NASCAR ' Biffle Sets the Pace and Attempts to Tame the Lady in Black

Greg Biffle has the pole for the Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

It was beginning to look like an all Hendrick front row with Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne ready to lead the field to the green flag, until Greg Biffle showed up.  Jimmie Johnson had taken the provisional pole from his teammate Kasey Kahne but was worried that he had not done his best, that he had left some speed out there on the track.  That speed was found by Greg Biffle as he grabbed the pole for the Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

'This is what a race car driver looks forward to, showing up every weekend and having a really fast car to drive,' said Biffle, the Sprint Cup Series leader. 'They're making me look good so far.

'It was a pretty uneventful lap. The car just had a ton of grip ' it stuck to the race track really, really well. I felt like I was a little bit light down in Turns 1 and 2 ' I should have been a little bit quicker down there ' but I got a lot out of it in 3 and 4, so it was a great lap.'

'I feel that special season already. I certainly think that we're going to be tough in competition all year,' said Biffle.

Johnson seemed to know that more speed could be found' just not who was going to find it.

Jimmie Johnson felt he left some speed out on the track. Greg Biffle found it.

'I left a little speed out there and Greg certainly found it,' Johnson said. 'It would've been nice to have a Hendrick front row. But it was a very productive day.'

Jimmie Johnson is looking to get the 200th win for team owner Rick Hendrick this weekend.  He has help at the front with his teammate Kasey Kahne, but Kahne is also hungry for a win.  And let us not forget the 9 time fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. who has been Mr Hendrick's most consistent performer all season long, and is coming into Darlington with a 6 race top 10 streak under his belt.

'It certainly weighs on the team,' Johnson said before Friday's practice at Darlington Raceway. 'I'm not frustrated yet. I don't want to see opportunities slip away. I certainly want to get 200 behind us as does everyone at Hendrick Motorsports because it's lingering around.'

Johnson and Kahne will be starting 2nde and 3rd respectively.  Dale Jr looks to have his work cut out for him if he wants to break his streak and obtain the 200th win for his team.  Starting back in 24th Jr has not shown a lot of speed this weekend.  Running 19th in first practice and 18th in the second, the 88 car looks like it will need a lot of adjustments on the fly to get it where he wants it to be during the race.

Ryan Newman and Kyle Busch will round out the top 5 for the start of the race.

Danica Patrick makes her return to the Sprint Cup Schedule.  It seems her team owner Tony Stewart used his well known sarcastic sense of humor as he chose which track Danica would be driving at this season.  However you never really learn if you take the easy road, and Danica seems up to the challenge.  The experience she gains at the tougher tracks in the schedule should translate to better finishes at the easier tracks in the long run.

'This is a tough place and everything they said about it is true,' Patrick said between practices. 'This Lady in Black is very intimidating. I'm just trying to get comfortable with what the car needs me to do ' where to brake, how heavy to brake and those kinds of things. I've got my Darlington stripes, officially. It's all the way down the right side of the car. We got that one over with.

'I've got everything in my corner, I just need time. I just need to get comfortable. It's definitely not going to be an easy, breezy night. Like Tony (Stewart) said, I'm probably going to hate him by the end of the weekend. Come the future, I'm going to be glad for it.'

Team Owner tony Stewart agrees.

'She understands the value of why we picked this as one of the races,' Stewart said. 'I think she's keeping the big picture in mind. I think she's doing a really good job of taking it all in stride, not letting her position on the time sheet get her down, realizing that the whole weekend is a learning experience and trying to just get at that time.

'I want her just to run as many laps as possible. The more time she can spend on track, the more experience that she's going to get. So the good thing is, running both divisions, she's getting a ton of track time.'

That may be true, but there is a huge difference between the Nationwide cars and the Cup cars when it comes right down to it.

'When you get to about half-throttle in the Cup car, that's what a Nationwide car feels like,'Jimmie Johnson said with a laugh. 'There's a lot left from that point down in a Cup car. As far as tracks go, this track in my opinion has the highest sensation of speed over any other track we go to. And it's due to it being so narrow. But it will be an eye-opening experience. Fortunately, she's been real fast in other cars so hopefully it doesn't affect her too much. But we've all looked at this race on her schedule and know it's going to be tough for her. And it certainly will. This is not an easy race track to get around, but she's going to do it and we'll see how it goes.'

