Austin Dillon roars to first Nationwide win at Kentucky, nabs points lead

June 29, 2012

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

SPARTA, Ky. -- In his 26th NASCAR Nationwide Series start -- in his first full season in the series -- pole-sitter Austin Dillon administered an emphatic, definitive, no-doubt-about-it beating to 42 also-rans in Friday night's Feed the Children 300 at Kentucky Speedway.

How decisive was Dillon's first Nationwide victory? Consider this:

Dillon led 192 of 200 laps, most ever by a Nationwide race winner at the 1.5-mile track.

He beat runner-up Kurt Busch to the finish line by 9.828 seconds.

Dillon and seven other drivers finished on the lead lap, despite a mass wave-around for a restart on Lap 150 after the second caution of the race.

When that caution interrupted a series of green-flag pit stops, after Dillon had built a lead of more than seven seconds, he simply ran away from the field after the restart.

Just after the halfway point, on Lap 106, Dillon put Elliott Sadler, the series leader entering the race, a lap down. With his dominating win, Dillon wrested the points lead from Sadler and carries a two-point cushion to Daytona, site of a July 6 Nationwide race.

And, oh, by the way: Kevin Harvick, Michael Annett and Justin Allgaier completed the top five. For Annett, it was his first top-five finish in 120 Nationwide starts.

"I was loose the whole race," said Dillon, grandson of team owner Richard Childress. "I'd just get looser and looser, and I was really driving as straight as I could not to slip the tires. I just kind of back-steered the whole race.

"That last adjustment, he (crew chief Danny Stockman) got me tight enough to fire off (the corners) really good. We knew Kurt was good, but our car was just stronger."

The car Dillon drove was a black No. 3 Chevrolet, reminiscent of the car Dale Earnhardt Sr. drove for Childress until his death in the 2001 Daytona 500.

"Dale would have been proud," an emotional Childress said after the race.

Busch thought he would be able to gain ground on Dillon during the final green-flag run, but it didn't work out that way.

"Austin Dillon, he was in his own zip code," Busch said. "So congratulations to him, Richard Childress, those guys. It's neat to see that kid develop. I thought we could battle with him. I expected to lose some ground to him early in the run. I expected he would be quicker than us for 20 laps.

"I thought that we would level out after 10 more, and I thought we could reel him in with 20 to go and put on a show for the fans here in Kentucky -- and he was just too strong tonight. . . . He just had that car dialed in. There was nothing that we could do."

In fact, Busch got as close as 4.1 seconds behind during the final 51-lap run, but he dropped a cylinder in the closing laps and fell back but held second place.

RACE RESULTS

1. (1) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 200, $97,068.

2. (8) Kurt Busch, Toyota, 200, $51,825.

3. (2) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 200, $36,275.

4. (9) Michael Annett, Ford, 200, $33,993.

5. (7) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 200, $29,943.

6. (4) Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 200, $26,168.

7. (3) Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 200, $18,325.

8. (5) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 200, $25,468.

9. (12) Elliott Sadler, Chevrolet, 199, $22,543.

10. (13) James Buescher, Chevrolet, 199, $23,193.

11. (26) Kenny Wallace, Toyota, 198, $21,468.

12. (11) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 198, $20,943.

13. (25) Reed Sorenson, Ford, 198, $13,925.

14. (10) Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, 198, $19,868.

15. (14) Ryan Blaney, Chevrolet, 198, $14,150.

16. (20) Brad Sweet, Chevrolet, 198, $19,418.

17. (17) Mike Bliss, Toyota, 197, $19,293.

18. (24) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, 197, $19,143.

19. (42) Johanna Long, Chevrolet, 196, $19,018.

20. (18) Josh Richards, Ford, 196, $13,100.

21. (21) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 196, $18,968.

22. (19) Jason Bowles, Toyota, 195, $18,643.

23. (33) Tayler Malsam, Toyota, 195, $18,493.

24. (16) Jamie Dick, Chevrolet, 195, $18,343.

25. (35) Erik Darnell, Chevrolet, 193, $18,343.

26. (40) Eric McClure, Toyota, 193, $18,398.

27. (37) TJ Bell, Chevrolet, 192, $11,475.

28. (23) Tanner Berryhill, Toyota, 192, $11,355.

29. (41) Jamie Mosley, Chevrolet, 182, $17,688.

30. (15) Brian Scott, Toyota, Engine, 176, $17,878.

31. (34) Mike Wallace, Chevrolet, Accident, 143, $17,468.

32. (30) Timmy Hill, Ford, Rear Gear, 141, $17,358.

33. (6) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, Engine, 132, $10,785.

34. (27) Danny Efland, Chevrolet, Ignition, 103, $17,143.

35. (36) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Fuel Pressure, 48, $10,560.

36. (39) Kevin Lepage, Chevrolet, Wheel Bearing, 32, $10,525.

37. (29) Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, Ignition, 11, $10,475.

38. (32) Tim Andrews, Ford, Rear Gear, 10, $10,431.

39. (31) Chase Miller, Chevrolet, Ignition, 6, $10,295.

40. (38) Josh Wise, Chevrolet, Vibration, 5, $10,210.

41. (43) Blake Koch, Chevrolet, Engine, 5, $10,150.

42. (28) Jeff Green, Toyota, Vibration, 4, $10,120.

43. (22) Scott Speed, Chevrolet, Engine, 2, $10,053.

RACE STATISTICS

Average Speed of Race Winner: 151.643 mph.

Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 58 Mins, 42 Secs.

Margin of Victory: 9.828 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 2 for 12 laps.

Lead Changes: 7 among 4 drivers.

Lap Leaders: A. Dillon 1-81; R. Stenhouse Jr. 82; M. Annett 83; J. Allgaier 84-86; A. Dillon 87-141; M. Annett 142-143; J. Allgaier 144; A. Dillon 145-200.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): A. Dillon 3 times for 192 laps; J. Allgaier 2 times for 4 laps; M. Annett 2 times for 3 laps; R. Stenhouse Jr. 1 time for 1 lap.

Top 10 in Points: A. Dillon - 554; E. Sadler - 552; R. Stenhouse Jr. - 531; S. Hornish Jr. - 521; J. Allgaier - 481; C. Whitt - 472; M. Annett - 455; M. Bliss - 391; D. Patrick - 369; B. Scott – 353.

James Buescher posts decisive win in Kentucky Trucks race

                                                                                                         Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
June 28, 2012

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

SPARTA, Ky. -- Streaking away from Ty Dillon and Brad Keselowski after a restart with 36 laps left, James Buescher recorded his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory in Thursday night's UNOH 225 at Kentucky Speedway.

Keselowski passed Dillon with two laps left to run second, 3.805 seconds behind Buescher. Dillon came home third, followed by pole-sitter Matt Crafton and Timothy Peters, who grabbed the series lead from Justin Lofton.

Johnny Sauter recovered from a pit road penalty to finish sixth, followed by Joey Coulter, Jason Leffler, Ron Hornaday Jr. and 19-year-old Kyle Larson, who was making his series debut.

Buescher drove the same No. 31 Chevrolet he drove to his first NCWTS victory at Kansas in April.

"I think this race especially -- both the truck wins we have were won in the shop," Buescher said. "This is the third time I've raced this truck, the second time I've gone to Victory Lane with it. . . . The truck was phenomenal.

"We unloaded a little bit off and made some changes right away in practice this morning, and the truck came to life pretty good. We worked on it throughout practice, and I knew halfway through the first practice that we had a truck capable of running up front, possibly a truck capable of winning.

"Then, in the second practice, we found some more speed. I'm so excited to be able to get (sponsor) Exide Batteries to Victory Lane, to lead that many laps and dominate like that."

A three-car wreck on Lap 69, involving two-time series champ Todd Bodine, Lofton and last week's Nationwide Series winner Nelson Piquet Jr. put Lofton's points lead in peril.

With a strong run to the inside in Turn 1, Bodine dived beneath Lofton, broke loose and knocked Lofton's truck into the Chevrolet of Piquet, who slammed into the outside wall. Bodine blamed Lofton for not giving him enough room.

"I thought Justin was blowing up," Bodine said. "I caught him so fast -- I didn't know what was going on, if he got loose off of (Turn) 4 or what. I caught him so fast, thought he was blowing up, so I went under him, and, obviously, he wasn't blowing up. . . .

"He's got plenty of room outside -- he's got to learn to give some space here. When you get that close and that tight on somebody, you're just taking all their air, and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it."

Both Bodine and Piquet retired from the race at that point, but Lofton was able to continue. Taking a wave-around under the sixth caution -- called on lap 102 because of Tim George Jr.'s spin into the Turn 2 wall -- Lofton regained a lap lost during repairs to his truck and salvaged a 14th-place finish to limit his damage in the standings.

Dillon took the lead briefly with a two-tire pit stop under that caution, but Buescher regained the top spot moments after a restart on Lap 108. All told, Buescher led 119 of 150 laps.

Peters leaves Kentucky with a four-point lead over both Lofton and Dillon, with Buescher in fourth place, nine points back.

RACE RESULTS

1. (3) James Buescher, Chevrolet, 150, $57,095.

2. (17) Brad Keselowski, RAM, 150, $36,960.

3. (4) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 150, $28,155.

4. (1) Matt Crafton, Toyota, 150, $21,420.

5. (7) Timothy Peters, Toyota, 150, $14,345.

6. (6) Johnny Sauter, Toyota, 150, $13,820.

7. (16) Joey Coulter, Chevrolet, 150, $12,320.

8. (18) Jason Leffler, Toyota, 150, $11,820.

9. (11) Ron Hornaday Jr., Chevrolet, 150, $11,720.

10. (25) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 150, $10,620.

11. (12) Jason White, Ford, 150, $11,495.

12. (5) Miguel Paludo, Chevrolet, 150, $11,320.

13. (26) Dakoda Armstrong, Toyota, 150, $11,220.

14. (10) Justin Lofton, Chevrolet, 150, $11,120.

15. (24) David Starr, Toyota, 150, $12,070.

16. (29) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 150, $10,895.

17. (23) Paulie Harraka, Ford, 150, $10,795.

18. (21) Clay Greenfield, RAM, 149, $8,445.

19. (8) Parker Kligerman, RAM, 149, $10,595.

20. (36) Chris Fontaine, Chevrolet, 148, $11,120.

21. (33) Caleb Holman, Chevrolet, 147, $8,145.

22. (31) Brennan Newberry, Chevrolet, 147, $8,045.

23. (34) Tyler Young, Chevrolet, 145, $7,945.

24. (15) Tim George Jr., Chevrolet, 143, $10,095.

25. (9) Cale Gale, Chevrolet, 140, $8,895.

