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| Big win for Kahne |
The best team doesn’t always win, nor the fastest race car.
Denny
Hamlin was clearly the class of the field in Sunday’s 20th annual Lennox
Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. But miscommunication between
Hamlin and crew chief Darian Grubb on a late-race pit stop allowed Kasey Kahne
to claim a critical win at “The Magic Mile.”
A
misunderstanding between Hamlin and Grubb prompted the No. 11 Fed Ex Toyota
team to change four tires on their final pit stop, rather than two. Hamlin
restarted near the end of the lead-lap cars on a track where track position has
always been paramount. He slashed his way back through the field, but simply
ran out of time and laps to overhaul Hamlin. Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
and Brad Keselowski completed the Top-5, followed by Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson,
Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle and Ryan Newman.
“We
had a little miscommunication, and that one mistake cost us the race today,”
said Hamlin afterward, trying to put a positive spin on the one that got away.
“We didn’t get the trophy and we missed out on three (bonus) points, but that
was it. When we come back again in September, we will be pretty strong.”
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| Costly miscue for Hamlin, Grubb |
Kahne’s
second victory of 2012 places him in position to claim the first Wild Card
berth in the upcoming Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup; now just seven races
away.
“My
luck changed today,” said a smiling Kahne in Victory Lane. “I will take them
any way I can. It feels good to finish one off.”
Sunday’s race was a good one
for Hendrick Motorsports. Led by Kahne, HMS drivers Earnhardt (fourth), Gordon
(sixth) and Johnson (seventh) all cracked the Top-10. For Gordon, however, the
day did nothing to bolster his bid for a spot in this year’s Chase. The
four-time series champion remains a distant 17th in championship
points, an insurmountable 89 points behind tenth-place Keselowski. With a
maximum of 48 points available per race, Gordon’s hopes for a playoff berth lie
entirely in his ability two win two (or preferably three) of the next seven
races; a lofty goal for a team that has just two Top-5 finishes this season.
Carl Edwards is also in need
of a miracle, after recording a lackluster, 18th-place finish in New
Hampshire. The Roush Fenway Racing driver lost last year’s championship to Tony
Stewart on a tiebreaker, but is now a whopping 46 points out of the Top-10.
Worse, he remains winless on the season and trails Kahne, Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman
and Joey Logano for a Wild Card berth.
For both Edwards and Gordon,
nothing short of multiple wins in the next few weeks will do.
Anyone else think that if Bruton Smith was so quick to reconfigure Bristol because fans didnt like the racing that maybe he should consider reconfiguring NHMS after years of lackluster races where the majority passing takes place on pit road or during the first few laps after a restart? I love NHMS as its my home track (20 minutes down the road), but I dont know how many snoozers I can take there. Thank God for the last caution that at least added some drama to an otherwise boring race.
ReplyDeleteA little hypocritical are we Moody? Last week you preached the fastest car did win as he crossed the finish line first. This week it's Hamlin? Make up your mind.
ReplyDeleteHow is that hypocritical? The fastest car ran out of laps, pure and simple. 5 more laps, or a late caution and the fastest car would have won. The 11 team gave that race away, pure and simple
ReplyDeleteMaybe Kyle will squeak in to the chase, make a run and end up winning it. He can ask smoke for the game plan.
ReplyDeleteSeems the track is pretty boring. I wonder if putting some banking in the turns would help? I don't think it could hurt.
ReplyDeleteThat was the most boring race of the year (IMHO). And the next race there won't be any different.
ReplyDeleteDoug from NJ