April 9, 2006
- Kahne wins at Texas: #9-Kasey Kahne won the Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, leading 63 of 334 laps for his 2nd win of 2006 and 3rd of his career. #17-Matt Kenseth passed #20-Tony Stewart late and held on to 2nd place, with Stewart finishing 3rd after leading the most laps [99], #11-Denny Hamlin was 4th for his 1st top-5 of the year then #29-Kevin Harvick. #31-Burton was 6th, followed by #10-Riggs, #1-Truex Jr., #6-Martin and #43-Labonte. Points leader #48-Jimmie Johnson holds on to the points lead by 15 over #17-Kenseth, finishing 11th after being down two laps. Points leader #48-Jimmie Johnson holds on to the points lead by 15 over #17-Kenseth, finishing 11th after being down two laps. There 9 cautions for 43 laps and 12 leaders with 22 lead changes.
Race Results on my Texas Race Results/Awards Page.
Points Standings on my Drivers/Owners Points after Texas page.
Race Rundown: see my Texas Race Info/Rundown Page for my race rundown page, laps led, top 10, race notes, lucky dogs and more.(4-9-2006) - Four Tracks Jeff Gordon has never won at: There are four current race tracks the Nextel Cup Series runs on that #24-Jeff Gordon has not won at, Texas 0 for 11 with a best of 2nd in 2002, Phoenix International Raceway 0 for 14 with a best of 3rd in 2002 and 2004; Chicago 0 for 5 with a 2nd in 2003 being his best; Homestead 0 for 7 with a best finish of 3rd 2004. Gordon has won at 20 [18 active] of 24 tracks he has raced on including two not on the circuit any longer, North Wilkesboro and Rockingham.(4-9-2006)
- PE: #74-Derrike Cope’s team was a PE [Post Entry] for the race at Texas and did’t get credited Drivers/Owners Points. Teams need to have the entry blank into NASCAR 13 days before the race.(4-9-2006)
- New Bumper at ‘Dega: Teams will have a new bumper configuration for the Talladega race later this month that is intended to reduce the amount of bump drafting. Drivers complained about bump drafting at Daytona. Bump drafting is where the trailing car rams the rear end of the leading car to help them push forward. It’s an accepted practice in the straightaways, but when done in the corners it can lead to an accident. While the new rule reduces the strength of the bumpers, opinion is mixed if the rule change will make a difference. The new rule forces teams to remove steel plates underneath the bumper. NASCAR wanted to maintain the bumper strength for safety but not make it so strong that drivers used it to constantly bump draft.(Roanoke Tines)(4-9-2006)
- Sadler’s old crew chief leaves RYR: Kevin Buskirk, formerly head engineer at Robert Yates Racing and Elliott Sadler’s interim crew chief at the end of 2005, has gone to work at Richard Childress Racing as the engineer for driver Kevin Harvick’s #29 GM Goodwrench/Reeses Chevy. “Kevin joined the organization a couple of weeks ago, and he’s a great talent and a great find,” Richard Childress said Saturday. “Him and [crew chief] Todd Berrier think and work a lot alike, and I think he’ll do a lot of things. I’m excited to see how that will work out.”(NASCAR.com)(4-9-2006)
- Manifold Problem with the #74: Sitting side by side, for anyone in the garage interested in looking, an intake manifold submitted by Dodge and approved by NASCAR and an illegal manifold taken from the #74 MyGuardian911.com Dodge of McGlynn Racing and driven by Derrike Cope [who will make his 400th career start at Texas on Sunday]. Raynard McGlynn of Wilkes Barrie, PA owns McGlynn Racing. John Darby, NEXTEL Cup Series Director of Competition, jokingly commented the infraction, exterior illegal modifications, was “too cool” to warrant a penalty. On the serious side, Darby commented it wasn’t “Tuesday” the day NASCAR typically issues penalties for infractions from the previous weekend. Specifically, the illegal manifold violated rule 20-5.9G, which states external modifications are not permitted unless specifically approved by the Series Director. Darby did clearly not approve the modifications to the confiscated manifold. Tom Durse, crew chief on the #74, hopes NASCAR is lenient with what he describes as a “young team,” despite his admittance, “Once we bolt a part onto the car and present it to NASCAR we own it and we’re responsible for it.” Should a penalty be issued Durse is also hoping NASCAR concentrates on points versus money. “Right now the points are not nearly as important to us as the money. We’re a struggling operation that has is running the full season for the first time after two years of running a limited schedule.”(CircleTrackPlus), with the #74 probably being a post-entry [not entered before the deadline] and not getting any points, it may end up being a money fine and taking away some of the team’s existing points.(4-9-2006)