26. (28) Bryan Silas, Ford, 134, $8,645.

27. (30) Jeff Agnew, Chevrolet, Vibration, 104, $7,545.

28. (13) Todd Bodine, Toyota, Accident, 69, $7,440.

29. (2) Nelson Piquet Jr., Chevrolet, Accident, 68, $7,340.

30. (19) Max Gresham, Chevrolet, Engine, 63, $7,240.

31. (20) Jake Crum, Chevrolet, Accident, 27, $7,665.

32. (22) John Wes Townley, Toyota, Accident, 16, $7,140.

33. (14) Ross Chastain, Toyota, Engine, 7, $7,125.

34. (35) CE Falk, Chevrolet, Handling, 6, $7,115.

35. (27) Dennis Setzer, Chevrolet, Transmission, 4, $7,100.

36. (32) Scott Riggs, RAM, Overheating, 3, $7,070.

RACE STATISTICS

Average Speed of Race Winner: 121.33 mph.

Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 51 Mins, 16 Secs.

Margin of Victory: 3.805 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 7 for 31 laps.

Lead Changes: 8 among 4 drivers.

Lap Leaders: M. Crafton 1-18; B. Silas 19; M. Crafton 20-26; J. Buescher 27-62; M. Crafton 63; J. Buescher 64-103; M. Crafton 104; T. Dillon 105-107; J. Buescher 108-150.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): J. Buescher 3 times for 119 laps; M. Crafton 4 times for 27 laps; T. Dillon 1 time for 3 laps; B. Silas 1 time for 1 lap.

Top 10 in Points: T. Peters - 306; J. Lofton - 302; T. Dillon - 302; J. Buescher - 297; P. Kligerman - 272; M. Crafton - 264; J. Coulter - 256; R. Hornaday Jr. - 253; N. Piquet Jr. - 249; M. Paludo - 231.

INDYCAR NEWS AND NOTES – June 27, 2012

INDYCAR NEWS AND NOTES - June 27, 2012

Today's IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights and Mazda Road to Indy headlines:

1.      Franchitti nominated for ESPY Award

2.      Day, Belardi part ways

3.      Yacaman meets president of Colombia

4.      Breeden joins INDYCAR staff

5.      Webb to participate in Goodwood Festival

1. Franchitti nominated for ESPY Award: Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti is one of four champion racers nominated for best driver at the 2012 ESPY Awards.

The three-time Indianapolis 500 and four-time IZOD IndyCar Series champion winner is joined by NASCAR champions Tony Stewart, Formula 1 champion Sebastien Vettel and NHRA champion Del Worsham in the category which will be awarded July 11 in Los Angeles.

On May 27, Franchitti became the sixth driver to win the Indianapolis 500 for a third time. In 2011, Franchitti earned his third consecutive IZOD IndyCar Series championship and fourth overall.

The ESPYS will be hosted by actor/comedian Rob Riggle and televised live (9 p.m. ET, ESPN). Voting for the award is underway at ESPN.com/ESPYS.

2. Day, Belardi part ways: Belardi Auto Racing and Alon Day have mutually decided to cut short their Firestone Indy Lights program together. Both parties remain content and respectable for the efforts made by all those involved and parted company on amicable terms.

A decision was made soon after qualifying for the Sukup 100 in Iowa last weekend, and the No. 9 car was withdrawn from Saturday's race. A replacement driver for the No. 9 entry will be announced in the coming days.

"It is very unfortunate that we could no longer continue our business relationship with Alon," said Brian Belardi, team owner of Belardi Auto Racing. "We very much appreciate all of Alon's hard work and time with the team and wish him the very best in the future. He is a talented young man, and we expect to see him succeed wherever he goes."

Day, the first Israeli to ever compete in open-wheel racing on American soil, completed six races and acquired four top-10 finishes for Belardi Auto Racing. He acquired his highest finish at Barber Motorsports Park with a sixth place finish back in April.

"Alon shall be taking no further part in the 2012 Firestone Indy Lights Championship with Belardi Auto Racing," a representative for Day said. "We are truly grateful to all the guys at Belardi Auto Racing for making Alon's transition over to the USA smooth and comfortable. Alon plans to keep in touch with Brian and the team and wishes them all the very best of luck with their future endeavors."

3. Yacaman meets president of Colombia: Before he traveled to Iowa Speedway for what was to be his second podium finish of the season, Firestone Indy Lights driver Gustavo Yacamán traveled to his home country of Colombia for a very special meeting.

Yacamán met with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, fulfilling his commitment to personally thank the President for the country's support of his career.

"I want to thank you for your time and give gratitude for the support that I have thanks to the efforts of Colombia Brand and Coldeportes," Yacamán said. "The changes in the global economy have transformed the racing world. Your support has been vital to continue my steps towards professionalism. I am very proud of my country."

The meeting, held at Casa de Nariño in the Emerald Hall, was a pleasant conversation between President Santos and Yacamán. The President congratulated him on his promising career, thanking him for the excellent example he gives to the youth of the country. He also stressed the importance of representing Colombia throughout his career.

Yacamán told President Santos all about his current season and the great work being done this year to reach the pinnacle of open-wheel racing in the U.S., the IZOD IndyCar Series.

Yacamán has four top-five finishes this season and has finished in the top 10 in all seven races so far. His win at the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix street circuit on June 2 was his second career Firestone Indy Lights win.

