2011 Sprint Cup race reviews and results

[Garrett Duke]

They are going road racing tomorrow at Watkins Glen. Kyle Busch won his first pole of the season. Race is at 1 EST on ESPN tomorrow...that is if it doesn't rain. Looks like they are predicting rain, if so, they'll race on Monday. In which case, I won't be able to watch...because someone has to work for a living!

*Starts singing: Rain, Rain, go away, come back another none racing day!*

[Garrett Duke]

They are going road racing tomorrow at Watkins Glen. Kyle Busch won his first pole of the season. Race is at 1 EST on ESPN tomorrow...that is if it doesn't rain. Looks like they are predicting rain, if so, they'll race on Monday. In which case, I won't be able to watch...because someone has to work for a living!

*Starts singing: Rain, Rain, go away, come back another none racing day!*

Race day today...now watching the prerace show. And guess what? It's raining!!!!!!! ERRR Wish it was raining here and not there!

Let's go JEFF GORDON and TEAM 24!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Once again...rain, rain, go away, come back another day...like tomorrow!!!!!!

[Garrett Duke]

Race day today...now watching the prerace show. And guess what? It's raining!!!!!!! ERRR Wish it was raining here and not there!

Let's go JEFF GORDON and TEAM 24!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Once again...rain, rain, go away, come back another day...like tomorrow!!!!!!

Well just wasted a Sunday by watching three hours of driver interviews...in between switching to watch my beloved Cubs game...only for them to cancel the race! The race will be at 10 on ESPN...looks like a great day to be calling in sick tomorrow. HA HA. Wish I could do that, would feel too guilty even thinking of doing that. So I guess I'll have to sit this race out. Very frustrated right now!

[RogerDuke]

Sorry to hear your plans were ruined Garrett.

I had a weekend with a bit on an animal theme. On Friday evening I was at the beach on Lake Erie and had a majestic bald eagle fly right over my head. On Saturday I visited Punxytawney Pa, home of the world's most famous groundhog. And today I went to see Planet of the Apes.

[Garrett Duke]

Wow Roger...sounds like you had an exciting animal filled weekend!

The race was drove and finished this afternoon...err this morning. It was done by eleven thirty central time. I had it on the radio this morning, but only heard bits and pieces of it since someone had to work this morning. Just watched a video on NASCAR.com of the crazy and scary finish! Marcos Ambrose got his first Sprint Cup victory...which was very well deserved and long awaited for him. Sad they had to finish it under yellow ...if the yellow comes out under the w hite flag, the race is over.

Boris Said...who is a road racer, got into David Ragen who sent him flying into the wall and richocheted off and into David Reutimann who spun into the other wall. Horrible accident...last rain postponed race, that was Gordon. Glad both Davids were able to walk away from such a horrid accident.

Later then, Tony Stewart slid into the infield or the grass area and that brought out the yellow flag. Gordon just slid past that one.

Well I didn't watch the race, so perhaps I don't have much room to vent, but am really frustrated with Boris Said. Don't understand comptletely what was going on, but what it sounded like, Greg Biffle, who is Ragen's team mate, approached Boris Said after the race about how he raced Ragen.

Give Boris Said some credit...understand he didn't appreciate Biffle racing him hard or what not when Biffle was two laps down or that he didn't like that Ragen didn't give him much room to pass...but really? Wreck Ragen like that when they were that far back is uncalled for. Either David could have been hurt. Or worse.

In my opinion, Biffle is a laid back guy and looks to be someone to take a lot to be made mad. So for him to approach Said like that and start giving him punches says a lot on how mad he was. Then for Said to call Biffle the names he did and then threaten him as he did in his interview, was very uncalled for. Not that Biffle should have punched him, but perhaps if Said raced Ragen without wrecking him, perhaps it wouldn't have happened.

Boris Said is a road racer...he only races in NASCAR when they are on the road courses and perhaps one or two tracks. So for him to wreck other regular Sprint Cup drivers has little consequence to him. Memory serves me right, he wrecked someone in the last road race we were in. Perhaps NASCAR should stop allowing road racers like him in if they can't respect the regular cup drivers.

All my opinion of course...which may mean very little since I didn't watch the race and just seen videos on NASCAR.com of the end and all.

Here is the top ten finishers of today's race:

1. Marcos Ambrose

2. Brad Keselowski

3. Kyle Busch

4. Martin Truex Jr

5. Joey Lagano

6. Kevin Harvick

7. Juan Pablo Montoya

8. AJ Allmindinger

9. Jeff Burton

10. Jimmie Johnson

(Gordon finishes 13th...Jr finishes 15th)

Great to see both Richard Petty's cars make the top ten today...Marcos Ambrose and AJ Allmindinger. Great to see Jeff Burton get a top ten after the rotten year he's had thus far. Even better to see Marcos get the win...gets me two wins in two weeks for my fantasy NASCAR team.

