NASCAR Notebook: A Story For Every Watkins Glen Turn

Fast and fickle, Watkins Glen offers up a test unlike any race track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. One of two road-course races on the calendar (Infineon Raceway’s the other), The Glen provides a seven-turn challenge to the world’s best drivers. It’s only fitting that there’s a storyline for every turn…

Keselowski Toughs It Out…Now What?: Navigating the Tricky Triangle of Pocono Raceway with a broken left ankle, Brad Keselowski won his second race of the season, placing him atop the Wild Card standings. A new – and arguably tougher – challenge awaits Keselowski. Road course races put greater emphasis on braking, putting possible added strain on the injured ankle.

“It will still be uncomfortable in the car this weekend, but I’ll have to man up one more time because we don’t have time to let injuries get in the way of making the Chase,” Keselowski said.

Wild Card Watch: After race No. 26, the top 10 drivers will earn spots in the 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Spots 11 and 12 will go to those drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, provided they are in the top 20. Keselowski’s two wins currently give him the first spot. Denny Hamlin, with his Michigan win, holds onto the second. Two other winners fit the criteria: Paul Menard and David Ragan. The tie-breaker is points.

Montoya, Ambrose Aim For Wild Card Win: Watch for defending race-winner Juan Pablo Montoya and Marcos Ambrose on Sunday. Montoya, now 21st in points, has finished in the top 10 in each of the last three Watkins Glen races. Ambrose, 23rd in points, has finished third, second and third in his three races at the upstate New York track. He has won the last three NASCAR Nationwide Series race there, though. A win by either driver puts them in the Chase discussion.

Stewart King Of The Glen: You know you’re good when a seventh-place finish is considered disappointing. That was Tony Stewart’s finish last season at Watkins Glen, a stark departure from his usual dominance. Going into that race, Stewart had finished first or second in six consecutive races. Looking for his first win of the season, Stewart is among six drivers who won in 2010 but remain winless in 2011. The others: Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, David Reutimann, Clint Bowyer and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Johnson, Busch Clash In Drama-Filled Feud: Rough racing led to tough talk at the conclusion of Sunday’s race at Pocono. Johnson didn’t care for how Busch raced him. And Busch didn’t understand why Johnson had a problem. Said Johnson, “I worked him over for 10 or 15 laps and had the opportunity to run him and never did it. And then off of [turn] 2, he claims I turned down off of him. I don’t have a clue. He ran over me on the corner exit and that’s where it all started. So we’ll figure it out. … I keep all things polite. Remember this stuff.” Said Busch, “I was racing him flat out. You want to race, let’s race. I didn’t know we were supposed to pull over when it came down to five to go. … Why can’t we race each other like this and put on a little show for the fans and not have a problem with it?”

Junior Hangs Onto 10th: At Pocono, Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished in the top 10 for the first time in six races. The finish helped the Chase cause…big time. Though he remained in 10th, he put some distance between himself and 11th-place. He now sits 23 points ahead of 11th-place Hamlin. Two races ago, the advantage was just seven.

Sprint Summer Showdown Goes Road Racing: The winners of Indy, Pocono, Watkins Glen, Michigan and Bristol are eligible for the massive prize at Atlanta — $3 million, split between the driver, the driver’s charity, and one lucky fan. If one of those eligible drivers wins at Atlanta, the bonus is theirs. So far, Menard (Indianapolis) and Keselowski (Pocono) are eligible. Who’s next? The top five in Driver Rating at Watkins Glen: Tony Stewart (129.6), Juan Pablo Montoya (113.5), Marcos Ambrose (113.2), Kyle Busch (102.1) and Kurt Busch (101.9).

Only The Good Drive Young: NASCAR Future Is Now 

Three years ago, then 23-year-old Kyle Busch swerved his way into both Infineon Raceway’s and Watkins Glen International’s Victory Lanes on his way to a career-high eight wins.

He staked a claim to the title of “future of NASCAR racing.” The moniker came to fruition, as he has since won his 100th NASCAR national series race and a NASCAR Nationwide Series championship.

At an “old” 26, Busch now seems like a grizzled veteran. A new crop of youngsters – a bushel-full – has moved into the “future of NASCAR” discussion.