"It is a pride for the country to have an ambassador like him around the world, it is important to highlight the great work done in this sport and how it has led Colombia to the top of the podium," President Santos said. "Yacamán's charisma and dedication is an example and is important to recognize."

Crepes & Waffles, a private company that sponsors Yacamán's career, received the thanks of the President and Colombia Brand for their great support.

"We are very proud to be Gustavo's sponsor," said Crepes & Waffles representative Beatriz Fernandez. "His message with the sport and his youth are fully identified with us. Our philosophy and our image are very well represented by this young driver."

4. Breeden joins INDYCAR staff: Matt Breeden, a respected attorney and business advisor, has joined INDYCAR as Vice President of Business Affairs.

Breeden will help lead development of strategic and business plans for INDYCAR, sanctioning body for the IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights and the Mazda Road to Indy driver development ladder as well as oversee and monitor sanction agreements and contracts between INDYCAR and its partners.

"Matt's experience and background in racing as well as his reputation as an attorney makes him an ideal fit for INDYCAR," said Randy Bernard, CEO INDYCAR. "I'm confident that our partners and promoters will learn what we already know, that he is a valuable addition to our team."

Breeden served as Vice President & General Counsel for Champ Car World Series LLC, where he managed all of the legal affairs for Champ Car, as well as the Toyota Atlantic Series, Trans-Am Series and certain other affiliated entities. He also served as counsel during the unification of open-wheel racing under the INDYCAR banner. He joins INDYCAR from his own private practice - Breeden Legal. 

"There was not much that would entice me to leave my law practice, but when the opportunity to work at INDYCAR reared its head it was one of those things I couldn't pass up," Breeden said. "I've been around Indy car racing my entire life and this position matches up with my skill set very well. I'm really looking forward to helping INDYCAR grow."

5. Webb to participate in Goodwood Festival: Oliver Webb will take advantage of the off weekend to participate in the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England.

The Sam Schmidt Motorsports driver will race the BAC Mono, a lightweight, high-performance, street-legal single-seat supercar, up the hill during the famed event, the largest car culture event in the world.

"Very very excited to race the @DiscoverMono up the Famous hill of @fosgoodwood this weekend!" the 21-year-old Englishman tweeted on June 26.

Webb, who is seventh in Firestone Indy Lights points, has been a test driver for the Mono, which made its public debut at last year's Goodwood Festival of Speed.

***

The 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series race continues with the Honda Indy Toronto on July 8 at the Streets of Toronto's Exhibition Place. The race will be televised by ABC at 12:30 p.m. (ET) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network on SiriusXM (XM 94 and Sirius 212). The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Toronto 100 on July 7 on the Streets of Toronto's Exhibition Place. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 5 p.m. on July 12.

 

*

 

Clint Bowyer fends off Tony Stewart for Sonoma victory

June 24, 2012

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

SONOMA, Calif. -- Clint Bowyer's victory in Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart
350 at Sonoma was a surprise to the driver who chased him for more than
20 laps -- Kurt Busch -- but in retrospect, history may have been on
Bowyer's side.

"I just kept thinking, 'He's a dirt Late Model racer from the Midwest --
there's no way he can be able to run the road course,' but he did," said
Busch, who finished third despite hitting a tire barrier in Turn 11 at
the 1.99-mile track and breaking the panhard bar on his No. 51 Chevrolet.

With Busch's car damaged and vulnerable to a pass during a
green-white-checkered-flag finish that took the event two laps beyond
its scheduled 110 laps, Bowyer held off charging Tony Stewart to claim
his first victory of the season and the sixth of his career.

Stewart passed Kurt Busch for the second position after the final
restart and finished .829 seconds behind Bowyer's No. 15 Toyota. Busch
held the third spot, followed by Brian Vickers -- doing spot duty in
Michael Waltrip Racing's No. 55 Toyota -- and Jimmie Johnson.

Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle, pole-sitter Marcos Ambrose, AJ Allmendinger
and Joey Logano completed the top 10 in a race that began with a record
green-flag run of 82 laps and featured a record-low two cautions.

After a look at Bowyer's record at Sonoma, the road-course victory seems
much less surprising than Busch might have thought at first blush. In
six previous starts, the dirt-tracker from the Midwest had finished
fourth three times and eighth once.

"He's shown consistency, so it was a matter of time before he would get
one," said Stewart, who caught a break when the caution flag waved for
the first time on Lap 82. Stewart's crew hadn't filled the fuel cell in
the No. 14 Chevrolet, and the caution gave him a chance to pit for fuel
and tires.

Bowyer did a majestic job of driving in the closing laps to hold off
Busch, who harried him lap after lap until Busch hit the tires on Lap
102. Bowyer pulled away to a lead of more than one second before Kyle
Busch and Paul Menard spun in Turn 7 to cause the second caution.

"Without a doubt I thought I could have pressured Bowyer into a
mistake," Busch said. "He was there for the taking . . . and I couldn't
do it when my panhard bar broke. The rear end was too unstable under
braking. So I just look back at that one moment, and it's just tough --
but solid top three."

Even though the contact with the tires took Busch out of contention for
the win, his handling of the wounded car impressed Stewart.

"I was watching him, and it was -- honestly -- I don't know how he kept
it on the race track with how much the rear end was moving around on
that car," Stewart said. "I thought he did a really phenomenal job of
just hanging on to what he had."

Busch's handling of defeat impressed Bowyer, especially after Busch came
to Victory Lane to congratulate the race winner. The actions of the 2004
champion on Sunday were a far cry from the blow-ups that had resulted in
probation and ultimately suspension for the embattled driver earlier
this year.

