Harvick wins even though he loses (Yahoo! Sports)
October 31, 2010
TALLADEGA, Ala. – The Big One didn’t come, the winner didn’t immediately know who won, and the Chase didn’t break wide open. So anyone who came to Talladega looking for fireworks or finality didn’t get a sniff of either.
But as Kevin Harvick showed Sunday with some bare bond tape and some guts, championships can certainly be won without a lot of exclamation points.
Most race fans and pundits expected a gigantic wreck to alter not only the Halloween race here, but the entire Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. The strategy among Chase leaders Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick was to avoid the carnage and sneak over the finish line without blowing the season.
And while all three had their share of drama – Hamlin lost the draft and went a lap (and nearly 100 points) down, while Johnson was abandoned during his late charge up front when teammate Jeff Gordon’s overheating engine forced the No. 24 car to peel off – Sunday’s big winner, ironically, ended up being the guy who actually did get into a wreck.
That was Harvick. On Lap 141, in a dust-up that would bring only the third caution of the afternoon, eventual winner and Harvick teammate Clint Bowyer spun Marcos Ambrose into Harvick’s front end.
“I looked in the mirror and saw Kevin was tore up and I was sick,” Bowyer said. “You don’t want to be the guy who costs RCR a championship.”
But Harvick somehow steadied his chassis and kept his nose straight if not clean.
“When I saw [Ambrose] start to spin, I didn’t want to spin out,” Harvick said. “I didn’t want to come back up the racetrack. I didn’t want to spin backwards and have a chance of getting in the wall. He rolled across the nose and I was able to not keep hitting him. I was able to go back in gas and push him off me.”
That bit of artistry saved Harvick the race and maybe the season. He would lose the cap off the front of his car and he even had a flat tire as he rolled down pit road, but “as long as we were in middle of pack,” Harvick said, “we were fine.”
His car sure didn’t look fine. His crew slapped the entire front with 200-mph bear bond tape, heavy glue, and some green tape on top of that tape. Suddenly, one of the coolest cars on the planet looked like one of Meat Loaf’s old concert amps.
But Harvick kept on and as the race entered the final 10 laps, there he was being pushed up the inside by David Ragan. Harvick remained near the front and then, with two laps left, David Reutimann ushered him past Johnson and into a four-wide mess at the front.
That would have been a predictable time for the shrapnel to fly and chaos to reign, and it did, sort of. It wasn’t a Big One – a multi-car crash that takes out half the field. No, it was AJ Allmendinger and only AJ Allmendinger flipping toward the back of the pack.
Allmendinger’s wreck, which came right after the white flag, brought out a caution. With that, the race was over. But who was ahead?
At the time, Bowyer and Harvick were nose-and-nose at the front of the pack. Harvick declared himself the victor. Still, there was no word from NASCAR. As the two waited on the track, Bowyer decided to do a burnout. Then, the two drove up to each other, driver’s side door to driver’s side door and shook hands.
Finally word came down. Bowyer was the winner.
As far as the Chase goes, so was Harvick.
“We beat the guys we needed to beat,” said Harvick, who trimmed 24 points off his deficit to Johnson (who came in seventh) and now trails by just 38. Hamlin finished ninth and is 14 points back.
Now it’s on to Texas and Phoenix before the finale at Homestead, Fla.
“I feel good about the last three tracks,” Harvick said. “For me, it’s all about not making a mistake. You’re going to have to run in the top five and have a chance to win. Forcing it usually leads to mistakes.”
That plan has worked fine for No. 29. He has 23 top-10 finishes in 33 starts this season, and although the near-misses have irked him a bit – “about six inches and we would have won every speedway race there was this year” – he knows there’s a bigger fish waiting in Florida next month.
“No offense to [Johnson], but somebody else needs to win,” he said after the race, with the four-time champ sitting next to him. “I like Jimmie as good as anybody, but for the sake of the sport, one of the two of us [himself or Hamlin] needs to make something happen.”
