Richmond Int'l Speedway - Emerson Radio 250
RACE WINNER: KYLE BUSCH
Brian Vickers: 6th (started 13th)
- A better result was in store, but for some reason the crew was off and kept losing the track position Brian gained. Still, a great night for the #10 team.
- Quotes:
“We weren't too bad tonight -- we were able to get a top-10 finish, but we could have been better. The tires really got us there at the end. I think we could have had a top-five, but our pit stops really hurt us the most. Trent Owens (crew chief) did a good job getting the car better all night long with all the pit stops -- we just got killed on the pit stops. Every time we would get some good track position, we would lose it in the pits. It happens sometimes -- everybody makes mistakes, but that's really what hurt us tonight.”
Scott Wimmer: 8th (started 18th)
- Unlike Brian, Scott had a mediocre car but was benefited greatly by his team’s good pit stops. He made up a lot of spots in the closing laps, which is always a plus.
David Reutimann: 23rd (started 17th)
- A spin during qualifying may have set the #00 team back a bit when they decided not to change tires and keep their starting spot. When the race started, David made contact with David Ragan and cut a left front tire. He had to pit under green despite leaving a formidable debris trail. After his service was done, the caution flew, trapping him two laps down. The rest of the night was a battle to survive till the end. David even got in front of leader Kyle Busch at one point in an effort to gain a lap back, but was eventually overtaken. Not the best showing for the team, but 23rd is not a horrendous finish.
- Quotes:
“We just struggled right from the beginning today. I had a cut left-front tire early in the race and had to come down pit road - that cost us track position and that's ultimately what we had to battle all night. We had a fast car and I think we were able to make a lot of changes to the car, but we could never make up the track position that we lost early on. It's real disappointing because I know we had a car that was a lot better than where we finished.”
- David’s finish was one spot above Kevin Harvick, so he is now tied with Harvick in driver standings.
Other Notes:
- It was great seeing Kyle win. He seemed so emotional in victory lane and appreciative of his team. There have been some tense moments between Kyle and the #5 group, especially Alan Gustafson, and I was worried that the rest of the year was going to be based on that. After Friday night, I am certain that Kyle and Alan will continue to be close friends.
- AJ Allmendinger was running in the top-10 near the end of the race before he was dumped by none other than Todd Bodine. Needless to say, I was not happy.
Brian Vickers: 6th (started 13th)
- A better result was in store, but for some reason the crew was off and kept losing the track position Brian gained. Still, a great night for the #10 team.
- Quotes:
“We weren't too bad tonight -- we were able to get a top-10 finish, but we could have been better. The tires really got us there at the end. I think we could have had a top-five, but our pit stops really hurt us the most. Trent Owens (crew chief) did a good job getting the car better all night long with all the pit stops -- we just got killed on the pit stops. Every time we would get some good track position, we would lose it in the pits. It happens sometimes -- everybody makes mistakes, but that's really what hurt us tonight.”
Scott Wimmer: 8th (started 18th)
- Unlike Brian, Scott had a mediocre car but was benefited greatly by his team’s good pit stops. He made up a lot of spots in the closing laps, which is always a plus.
David Reutimann: 23rd (started 17th)
- A spin during qualifying may have set the #00 team back a bit when they decided not to change tires and keep their starting spot. When the race started, David made contact with David Ragan and cut a left front tire. He had to pit under green despite leaving a formidable debris trail. After his service was done, the caution flew, trapping him two laps down. The rest of the night was a battle to survive till the end. David even got in front of leader Kyle Busch at one point in an effort to gain a lap back, but was eventually overtaken. Not the best showing for the team, but 23rd is not a horrendous finish.
- Quotes:
“We just struggled right from the beginning today. I had a cut left-front tire early in the race and had to come down pit road - that cost us track position and that's ultimately what we had to battle all night. We had a fast car and I think we were able to make a lot of changes to the car, but we could never make up the track position that we lost early on. It's real disappointing because I know we had a car that was a lot better than where we finished.”
- David’s finish was one spot above Kevin Harvick, so he is now tied with Harvick in driver standings.
Other Notes:
- It was great seeing Kyle win. He seemed so emotional in victory lane and appreciative of his team. There have been some tense moments between Kyle and the #5 group, especially Alan Gustafson, and I was worried that the rest of the year was going to be based on that. After Friday night, I am certain that Kyle and Alan will continue to be close friends.
- AJ Allmendinger was running in the top-10 near the end of the race before he was dumped by none other than Todd Bodine. Needless to say, I was not happy.