"For him to come to Victory Lane spoke volumes about his character,"
Bowyer said. "He's a champion of the sport -- you can't lose sight of
that. I know there have been a lot of negatives around him, but there
were a hell of a lot of positives today for Kurt Busch.

"He had an extremely good run . . . That boy can drive, and when you
give him the confidence and the direction and, sometimes, I guess, the
discipline to get the job done, he's certainly capable of it. He had me
on my toes. He had me scared to death today, and things worked out.

"When you can beat that guy . . . you know, the two guys behind me were
champions of this sport, and that's big, to be able to hold them guys off."

Notes: Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the victim of a last-lap crash and
finished 23rd, dropping to third in the series standings, 14 points
behind Matt Kenseth, who ran 13th . . . Greg Biffle took over second in
the standings with a seventh-place result. He’s 11 points behind his
Roush Fenway Racing teammate . . . Bowyer was the sixth straight driver
in six years to score his first road course win at Sonoma and the eighth
straight different winner at the 1.99-mile road course.

RACE RESULTS

1. (6) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 112, $314,089.
2. (24) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 112, $239,465.
3. (8) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 112, $181,623.
4. (21) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 112, $132,340.
5. (3) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 112, $155,576.
6. (2) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 112, $150,876.
7. (4) Greg Biffle, Ford, 112, $112,765.
8. (1) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 112, $134,373.
9. (17) AJ Allmendinger, Dodge, 112, $137,840.
10. (14) Joey Logano, Toyota, 112, $103,615.
11. (35) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 112, $136,280.
12. (13) Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 112, $125,650.
13. (9) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 112, $135,391.
14. (15) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 112, $97,905.
15. (20) Casey Mears, Ford, 112, $106,338.
16. (26) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 112, $133,391.
17. (7) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 112, $130,738.
18. (10) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 112, $127,138.
19. (25) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 112, $117,288.
20. (23) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 112, $93,630.
21. (11) Carl Edwards, Ford, 112, $128,796.
22. (5) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 112, $111,844.
23. (19) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 112, $91,805.
24. (18) Bobby Labonte, Toyota, 111, $105,313.
25. (22) Scott Speed, Ford, 111, $79,755.
26. (27) David Gilliland, Ford, 111, $93,663.
27. (29) David Ragan, Ford, 111, $90,902.
28. (30) Aric Almirola, Ford, 110, $117,616.
29. (28) Boris Said, Ford, 110, $88,455.
30. (40) Josh Wise, Ford, 110, $83,305.
31. (42) Landon Cassill, Toyota, 110, $105,975.
32. (31) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 109, $84,960.
33. (38) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 107, $76,850.
34. (12) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 107, $106,726.
35. (16) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, Suspension, 98, $121,591.
36. (39) Travis Kvapil, Toyota, 92, $84,490.
37. (32) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet, Suspension, 84, $76,355.
38. (41) Tomy Drissi, Chevrolet, Accident, 78, $76,242.
39. (34) Robby Gordon, Dodge, Steering, 73, $72,800.
40. (33) David Mayhew, Ford, Brakes, 25, $72,625.
41. (43) Stephen Leicht, Chevrolet, Brakes, 22, $80,450.
42. (37) Chris Cook, Toyota, Brakes, 13, $72,355.
43. (36) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, Engine, 1, $72,724.

RACE STATISTICS

Average Speed of Race Winner: 83.624 mph.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 39 Mins, 55 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 0.829 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 2 for 7 laps.
Lead Changes: 8 among 5 drivers.
Lap Leaders: M. Ambrose 1-11; J. Gordon 12-24; C. Bowyer 25-33; Kurt
Busch 34; M. Truex Jr. 35-47; C. Bowyer 48-70; Kurt Busch 71; M. Truex
Jr. 72-73; C. Bowyer 74-112.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): C. Bowyer 3 times for 71
laps; M. Truex Jr. 2 times for 15 laps; J. Gordon 1 time for 13 laps; M.
Ambrose 1 time for 11 laps; Kurt Busch 2 times for 2 laps.
Top 12 in Points: M. Kenseth - 596; G. Biffle - 585; D. Earnhardt Jr. -
582; J. Johnson - 571; T. Stewart - 533; K. Harvick - 532; C. Bowyer -
529; D. Hamlin - 523; M. Truex Jr. - 520; B. Keselowski - 490; C.
Edwards - 479; Kyle Busch - 459.