Harvick made something happen Sunday at Talladega. And he might make something bigger happen in the final three races – even if nothing exciting happens at all.
Award-winning writer Eric Adelson is a feature writer for Yahoo! Sports. Send Eric a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
Earnhardt apologizes to Burton after wreck
October 31, 2010
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP)—While crew members frantically worked to fix damage on the No. 88 car, Dale Earnhardt Jr. walked across the garage area to the infield medical center and apologized to Jeff Burton.
Earnhardt blamed himself for brushing the back of Burton’s car at an awkward angle on lap 134 of Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway, causing Burton to crash heavily.
“I got into Jeff and didn’t hit him square and turned him down the racetrack and ended up wrecking him,” Earnhardt said. “Just didn’t hit him square, misjudged the push I was going to give him and did it incorrectly.”
Burton wasn’t upset with Earnhardt. Bump-drafting, where a driver gives the car in front of him a push on the back bumper to make both cars go faster, is just a fact of life when it comes to racing at Talladega.
And at speeds nearing 200 mph, things don’t always go according to plan.
“He didn’t mean it,” Burton said in a television interview. “He didn’t do anything wrong. We just didn’t get lined up. It got a little hectic getting into (turn) three, and I think I moved a little bit more than he thought I was and we just didn’t get lined up right. It won’t be the last time it happens.”
Earnhardt said he felt particularly bad because of the respect he had for Burton, a veteran considered a leader in the garage area.
“That’s one of the ambassadors of the sport, and I’ve got so much respect for him,” Earnhardt said. “When you’re out there racing, you’re not considering all those things and as soon as I turned him, I felt terrible about it. I just respect him so much.”
For Earnhardt, it was another blown opportunity in a disappointing season. He was strong early in Sunday’s race, leading six times for a total of 24 laps and bringing fans to their feet every time he took the lead.
Now he hasn’t won since Michigan in June 2008 and admits he is feeling pressure to run up front.
“I mean, it’s hairy stuff, but it’s what you’ve got to do to get up to the lead,” Earnhardt said. “You want to be up front. You’ve got to put your car toward the front for your sponsors, for your fans. You’ve got a lot of people here to please and you feel that responsibility to be up there all the time.”
BOWYER’S BURNOUT: It might have been the NASCAR equivalent to a football player celebrating a touchdown before he gets into the end zone, but Clint Bowyer didn’t wait for NASCAR officials to officially declare him the winner of Sunday’s race before he began doing a victory burnout on the frontstretch.
“Claim that baby before somebody else does!” Bowyer joked.
For Bowyer, Sunday’s win erased some frustration after a NASCAR penalty in the wake of his Chase-opening win at New Hampshire essentially took him out of championship contention.
“To be able to win, it is redemption,” Bowyer said. “It finally puts that behind me, as a race car driver, as a person, and us as a race team.”
Bowyer admits he’s still not happy about the penalty.
“It just took the wind right out of my sails,” Bowyer said. “The two races after that whole mess, it was a disaster. If we had that back and we were along our normal routine, I don’t think we would have had those bad runs that we had.”
RPM ON TRACK?: Richard Petty Motorsports director of competition Robbie Loomis said the team has cars and engines for the next two races and it is the team’s “full intention” to finish the season and figure out a plan for 2011.
Amid widespread questions about the team’s financial footing, there has been speculation that RPM was behind on its payments to Roush Fenway Racing and might not get the equipment it needed to finish the season. RPM driver Elliott Sadler said Saturday that there was uncertainty within the team this week about whether they would even make it to Talladega.
“It’s been rampant, like wildfire, the way speculation and rumors go,” Loomis said Sunday morning. “But Roush has been a big, big supporter of Richard and the Gilletts. … We’re excited about finishing up strong.”