The volume of that discussion peaked last Saturday once Dylan Kwasniewski crossed the finish line at Colorado National Speedway. At 16 years, two months, Kwasniewski became the youngest winner in the K&N Pro Series West’s 57-year history, winning the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150. He displaced another young gun – Joey Logano, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star. With pop-star looks, a polished personality, and, oh by the way, tremendous skill, Kwasniewski is a legit future star.

From the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on down, the future is now…

In the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 21-year-old Joey Logano was the hard-luck loser at Pocono. He performed admirably, leading 44 laps and holding the lead when the yellow – then red – flag came out for rain. Once racing resumed, a low tire forced Logano to the pits, and he eventually finished 26th. Logano has one series win, at New Hampshire in 2009.

In the NASCAR Nationwide Series, 23-year-old Ricky Stenhouse Jr. owns the points lead and two NASCAR Nationwide Series victories. After Saturday’s race, teammate Carl Edwards assured fans that the kid will be around the sport for a long time.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has been the poster-series for the young guns. Cole Whitt, 20, held the points lead earlier this season, becoming the first Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate to lead the points in the series. Two other rookies, Parker Kligerman, also 20, and Joey Coulter, 21, are both in the top 10 in points.

Aces In The Hole: Road Course Ringers Hit The Glen

Every time a road course race pops up on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule, a few unfamiliar names appear on the entry list. They’re the “road course ringers,” and oftentimes they threaten to steal a victory.

Usually, they fall short in that endeavor. The last time a “road course ringer” won a NASCAR Sprint Cup race was in 1973 when Mark Donohue won at Riverside International Raceway.

Ringers to watch this weekend: Boris Said, Ron Fellows, P.J. Jones and Andrew Ranger.

Boris Said: With wild hair and a notebook-filling personality, Said has notched seven top 10s at road courses, including a third-place run at Watkins Glen in 2005. He finished 28th at Infineon Raceway in June. Said will be driving the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet this weekend.

Ron Fellows: If only Fellows’ NASCAR Nationwide Series road-course success could translate to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Fellows has four road-course wins in NASCAR Nationwide competition, including three at Watkins Glen. In the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, he’s winless with two runner-up finishes at The Glen (1999, 2004). Fellows will run the No. 36 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet this weekend.

P.J. Jones: His boss – Robby Gordon – could teach him a thing or two at Watkins Glen. Gordon won at The Glen in 2003, and has 10 road-course top 10s overall. Jones’ numbers: two road-course top 10s in 18 starts. He’ll run the No. 77 Robby Gordon Motorsports Dodge on Sunday.

Andrew Ranger: The two-time NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion (2007, ’09) will make his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut in the No. 32 FAS Lane Racing Ford. He has two road-course top 10s in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, at Road America and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Notes

Mary Hendrick, mother of Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, passed away Monday afternoon at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. Mrs. Hendrick, a native of Palmer Springs, Va., was 88. Said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France, “On behalf of the France family and everyone at NASCAR, I want to offer condolences to our dear friends Rick and Linda Hendrick, their family members and the Hendrick Motorsports organization on the passing of Rick’s mother, Mary. “Miss Mary” and her late husband “Papa Joe” Hendrick formed the foundation upon which the current Hendrick Motorsports operation was built. She was an inspiration – and most importantly, a friend – to all of us at NASCAR.” … Possible upcoming milestones this weekend: Terry Labonte will attempt to make his 875th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start, Tony Stewart will make his 450th series start and Brad Keselowski will make his 75th series start. Also, Jeff Gordon is going for his 85th series victory; which would put him solely in third on the all-time series wins list and tie Stewart for the most wins at Watkins Glen with five each. … Joey Logano, David Ragan and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will be participating in the GRAND-AM event following the NASCAR Nationwide Series race, the Zippo 200 at The Glen, on Saturday, August 13. … Kevin Harvick will be throwing out the honorary first pitch Wednesday night, August 11 at the New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels game at Yankee Stadium. … Star of the hit show Man vs. Food on the Travel Channel, Adam Richman, will be at Watkins Glen this weekend serving as Grand Marshal for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen.

Nationwide Series: Stenhouse’s Comeback Season Stuff Of Legend

Heading to Watkins Glen on Saturday, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. can reflect on how his career has come full circle from this time last season.