As I said, I didn't watch or hear much of the race so if anyone had watched the race, so if anyone got to see more than I had and I missed anything or got something wrong, feel free to add onto my review.

(Hate that I missed the road race this weekend . Feel like I missed out on everything! I like Marcos Ambrose so really hate missing his first win. Oh well...I guess if I had to pick a race I had to miss, it'd be a road race. Despite Gordon being good at them, they are slower than the normal races and it is hard to pass people...so no matter how much I hated to miss today's race, would rather miss it than next weekend when they race in Michigan...Gordon's favorite track - one that both him and Jr are good at. Or Bristol in two weeks where they'll be racing at night...love night racing at Bristol! Am looking forward to Michigan and Bristol if y'all can't tell! )

[HossC]

I got to see the last 25 or so laps when I got in from work. I came in just at the point that Denny Hamlin had a bad crash - something broke, locking his front wheel and cutting his brakes. It looked nasty, but he walked away and later praised the 7-point safety belt in his car (some of the others only have 5-point belts).

I think they said Jeff Gordon was leading at that time, but the caution came out just when he was due a pit stop. He came back out in about 21st place, quickly got up to 13th, but could get no further.

Kyle Busch was leading the restart after Paul Menard hit the barrier with a few laps to go, but got passed by Brad Keselowski and then Marcos Ambrose, who then took the lead. Lots of action in the last lap with David Reutimann's car suddenly appearing upside-down and then Tony Stewart skidding through the 'bus stop'.

Boris Said called Greg Biffle unprofessional and claimed he'd been giving the finger when they were side by side. The pair then arranged a post-race meeting over their radios where Said said that Biffle approached him and then ran off behind some big guys. Doesn't sound like this one is over - Said said that wrecking cars on the track wasn't the way to solve it, but not to be surprised if Biffle turns up to a race with a black eye.

[Garrett Duke]

I got to see the last 25 or so laps when I got in from work. I came in just at the point that Denny Hamlin had a bad crash - something broke, locking his front wheel and cutting his brakes. It looked nasty, but he walked away and later praised the 7-point safety belt in his car (some of the others only have 5-point belts).

I think they said Jeff Gordon was leading at that time, but the caution came out just when he was due a pit stop. He came back out in about 21st place, quickly got up to 13th, but could get no further.

Kyle Busch was leading the restart after Paul Menard hit the barrier with a few laps to go, but got passed by Brad Keselowski and then Marcos Ambrose, who then took the lead. Lots of action in the last lap with David Reutimann's car suddenly appearing upside-down and then Tony Stewart skidding through the 'bus stop'.

Boris Said called Greg Biffle unprofessional and claimed he'd been giving the finger when they were side by side. The pair then arranged a post-race meeting over their radios where Said said that Biffle approached him and then ran off behind some big guys. Doesn't sound like this one is over - Said said that wrecking cars on the track wasn't the way to solve it, but not to be surprised if Biffle turns up to a race with a black eye.

I heard Said say all that...found it ironic that he would say he wouldn't wreck anyone when he just got done wrecking David Ragen and David Reutimann. But then again, perhaps it wasn't on 'purpose' either. As I said, all I saw was the replays on nascar.com that did show Said's interview. Perhaps giving Said the bird isn't professional, but is threatening to go to another driver's house and give him a whooping any more professional?

Sorry, those were just things I was thinking when I heard his interview. Never had a big issue with Boris in the past, but have to say, of what I have heard online, have to say I am on Biffle's side. Biffle is normally a laid back guy who isn't easy to upset like that.

[Garrett Duke]

I heard Said say all that...found it ironic that he would say he wouldn't wreck anyone when he just got done wrecking David Ragen and David Reutimann. But then again, perhaps it wasn't on 'purpose' either. As I said, all I saw was the replays on nascar.com that did show Said's interview. Perhaps giving Said the bird isn't professional, but is threatening to go to another driver's house and give him a whooping any more professional?

Sorry, those were just things I was thinking when I heard his interview. Never had a big issue with Boris in the past, but have to say, of what I have heard online, have to say I am on Biffle's side. Biffle is normally a laid back guy who isn't easy to upset like that.

Well Hoss, you saw more of the race than I had, what is your view on it?