 

 

 

Related posts:

1. NASCAR ' Smith Tames the Lady In black For His First Cup Series Win
2. NASCAR ' Martin Truex Sets The Pace in Texas for the Samsung Mobile 500
3. NASCAR ' Matt Kenseth Sets the Pace in Phoenix, Stewart Keeps Up the Trash Talk, Edwards Keeping Cool
4. NASCAR ' Newman Sets the Pace For The Second Chase Race of 2011
5. NASCAR ' Ryan Newman Sets the Pace For Bristol

Jaguar Builds the Ultimate XJ

When you think about it, it almost seems odd that premier British luxury car builder Jaguar has not offered over the top luxury options to its well-heeled buyers. All that ends with the 2013 Jaguar XJ Ultimate, which is essentially the ultimate expression of the XJ, Jaguar's flagship sedan. Jaguar has essentially taken the top spec XJL Supersport and decided to give the rear seat passengers some extra attention.

It is generally agreed all of us here at The Garage want the seat behind the steering wheel, but the XJ Ultimate's rear quarters sound particularly enticing. With the Ultimate, Jaguar has ripped out the rear bench seat and replaced it with two tailored bucket seats separated by a leather lined center console. The seats are power adjustable, with ventilation, massage, and lumbar support. Need to get some work done? No problem, as the Ultimate has a solid aluminum table with piano black detailing that rises from the center console. This is augmented by a pair of Apple iPad 3's with wireless keyboards housed in leather trimmed docks.

Don't feel like working? No problem, as the 20 speaker surround sound stereo designed by ultra-high end British audio specialists Merdian should satisfy the most discerning audiophile. It goes without saying that both rear passengers are treated to their own screens for movie viewing, with wireless headsets. The XJ Ultimate is also equipped with a champagne chiller, specifically designed to hold a bottle of champagne and kept at an ideal temperature of 47-50 degrees Fahrenheit. On opening the chiller, the bottle of champagne rises to present itself to the passengers. And of course, two bespoke champagne flutes illuminated with ambient lighting complete the package.

The XJ Ultimate is powered by a supercharged V-8 rated at 510hp, paired to an eight-speed automatic. Jaguar claims an impressive 0-60mph in a scant 4.7 seconds. No word if the XJL Supersport's optional sport package is standard on the Ultimate, which raises top speed to 174mph. Jaguar claims they recalibrated the rear suspension for better comfort without suffering any handling trade-offs.

The 2013 Jaguar XJ Ultimate will be available later this year. Only 30 examples are slated for the US. Each car will be finished in Black Amethyst with unique 20' alloys and oval polished stainless steel exhaust tips. Price of admission is $155,000USD, a full thirty grand more than a fully optioned XJL Supersport. What price exclusivity? To the Jaguar buyer of means, the XJ Ultimate is just that-entrance to an impossibly small club demanding the ultimate in luxury and performance.

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4. Jaguar Celebrates 50th Anniversary of the E-Type
5. BMW no longer The Ultimate Driving Machine

Shutter Speed: The day the music died

When the teams convened in Zolder two weeks after the Imola race the tensions between FOCA and FIA plus the tension between Gilles and Didier had not diminished. All of the teams this time showed up and got to work. The media had fanned the flames between Gilles and Didier. Gilles had vowed to 'never speak to that man again'. He was true to his word and they avoided each other in the pits.

Since the 1981 race that saw the death of one mechanic and serious injury to another, the pit and paddock area had been replaced by a completely new and safer installation.

Friday morning there were two sessions, one for pre-qualifying and one for regular untimed practice to sort out the cars. Near the end of the second session a short rain began to fall. They halted the session. By the time qualifying began the rain had stopped and the track was dry. Gilles spent some of Friday evening with the mechanics as they prepared the cars for Saturday's final qualifications.

Saturday morning it was cool and dry. Rain threatened both the untimed morning session and final qualification in the afternoon. Prost and Arnoux were in fine form and held down the first and second fastest times with Rosburg in third and Lauda right back on form in fourth.

Nigel Roebuck later told me he had chatted with Gilles in the pits when Didier pulled into the garage. They moved out of the garage to continue their conversation. He said Gilles was fine. He was not behaving strangely. He was not distracted'he was very resolute. Gilles had said he had had heated words with Marco Piccinini, the team manager, because he really felt he had not had the support from the team during the aftermath of Imola.

