew chief, Brian Pattie, who joined the team in May.

"When the chemistry is good like it is now, you have to build on it and get the team 100 percent behind us," Montoya said.

Montoya has had two top-10 finishes in his past seven races. He had one top-10 in his first 15 events this season.

NEXT RACE

3M Performance 400

Where: Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Mich.

When: 400 miles (200 laps).

TV: ESPN.

Radio: Motor Racing Network.

Last year's winner: Kurt Busch.

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