Four times a year, NASCAR mandates that the cars on the track run with restrictor plates, set underneath the carburetor to limit the horsepower of the engines. Each time the Sprint Cup Series races under this type of engine limitation, it is to be expected to have wide-open racing in tight packs all afternoon. On this weekend, these limitations were put into effect as the teams traveled to Talladega, Alabama for the Aaron’s 499.
This weekend’s race was also an “impound race,” which means all practice sessions would occur on Friday with qualifying Saturday morning. After qualifying, the cars would be put in the garage – not to be touched until race morning to make approved adjustments. It didn’t seem to bother Earnhardt-Ganassi driver Juan Pablo Montoya as he put his Target Dodge on the pole, the first of his career.
By the time Sunday rolled around for the race, six drivers were forced to drop to the rear of the field, including Richard Petty Motorsports drivers Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and A.J. Allmendinger. As these drivers fell to the back, Scott Speed came down pit road on the pace laps with problems under the cars. Due to him pitting before the green flag, under NASCAR rules, he was forced to start the race one lap down.
As the pace car dropped onto pit road, the field made the slow trip through the tri-oval as Montoya led them to the green flag to start 188 laps of high-speed racing. In the opening laps, Montoya and Dale Earnhardt Jr. swapped for position and the lead as the field charged around the 2.66-mile racetrack.
Suddenly, only seven laps into the race, it happened. Heading into turn 3, Jeff Gordon got loose and slid into Matt Kenseth. Gordon then spins up the race track, and then the field starts collecting afterwards. It is known as “The Big One,” the big crash that happens at restrictor plate races that collects many cars. In this case, 16 cars are involved, including those of Kahne, Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin.
Some cars elected to come down pit road for early service, and as the race restarted on lap 13, it was rookie Joey Logano leading the field. Over the next fifteen laps, the lead would swap between eight different drivers as they jockey for position in the field as they search for drafting partners. The caution would fly once again on lap 28 for debris on the backstretch.
The leaders would again come to pit road for service as many were calling for adjustments to loose race cars. Some drivers went with two tires while others went for new tires on all corners. Kyle Busch won the race off pit road and took the lead as Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle elected to stay out an extra lap. Busch would lead through the next yellow flag on lap 42 as Michael Waltrip spun in front of Marcus Ambrose.
It wasn’t until lap 48 when the younger Busch lost the lead as he got passed by Earnhardt Jr, who then lost the lead to Kenseth two laps later. Earnhardt Jr. retook the lead three laps later and held on as the caution flag few again on lap 60 as Kurt Busch went for a spin through the tri-oval.
Pit stops shook up the field a bit as Martin Truex Jr. took the lead on pit stops and led the field to the restart on lap 64. The lead would swap between Truex, Denny Hamlin, Montoya and Earnhardt Jr. over the ensuing 20 laps until the fifth yellow flag of the afternoon slowed the field again.
Some drivers elected to get off-sequence on pit stops this time, and it was evident as Paul Menard, driving for Yates Racing, stayed out to lead. Menard didn’t last long out front as Hamlin went past him right on the restart, pulling a train of cars behind him.
This would be one of the longest green-flag runs of the afternoon as the field began to set a good pace. The lead went back and forth between drivers, mainly Truex, Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson. The swapping of positioning slowed again on lap 124 as debris was spotted on the race track. The pit stops kept the current lead cars near the front, as it was Kyle Busch taking the lead at the pit road stripe followed by Johnson.
The green flag came back out on lap 127, and it was a this point where the drivers began to see who would be willing to work with them in getting the right positioning for the late charge in the race. Drivers began swapping the lead left and right, as over the next 20 laps eight different lead changes would occur.
The caution flag flew again on lap 146 as more debris was found on the racing surface. All drivers came down pit road for service, as some drivers got two tires while others got four. Kyle Busch won the race off pit road again as he elected to only get fuel. His brother, Kurt, decided to stay out and take the lead along with others. It didn’t take long for Kyle to take the lead as he went back to the front on lap 162. As the laps wound down, it began to get a lot more dicier in the pack as drivers were looking for any way to make a run to the front.
Kyle lost the lead on lap 169 to Kenseth, then regained it one lap later. He began falling back another lap later, and soon got bumped by Jeff Burton, which sent him spinning. He was unable to restart the car in time to beat the pace car and fell one lap down. The front drivers did not pit as there was now less than 20 laps left, and track position was critical.