With ten minutes to go until the end of the final qualifying session, Gilles was in eighth with a lap of 1 minute 16.616 seconds. Didier was in sixth with 1 minute 16.501 seconds. Gilles had sat patiently in the car as qualifying wound down. Ha had a mixed set of qualifying tires that would only last one flying lap. He intended to make good use of them. Gilles drove out of the pits with only one thing on his mind'the pole!

'The tires weren't in mint condition, but Gilles was absolutely going for it,' recalled Roebuck. 'He came upon Jochen Mass who was on his cool-off lap. Jochen was heading back to the pits. It was a classic case of bad luck. Jochen saw the approaching Ferrari and moved to his right to give Gilles the faster line. Gilles did not know that Mass was going to move right. He had committed his Ferrari to pass on the right. He had nowhere to go.'

The result was the committed Ferrari's front left tire came in contact with the March's right rear tire. Gilles famous number '27' became airborne at almost 150 miles per hour. The nose of the car lifted quite high as it flew a considerable distance before it drove itself into a soft sandy area. This caused almost complete deceleration. The Ferrari then struck the guard-rail and ricocheted off an embankment, all the while disintegrating.

'The car landed in soft sand,' said Roebuck. 'It wasn't like hitting something hard and flat and just skimming along. The sand absorbed the energy of the car and nearly stopped it. The deceleration, according to Dr. Sidney Watkins, the Formula One medical advisor and one of Gilles' good friends, was unsurvivable. The fact that Gilles had been thrown from the car had little to do with the final outcome of the accident. Gilles was dead before he left the car.

What was left of the chassis headed for it's final resting place in the centre of the track. After the collision with the embankment, Gilles was thrown from the car. His helmet was torn off. The six-point harness had let go at the points between his legs and his hips. The two points at his shoulder-blades held. The seat remained with him as he flew into the catch-fencing he knew too well.

Mass was very fortunate not to have had the flying Ferrari hit his March for a second time. He stopped quickly and rushed to Gilles side. He was joined by Rene Arnoux and Derrick Warwick. A doctor quickly arrived at the scene. Didier stopped to help as well. The doctor quickly went to work on Gilles who had no vital signs, but still had a heart-beat. He was taken to the medical centre then flown to the local hospital. He had a broken neck and severe spinal injuries.

Within minutes the word that Gilles had been involved in a serious accident had spread around the world. It was determined that Gilles would not survive as there was no brain activity. Joanne was still in Monaco. She was summoned to Belgium where she needed to consent to the life-support system being removed from Gilles, She arrived in the early evening accompanied by Jody Scheckter. The graphic scene of Gilles' last moment at the wheel of his Ferrari stunned Canada and the world as it opened many national newscasts.

Next: The return home and the book takes on a different theme.

Read the whole Shutter Speed Series.

Related posts:

1. Shutter Speed: They all hoped for better things'
2. Shutter Speed: Terror in Zolder
3. Shutter Speed: The first book and the first nine!
4. Shutter Speed: Two in a row
5. Shutter Speed: The new kid on the block

Review: 2012 Toyota Prius V

The Toyota Prius is the undisputed king of all hybrids, with no competitor able to come even close. With its number one status cemented, a loyal following of faithful buyers, there is huge equity in the Prius name, so it almost comes as a surprise Toyota has waited this long to cash in and expand the Prius family. That expansion has now seen its day, and The Garage was able sample the first addition to the family, the Prius V, the V standing for versatility.

Whether you consider the Prius V a mini-minivan or a wagon is irrelevant. At first appearance the V is just as it looks-a Prius, but bigger in every dimension. The instant recognition of the car being a Prius was key, and Toyota has succeeded in creating a car with added utility but unmistakably a Prius. With a shape that puts aerodynamics and utility as top priorities, the Prius V comes off as appliance-like, with little character or emotion. Part of this is likely due to the fact the Prius has been around, and sold so well its appearance is not as science fiction as it was years ago.