RPM is co-owned by NASCAR icon Richard Petty and businessman George Gillett, whose financial well-being is under scrutiny after he and business partner Tom Hicks tried unsuccessfully to block the sale of debt-laden English soccer club Liverpool. In an odd twist of fate, Liverpool was sold to New England Sports Ventures and John Henry—who is a co-owner of the Roush Fenway team providing equipment to RPM.
HUNTER TRIBUTE: Talladega Superspeedway will rename its press box to honor late NASCAR executive Jim Hunter. Hunter, a beloved figure in the NASCAR garage area who played a critical role in the sport’s growth, died Friday night after a year-long battle with cancer. He was 71.
NASCAR officials wore yellow “NASCAR 1948” caps like the one Hunter always wore in the garage, as did driver Tony Stewart in the prerace drivers meeting.
The track also lowered a large Talladega Superspeedway flag to half mast.
“Well, not quite half-mast,” track chairman Grant Lynch joked. “If you get it down near the ground, they’re going to steal it.”
Chase Breakdown: Harvick gains ground (Yahoo! Sports)
October 31, 2010
Kevin Harvick didn’t win, but he did make up ground on Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin. Now, with three races to go, the Chase is closer than ever.
Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick were side-by-side when a caution came out on the final lap. It took NASCAR several minutes to declare a winner. In the end, it was Bowyer, who now has won two Chase races.
Here is a look at how the 12 Chase drivers fared in Race No. 7 of the Chase on Sunday at Talladega:
1. Jimmie Johnson – Finished 7th: Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus played the race almost perfectly, hiding in the back, away from danger (that ultimately never came). They made their move with about 15 laps to go and came home with a solid finish. (-)
More From Jay Hart News from the track: AMP 500 at Talladega Superspeedway Oct 29, 2010 Breakdown: Nothing predictable about Talladega Oct 28, 2010
2. Denny Hamlin – Finished 8th: Hamlin’s laying back strategy almost backfired on him when he lost the draft and ultimately went a lap down. In the end he was disappointed – he had a shot at the win – but he shouldn’t be. Now it’s on to Texas. (-10 points)
3. Kevin Harvick – Finished 2nd: As usual, Harvick is in the mix for the win at Talladega. Though he didn’t get it, he did manage to trim 39 points off Johnson’s lead. (-23 points)
4. Jeff Gordon – Finished 10th: Another disappointing end for Gordon, who can take solace in knowing he helped his teammate to the front and, possibly, enabled him to maintain the points lead. (-215 points)
5. Kyle Busch – Finished 25th: Where did Busch go in the end? He was leading the race, got shuffled back and never recovered. An absolutely awful end to what had been a good day to that point for Busch. (-230 points)
6. Carl Edwards – Finished 17th: At least he stayed out of trouble all day. That’s solid consolation for Edwards, who oftentimes finds himself wrecking at Talladega. (-247 points)
7. Tony Stewart – Finished 31st: A cut tire early had Stewart playing catch up all day long. (-308 points)
8. Matt Kenseth – Finished 16th: Once again, Kenseth moves up the standings by not doing anything spectacular – good or bad. (-324 points)
9. Jeff Burton – Finished 40th: He was kicking the side of his car after getting wrecked by Dale Earnhardt Jr., and for good reason. Burton was a factor for the win, only it didn’t happen, again. (-352 points)
10. Kurt Busch – Finished 30th: Was he even at the track? He shows up on the results, but Kurt Busch was never a factor. (-353 points)
11. Greg Biffle – Finished 19th: Like Edwards, just happy to not have to make a trip to the infield care center during the race. (-361 points)
12. Clint Bowyer – Finished 1st: What a finish for Bowyer, who had never won a restrictor-plate race until Sunday. The classic moment came when he did a burnout before NASCAR declared him the winner. (-382 points)
Jay Hart is the NASCAR editor for Yahoo! Sports. Send Jay a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
Bowyer edges Harvick under caution at Talladega
October 31, 2010
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP)—In a typically wild ending at Talladega Superspeedway, Clint Bowyer edged teammate Kevin Harvick for the victory Sunday, but all three contenders stayed neck-and-neck in the frantic race for NASCAR’s championship.