Piquet becomes first Brazilian to win NASCAR national series race

Credit: Tyler Barrick/Getty Images for NASCAR 

      June 23, 2012

    By Marques Trost  Special for NASCAR Wire Service   

 ELKHART LAKE, WIS. –

 Nelson Piquet Jr. enjoyed a lot of firsts during the NASCAR Nationwide series Sargento 200 race weekend at Road America.     A regular in the NASCAR Camping World Truck series, Piquet Jr. used his first career pole and laps led to earn his very first NASCAR national series win on the Wisconsin road course. In his third career NASCAR Nationwide start, the native of Brazil drove a flawless final 17 laps with the lead, earning a 2.258-second victory over runner-up Michael McDowell. He led a race-high 19 laps and also becomes the first Brazilian to win a NASCAR national series race.    "It's difficult to put into words what I'm feeling," Piquet Jr. said. "I think we had a great week since the first practice. I learned the track quite quickly and the team helped me out quite a bit."    Piquet didn't fight too hard for the lead until after the halfway mark, but that was a strategic move in order to save fuel in case there was a green-white-checkered finish like last year where the 4.048-mile course caused mayhem on pit crews trying to have enough fuel to finish the race.     "I could have fought harder in the middle of the race but there was no reason why," Piquet said. "I wasn't going to accomplish anything. I just held back a little bit and when it was the right moment I attacked. It was on one of the restarts where I passed Jacques [Villeneuve] and moved quick through the field and led the race at the end."    McDowell and Ron Fellows finished where they started, at second and third respectively. Max Papis and Sam Hornish Jr. rounded out the top five.     "We had a really good car," McDowell said. "The problem was I used up my car a little too much to get into second and then on that final restart I tried to be a little smart and anticipate Nelson trying to go a little early and tuck in behind him but Danica [Patrick] was right there. I kind of knew if I gave up a little bit to be at the bottom it would be worth it, but I just never got to the bottom. I tried to run down Nelson but his car was fast. I don't know if we would have had anything for him if we would have stayed with him on that restart. I think he was saving a little bit on fuel, because when he needed to go it seemed like he could."    The Sargento 200 had a tamer finish than last year, which had three green-white-checker finishes. Things did get a little interesting when one of the big names from last year, Villeneuve, made contact with Danica Patrick in Turn 5 on the final lap, which spun Patrick, dropping her from fourth to 12th, her eventual finish.     Villeneuve finished sixth, followed by Brian Scott, Kurt Bush, Cole Whitt and Justin Allgaier.     Patrick had a near-flawless day up until her greeting with Villeneueve on the last lap. Villeneueve said after the race though that he was not trying to wreck Patrick at all.    "We were racing hard and I wasn't fighting with Danica," Villeneuve said. "I was fighting with Max Papis and just before the braking, I guess he was wanting to cross over and go to the inside of Danica. He probably didn't know I was there, so it pushed me in the grass. You don't slowdown that much in the grass, so by that time I was on the racetrack again, I was going a little bit faster than Danica. That's all."    The race started with Piquet leading, but that didn't last long as McDowell took the lead on Lap 3. Busch, who had to start 34th after having unapproved adjustments made to his car, made his way all the way up to 17th. McDowell and Piquet Jr. would end up pitting on Lap 6 for fuel, allowing Fellows to grab the lead.     With Fellows starting to pull away from the pack, a punctured tire slowed down all of Fellows' momentum, causing him to enter the pits on Lap 9. Brian Scott was the beneficiary of that, allowing him to take the lead. Patrick, who started 10th, would make her way up to second place by Lap 11 and stay in the top five for most of the race.     T.J. Bell had a problem in Turn 14 on Lap 13, leading to the first caution of the day. Many of the drivers made their way to the pits, with Allgaier having to spend some extra time there while his pit crew had to help remove a water bottle that had fallen underneath his gas pedal.     With the caution lasting multiple laps, Scott was one of the last drivers to pit, surrendering his lead to McDowell. Papis would end up taking the lead from McDowell on Turn 3 of Lap 16. It wouldn't be long until the next caution, however, as loose debris would cause another yellow flag.     After that caution, Miguel Paludo was the new leader, with Patrick running in second place. Patrick would make her move on Paludo on Turn 3 of Lap 21 to take the lead, but a little slide by Patrick in Turn 5 would give the lead right back to Paludo.      Another caution would take place when Kenny Habul went into the tire wall at Turn 5. Villeneuve was in the lead at the time. With the leaders pitting, Papis would be hit with a stop and go penalty and would have to return to the pits. Hornish Jr., who like many was trying to manage fuel, took the lead in Lap 33.     Turn 5 had some more action a little after that when Villeneuve was bumped in the back by McDowell. Villeneuve would drop from the top five all the way down to 22nd. Another caution involving Bell would slow everything down again. The leaders would pit again, hoping to make it the rest of the way with the fuel they had. This time Piquet Jr. would take the lead for the final time.     Allgaier would have an issue with his front left tire and wound up in the gravel on Turn 5 on Lap 37, hitting Busch on his way there. Points leader Elliot Sadler would get spun on Lap 39 and finished in 15th place. The series' top rookie Austin Dillon remained second in the points with an 18th place finish. Dillon, who is 11 points behind Sadler, had issues with his car, which kept him out of contention.     Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who has been in the middle of a major slump, finished 11th and remains third in points, 23 behind Sadler. Hornish Jr. and Whitt round out the top 5 in the standings, with Patrick holding firm in the 10th spot.     NASCAR Nationwide Series Race - Sargento 200  Road America  Elkhart Lakes, Wisconsin  Saturday, June 23, 2012        1. (1) Nelson Piquet Jr.(i), Chevrolet, 50, $55393.      2. (2) Michael McDowell(i), Toyota, 50, $38968.      3. (3) Ron Fellows, Chevrolet, 50, $25300.      4. (5) Max Papis, Chevrolet, 50, $27943.      5. (8) Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 50, $23893.      6. (4) Jacques Villeneuve, Dodge, 50, $22093.      7. (6) Brian Scott, Toyota, 50, $21368.      8. (22) Kurt Busch(i), Toyota, 50, $13275.      9. (14) Cole Whitt #, Chevrolet, 50, $20468.      10. (7) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 50, $20418.      11. (11) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 50, $22718.      12. (10) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 50, $19043.      13. (19) Mike Bliss, Toyota, 50, $18943.      14. (15) Jason Bowles #, Toyota, 50, $18843.      15. (13) Elliott Sadler, Chevrolet, 50, $19943.      16. (20) Kenny Habul, Toyota, 50, $12225.      17. (17) Victor Gonzalez Jr.(i), Toyota, 50, $18593.      18. (23) Austin Dillon #, Chevrolet, 50, $18493.      19. (28) Mike Wallace, Chevrolet, 50, $18418.      20. (16) Brad Sweet #, Chevrolet, 50, $19043.      21. (29) Eric McClure, Toyota, 50, $18293.      22. (25) Timmy Hill, Ford, 50, $18253.      23. (33) Erik Darnell, Chevrolet, 50, $18218.      24. (37) Tony Raines(i), Dodge, 50, $11690.      25. (26) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 50, $18563.      26. (12) Michael Annett, Ford, 48, $18053.      27. (36) Bill Prietzel, Chevrolet, 48, $11550.      28. (27) John Young, Dodge, Out of Fuel, 47, $11520.      29. (9) Miguel Paludo(i), Chevrolet, 47, $11485.      30. (24) Tayler Malsam, Toyota, 46, $18208.      31. (32) Josh Richards, Ford, 41, $11395.      32. (34) Casey Roderick #, Chevrolet, 40, $11350.      33. (18) Alex Kennedy, Toyota, 38, $17788.      34. (42) Matthew Bell, Chevrolet, 36, $17768.      35. (21) Kyle Kelley, Chevrolet, Engine, 29, $11275.      36. (41) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, Handling, 26, $11255.      37. (43) TJ Bell, Chevrolet, Rear End, 24, $11235.      38. (40) Matt Frahm, Ford, Brakes, 14, $11216.      39. (35) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, Ignition, 4, $11075.      40. (39) Chase Miller, Chevrolet, Brakes, 4, $10975.      41. (31) Matt DiBenedetto, Chevrolet, Overheating, 3, $10930.      42. (38) Tim Schendel, Chevrolet, Vibration, 3, $10895.      43. (30) Jeff Green, Toyota, Vibration, 2, $10823.    Average Speed of Race Winner:  85.171 mph.  Time of Race:  02 Hrs, 22 Mins, 35 Secs. Margin of Victory:  2.258 Seconds.  Caution Flags:  5 for 8 laps.  Lead Changes:  9 among 8 drivers.  Lap Leaders:   N. Piquet Jr.(i) 1-2; M. McDowell(i) 3-4; R. Fellows 5-8; B. Scott 9-13; M. McDowell(i) 14-15; M. Papis 16; M. Paludo(i) 17-20; J. Villeneuve 21-30; S. Hornish Jr. 31-33; N. Piquet Jr.(i) 34-50.  Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  N. Piquet Jr.(i) 2 times for 19 laps; J. Villeneuve 1 time for 10 laps; B. Scott 1 time for 5 laps; M. McDowell(i) 2 times for 4 laps; M. Paludo(i) 1 time for 4 laps; R. Fellows 1 time for 4 laps; S. Hornish Jr. 1 time for 3 laps; M. Papis 1 time for 1 lap.  Top 10 in Points: E. Sadler - 517; A. Dillon # - 506; R. Stenhouse Jr. - 494; S. Hornish Jr. - 483; C. Whitt # - 442; J. Allgaier - 441; M. Annett - 414; M. Bliss - 364; B. Scott - 339; D. Patrick - 337.        