Inside, Prius owners will feel instantly at home. I am not a fan of the centrally mounted instrument panel. Other controls are easy to find and use, so in spite of its unusual appearance at first, the Prius is easy to use. While the two-tone interior offered some contrast, the overall feel of the cabin felt drab and uninteresting. The graining on the plastic steering wheel did not feel right to me, and I disliked touching the most critical part of the interior I keep my hands on. It felt like the automotive equivalent to a cubicle in the movie 'Office Space'. That said, the Prius V delivers on its promise. The cabin is large, with plenty of room for all. Storage, from a two-tier glove box, generous center console storage and other nooks should more than satisfy the Prius V buyer. Up front, the adequate but flat front seats are familiar Prius fare, but the rear seat offers legroom on par with a limo, thanks to a sliding and reclining rear seat.

The drivetrain is standard Prius fare, with no alterations made for the Prius V, which means a gas hybrid system getting the bulk of its motivation from a 1.8L four, with total gas/electric output equaling 134hp, paired to a CVT. Before getting behind the wheel, I feared how a larger, heavier Prius would get itself around, as the standard Prius is no scorcher. My conclusion is the cars are very close. Fuel economy does take a hit from the standard Prius, but EPA figures of 44/40 MPG city/highway are impressive, and these figures keep the Prius V true to its mission. Is it fun to drive? No. The Prius V driver's fun is in the fuel economy, as it always has been.

The Prius V is available in three trim levels, One, Three, and Five. Our test car was a Level Three, and will likely be the most popular Prius V. Standard equipment includes a 6.1' touch screen display, Navigation, back-up camera, six-speaker audio with XM Radio, Entune multi-media interface, power driver's seat, and automatic climate control. With a sole option of carpeted floor mats, our test car rings in at $28,150USD, including destination.

The Prius V was a logical step for Toyota, and should serve it well. As young families of Prius owners grow, or baby boomers simply want more, um, versatility, the Prius V should meet their needs and keep them in the family instead of abandoning the Prius and getting a crossover. Speaking of crossovers, it is worth mentioning the Prius V offers cargo capacity on par or exceeding contemporary CUV's, with the hybrid trade-off a high load floor. In sum, the success of the Prius V will be keeping the Prius and hybrid faithful graduating to the V as opposed to buying a crossover than it will be in converting the traditional minivan/crossover buyer.

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5. Toyota Announces 2010 Prius Pricing

Shutter Speed: They all hoped for better things'

The usual squabbling between the FIA and FOCA was noticeably absent at the start of the 1982 season. Alan Jones had become disenchanted with the almost suspension-less cars and had gone home to Australia. The rumour mill was rampant with as many as three former World Champions to appear on the grid for the season. Jackie Stewart, James Hunt and Niki Lauda were all reported to have been offered large sums of cash to put on a helmet again. Only Lauda appeared at McLaren with John Watson as his backup.

Carlos Reutemann had intended to retire but reconsidered when Jones left the team. Keke Rosburg was his second at Williams. Mario left Alfa-Romeo to return to America and IndyCar racing. Gilles and Didier remained with Ferrari. Piquet teamed with Recardo Patrese at Brabham while Prost and Arnoux returned to Renault. Mansell and de Angelis took up the cores with Lotus and March retained Jochen Mass alongside newcomer Raul Boesel.

Gilles thought 1982 was going to be his year. Ferrari would win the constructors championship, but things would be very different in the drivers race.

South Africa started the season and a rift over the new driver's super license which the drivers felt they could be traded like cattle at the whim of the team owners. Once this got straightened out the race got underway. Gilles had qualified third behind Arnoux and Piquet. Didier was qualified sixth. Both Ferrari would drop out of the race with Gilles blowing a turbo and Didier having a misfire and finishing in eighteenth.

In Brazil Gilles started in second behind Prost. Didier started in eighth. On the thirteenth lap Piquet took on Gilles for the lead and Gilles got on the grass on the left side of the track and promptly slid across the circuit in front of the pack and buried the car in the catch-fence. Pironi finished sixth a lap down.

At Long Beach Gilles qualified seventh behind the big surprise of qualifying, Andrea de Cesaris in the Alfa-Romeo. Lauda showed he had not lost the touch by sitting on the front row in his McLaren.

Everyone was concerned about how de Cesaris would handle leading, but he led them into the first corner and continued to lead until they came upon back-markers when 'old King Rat' slipped past as de Cesaris hesitated. Gilles duelled all race long with Keke. The second place changed hands numerous times with Keke holding it at the finish. Ken Tyrrell lodged a complaint about the rear-wing configuration on Gilles' Ferrari.