- Martin/Hamlin make up: After the race a week ago in Martinsville, rookie #11-Denny Hamlin blamed #6-Mark Martin for a wreck and claimed basically that the 47-year-old veteran had been wrecking him all year. It all seemed rather shocking since Martin is almost universally praised by fellow drivers for his clean driving style. “We talked on Tuesday,” said Hamlin. “It kind of settles our differences, I guess you could say. I asked him what I could do differently to avoid that from happening, and I basically told him where he did me wrong. We agreed on everything when it was all said and done. I’m glad it’s over with and we can move on. He admitted to things that he did and I admitted to things that I did in the past. It’s just one of those things where you learn. We haven’t raced with each other that much. With time it’s going to fix itself. We’ve got to learn each other’s driving styles and move on. I’m the last driver that wants to start anything with anybody. I spent all last year just trying to get respect from these guys and let them know that I can race with them without controversy, without getting into them. I felt like it was time to stand up for what I thought was right and wrong. I felt good after talking to him because I felt like he understood where I was coming from …”
Martin was predictably magnanimous. “It shouldn’t matter if you’re a rookie or not,” he said, “and Denny shouldn’t be treated on the race track differently from me. Denny and I have had a conversation since, and I made it clear to Denny that everything that I’ve done to him on the race track I would have done to Rusty Wallace, who I respect as much or more than anyone in the garage, or Dale Jarrett. My point was, ‘Don’t bring up the rookie thing again,’ because he’s done a fabulous job. He’s been incredibly competitive and respectful and fair on the race track, and the rub that we have had came from he and I not knowing each other’s style.”(Gaston Gazette)(4-9-2006) - Rumblings – Texas: Kasey Kahne passed Tony Stewart on lap 308 today at Texas Motor Speedway and drove off into the sunset to capture the Samsung/RadioShack 500 by a margin of over five seconds….giving himself an early birthday present (it’s Monday). This was Kasey’s second win of the season (he took down Atlanta three weeks ago) and the third of his career (all three of his wins have come from the pole, btw) moving him into a tie for 85th on the all-time win list.
Kasey’s the 11th different winner in 11 races at TMS, and this was victory #9 for Ray Evernham…..and it was worth a handsome $530,164 to boot!
Denny Hamlin (4th) had his career-best finish today. His previous best was 7th when we were here last November.
Scott Riggs (7th) had his best finish since he was runner-up at Michigan last August.
Martin Truex Jr (8th) had his best finish since he was 7th at Lowe’s last May.
David Stremme (21st) had his best finish since he was 16th at Chicagoland last July.
STREAKIN….Kasey Kahne has 5 Top-10’s in the last 6 races.
Mark Martin has 5 Top-10’s in the last 6 races.
This Week’s Elevator…UP: Operator of the week is a lonely Tony Stewart (+37). DOWN: The Big Dropper was Greg Biffle (-37), J. J. Yeley (-33), Kurt Busch (-27), Ryan Newman (-26), and Kyle Petty (-20). With the way this season has gone for Biffle, it should come as no surprise that his is his 2nd BD of the season all ready.
We had three drivers lead a lap today for the first time this season. Martin Truex Jr, Jeff Green, and Carl Edwards give us 30 different drivers to lead a lap already this year…..last year we had a total of 51 different leaders.