The final caution would come on lap 180 as Robby Gordon and Bobby Labonte crashed after contact from both Hamlin and Montoya, causing another big pile-up. It would be a five lap shootout for victory as Newman led Earnhardt Jr. to the final green flag of the afternoon. Immediately, one of the top contenders, Tony Stewart, falls to the back after his engine loses a cylinder. Newman and Earnhardt Jr. paced the field but Carl Edwards soon had a run on the outside with a push from Brad Keselowski. As the white flag came out, Edwards took the lead and led a breakaway with Keselowski in tow. Coming down the backstretch the two drivers were nose to tail. Coming through the final two corners, Keselowski made a run for the lead, trying both high and low. Heading into the tri-oval, Keselowski made a move low and Edwards went to block, and the two touched, sending Edwards into the outside fence and airborne. Keselowski avoided the ensuing contact and went on to take the checkered flag, winning the Aaron’s 499, his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win.
Afterwards, Edwards was critical of NASCAR and how they are handling the racing at Talladega.
“NASCAR puts us in this box and I guess we’ll race like this until we kill somebody. And then they’ll change it,” said Edwards after leaving the in-field care center. He was also glad that his car did not go into the crowd and injure someone.
However, eight fans were injured due to debris from both the car and the fence. NASCAR official Jim Hunter said many of the injuries were mainly cuts and bruises, but one patient was air lifted to a local medical facility for a laceration on the lip and possibly a broken jaw. The majority of the other injured fans were being treated at the on-site medical facilities.
The victory for Keselowski came in only his fifth career start, and is the first for car owner James Finch. It has been over two years since the series had a first-time winner. The last time was also at Talladega when Brian Vickers won on a controversial finish involving Earnhardt Jr. and Johnson.
After all the nerves of restrictor plate racing cool off, it is then off to Richmond, Virginia, for another Saturday night short-track race. It is a track that has proven to be tough for a lot of the main contenders, as seen last year when Kyle Busch and Earnhardt Jr. collided late in the race, which then led to the second career win of Clint Bowyer.
My favorites for this race are Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson. This was a race that got away from Earnhardt Jr. last year, and based on the statistics, he has run very well on this 0.75-mile track. Johnson has won three of the last four races at this track, so going into the weekend he is sure to be the odds-on favorite. Keep an eye on these Hendrick teammates for all 400 laps.
My sleeper for this one is Tony Stewart. Considering how well he has run this year with his new team, this may seem a bit odd, but Stewart has come close on many occasions already this year and is bound to get a win very soon. Stewart got his first career win at Richmond, but hasn’t won at this track since 2002. However, with this new team and his driving style, he may finally get that first win as both an owner and a driver.
Coverage of the Crown Royal presents the Russ Friedman 400 kicks off at 7 p.m. Saturday on FOX.
TOP 10: 1-Keselowski 2-Earnhardt Jr. 3-Newman 4-Ambrose 5-Speed 6-Kurt Busch 7-Biffle 8-Vickers 9-Logano 10-Burton
NOTABLE FINISHES: 17-Kenseth 21-Hamlin 23-Stewart 24-Kyle Busch 25-Edwards 30-Johnson 36-Kahne 37-Gordon 38-Harvick 43-Martin
CAUTIONS: 9 for 38 laps. Lap 7-12, 28-33, 42-45, 60-63, 85-87, 124-126, 146-149, 172-174, 180-183
LEADERS: Montoya 1-4, Earnhardt Jr. 5, Montoya 6, Ragan 7-8, Andretti 9, Biffle 10, Newman 11, Logano 12-13, Truex Jr. 14-17, Montoya 18, Kurt Busch 19, Hamlin 20-21, Burton 22, Hamlin 23, Burton 24-26, Kurt Busch 27-29, Newman 30, Kyle Busch 31-43, Speed 44, Kyle Busch 45-47, Earnhardt Jr. 48-49, Kenseth 50-52, Earnhardt Jr. 53-61, Waltrip 62, Truex Jr. 63-74, Hamlin 75-76, Montoya 77, Earnhardt Jr. 78-79, Johnson 80, Hamlin 81-82, Hornish Jr. 83-85, Nemechek 86, Menard 87-88, Hamlin 89-91, Johnson 92, Hamlin 93-110, Earnhardt Jr. 111-113, Truex Jr. 114-115, Logano 116, Truex Jr. 117-120, Vickers 121-122, Truex Jr. 123-124, Edwards 125, Kyle Busch 126-133, Sadler 134-136, Kurt Busch 137-139, Hamlin 140, Mears 141-142, Burton 143, Earnhardt Jr. 144, Kurt Busch 145, Earnhardt Jr. 146-147, Mayfield 148, Kurt Busch 149-153, Kyle Busch 154-168, Kenseth 169, Kyle Busch, 170-172, Kenseth 173-177, Newman 178-186, Edwards 187, Keselowski 188. 60 Lead changes among 26 drivers
POINT STANDINGS: 1-Kurt Busch, 1299 points 2-Jeff Gordon, -5 3-Johnson, -64 4-Stewart, -67 5-Hamlin, -109 6-Kyle Busch, -175 7-Edwards, -180 8-Bowyer, -201 9-Burton, -207 10-Biffle, -218 11-Reutimann, -222 12-Kenseth, -236