The Ferrari engineers had decided to show FOCA how easy it was to interpret the rules. They mounted two wings end-to-end with a slight overlap to the rear of Gilles car. They proved the point and Gilles was promptly disqualified and his points taken away. Tough way to make a point considering he had just put his ass on the line and not the guy making such a decision.

The Grand Prix family returned to Europe and to Imola and one of the most controversial races in memory. There was more political squabbling that saw the starting grid with only Ferrari, Renault, Alfa-Romeo, Tyrrell, Osella, Toleman and the ATS team appearing. The other FOCA teams had decided to boycott the race over disqualifications of Piquet and Rosburg in Brazil. Both drivers had been disqualified for having ballast tanks that were full at weigh-in scrutineering, dumped during the race and re-filled before post race inspection.

During practice and qualifying both Renaults thwarted all attempts of the Ferrari team to oust them from the front row. Prost was almost a second faster than Gilles in third and well over two seconds better than Didier in fourth.

Arnoux took the lead at the start with Prost in second, but Gilles pulled a late-braking manoeuvre and took second heading into Tosa, the same corner that Gilles had had the great shunt in 1981. Pironi slipped past Prost into third before the end of the lap. By the seventh lap Prost had had enough and pulled into the pits with engine problems.

At one point Arnoux had as much as a four-second lead on Gilles who began to reel the Renault in. Gilles tried to get past on lap 22, but was blocked my Arnoux. Gilles had to lift off to prevent a shunt which allowed Didier to slip into second. Pironi could not make any headway on the fleeing Renault. Gilles got by him and took off after the leader. He took the Renault as they climbed the hill after Tosa. The Italian fans went through-the-roof, but it was all for naught as Arnoux retook the lead on the 31st lap. It appeared another wheel-banger like Dijon was about to begin. Pironi then retook second and held it for several laps before Gilles took second from him yet again and charged after Arnoux. With all this fighting for the lead at a high rates of speed, the fuel level on the two Ferrari was getting marginal.

The wild show started to turn in Ferrari's favour when small puffs of smoke began to appear behind the Renault. Both Gilles and Pironi were having visual problems with the smoke and oil coming from the expiring car in the lead. Suddenly the rear of the Renault was a ball of flame! The turbo was on fire! Arnouz pulled to the side of the track and made a hasty exit from the cockpit. The two Ferrari were now one-two with Gilles in the lead. The Ferrari pit hung out a 'Slow' signal and Gilles realized what they needed to do to make it to the end. Pironi was so close behind, I doubt he saw the pit board the first time around. Little did that matter as Gilles cocked up one turn and got on the grass. Pironi was able to slip by without resistance from Gilles.

What I am going to say now I have reflected on for many years. It is at times difficult for those of us that were there to revisit the time, but in fact Gilles and Didier were good friends. Didier had even covered for Gilles. There is talk about a lack of invitation to Didier's wedding. There had been an invitation, but the social life with Gilles was complicated. He felt he had to decline. There is a lot to be seen if you look closely at the Imola race linked here to this story. Keep an open eye and an open mind. Time, the media and those that were not there at all have kept, in my mind, the tainted memory alive. To feel Didier deliberately betrayed Gilles is to believe what those in the media have stated in their stories. There is no question there was a lot of bad feelings at Imola and shortly thereafter. The media jumped on it and created the drama we still believe today. If you have ever seen the images of Didier at Zolder carrying Gilles helmet you can see it in his face. He had lost a friend. A lot of Gilles anger was aimed at the team. He expected the team to back him up. It was very emotional and Gilles could be an emotional guy. Look at the video. When Gilles got into the lead after Rene had his engine blow, he naturally inherited the lead with Didier in tow. A few short laps later he went off the circuit himself after making a mistake. It opened the door for Didier to pass without resistance. Didier was now in the lead and according to Gilles himself, the Ferrari in the lead of a race should not be challenged by his teammate lest they take out both cars. Gilles was pissed off with himself and took off after Didier. Didier had the 'Slow' signal from the pits hung out for him. They needed to conserve fuel. Gilles was faster on this day and got past Didier, contrary to the rules he followed himself! Had he not exercised this set of rules with Jody in 1979? Did Didier slow down while he was in the lead to conserve fuel? Possibly, but Gilles retook the lead from him. Did Didier think Gilles was just wanting to give the fans a show. It has been written by so many scribes that this is what Gilles believed when Didier passed him after he slowed as the pit board directed. I am surprised that either one of these fine drivers would have had much chance to read the pit signal at 150mph while trying to decide which side the other red car was going to attack from. Again, look at the video of this race and decide for yourself. Having known both men and observed them both closely through my lens, I doubt there was any deliberate action taken, yet the media and fans alike have crucified Didier Pironi to this day after one of the greatest displays of driving we have ever seen by two men who actually liked each other. They were certainly different. Didier was an aristocrat. Gilles was a country-bumpkin with enormous talent and a drive to be faster, yet they shared a passion for winning. What kind of racing driver would they be if they were not. I think the racing community and the media in particular owe the memory of Didier Pironi a sincere apology.