In 2010, Stenhouse was taken out of the No. 6 Ford for this race, forced to watch Roush Fenway Racing teammate Bill Johnson work the seven turns at Watkins Glen after having a rough start to his season, posting five DNFs and a DNQ. Things have changed drastically.

Now, Stenhouse has slid himself ‘sideways and backwards’ into the spotlight of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, skidding over the start/finish line last Saturday at Iowa Speedway for the win after teammate Carl Edwards slammed into the back of his No. 6 Ford. The 23-year-old, Olive Branch, Miss. native retained the lead in the series standings with the Iowa sweep.

Stenhouse is having a championship caliber season. The list: He holds a 12-point lead over second-place Reed Sorenson; he leads the series in top-10 finishes (17) and is tied for the series lead in top-five finishes (10) with Elliott Sadler; he’s the first series-only regular to have multiple wins in a season since Brad Keselowski did it in 2009.

Road-course racing dominates the upcoming schedule, with Watkins Glen and Montreal on deck. After the Zippo 200 at the Glen on Saturday, Stenhouse plans to get some more seat time by running in the GRAND-AM race with RFR teammate David Ragan.

“We are going to go to these road courses and try and get solid top 10s out of them,” Stenhouse said. “We were looking at the schedules and after we clear these road courses, we have 10 really good race tracks that we have run really well at.”

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Seat time is vital, especially when there are few opportunities, like on road courses. Hence, the double-duty spike this weekend.

Five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will join JR Motorsports teammate Ron Fellows this Saturday. It will be Johnson’s first race in the series since 2008.

Johnson spent two full seasons in the NASCAR Nationwide Series from 2000-01 before moving to NASCAR Sprint Cup. He’s competed in 19 series races since, but hasn’t fared as well as he has in the premier series. His average finish in those races is 19th, with five DNFs.

Additionally, Paul Menard, fresh off his Brickyard 400 win, will drive the No. 33 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc., Brad Keselowski will return to the series after his one-week absence due to his left ankle injury and Carl Edwards will be in the No. 60 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing.

Also, Joe Gibbs Racing tandem Joey Logano and Kyle Bush are entered. Busch will be attempting to capture his 50th series win, which would put him as the sole leader on the all-time series wins list. He currently is tied with Mark Martin with 49 wins.

’Road’ Rage For Near-Victors

The last time Justin Allgaier and Ron Fellows were on a NASCAR Nationwide Series road course, both thought they had wins in the bag.

In June at Road America, Allgaier was leading on the last lap – a caution lap no less – but ran out of gas before being able to cross the finish line. During that same caution, Fellows was penalized for passing the leader – Sorenson – under yellow. Believing he was on the way to a win, he instead was crushed to learn he had been placed back into his original position – second – after the checkered flag.

Needless to say, both drivers might be experiencing a bit of “road rage” upon their arrival at Watkins Glen.

Fellows has three series wins at The Glen, which ties Marcos Ambrose for second all-time behind Terry Labonte’s four. But he hasn’t won there since 2001. Fellows also is tied for the most series poles there, with two. He has one win for JR Motorsports, a victory two years ago at Montreal.

Allgaier has a three-pronged reason for road-course revenge: In order to stay in the championship race, he needs a solid finish. He’s currently fifth, 83 points behind leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Also, he’d like to improve upon his Watkins Glen finishes – 34th last season due to engine failure, and 17th in his 2009 series track debut.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Notes

Joe Gibbs Racing announced that it has signed Ryan Truex to drive in six races this season in the organization’s NASCAR Nationwide Series program. Truex will drive the No. 20 Toyota at Atlanta, Richmond, Chicago, Dover, Kansas and Phoenix. … Possible upcoming milestones: Chase Miller will attempt to make his 50th series start. … Joe Nemechek, the 1992 series champion, goes for his 75th top-five series finish. … Casey Roderick, 18, who recently served as a development driver with Bill Elliott Racing, will attempt his series debut at Watkins Glen.

Camping World Trucks: Dillon Grabs First Points Lead, But It’s Crowded At The Top

A half-season’s worth of races usually winnows the field down to two or three championship contenders at best. Not this year.