Bowyer, winner of the opening race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, earned a bit of redemption. He had been stripped of 150 points because NASCAR said his winning car at New Hampshire was illegal.
This victory came under chaotic circumstances. A wreck way behind the leaders sent AJ Allmendinger’s car flipping across the track, but the front pack maintained its furious push to the flag.
Nobody had any idea who was leading when NASCAR called the caution that froze the field. Richard Childress Racing knew at the very least, one of its drivers had won, and Bowyer celebrated with burnouts while Harvick sat in his parked car waiting for the call.
NASCAR needed several minutes to review the finish, and Bowyer stuck his hand out his window for a congratulatory high-five with Harvick as they waited.
Bowyer got the call, Harvick settled for second and the championship race remained the closest in Chase history as contenders Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin all finished inside the top-10.
“It’s going to be an awesome championship battle all the way to Homestead, and I’m really looking forward to it,” said Johnson, the four-time defending champion.
Ashley Force Hood tops Funny Car qualifying (PA SportsTicker)
October 31, 2010
LAS VEGAS (AP) —Ashley Force Hood raced to the No. 1 qualifying position in Funny Car on Saturday in the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, the fifth of six events in the Countdown to the Championship.
Force Hood earned her fifth No. 1 effort of the season and 15th overall, driving her Ford Mustang to a 4.032-second run at 309.70 mph. She will face Paul Lee in the first round Sunday.
Tony Schumacher, Allen Johnson and Hector Arana also led their categories at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Schumacher claimed his second No. 1 of the season and 60th overall in Top Fuel, powering his dragster to a 3.812 at a national-record speed of 325.14. Johnson claimed his seventh No. 1 qualifying position of the season in Pro Stock, finishing in 6.646 at 207.82 in a Dodge Avenger.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Arana had a track-record time of 6.909 at 193.60 on a Buell for his sixth top qualifying effort of the season and 15th overall.
Last-ditch pass helps Busch win Talladega Trucks
October 30, 2010
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP)—Kyle Busch made a last-ditch slide past Aric Almirola at the finish line, then brushed aside Almirola’s suggestion that he should be stripped of the victory.
With his truck on the verge of spinning out, Busch appeared to put two wheels below the yellow out-of-bounds line at the bottom of the track just as he made his wild move to win Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Trucks series race at Talladega Superspeedway by 0.002 seconds. He wasn’t penalized.
“I don’t even know if I got near it, below it, next to it, on it, I have no idea,” Busch said. “All I knew was I was trying to save my truck and keep it straight and hopefully make it past the start/finish line before the rest of the guys.”
Almirola went to NASCAR officials immediately after the race to plead his case, but he said they ruled that Busch was trying to keep his car from spinning out and wasn’t subject to a penalty.
“My perspective is, I feel like I won the race,” Almirola said. “NASCAR’s perspective is, we ran second. I guess today, we lose. I’m disappointed in that.”
It was the closest finish in series history when using electronic scoring, NASCAR officials said.
It was Busch’s series-high sixth victory in 13 Trucks series starts this season—and his second straight Trucks series win at Talladega after winning there last year.
Busch was in third place on a restart with two laps to go, made his way to second and then ducked under Almirola and beat him by a nose as the checkered flag came out.
With Johnny Sauter charging behind him, Busch said he didn’t have any other choice than to duck under Almirola.
“I had to bring it back down, and I got underneath Aric,” Busch said. “At that point you’ve just got to stay in the throttle and keep digging. I don’t even know where the yellow line was, but for as loose as my stuff was there, I was trying to save it.”
NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said officials reviewed video of the finish and ruled that side-to-side contact between Almirola and Busch caused Busch’s truck to get loose.
“He wasn’t forced down there, he got down there because of the door-to-door contact,” Pemberton said. “We looked at it 2-3 times, we had 3-4 good camera angles and there was absolutely no question whatsoever.”