We know how this race ended and how it appeared on the podium. We also know what the media has said about this event. I wonder how many of them actually saw the race or at least the video of it. So many of the stories differ it is at times hard to believe it is the same event. Zolder will bring more of this speculation.

next: The day the music died

Read the whole Shutter Speed Series

Related posts:

1. Shutter Speed: The new kid on the block
2. Shutter Speed: Two in a row
3. Shutter Speed: More World Cup and the disastrous T5
4. Shutter Speed: Down; but not out!
5. Shutter Speed: The first book and the first nine!

NASCAR ' Kesolowski Makes All The Right Moves to Win at Talladega

Brad Kesolowski celebrates with a burnout after getting his second win of the season in the #2 Miller Lite Dodge.

Talladega has always had the danger, the excitement, and the reputation for the 'Big One' with the potential for disaster.  43 cars entered the arena ready to do battle with the high temperatures Mother Nature provided and the other gladiators vying for a win.  Everyone chose their dancing partners but for the first 3/4 of the race, chose to battle their own cars instead of those around them.  Doing their best to keep the engines cool and their equipment ready for the final push at the end of the race.  Those who tried and failed are amongst NASCAR elite.  Jimmie Johnson lost his oil pump as did Ryan Newman.  Jeff Gordon succumbed to over heating issues late in the race, only to be caught up in the first of 3 wrecks in the final stages of the race.

But in the end it was Brad Kesolowski who made a move that no one expected.  He kept his engine cool, he stayed out of the carnage, and he made it look easy pulling away from Kyle Busch, the car that was pushing him to the lead, with a move that broke the momentum of the push and allowed the lead car to win the race instead of the slingshot pass we've become so accustomed to.  Riding up the track to the outside of turn 3 and diving down towards the infield, Kesolowski broke the 2 car draft leaving Kyle Busch with a wall of air to slow him down, as the #2 Miller Lite Blue Deuce pulled away by what looked to be at least 3 car lengths.  With the 5 previous races having been won by the car in second position after passing the car they were pushing, everyone was expecting a different outcome, but Brad had a plan.

'I had this whole plan if I ever got in that situation where I was leading; I thought about it and thought about it, dreamed about what to do, and sure enough, going into (Turn) 3, it was just me and Kyle,' Keselowski said. 'I knew the move I wanted to pull. It worked because the guy running second should have the advantage, but I had this move all worked up in my mind.'

'That allowed me to drive untouched to the checkered flag,' Keselowski said. 'It wasn't easy to convince myself to do that, but it was the right move.'

'Two wins, with the wild card and all, that almost makes you immune to missing the Chase,' Keselowski said. 'This team is going to be strong come Chase time. The best is yet to come.'

Kyle Busch was caught flat footed by Brad Kesolowski's finshing move at the end of the Aaron's 400 at Talladega.

The move caught Kyle Busch completely off guard, even thinking he had screwed something up himself when Brad broke loose and ran away from him.

'I must have screwed something up, because we got to Turn 3 and came unhooked,' said Busch. 'Just gave the win away over there. Not sure exactly what happened. We definitely need to go back and figure out what it was.'

'I'm not sure he did anything,' Busch said. 'If he did, he's pretty smart. But I think our stuff just came unplugged.'

'If you're leading, being pushed, plan on finishing second. That's all there is to it. He's no dummy, that's for sure,' said Busch in post race interviews.

Matt Kenseth was still trying to figure out how his car, which had been the fastest all day and had led the most laps, was unable to close at the end.  On the final restart his teammate Greg Biffle was pushing him from the line, but his car was too fast for Biffle to get up behind and push.  The gap between the 2 Fords allowed Kesolowski and Busch to fly by and race themselves to the finish.