The drought is over! Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins at Michigan

Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

June 17, 2012

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- At the same venue that produced his last NASCAR Sprint Cup victory, four years and two days removed from his most recent visit to Victory Lane, Dale Earnhardt Jr. broke the most talked-about, most frustrating streak in motor sports.

Pulling away from defending series champion Tony Stewart at the end of the final 60-lap green-flag run, Earnhardt won Sunday's Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway by a dominating 5.393 seconds to end a drought of 143 races.

"I know you guys have been waiting on that one," Earnhardt radioed to his crew after crossing the finish line. "I know I have."

As Earnhardt performed a wild celebratory burnout on the frontstretch, fans and crew members crowded around Victory Lane as the crowd in the grandstands stood and cheered.

The victory was the 19th in the Cup series for Earnhardt, who solidified second place in the Cup standings, closing to four points behind leader Matt Kenseth, who ran third Sunday behind Earnhardt and Stewart.

Earnhardt overcame Goodyear's 11th-hour switch to a harder left-side tire, after blistering became an issue on the left sides originally supplied for the race. Earnhardt wasn't happy with the handling of his No. 88 Chevrolet during a extra practice Saturday night, but crew chief Steve Letarte found a combination that worked for the race.

Greg Biffle finished fourth, followed by five-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who started from the rear of the field because of an engine change before the race but worked his way back into the top five.

Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, Juan Pablo Montoya, pole-sitter Marcos Ambrose and Kevin Harvick completed the top 10.

Earnhardt took the lead for the first time on Lap 70, when he passed Ambrose for the top spot. From that point on, his was the dominant car; Earnhardt led a race-high 95 laps.

"Winning races is all you ever want," Earnhardt said in Victory Lane. "You work real hard to get there, and I've got to thank (team owner) Rick Hendrick, the whole organization, really, for sticking with me.

"They could have picked another route, but they stuck with me, and we're back in Victory Lane. I appreciate everybody's support -- Rick, the company, the fans, my team . . . everybody."