Almirola finished second, followed by Sauter, Matt Crafton and Ricky Carmichael.
The always-feared “big one”—a massive wreck unique to Talladega—came with three laps to go, collecting points leader Todd Bodine, contender Ron Hornaday Jr. and several others.
Bodine now leads Almirola by 216 points in the series standings.
It was a rough day for Bodine, whose truck sustained minor damage in a midrace incident. Bodine then was penalized for speeding on pit road during a late round of pit stops before getting collected in the accident.
Hornaday escaped serious injury even though his truck flipped on its roof and had to be flipped back over by a tow truck before Hornaday could climb out.
“Ron’s fine,” Bodine said in a television interview after he left the infield medical center. “He’s in there joking about it.”
Hornaday joked that he wanted to go watch a replay of the wreck. He still was holding the steering wheel from his wrecked truck.
“If you can’t win, you’ve got to bring the steering wheel back,” he said.
Last-ditch pass helps Busch win Talladega Trucks (PA SportsTicker)
October 30, 2010
By CHRIS JENKINS AP Sports Writer
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP)—Kyle Busch made a last-ditch move to take the lead from Aric Almirola and win the NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series race at Talladega Superspeedway by 0.003 of a second on Saturday.
Busch ducked under Almirola and beat him by a nose as the checkered flag came out.
Almirola finished second, followed by Johnny Sauter, Matt Crafton and Ricky Carmichael.
Almirola complained afterward that Busch went below a yellow out-of-bounds line at the bottom of the track to make the pass.
The always-feared “big one” – a massive wreck unique to Talladega – came with three laps to go, collecting points leader Todd Bodine, contender Ron Hornaday Jr. and several others.
Road Warrior’s Ramblings: Hunter was a hero for his time, sport (NASCAR.com)
October 30, 2010
How ironic, that Jim Hunter shuffled off this mortal coil in the midst of another Talladega NASCAR weekend.
Hunter loved Talladega and would have given anything to be here.
In fact, word has it he uttered this gem Monday evening: “I’m going to Talladega, damn it…” Close your eyes and think hard, and you can hear that low, raspy voice uttering the syllables.
But it wasn’t to be, damn it.
The lung cancer—it’s hard to believe was diagnosed only a year ago on this weekend—had finally spread to his brain.
Two weeks ago, Mr. Hunter—as he was affectionately known to many in the industry, though just-plain Hunter fit him just as well—had talked of playing golf. But last Tuesday, this inexorable, horrible disease got aggressive and Friday evening, it took his life.
Hunter was such a personality, such a devoted friend and co-worker and husband and father and grandfather; the last year seemed as dozens of months as he fought the good fight and lived the good life that he’d held forth in such a marvelous example for decades.
It’ll take a while to sink in, that the guy with the slow gait, a sweet golf swing and an ever-present smile, along with the old-school, yellow “NASCAR ’48” ball cap will no longer grace a garage area or a media center.
That’s because Hunter was the go-to guy for the media, whether it was for an official statement, an explanation or some off-the-record insight into whatever was hot in NASCAR at the moment. And Hunter never failed to come through.
That’s the legacy Hunter had established in 36 years working directly for the France family, first under the International Speedway Corporation umbrella, and then alternately for NASCAR and ISC, as needed.
You see, as much as Hunter was a go-to guy for the media, he served in that role for the Frances for what seemed like forever. If you needed a fix, Hunter was your guy.
Hunter’s first exposure to the sport came in the “Big Bill” France era. NASCAR first touched Hunter’s life as a University of South Carolina football and baseball player, when he went to races at the legendary Columbia (S.C.) Speedway, as a fan.
Not long after that, he was among an infamous group of early motorsports writers who shared space on a flatbed truck in the infield that served as a combination media center and competitor lounge.
As he really became involved in the sport, working as the PR director at his home-state Darlington Raceway—where the infield media center today bears his name—he became a close associate to NASCAR president Bill France at a period that was critical to the growth and survival of NASCAR.
