California Speedway - Pepsi 500
Danni
RESULTS
1. Jimmie Johnson
9. David!
11. Dale Jr.
12. Brian
19. Martin
26. Casey (1LD)
33. Michael (1LD)
39. Kurt (2LD)
It was a rare night at California, with only one set of green flag pit stops. Of course, two of the yellows were due to caution lights falling on the track! I really couldn't believe it the first time, but when the second light dropped debris it seemed as if someone slacked off on the job.
In the beginning, Brian, Martin, David and Dale Jr. made waves running in the top-10. Since we missed Bristol and Michigan, it was so exciting to see David up front and taking no prisoners! David is the first driver we have watched closely since before his rookie year, so we feel extra proud because the progression he's made is phenomenal.
Unfortunately, one of the cautions was brought out by Kurt when he spun with a blown tire. He went a lap down and was never able to recover. The resulting finish is miserable to put it lightly.
Under that yellow, Michael stayed out to lead a lap, but then sped on pit road. I've never seen NASCAR revoke the five bonus points from a driver before for speeding and it makes me wonder how excessively fast Michael was going!
Did he put anyone in danger? He would later stay out again to regain the points, but the team had a bad night in general.
Martin's downfall came at the worst possible time. During green flag stops, a wheel was left loose and he had to come back down. It cost him valuable positions and lost him a lap for quite a while. By the time he got the free pass, it was too late to do much of anything.
David continued to impress, getting up to fifth. His performance allowed for a gamble. Ryan Pemberton opted to give the #44 two tires, a move that put David at the front of the pack! It was nerve-wracking and thrilling at the same time, but with Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle right behind him on the restart with four tires, I figured it wouldn't last. He didn't lead a lap under green and fell back. The car wasn't as good for the last stint and the team was actually disappointed with 9th. I guess you know you're good when you think you could have finished better! The #44 group is on a good road and I expect them to surge forward just in time to disrupt the Chase drivers!
It was kind of a let-down to watch Dale Jr. end the night where he did. I find it astounding that he hasn't finished in the top-10 since he won at Michigan! The one victory was getting locked into the Chase, however. Brian also completed the race lower than he deserved as a result of a tire bouncing away from the team on pit road. Casey handled great during the evening, but once the sun went down the car would not stay consistent.
I enjoyed Jimmie Johnson winning the race. A lot of people blew off his fuel-mileage win earlier this season so it must have felt good for the #48 team to get one by domination.
#44 Quotes of the Race
Post-race speeches
Ryan: "Man, nice job this weekend, great job all weekend. Appreciate the hard work. We'll get it cleaned up here in a little bit - get that carburetor still running when you come off pit road - and we'll start running in the top-5 like we're supposed to be doing. Great job, guys. Thank you. Good job, Shawn!"
Shawn: "Good job David, way to stay up on the wheel! Great job, Ryan, you guys were awesome! That's how we should be."
Ryan: "Ten-four, that was fun. David, I hope you're having fun. You all right? You need a drink or anything like that?"
David: "Nah, I'm good bud! You guys did great job today, thank you. Good car, great effort. Doesn't seem like it's all that hard, does it?"
POINT STANDINGS
1. Kyle Busch
4. Dale Jr. -432
15. Brian -956
17. Martin -1057
19. Kurt -1267
24. Casey -1451
25. David -1476
30. Michael -1825 (34th on owner points, +37 from 36th)
1. Jimmie Johnson
9. David!
11. Dale Jr.
12. Brian
19. Martin
26. Casey (1LD)
33. Michael (1LD)
39. Kurt (2LD)
It was a rare night at California, with only one set of green flag pit stops. Of course, two of the yellows were due to caution lights falling on the track! I really couldn't believe it the first time, but when the second light dropped debris it seemed as if someone slacked off on the job.
In the beginning, Brian, Martin, David and Dale Jr. made waves running in the top-10. Since we missed Bristol and Michigan, it was so exciting to see David up front and taking no prisoners! David is the first driver we have watched closely since before his rookie year, so we feel extra proud because the progression he's made is phenomenal.
Unfortunately, one of the cautions was brought out by Kurt when he spun with a blown tire. He went a lap down and was never able to recover. The resulting finish is miserable to put it lightly.
Under that yellow, Michael stayed out to lead a lap, but then sped on pit road. I've never seen NASCAR revoke the five bonus points from a driver before for speeding and it makes me wonder how excessively fast Michael was going!
Did he put anyone in danger? He would later stay out again to regain the points, but the team had a bad night in general.Martin's downfall came at the worst possible time. During green flag stops, a wheel was left loose and he had to come back down. It cost him valuable positions and lost him a lap for quite a while. By the time he got the free pass, it was too late to do much of anything.
David continued to impress, getting up to fifth. His performance allowed for a gamble. Ryan Pemberton opted to give the #44 two tires, a move that put David at the front of the pack! It was nerve-wracking and thrilling at the same time, but with Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle right behind him on the restart with four tires, I figured it wouldn't last. He didn't lead a lap under green and fell back. The car wasn't as good for the last stint and the team was actually disappointed with 9th. I guess you know you're good when you think you could have finished better! The #44 group is on a good road and I expect them to surge forward just in time to disrupt the Chase drivers!
It was kind of a let-down to watch Dale Jr. end the night where he did. I find it astounding that he hasn't finished in the top-10 since he won at Michigan! The one victory was getting locked into the Chase, however. Brian also completed the race lower than he deserved as a result of a tire bouncing away from the team on pit road. Casey handled great during the evening, but once the sun went down the car would not stay consistent.
I enjoyed Jimmie Johnson winning the race. A lot of people blew off his fuel-mileage win earlier this season so it must have felt good for the #48 team to get one by domination.
#44 Quotes of the Race
Post-race speeches
Ryan: "Man, nice job this weekend, great job all weekend. Appreciate the hard work. We'll get it cleaned up here in a little bit - get that carburetor still running when you come off pit road - and we'll start running in the top-5 like we're supposed to be doing. Great job, guys. Thank you. Good job, Shawn!"
Shawn: "Good job David, way to stay up on the wheel! Great job, Ryan, you guys were awesome! That's how we should be."
Ryan: "Ten-four, that was fun. David, I hope you're having fun. You all right? You need a drink or anything like that?"
David: "Nah, I'm good bud! You guys did great job today, thank you. Good car, great effort. Doesn't seem like it's all that hard, does it?"
POINT STANDINGS
1. Kyle Busch
4. Dale Jr. -432
15. Brian -956
17. Martin -1057
19. Kurt -1267
24. Casey -1451
25. David -1476
30. Michael -1825 (34th on owner points, +37 from 36th)