It is only Tuesday and since I missed this past weekend's race already starting to feel my NASCAR withdrawl kick in. Am highly anticipating Sunday to see the boys racing at Michigan...Gordon's favorite track! (It just better NOT rain...let it rain in Iowa. Not Michigan! LOL)

[HossC]

Well Hoss, you saw more of the race than I had, what is your view on it?

I was looking forward to the race, and it's a shame I only got to see 25 laps, and several of them under caution. The bit I did see was exciting.

It's a pity they won't run in bad weather. When they did the car swap at WGI they had rain at the start of the session and put some wet weather tires on both cars. The F1 cars run in quite bad conditions, but they have the aerodynamic advantage of huge downforce to push them into the track - in theory the cars could drive along the ceiling!.

The Biffle/Said fight seemed to get out of hand. I've seen drivers confront each other after a race, and even the odd punch thrown, but I think Boris is taking things a bit far.

At least you have a race this weekend, I'm just over halfway through the three week summer break in F1 . It's probably a good idea for the employees - the factories have to shut for two weeks out of the three. It's such a high-tech sport that they'd be working around the clock otherwise. Doesn't mean that I don't miss the racing though. My next race is the weekend after next at the historic Spa-Francorchamps track in Belgium. Like WGI it also has a chicane called the 'Bus Stop' - don't know which one came first. Spa opened in 1920, WGI had it's first race in 1948, but I can't see the Bus Stop on early maps of Spa. Having said that, the original Spa track was over nine miles long and took in a couple of local villages. Due to its location in the Ardennes Forest there's normally a good chance of rain, and I'm looking forward to that .

[Garrett Duke]

Don't know how you can wait that long for a race! Hope it goes by quicker than what you imagine it will!

Thanks for your feedback. After posting what I did and not saying it, got worrying that I saw it wrong. All I saw was what was on the internet on NASCAR.com and they didn't interview Greg Biffle, just Boris Said. Though from watching Biffle on TV, he seems like one of the more quieter ones on the track and the least likely to be made easily like that.

Guess I no longer have room to complain about my wait til next week to watch the race...perhaps you can watch NASCAR to fill in your gap.

[HossC]

I heard Said say all that...found it ironic that he would say he wouldn't wreck anyone when he just got done wrecking David Ragen and David Reutimann. But then again, perhaps it wasn't on 'purpose' either.

I've just watched the crash again on YouTube. To be fair to Said, it looks like he held his line around the outside and Ragan moved across the front of his car (see this video from 4:35 onwards). After seeing the post-race interview it would be easy to assume that Said wrecked Ragan on purpose, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

[Garrett Duke]

I've just watched the crash again on YouTube. To be fair to Said, it looks like he held his line around the outside and Ragan moved across the front of his car (see this video from 4:35 onwards). After seeing the post-race interview it would be easy to assume that Said wrecked Ragan on purpose, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Yeah I saw it a couple of times and it can go either way. And the way Said talked did make it sound like he did it on purpose, but I don't know. Ragen and Biffle are generally clean racers...only seeing Said a few times here and there it is hard to tell. Does seem like he was in a wreck or wrecked someone at Infineon, but could be wrong so I am not judging him either way. Just glad both Ragen and Reutimann are both OK and that the were able to walk away from it all.

Just read an article on NASCAR.com and it looks like Said and Biffle talked over the phone and worked things out. Said shoved Biffle off the road while on the carousale, whatever that is...ha ha, and Biffle got upset over it thinking Said shouldn't have raced him like that in taht particular area...an area that Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton got into huge wreck (Biffle's words) last year, so he had that in mind as well when he got upset in the car. Made him more upset when Said wrecked his team mate at the end (Ragen) then parked behind Biffle's car instead of Said's own hauler or going and checking on both Davids. Biffle did give Said credit for being a talented driver at the end of the article.

Glad to hear they have it worked out and now we can move onto Michigan on Sunday. Biffle will be there...Said who is a road racer, will not be there. The race will be at one EST on Sunday on channel ESPN.

[Garrett Duke]

NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Michigan on ESPN is about to start and after running out of gas and getting into a fight with Boris Said after the race at Wakins Glen, Greg Biffle will start on the pole. And going winless so far, he is one of many who is looking for a win to get into the wild card spot for t he chase.

[Garrett Duke]

Three hours later and the race is over. Greg Biffle started from the pole and lead a lot of laps until he got passed through pit stops and came home twentieth. It was an up and down day for most drivers. Kurt Busch hit the wall at least three times before causing the final caution with four laps to go. Carl Edwards had something break under the hood during the first half of the race and had to go to the garage for a lot of laps before coming back out. Denny Hamlin too had to go to the garage after hitting the wall. Jeff Gordon led a lot of laps before Matt Kenseth got lead under green flag pit stops...Jimmie Johnson who has yet to win at Michigan, led some laps before getting passed by Kyle Busch...who went on to win his first race at Michigan - and won his fourth race of the season so far. Kyle Busch has now clenched his spot in the chase...