'I think we had the winning car, really just didn't have the winning driver,' Kenseth said. 'I looked forward for a second, when I looked back, Greg and I were separated, those guys were already outside of him. With me not paying attention, keeping us hooked up, just cost us a shot at the win, cost Greg a shot at the win.'

'I wasn't too fast. I was just too stupid I guess at the end to keep a win.'

Matt Kenseth led the most laps for the day but was unable to capitalize at the end.

'It's hard to whine about leading most of the day and finishing third,' Kenseth said. 'It's just disappointing on the last restart when I had control over keeping Greg with me and I did a poor job of managing that. We got separated and got beat.'

'It probably didn't help that we had a piece of the body break off on the B-post and had the fender tracked in a little bit,' Kenseth said. 'That was my fault because I ran into [Mears] with the right front. It didn't help us, but we had a fast car.'

'It was my fault,' Kenseth said. 'I needed to drag the brake more and get off the gas more to make sure he stays attached. But honestly at Daytona, we came unattached and they couldn't get a run back on me. When we did come apart, there really was no bottom lane. He lost all his speed.'

No for all the fans who have been complaining about boring long green flag runs, Talladega had a few of those, but the excitement of the last 40 laps made all the boredom fade.  The fact that no one was injured as a quarter of the field was taken out of the race and all but 19 cars fell off the lead lap is a testament to the safety developments that NASCAR has been implementing over the past 10 years.  Cars completely torn up and drivers walk away uninjured.  It may be expensive for the owners, but the fans like to see the action, as long as no one is injured.  The 'Big One' is always a game changer as no one knows when it will happen, or who it will take out.

Take Jeff Gordon for example.  He is having one of the most bizarre seasons of his career.  Having won the Pole for the race, he faded back early.  He showed signs of being able to get back to the front when he wanted to, but you can't get to the front it you drive it into the wall.

'This is just one of the most bizarre years that this Dupont Chevrolet and Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet has ever gone through,' Gordon said. 'I mean, it's almost comical at this point.

'That was not fun. I didn't like hitting the wall, but gosh, I thought I was clear. I was just kind of cruising by on the inside. It looked to me like somebody came down and got Martin [Truex Jr.], and that turned him into me. That's just the way our season's been going.'

Tony Stewart was his usual sarcastic self when talking about the wrecks in the final laps of the Aaron's 499.

In typical Tony Stewart fashion his sarcasm was in excellent form as he talked to reporters after the race.  For those of you that missed it, earlier in the week Stewart lashed out at a reporter for asking if the lack of wrecks was costing NASCAR their fan base.  After yesterdays race he had this to say.

'Sorry we couldn't crash more cars today,' Stewart said. 'We didn't fill the quota for the day for Talladega.

'Honestly, I think if we haven't crashed 50 percent of the field by the end of the race, we need to extend the race until we at least crash 50 percent of the cars. 'Cause it's not fair to these fans for them to not see any more wrecks than that. We still had over half the cars running. It shouldn't be that way.'

'I'm upset that we didn't crash more cars,' he said. 'I feel like that's what we're here for. I feel bad if I don't spend at least $150,000 in tore-up race cars going back to the shop so we definitely got to do a better job with that. '

'I had a blast. It would have been a lot more fun if I could have got caught up in one more wreck. If I could have done that, it would have been perfect.'

 

 

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NASCAR ' Talledega Heat Doesn't Effect Gordon's Speed as he Takes The Pole for the Aaron's 499.

Jeff Gordon set the fastest time around the biggest track in NASCAR to take the pole for the Aaron's 499 at Talledega.

The early spring Alabama heat wave has had people talking all week about how the heat was going to effect the cars at Talledega this weekend.  How will they keep the engines cool?  Will the drivers be able to handle the temps inside the cars?  Will the heat cause engine issues in the pack or when they break to a 2 car push?  Jeff Gordon had concerns about engine management, and how much tape there was on his front grille, but all of his worrying paid off in the end with him setting the fastest lap around NASCAR's biggest and fastest racetrack in the circuit. With a time of 49.973 seconds at a speed of 191.623 mph posted the only sub 50 second lap time of the day, taking his 71st pole (third most of all time), and marking 20 straight seasons with at least one pole tying the record set by David Pearson.