The start of the race was delayed for nearly two hours by rain, but by the time NASCAR's most popular driver took the checkered flag, the track was bathed in sunshine.

About the only blight on the landscape was Tony Stewart's response to Earnhardt's long-awaited victory. Apparently tired of questions about Earnhardt's winless streak, Stewart resorted to sarcasm.

"It's no different than anybody else that does it -- it's not a national holiday, guys," Stewart said. "This morning they were celebrating the fourth anniversary of his last win, so I guess we're all in a state of mourning now, 'cause he's broke that string now, so I wonder what we're all supposed to think."

Kenseth, Earnhardt's longtime friend, was more gracious in his assessment of the breakthrough victory.

"This year you could see it going to be a matter of time," Kenseth said. "They've really been the guys -- that 88 has had a ton of speed. They haven't always gotten the finishes (because of) circumstances, but they've been battling up there in the top five each and every week. They've finished every lap.

"I'm really happy for him to get that win. The championship part, I think they're definitely a contender. They've been right up there in the mix each and every race, no matter what size or shape the racetrack. I think they're definitely, at this point in the season, one of the favorites."

RACE RESULTS

1. (17) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 200, $168,775.

2. (8) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 200, $179,160.

3. (6) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 200, $155,096.

4. (3) Greg Biffle, Ford, 200, $120,910.

5. (10) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 200, $140,496.

6. (28) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 200, $134,046.

7. (13) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 200, $117,649.

8. (21) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 200, $120,176.

9. (1) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 200, $121,743.

10. (2) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 200, $134,346.

11. (42) Carl Edwards, Ford, 200, $133,426.

12. (16) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 200, $112,524.

13. (25) Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 200, $118,705.

14. (19) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 200, $115,218.

15. (5) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 199, $125,068.

16. (31) Bobby Labonte, Toyota, 199, $109,693.

17. (15) Aric Almirola, Ford, 199, $119,621.

18. (32) Landon Cassill, Toyota, 199, $108,630.

19. (20) AJ Allmendinger, Dodge, 199, $122,860.

20. (24) Casey Mears, Ford, 199, $98,893.

21. (33) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 199, $119,735.

22. (18) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 199, $88,935.

23. (38) David Ragan, Ford, 199, $94,743.

24. (22) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 198, $88,285.

25. (36) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet, 198, $80,485.

26. (39) Travis Kvapil, Toyota, 197, $99,268.

27. (35) David Gilliland, Ford, 197, $88,857.

28. (12) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 197, $87,160.

29. (14) Mark Martin, Toyota, Engine, 195, $78,460.

30. (26) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 194, $85,385.

31. (40) Ken Schrader, Ford, 193, $83,735.

32. (34) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 157, $122,843.

33. (4) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, Accident, 151, $83,910.

34. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, Accident, 132, $120,451.

35. (9) Joey Logano, Toyota, Accident, 125, $83,310.

36. (41) Tony Raines, Chevrolet, Vibration, 68, $75,260.

37. (43) JJ Yeley, Toyota, Brakes, 67, $75,205.

38. (27) Michael McDowell, Ford, Vibration, 41, $75,093.

39. (29) Mike Bliss, Toyota, Overheating, 35, $72,340.

40. (37) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, Vibration, 32, $72,300.

41. (23) Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, Power Steering, 27, $72,260.

42. (30) Josh Wise, Ford, Engine, 9, $72,195.

43. (7) Trevor Bayne, Ford, Engine, 7, $71,792.

RACE STATISTICS

Average Speed of Race Winner: 139.144 mph.

Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 52 Mins, 29 Secs.

Margin of Victory: 5.393 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 8 for 39 laps.

Lead Changes: 23 among 14 drivers.

Lap Leaders: M. Ambrose 1-5; G. Biffle 6-26; M. Ambrose 27-31; M. Kenseth 32-48; M. Ambrose 49-52; J. Yeley 53; G. Biffle 54-68; M. Ambrose 69; D. Earnhardt Jr. 70-82; D. Blaney 83; D. Gilliland 84; D. Earnhardt Jr. 85-86; T. Stewart 87-104; D. Earnhardt Jr. 105-117; J. Gordon 118; J. Montoya 119-122; J. Gordon 123-125; D. Earnhardt Jr. 126-162; G. Biffle 163-164; C. Bowyer 165; J. McMurray 166; B. Keselowski 167-169; J. Burton 170; D. Earnhardt Jr. 171-200.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): D. Earnhardt Jr. 5 times for 95 laps; G. Biffle 3 times for 38 laps; T. Stewart 1 time for 18 laps; M. Kenseth 1 time for 17 laps; M. Ambrose 4 times for 15 laps; J. Montoya 1 time for 4 laps; J. Gordon 2 times for 4 laps; B. Keselowski 1 time for 3 laps; C. Bowyer 1 time for 1 lap; J. Burton 1 time for 1 lap; D. Blaney 1 time for 1 lap; D. Gilliland 1 time for 1 lap; J. Yeley 1 time for 1 lap; J. McMurray 1 time for 1 lap.

Top 12 in Points: M. Kenseth - 565; D. Earnhardt Jr. - 561; G. Biffle - 548; J. Johnson - 532; D. Hamlin - 514; K. Harvick - 504; M. Truex Jr. - 497; T. Stewart - 491; C. Bowyer - 481; B. Keselowski - 458; C. Edwards - 456; Kyle Busch - 432.