California Speedway - Sharp AQUOS 500
RACE WINNER: JIMMIE JOHNSON
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 5th (started 7th)
- This team is trying as hard as they can to get back into the Chase but even a 5th place finish and leading fifteen laps still puts him 128 points from 12th in the standings. Kurt and Kevin are going to have to have major problems at Richmond for Junior to have a chance.
- Quotes:
“It was fun, hot, sweaty and car was tight, loose, never perfect, but we worked hard. I am tired, real tired. I am so proud of my guys, they worked so hard and it was so hot this weekend, I am proud of them for sticking it out and giving us a good run. I don't know much about the system (points), never have. Never cared to. I just go out there as hard as can. It doesn't look like we are going to make it but we aren't going to quit trying. Until they say we aren't in the Chase. Just a long day out there, hot, real hot.”
Martin Truex Jr.: 6th (started 8th)
- For the first time Martin will be competing for the Cup Championship, since he only needs to start the race at Richmond to make it! He had a great night at California and did everything he needed to do for the big picture.
Brian Vickers: 8th (started 17th)
- Brian has been Toyota’s shining star consistently throughout the year and this race was no different. He led three laps and was very good all night but unfortunately a carburetor problem held the team back from possibly a higher finish.
- Quotes:
“The biggest thing is we had a carburetor problem that almost cost us tonight. Earlier in the race it cost us 25, 30 spots at one point. It was mainly a steering issue down pit road and when we finally got that fixed it was great. For a while there every time we came to pit road under caution, turning out of the pit box it would stall. Top-tens are what we need. It was good - that's how we are going to make up ground in the points. Making the race and finishing 43rd, we aren't going to make any points.”
Kurt Busch: 9th (started 1st)
- He led twice for 21 laps after starting on the pole and basically had a good solid night to keep him in the Chase, passing Kevin Harvick. Now he is 141 points in front of Dale Jr.
- Quotes:
“The night was really interesting. I felt like our car as the race grew longer we just kept getting looser. I’m not sure what added to that, but maybe we were disguised by our good run at Michigan, but it was 60 degrees out at Michigan and it was 160 today. We were just on the loose side of things. The car started off okay, just every lap we made we kept getting worse and worse. We changed everything under the sun to make the Miller Lite Dodge better, but all in all we’ll take this finish in the top 10. That’s what consistency is all about.”
Casey Mears: 15th (started 13th)
- A pretty consistent day, maybe not as high as he’d like but better than it could have been.
David Reutimann: 32nd (started 28th)
- A great run that turned ugly! David sliced through the field and drove into the Top 10, making it all the way up to the lead during green flag pit stops! It was so awesome to see him running so well and over the radio you could hear the excitement in everyone’s voices. Then the crap hit the fan when Jeff Gordon got loose under Jeremy Mayfield (who was two laps down at the time), and a big wreck ensued that took David right out. He hit Ricky Rudd broadside and then sailed through the grass, tearing up the front of the BK Camry and ending the 00 team’s good night. David struggled on during the remaining laps in a foul mood, which no one could blame him for.
- Quotes:
“The pit stops were great, the car was good, everything you need to run up front. We just got caught up in a deal there. I’m still not entirely clear on what happened. The result was that we got screwed up and we tore the car all to heck and it just kind of screwed our night up. I’m really proud of the guys. The pit stops were great. The car was good. We ran like we should and that felt really good to do that. I mean you’re out there racing guys like Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, guys that are running good and winning races. You’re passing those guys and running up front with them and they’re racing with you. They’re giving you hand signals and motioning to you. I’m so used to just letting those guys go because they’ve been so much better than me. It’s nice to have the shoe on the other foot. I enjoyed the night. I thought I was going to get my first Raybestos Rookie of the Race award tonight but I’ll have to do it next week.”
Michael Waltrip: 23rd (started 16th)
- This whole situation just sucked. I don’t know what happened with the tire rub – if Mark Green couldn’t see in all the haze or what – but the rub was clearly not getting any better and I was screaming for Michael to pit! Then it went boom. It was such a scary wreck with all that fire, but although I think the safety crew should have been a little quicker with the fire extinguisher, they let Michael do what he wanted and get out of the car at his own pace.
- Quotes:
“I was trying to get by Ricky and he moved over. That caved in our left front fender. The tire rubbed and the left front tire blew off. When it blew it took some oil lines with it and those caught fire. The car filled up with smoke and fire. The crew does such a great job at sealing off the interior of the car. I saw just a little bit of flame by the shifter, nothing much. I'm bigger than the car - if I try to get out of the car in a hurry it is disastrous. I just took my time and took my stuff off. Right there at the end is when it started to flame and smoke up and I had to get out in a hurry. That is why I'm so thankful the Car of Tomorrow is here because I just can't get out of these cars in a hurry. I've tried it at the shop - basically I have to take my helmet off to get out. It was a short day for the NAPA Toyota, it was pretty fast before this happened.”
Dale Jarrett: DNQ
Other Notes:
- It was ridiculously hot at California!! 107 degrees, are you kidding me? It made me laugh because one of NASCAR’s excuses for replacing Darlington with Cali was that South Carolina is too hot at this time of year. Yeah, right. I was also oh-so impressed with the amount of fans in the grandstands. It’s not a good thing when you can see the color of the seats. California doesn’t warrant two dates on the NASCAR schedule.
- Congrats to AJ Allmendinger for his best career finish of 18th! It was so great to see him have the finish he’s been striving for!