Hunter had that all-too-unique way of sitting there and listening to you—and there was no mistaking the fact he was giving you his rapt attention. Maybe he would take a puff off an all-too-ever-present butt, or snuff one in an ashtray—and then he’d give you his honest opinion.
Maybe he’d tell you, you were full of it—in nowhere near as polite terminology—or shake his head and tell you your theory had merit. But in the end, there was no way you could walk out of Hunter’s presence without feeling pretty good about the process.
And that made him a priceless ambassador through the years, for NASCAR and a number of its most important facilities and programs.
So many laps have passed, in a manner of speaking, that it’s a strain to recall my going to work at Daytona International Speedway near the end of 1984, when Hunter had already spent three years as first, NASCAR’s director of public relations, its director of administration and then vice president of administration beginning in 1983.
As far as his demeanor went, not much changed in the 27 years since then and that’s a priceless memory.
In that era, the grass-roots aspect of NASCAR—the Winston Racing Series and its accompanying network of short tracks—was literally a huge portion of its very existence. And administering that was Hunter’s primary role.
It’s no surprise to anyone who’s come in contact with him of late—as the dozens of industry personalities that have weighed-in with their respects can attest—that Hunter excelled at it.
Hunter hired current ESPN publicist Andy Hall in 1982 and worked with him for 15 years on a variety of programs, but Hall really got to know and appreciate Hunter while they worked the grass-roots together—at places like Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Royce City, Texas and a lot of places both bigger and smaller.
“Jim spent a whole lot of time at a lot of the small tracks that were so important to NASCAR and, as only he could, he was able to discuss with them on a personal level what it meant to be a NASCAR member and what they wanted out of being a NASCAR member,” Hall said. “He would visit with the promoters, of course, but also the drivers and owners—and not just of the feature divisions.
“He’d visit with the guys in the bomber classes, because they were all NASCAR members, too—and to Jim they were just as important. He was just so good at relating to people and at solving problems, no matter what they were. He solved a lot of problems, through all the years since then.”
And so there’s no question the Fireball Robertses, Richard Pettys, David Pearsons, Cale Yarboroughs, Bobby Allisons, Darrell Waltrips, Dale Earnhardts and now, Jeff Gordons, Tony Stewarts and Jimmie Johnsons were always the stars of NASCAR. And Hunter’s era touched them all.
But for its very survival, NASCAR has always needed heroes.
And Jim Hunter was a hero.
The reaction to his passing proves that he was, just that. Everyone from people who knew and loved and worked with him, to fans who were only peripherally involved or aware of him, have expressed their respect for him and sympathy to those he left behind.
And if you’ve been a fan of the sport of NASCAR racing, make no mistake—Jim Hunter’s had an impact on your experience.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.
Related: • NASCAR vice president Hunter dies at 71 • The industry remembers Jim Hunter
RPM drivers facing uncertain future
October 30, 2010
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP)—For Richard Petty Motorsports, simply making it to the racetrack this week was a victory.
The team is facing an uncertain future amid questions about co-owner George Gillett Jr.’s ability to meet the team’s financial obligations. Gillett owns the team along with NASCAR icon Richard Petty.
“I wish I had answers,” RPM driver AJ Allmendinger said. “I wish I could tell my team guys that it’s going to be OK. I wish I could have answers that everybody wants. But I don’t.”
Allmendinger is trying to stay focused on racing, and acknowledged that it isn’t easy.
“We’re here racing a car,” Allmendinger said. “Hopefully next weekend we’re at Texas racing a car.”
Rumors about RPM’s shaky financial footing are nothing new, but the speculation reignited when Gillett and business partner Tom Hicks tried unsuccessfully earlier this month to block a sale of the Liverpool soccer club they owned to John Henry and his New England Sports Ventures group.
RPM is facing the loss of driver Paul Menard—and a lucrative sponsorship deal from his family’s chain of home improvement stores—at the end of the season, and granted an early contract release to rising star Kasey Kahne so he could join another team.
