Car owner Chip Ganassi makes a date with history, winning the Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400 in the same season. You had a feeling early this was Ganassi’s day to kiss the bricks, the surprise came in who delivered it.
Juan Pablo Montoya flew past the field to dominate early, and I mean dominate. Being out front not only delivered clean air, but kept the “42” car in front of a big mess on the first lap! Kyle Busch, Same Hornish David Reutimann were among the main participants in the melee. Busch says his car struggled on starts, making his dash from 36th at one point to a finish of 8th all the more amazing. His top ten ends for Shrub a five race run of futility outside the top ten.
After all the good practice sessions and an outside pole, the four-time Jimmie Johnson’s day went gunnysack in mid-race, as his team threw the kitchen sink at an evil car, with shocks and a variety of other remedies. For Johnson, it’s his third race outside the top twenty, and though some may want to suggest its foolish to say he’s slumping, still there’s got to be a growing feeling J.J. can be had. His teammate and points runner-up Jeff Gordon never really had it right on Sunday, limping home with a 23 place run, short-circuiting his drive for five Indy wins.
Greg Biffle led the charge for Ford, and challenged hard to
get owner Jack Roush his first Brickyard win. The only other track the Cat in the Hat is winless at is Chicagoland. Biff dueled hard with Montoya, and later Harvick, but crew chief Greg Erwin opted for a four-tire stop late in the race.
For so long on this sweltering Sunday afternoon, it was a two car race- the “16” of Biffle, and Montoya’s “42.” Both teams went the way of conventional wisdom on the race’s fifth caution flag. Jamie McMurray, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin, Kurt Busch and Jeff Burton all made two tire stops, putting them in front of Biffle and JPM coming off pit road.
McMurray zipped it out front, while teammate Montoya seemed stuck in wet cement. Racing like Hell on wheels, Montoya gets sideways, hitting the wall, and getting hit by Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who had no place to go.
ESPN reporter Jamie Little reports crew chief Brian Pattie was
distraught atop Montoya’s pit box, saying Montoya’s mishap was all his fault. It’s the second year in a row Montoya watched a dominating performance go up in smoke.
As the caution was coming out, Harvick passed McMurray.The question now was one of whether Harvick could hold off the “1” car, or if Biffle could use the four-tire advantage to catch the top two.
McMurray seized the lead, and while it was close for a while, he held on for the win, reversing the finish at Talladega back in April. This gives the 33-year old Missourian his fifth career win, and just his second at a non-plate race. Following Harvick and Biffle in the top five: a steady Clint Bowyer, and Tony Stewart, who says a two-tire call on that final stop vaulted a top 20 car into the top five.
A call also goes out to Jeff Burton- the third of three RCR cars to make top ten, Carl Edwards, who fought through an overheating car early to take seventh, and young Joey Logano, who snuck through the field to finish ninth after starting 33rd.
It’s good to see a good guy win. This observer’s gut reaction to
the race is that it was a better one than most at Indy, and the fans that clamored for better post-race coverage than what they got from TNT had to be happy with what they saw, getting interviews from more than just the top three drivers,and a pretty fair roundtable discussion.
Now they pack up the hauler and head for Pocono. from this race, we learn the lesson that there’s a good reason races are ran on tracks, and not paper, and that if you tune out before the end, you may miss something.
PHOTO CREDITS- Montoya and Biffle racing by Christian Peterson/ Getty Images. Montoya’s wreck by Rusty Jarrett/ Getty Images for NASCAR. Jamie McMurray by John Harelson/ Getty Images for NASCAR.
{ 6 comments }
what a horrid horrid race of epic boredominess..once again an afternoon at indy has proven it excel’s at open wheel excitement and falls flat for “stockers”..gel-boy didnt so much win as survived as passing is basically impossible there..if passing was able..biffle prolly woulda blown past em all but alas..i digress..i did get excited watching the irl race from edmonton though..not because the race was any good..but because the officials flat out stole helio’s win..hohumm…best racing of the weekend..continental tire series..stangs and camaro’s in 1969 livery..my kingdom for fun racing!!!!!!
I about cried when JPM crashed out. sigh, but thats the way it goes.
Yesterdays race was the poster race for what I’ve been saying about both Indy, & the aero deficiencies of the current car. Indy was mostly the single file parade we’ve come to expect. JPM, dominated until the final stop when aero again proved to trump tires. The “Volcano” finally erupted in frustration, as he over drove the car, putting it in the wall. Ending his day, & not helping Jr’s in the bargain.
Good to see the home boys,(Jamie, & johnny Morris) in victory lane, but again the race was won on pit road. Shades of F1. The only difference was that if JPM, & Jamie were to continue running 1,2, Chip wasn’t going to tell one to pull over.
@Rob. Your boy almost pulled it off. Your entitled to your opinion, but are you telling me this was worse than last yuears’ race ro the year before? I don’t think so. Much more passing, and nice to say one of those who aren’t numbered among “The Chosen Ones’ win it.
@Stu. I don’t even like JPM that much, but my heart broke for him.
I must have been having a flash back or sumtin’ on Sunday ‘cause I was trying to figure out why I was watching the TV so much. Then it hit me, this race ain’t so bad. There’s a fair amount of passing, the coverage isn’t all that bad, JJ is sucking, and the win was good for the heart. There was actually a hint of the things I’ve been asking for, and it was Indy of all places. Perhaps others saw a different race but I was pleasantly entertained, which is what I ask out of a race.
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