'The temperatures are being managed from the moment that car goes on the track [Friday] till the end of that race,' Gordon said. 'So even in qualifying we're trying to manage 'em and not get 'em too hot. We chose to do that bottom lane, because we feel like it saves about three seconds of time, which is how much longer the engine's running, building temperature.

'Plus, I feel like this track is big enough that you don't have to run up high, like Daytona.'

With temperatures hovering around 86F during qualifying and expected temperatures predicted to be even higher for today's race, keeping cool, both under the hood and under the collar, will definitely be a challenge.

'It's so warm out, that I think most of the cars down pit road had to leave open a little bit of tape [on the grille], because they were going to push water too much,' said A.J. Allmendinger, whom Gordon knocked off the pole with his fastest lap. 'I didn't see if [Gordon] was fully taped up, or how much tape he had, but I think that's kind of the idea that he had, that if you can fully tape up, you're going to get a little bit of an advantage on everybody, and the only way you can do that is run low the whole time.

'It's definitely a new strategy, but those guys are fast no matter what, so it's not like they snuck up on us. We knew that was going to be one of the cars to beat there at the end. But it's something to think about the next time we're here.'

Is Talledega really Dale Jr's best shot for a win this year?

When it comes to restrictor plate tracks the names of the usual suspects begin to get tossed around.  Dale Earnhardt Jr. hears it every time he comes here.  Is this your best place to try and break the streak Jr?  Is it your best chance?

'I never really took anything for granted. A lot of people have said that this weekend at the race track, but I don't pay much attention to it,' Earnhardt said. 'I know how this sport can be brutal and great all at the same time. You just hope you're prepared and try to run a smart race. Hopefully then you can make the right moves and beat the odds and win the race.'

'This is probably one of our better shots,' Earnhardt said. 'How the drafting and everything was changed before Daytona [this year], that suits me better. And it's hotter, and I think that leans toward favoring pack racing over tandem racing, too. That's kind of in my favor, so I'm looking forward to the race. I just don't think our odds have necessarily increased because I've run so well this year.'

'I feel like I'm in the best equipment that's out there, and that gives you a lot of confidence. I feel like I know what I'm doing when I come here,' Earnhardt said. 'I feel like if I could create the best scenario for me to come to Talladega and win a race, this is it. I've got the best car and I know how to get around the race track.'

The other drivers seem to agree for the most part that Jr. knows his way around this track and will definitely be a contender at the end of the race.

Opponents like Denny Hamlin recognize the potential. 'I think he's obviously got a ton of experience and a ton of wins on this track. When you look at this schedule and you look at opportunities to win, I would say that this is one of his best shots to do it.'

Jimmie Johnson seemed to be in the minority with his opinion.  He feels that while Jr may be really good at Talledega, his chances here have too many factors to be wary of.

'I think his best chance to win is on non-plate tracks, to be honest with you,' Johnson said. 'Here, there are so many circumstances to deal with. We don't know if you're going to overheat, get the push at the right time, whatever it may be. What I've seen out of him, if you just look at this year alone and where he is in points and how fast his cars have been and how great he's been driving, I put this lower on the list of where I would expect him to win.'

But when it comes right down to it, the driver who is going to win this race will be the one who has the best equipment at the end of the race, and a partner who can push them away from the pack where timing will be everything.

'I think the chemistry Junior and I both have, that our shop has, it was just another example of how strong that chemistry is and how much it continues to grow,' Johnson said. 'I'm very happy to see how fast the No. 88 car has been week in and week out. Naturally, you think of him as a favorite here at this race track ' but that No. 88 has been pretty strong everywhere. He is rising to be a favorite everywhere we go.'

Earnhardt Jr. tends to agree with his Hendrick Motorsports teammate.

'I maybe feel the same way because when you come to Daytona and Talladega, the cars are so equal,' Earnhardt said. 'And even though pack racing definitely puts more in your hands and you definitely control your own destiny more when you're just dealing with yourself and looking for No. 1 and being greedy and selfish, there still are so many things that can happen.

'Somebody could get the right push and do the right thing at the right time and win the race, and there's nothing you can do about it. It's a lottery, really. I've said that before, but it really is when you come to Daytona and Talladega, trying to win these races.

 

 

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