Speaking at Martinsville Speedway last weekend, RPM director of competition Robbie Loomis said the team was moving ahead with plans for 2011.
“There’s been a lot of speculation about a lot of things,” Loomis said. “There always has been in this sport, but what gives me confidence is that we’ve always had the ability to move forward.”
But driver Elliott Sadler acknowledged there were worries within the team this week that all four of its cars might not even make it to Talladega.
“We’re happy to be here, with all the rumors and stuff that we had going on this week,” said Sadler, who will not be back with the team next year. “We didn’t really know. But I think when all four cars came down here and we’ve got all our stuff ready for Texas and we’re getting all our stuff ready for Phoenix, that the mood is pretty good.”
The RPM situation is being watched closely by driver Marcos Ambrose, who has a deal to drive for the team next season, but now faces the possibility that the team won’t be around.
Ambrose says he isn’t looking at other options for next season—not yet, anyway.
“I’m fully committed to them until they tell me the boat’s sunk,” Ambrose said. “But I’m optimistic, they’re working through it, it’s looking better every day. I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”
Ambrose is optimistic that something will be worked out to keep the team afloat.
“It’s the best-case scenario for everybody,” Ambrose said. “For the sponsors, for Richard Petty, for NASCAR, for me, the best situation we can do is carry through and fix what we’ve got. I’m not going to look anywhere else until we exhaust the opportunity.”
FEUD FUEL: Jeff Gordon doesn’t seem to have moved past last weekend’s incident with Kurt Busch, who wrecked Gordon as retaliation for earlier contact at Martinsville Speedway.
Does the four-time champion plan to exact revenge Sunday at Talladega? He’s not saying, which is part of the message he deliberately sent Saturday.
“As drivers, I can’t tell you what I did two days ago, but I can tell you who wrecked me 15 years ago,” Gordon said. “I’ll never forget that. That’s probably something Kurt Busch might want to think about for a while.”
That mental warfare may be all Gordon needs to make Busch aware that he won’t tolerate another incident such as the one at Martinsville.
“I race people the way they race me. They push and shove, I’ll push and shove back,” Gordon said. “You have to understand who you’re racing with and dealing with. It just isn’t worth it to get into a situation with a guy who has such a short fuse. I’m a patient guy who tries to focus on what my race team needs to go out and win.
“The last thing I’m going to do is let that focus be interrupted by somebody like Kurt Busch.”
TOW-AWAY ZONE? Robby Gordon said track officials had his pickup towed out of a private driver/owner lot at Talladega—apparently over a sponsorship issue.
“It’s gone,” Gordon said. “I guess it’s at some impound yard somewhere. But it’s my personal truck.”
This weekend, Gordon unveiled his own brand of energy drink, Speed Energy, and the company’s logo was on the side of his truck and on his race car. Sunday’s race at Talladega is sponsored by a rival energy drink, Amp Energy.
“I can appreciate Amp Energy sponsoring the race, but they don’t sponsor me,” Gordon said.
Gordon said other drivers have personal vehicles that feature logos of sponsors that are competitors with official NASCAR or track sponsors.
“I just talked to a couple other drivers,” Gordon said. “They’re Coke (sponsored) drivers, and they’re like, ‘Well, can we not have Coke on our golf carts or not have Coke on our cars?’ This one’s a confusing situation for me.”
AP Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer contributed to this report.
Montoya wins pole at Talladega
October 30, 2010
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP)—Juan Pablo Montoya has won the pole for Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Montoya’s lap at 184.640 mph put his Chevrolet in the top starting spot. He bettered Clint Bowyer, who qualified second at 184.498. Kurt Busch qualified third and was followed by Joe Nemechek and Jeff Burton.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified sixth.
The championship contenders are farther back in the field.
Kevin Harvick will start 14th and Denny Hamlin will go 17th. Points leader Jimmie Johnson will start 19th.