- Ricky Rudd ended up separating his shoulder in the wreck with David, Jeff Gordon and Jeremy Mayfield, and won’t be racing the Cup race Saturday night. This also makes me question Fontana’s safety, for he is the third driver (after David in the spring and Brad Keselowski) to get into a serious crash here this year.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 5th (started 7th)
- This team is trying as hard as they can to get back into the Chase but even a 5th place finish and leading fifteen laps still puts him 128 points from 12th in the standings. Kurt and Kevin are going to have to have major problems at Richmond for Junior to have a chance.
- Quotes:
“It was fun, hot, sweaty and car was tight, loose, never perfect, but we worked hard. I am tired, real tired. I am so proud of my guys, they worked so hard and it was so hot this weekend, I am proud of them for sticking it out and giving us a good run. I don't know much about the system (points), never have. Never cared to. I just go out there as hard as can. It doesn't look like we are going to make it but we aren't going to quit trying. Until they say we aren't in the Chase. Just a long day out there, hot, real hot.”
Martin Truex Jr.: 6th (started 8th)
- For the first time Martin will be competing for the Cup Championship, since he only needs to start the race at Richmond to make it! He had a great night at California and did everything he needed to do for the big picture.
Brian Vickers: 8th (started 17th)
- Brian has been Toyota’s shining star consistently throughout the year and this race was no different. He led three laps and was very good all night but unfortunately a carburetor problem held the team back from possibly a higher finish.
- Quotes:
“The biggest thing is we had a carburetor problem that almost cost us tonight. Earlier in the race it cost us 25, 30 spots at one point. It was mainly a steering issue down pit road and when we finally got that fixed it was great. For a while there every time we came to pit road under caution, turning out of the pit box it would stall. Top-tens are what we need. It was good - that's how we are going to make up ground in the points. Making the race and finishing 43rd, we aren't going to make any points.”
Kurt Busch: 9th (started 1st)
- He led twice for 21 laps after starting on the pole and basically had a good solid night to keep him in the Chase, passing Kevin Harvick. Now he is 141 points in front of Dale Jr.
- Quotes:
“The night was really interesting. I felt like our car as the race grew longer we just kept getting looser. I’m not sure what added to that, but maybe we were disguised by our good run at Michigan, but it was 60 degrees out at Michigan and it was 160 today. We were just on the loose side of things. The car started off okay, just every lap we made we kept getting worse and worse. We changed everything under the sun to make the Miller Lite Dodge better, but all in all we’ll take this finish in the top 10. That’s what consistency is all about.”
Casey Mears: 15th (started 13th)
- A pretty consistent day, maybe not as high as he’d like but better than it could have been.
David Reutimann: 32nd (started 28th)
- A great run that turned ugly! David sliced through the field and drove into the Top 10, making it all the way up to the lead during green flag pit stops! It was so awesome to see him running so well and over the radio you could hear the excitement in everyone’s voices. Then the crap hit the fan when Jeff Gordon got loose under Jeremy Mayfield (who was two laps down at the time), and a big wreck ensued that took David right out. He hit Ricky Rudd broadside and then sailed through the grass, tearing up the front of the BK Camry and ending the 00 team’s good night. David struggled on during the remaining laps in a foul mood, which no one could blame him for.
- Quotes:
“The pit stops were great, the car was good, everything you need to run up front. We just got caught up in a deal there. I’m still not entirely clear on what happened. The result was that we got screwed up and we tore the car all to heck and it just kind of screwed our night up. I’m really proud of the guys. The pit stops were great. The car was good. We ran like we should and that felt really good to do that. I mean you’re out there racing guys like Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, guys that are running good and winning races. You’re passing those guys and running up front with them and they’re racing with you. They’re giving you hand signals and motioning to you. I’m so used to just letting those guys go because they’ve been so much better than me. It’s nice to have the shoe on the other foot. I enjoyed the night. I thought I was going to get my first Raybestos Rookie of the Race award tonight but I’ll have to do it next week.”
Michael Waltrip: 23rd (started 16th)
- This whole situation just sucked. I don’t know what happened with the tire rub – if Mark Green couldn’t see in all the haze or what – but the rub was clearly not getting any better and I was screaming for Michael to pit! Then it went boom. It was such a scary wreck with all that fire, but although I think the safety crew should have been a little quicker with the fire extinguisher, they let Michael do what he wanted and get out of the car at his own pace.
- Quotes:
“I was trying to get by Ricky and he moved over. That caved in our left front fender. The tire rubbed and the left front tire blew off. When it blew it took some oil lines with it and those caught fire. The car filled up with smoke and fire. The crew does such a great job at sealing off the interior of the car. I saw just a little bit of flame by the shifter, nothing much. I'm bigger than the car - if I try to get out of the car in a hurry it is disastrous. I just took my time and took my stuff off. Right there at the end is when it started to flame and smoke up and I had to get out in a hurry. That is why I'm so thankful the Car of Tomorrow is here because I just can't get out of these cars in a hurry. I've tried it at the shop - basically I have to take my helmet off to get out. It was a short day for the NAPA Toyota, it was pretty fast before this happened.”
Dale Jarrett: DNQ
Other Notes:
- It was ridiculously hot at California!! 107 degrees, are you kidding me? It made me laugh because one of NASCAR’s excuses for replacing Darlington with Cali was that South Carolina is too hot at this time of year. Yeah, right. I was also oh-so impressed with the amount of fans in the grandstands. It’s not a good thing when you can see the color of the seats. California doesn’t warrant two dates on the NASCAR schedule.
- Congrats to AJ Allmendinger for his best career finish of 18th! It was so great to see him have the finish he’s been striving for!
- Ricky Rudd ended up separating his shoulder in the wreck with David, Jeff Gordon and Jeremy Mayfield, and won’t be racing the Cup race Saturday night. This also makes me question Fontana’s safety, for he is the third driver (after David in the spring and Brad Keselowski) to get into a serious crash here this year.