1. Kyle Busch

2. Jimmie Johnson.

3. Brad Keselwoski

4. Mark Martin

5. Ryan Newman

6. Jeff Gordon

7. Kasey Kahne

8. Clint Bowyer

9. Tony Stewart

10. Matt Kenseth

Next race is next Saturday night on ABC for one of my favorite races of the year as we'll be going night racing at Bristol! May be the shortest track on the circuit, but has got to be one of the most exciting racing as well.

[RogerDuke]

I've been so busy lately I didn't know about any of this. Thanks for the update. It sounds like it was almost as dramatic as a Dukes of Hazzard episode.

[Garrett Duke]

I've been so busy lately I didn't know about any of this. Thanks for the update. It sounds like it was almost as dramatic as a Dukes of Hazzard episode.

LOL Roger. Yeah just about as dramatic...then add to it the dramatic pulling of hair in the Nationwide Series race of Steven Wallace. Then to add to the drama that Bristol will most likely to add to the drama...

[Garrett Duke]

Well the night race at Bristol was last night and it was as great of a race as I had expected it to be...though for this Jeff Gordon fan, was kinda disappointing.

Ryan Newman earned the pole and led the first four laps before getting passed. Matt Kenseth led a lot of laps...but Jeff Gordon led the most laps with leading 206 laps out of the entire five hundred lap race. In my opinion, his pit crew kinda was lacking something. Everytime he went into pit road, Matt Kenseth came out first and Gordon had to pass him again on the track. Except when they made their final pit stop with eighty to go when he got back out on the track sixth to lose five positions! Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr took two tires instead of four as Gordon and other cars took four.

After winning the past three out of five races at Bristol, Kyle Busch had a rough night when with seventy or so laps to go he got smushed in between two cars. He came home fourteenth.

Mark Martin tried to get in between Brian Vickers and Bobby or Terry Labonte but there wasn't enough room and he got sent into the wall and out of the race. David Stremme and another car got into and got a chain reaction when Denny Hamlin and Paul Menard hit each other. Menard came home thirtieth while Hamlin finished seventh...both are fighting to get into the chase that will start in three weeks.

Few guys who needed to have good races for the chase had bad races last night. Tony Stewart who had a horrible qualifying and started as the last car on the track finished three laps down. Kevin Harvick was a lap down, but he is pretty good in the top ten. Clint Bowyer had a poor race as well. Greg Biffle had his tire go flat under green and during the next caution pit stop, he got caught speeding in pits and he finished a couple or so laps down.

Brad Keselowski held on to win the race. Making him the hottest driver of August after winning twice and having a couple of top tens or something like that. Gordon went on and fought his way to finish third which is a pretty good finishing spot. One I should be happy with. But knowing that he should have had the win if his pit crew had been has good as other's has been.

Here is the top ten finishing spots:

1. Brad Keselwoski

2. Martin Truex Jr

3. Jeff Gordon

4. Jimmie Johnson

5. Jamie McMurray

6. Matt Kenseth

7. Denny Hamlin

8. Ryan Newman

9. Carl Edwards

10. Marcos Ambrose

We have two more races until the chase starts at Chicagoland...Atlanta next Sunday night and then Richmond. So far, Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson are locked into the chase. Right now, doesn't look like I'll be able to be watching the Atlanta race next week due to going to go see Marty Stuart with my family. Hopefully will be reading up on and posting what I read...Still hate misisng any races. Atlanta is always a good race!

[Garrett Duke]

To continue my review...I just read something and I stand corrected. It doesn't sound like Gordon had bad pit stops, just other cars were passing him when he was going the speed down pit road. At least the last one. Which in my opinion, means they were speeding and won unfairly. Oh well...it was a race Gordon should have and could have won, but coming home third isn't all that bad. He was very dominant and strong ALL race long which is very promising for him..and his fans going into the chase.

I just wanted to correct myself and take my blame of Gordon's crew that is normally great in any race. They may have had a part in it...don't know, but sounds like they had some help at coming out sixth and not one or two. All I know is what they show and say on TV...

[Garrett Duke]

To continue my review...I just read something and I stand corrected. It doesn't sound like Gordon had bad pit stops, just other cars were passing him when he was going the speed down pit road. At least the last one. Which in my opinion, means they were speeding and won unfairly. Oh well...it was a race Gordon should have and could have won, but coming home third isn't all that bad. He was very dominant and strong ALL race long which is very promising for him..and his fans going into the chase.