After 14 races, less than a single race worth of points – 37 – spans first and sixth places. With a potential net gain of 39 points, sixth-place Matt Crafton could be the leader after the August 20 VFW 200 at Michigan International Speedway.

Austin Dillon took over the No. 1 spot for the first time in his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career after a six-point penalty was levied on Johnny Sauter Tuesday for failing post-race inspection. Dillon, 21, is the fifth different leader this season, and now leads Sauter by a single point.

James Buescher, Timothy Peters and Cole Whitt, ranked third through fifth, also could grab the No. 1 position in Michigan. Sauter, Dillon and Peters each have a victory, as do Crafton and four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr., ranked ninth.

A look back at 16 years of series competition finds just two instances in which so many drivers were this closely bunched at this point of the season. Under the previous points system in which a driver could gain or lose 140 points per race, the top five contenders were separated by 73 in 2001. Two years later the margin between first and fifth was 137.

Jack Sprague ultimately separated himself from his rivals in 2001, winning his third title by 73 points over Ted Musgrave.

The 2003 finish, however, became the gold standard among multiple title contenders entering the season’s final race. Four contenders – Travis Kvapil, Dennis Setzer, Musgrave and Brendan Gaughan – literally had their hands on the trophy during the Homestead-Miami finale before Kvapil prevailed.

Paludo Vs. Piquet: Long Journey For Brazilian Bragging Rights

Two countrymen, Brazilians Miguel Paludo and Nelson Piquet Jr., could have settled their scores on home turf but instead traveled 5,000 miles and a hemisphere to compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Their decision has been mutually beneficial to drivers and the series, which gained a significant international flavor – spiced by the addition of Italian veteran Max Papis.

Piquet’s previous racing career – Formula 1 – was the more prominent but Paludo, Brazil’s youngest GT3 Cup champion, has pretty much matched his Sunoco Rookie of the Year rival in truck competition. Both have a pair of top-five finishes; each ranks among the top 15 in overall points and stand a position apart in the Sunoco standings.

“Miguel and I have a great relationship. We talk a lot and it’s quite nice to have a fellow Brazilian at the track,” said Piquet, who finished second to Kyle Busch at Nashville in April. “Even though we are friends off the track, we are competitors on track and of course I want to beat him … then again when I go out there to race, I want to beat everyone.”

Said Paludo, “It’s nice to compete with Nelson. We are friends and hope to see more Brazilians coming here. My goal is still to win a race this season and I hope it happens soon.”

Whitt, Coulter Trade Ups, Downs In Matching Sunoco Rookie Points

Cole Whitt and Joey Coulter have matched Sunoco Rookie of the Year points through the schedule’s first 14 races. The pair left Pocono Raceway each having scored 160 points toward the prestigious award.

Call it a tale of two seasons within a season.

Whitt, who led the overall standings after finishing third at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, was a whopping 44 points ahead of Coulter seven races into the schedule.

Whitt, a 20-year-old USAC midget champion from Alpine, Calif., seemingly could do no wrong finishing outside the top 10 – 12th and 14th – just twice in the season’s first seven races. Coulter, on the other hand, looked more like the rookie driver he was: three finishes of 24th or worse and just three top-10 performances over the same period. Then, the tables literally turned.

Coulter, who finished sixth last weekend at Pocono, has finished seven consecutive races among the top 10. The 21-year-old from Miami Springs, Fla., has gone from 16th in overall points to seventh.

Whitt’s fortunes have turned 180 degrees. His most recent seven races have produced just two top 10s, a pair of finishes of 26th or worse and completed only two of his last six starts on the lead lap. Whitt has managed to retain fifth overall in points but Coulter’s gaining there as well. The two freshmen are separated by 12 points.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Notes

Buescher won’t be taking this weekend off. He’ll be competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Zippo 200 at The Glen and making his NASCAR national series road-course debut. … Hornaday became the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ first driver to record 200 top-10 finishes with his ninth-place performance at Pocono Raceway. … Kevin Harvick Inc. recorded its 36th series victory at Pocono, matching Ultra Motorsports for No. 2 all-time in the series. Roush Fenway Racing is the overall leader with 50 wins. KHI is the only team to have won three or more times in the five most recent seasons.