No change at the top of the standings this week….Jimmie Johnson’s lead is now only 15 markers over new #2 man Matt Kenseth. Denny Hamlin (23rd to 14th) made the best move forward while Kyle Petty (26th to 32nd) fell the most spots.(Stock Car Fans)(4-9-2006) - Texas Race Notes:
• Kasey Kahne won the 2006 Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, scoring his third NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory in his 79th career start. Kahne’s last victory came at Atlanta, three races ago. It was his second victory on a superspeedway. His career-first victory came at Richmond in May 2005.
• Kahne scored his first victory and second top-10 finish – both top-fives – in four races at Texas Motor Speedway.
• He became the 11th different race winner in 11 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Texas.
• Kahne scored his fifth top-10 finish in seven races this season.
• Kahne climbed from fourth to third in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. After seven races in 2005, he ranked 23rd in the point standings.
• Kahne led the final 27 laps in today’s race.
• Evernham Motorsports has won at least one race each season 2001– 2006, six consecutive years.
• This was team owner Ray Evernham’s ninth NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory and first at Texas Motor Speedway.
Notebook Items
• Tony Stewart led the most laps (99) in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 – the third time in 2006 that Stewart led the most laps in a race – all in the past three races.
• Matt Kenseth (second) posted his fourth top-10 finish in eight races at Texas Motor Speedway. He scored his fourth top-10 finish of the season, all top-fives and climbed from third to second in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. One year ago he ranked 21st after seven races.
• Tony Stewart (third) scored his sixth top-10 finish in nine races at Texas and climbed from eighth to fifth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings.
• Denny Hamlin (fourth) scored his second top-10 finish in two races at Texas Motor Speedway. It is his career-best finish and the highest finish by a rookie in 2006. It was Hamlin’s second top-10 finish in 2006 and his second in as many races at Texas.
• Kevin Harvick (fifth) scored his second top-10 finish in seven races at Texas. It was his third top-10 finish in 2006.
• Scott Riggs (seventh) scored his first top-10 finish in four races at Texas Motor Speedway. This is his second top-10 finish in six races this season after he failed to qualify for the 2006 Daytona 500.
• Denny Hamlin was the highest finishing Raybestos Rookie-of-the Year contender at Texas Motor Speedway.
• At least one of the 2006 Raybestos Rookie-of-the Year contenders has scored a top-15 finish in every race this season.
• Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year contenders Denny Hamlin (fourth) and Martin Truex Jr, (eighth) both finished in the top 10. The last time two rookies finished in the top 10 came at Phoenix in November 2005 when Kyle Busch finished first and Travis Kvapil finished 10th.
• Joe Nemechek (23rd) has been running at the finish in the last 39 races, a streak that began at Bristol last April, the longest current streak.
• Greg Biffle (42nd) has finished 31st or worse in four of the seven races this season. Biffle dropped from 18th to 23rd in the point standings. One year ago, after seven races, he ranked second in the point standings.(NASCAR Statistical Services)(4-9-2006) - Sorenson Faces Penalty: Reed Sorenson faces a possible points penalty for intentionally bringing out a caution in the O’Reilly 300 Busch Series race Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway. NASCAR threw the caution for a piece of roll bar padding from Sorenson’s car that was on the track and sent Sorenson to the end of the longest line at the time, a penalty of about five positions.(NASCAR Scene)(4-9-2006)
- New deal close for Martin: Mark Martin says he’s close to signing a contract to drive full time in the Truck Series for Roush Racing in 2007 and 2008. Martin said he would consider running a Cup race but only on the same weekend and at the same track as a truck event.(roanoke.com)(4-9-2006)
- Stout Partners With SAS Tools & Castle Products: Stellar-Quest Racing Team, LLC for which JC Stout drives the #91truck, has announced their new partnerships with Stars & Stripes Tool, Inc. and Castle Products, Inc. Stars & Stripes Tool, Inc. (SAS Tools) is owned by the husband and wife team of Tim and Nicole Schnobrich. They have recently launched their new internet store at www.sastool.com. Castle Products, Inc. headquartered in Rochester, NY is in their fifth decade of manufacturing and distributing high quality products around the world. To learn more about what Castle Products, Inc. has to offer, visit www.castlepackspower.com.(jcstout.com)(4-9-2006)
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