I just wanted to correct myself and take my blame of Gordon's crew that is normally great in any race. They may have had a part in it...don't know, but sounds like they had some help at coming out sixth and not one or two. All I know is what they show and say on TV...

In other words...Jeff Gordon got robbed of his 85th win last night. Of course, I am a Jeff Gordon fan and my opinion is biased...

I should explain a little bit how it works...pit road has sensors laid periodically through pit road. Well some drivers will pick their pit stalls knowing where the sensors are and will speed where the sensors are not laid out. According to Gordon, Bristol's pit road the sensors are spread out farther than normal. So I guess it is the track at fault as much as the drivers...but all the same, I feel Gordon got robbed last night.

[RogerDuke]

Oh well, there's never a race without controversy....I'm just sorry it didn't go your way.

Speaking of not going MY way, where was #6?

Hey, has the Labonte brother been racing much this year? I'm guessing it's Terry.

Thanks for the update Garrett.

[Garrett Duke]

Oh well, there's never a race without controversy....I'm just sorry it didn't go your way.

Speaking of not going MY way, where was #6?

Hey, has the Labonte brother been racing much this year? I'm guessing it's Terry.

Thanks for the update Garrett.

Thanks Roger. Third place is a great finish for the 24 team and it was great to see him have such a fast and dominant race car. I have little room to complain about, just disappointed that he didn't get the win he should have gotten it.

Yeah...there's always controversy in NASCAR. If it isn't one thing...it's something else.

As for David Ragen finished twentieth...not such a good run for the number six team, but he did finish ahead of where he started so at least he had a better finish t han start...he started twenty-fourth.

Bobby Labonte runs a full schedule where as his older brother Terry only races a handful of races, if that. It is great to see them both in the race together. Wish Bobby would have better finishes than he has had as of lately.

[Garrett Duke]

Just heard the best news all day...Jeff Gordon is now clinched into the chase...if not the top ten, then as one of the two wild cards! (Jumping up and down in excitement!) can now be relaxed for the next couple of races knowing no matter what, Gordon is going to be in the 2011 chase and has that golden opportunity to gain his fifth championship. HIS DRIVE FOR FIVE IS ON!!!!!!!!

OK I am probably the only one excited about the news...don't know if there is any other Jeff Gordon fans on the site. But thought I'd share my excitement with y'all.

Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, and Jeff Gordon has now clinched their way into the chase (Harvick and Gordon are tied in points as is Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson...both my guys tied with someone else and am hoping they both will prevail.)

Well there's my exciting news...ain't y'all excited?

[RogerDuke]

Well I'm happy for you Garrett but I would of been even more excited if it would have been David Ragen, Bo Duke or Cale Yarborough.

Speaking of Bo Duke racing, he won't have to travel far from Hazzard this weekend...they're in Atlanta aren't they?

[Garrett Duke]

Well I'm happy for you Garrett but I would of been even more excited if it would have been David Ragen, Bo Duke or Cale Yarborough.

Speaking of Bo Duke racing, he won't have to travel far from Hazzard this weekend...they're in Atlanta aren't they?

Well sorry to say this Roger but of your list of favorite drivers the only one that had the option of earning his way into the chase was David Ragen. Ragen has had the best year of his career this year with his win at daytona and his near wi n at the Daytona 500...he may need a miracle to get into the chase right now, but he has a lot to smile about this year. So don't go looking all sad on me about him not in the chase. But if he did make it in the chase I would be happy for him and you. He's a good kid...just not as happy as I am that Gordon is in it...and Johnson. Am really hoping Jr will make it into the chase as well, but he still could drop out of it if he has two bad races. (fingers crossed that he'll have two GREAT races!)

Yep...Atlanta...actually it is not in Atlanta itself but an hour away or something like that. Know it isn't in Atlanta as it seems as it should be since it is Atlanta Motorspeedway. A couple of years ago John Schneider sang the "National Anthem"...I was in heaven! Won't be able to watch it on Sunday due to going to see Marty Stuart, but am hoping to record it and watch it on Monday. (Love three day weekends!)

[Garrett Duke]

Well I am g lad I didn't stay home today...er last night to watch the race since it got rained out. I was kinda wishin it would thinking I could watch it tomorrow since I got tomorrow off. WRONG! They will be racing the Sprint Cup race in Atlanta at noon or eleven EST on Tuesday...when I have to be at work! So irritated. Guess there is a chance for tornadoes, high winds, and rain in tomorrow's Atlanta forecast. I get no break this weekend! So y'all will have to rely on my race coverage they show online. :(