Part 2 : continues…. second in the Sprint Showdown.
LOOKING AHEAD: Montoya said his mission this weekend is pretty simple: “We’ve got to race our way in (the All-Star event). It’s a cool race for the fans, and Target is going to have a huge presence at the race track over the next couple of weeks. So it would be great if we could make it into the All-Star Race for them.”
LOOKING BACK: It was a long night for Montoya as he battled an ill-handling race car all evening and finished a disappointing 24th. “We struggled this weekend,” said Montoya. “The Target Chevy just wouldn’t turn. From the time we unloaded, we just couldn’t get the handling right. It was just a handful, but we hung in there and tried some new things out.”
ETC.: Montoya is another driver who hopes to “learn as much as possible this weekend so we’ll be a lot better off in the 600. We need a real good run in the 600 (to get back in the thick of the hunt to make the Chase), so we need to take advantage of the extra track time.”
1 JAMIE MCMURRAY, Chevrolet
Team: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
WHERE HE STANDS: 20th, 74 points out of the top 10. Lost four spots last week.
ALL-STAR RECORD: One top-10 finish in six starts. Did not win a race in 2011 and must finish first or second in the Sprint Showdown to qualify for this year’s Sprint All-Star Race.
LOOKING AHEAD: McMurray calls Charlotte “one of my favorite race tracks, and not just because it’s home. It has been a good track for me. I think our mile and a half program is better this year than it was last year. So coming to a track that you like and you feel like you have a good baseline setup makes you think it should be a good weekend for us.”
LOOKING BACK: With 50 laps to go, McMurray and A J Allmendinger tangled in turn four to bring out the sixth caution flag of the evening. As a result, McMurray ended the night in 34th place after running in the top 15 for most of the race. “I hate that our night ended the way it did,” said McMurray. “We were on the lead lap and just wanted to have a solid finish. We just got to racing with the 22 and got together.”
ETC.: McMurray won his first Cup race at Charlotte. “And that is one of the biggest reasons why this track means so much to me,” said McMurray. “I just feel good whenever we come here. I just feel that good things are going to happen.”
OTHERS
43 ARIC ALMIROLA, Ford
Team: Richard Petty Motorsports
WHERE HE STANDS: 21st, 75 points out of the top 10. Gained one spot last week.
ALL-STAR RECORD: Has never qualified for the All-Star race. Will have to finish first or second in the Sprint Showdown to earn a spot this year.
LOOKING AHEAD: Almirola would love to win the Showdown and qualify for the All-Star Race. “That is my first goal for the weekend, but I also want to use this weekend to get ready for the 600 next weekend,” said Almirola. “This also will be a good time for me and Mike (Ford, his new crew chief) to get to know each other better. There are a lot of things we can accomplish this weekend.”
LOOKING BACK: In his first Sprint Cup start at Darlington, Almirola finished 19th. “I earned plenty of Darlington stripes tonight, that’s for sure,” said Almirola. “I felt I learned quite a bit, and I finally got in a rhythm about 100 laps into the race and then I just couldn’t get it done there on those final restarts. That was disappointing, but all in all, it was a good day. I learned a lot, so for my first time here at Darlington that’s saying something.”
ETC.: Almirola has been a “big fan” of the All-Star Race “for a long, long time. I think it is just a great weekend for the fans. There is just so much excitement about this weekend. It sure would be nice to be part of it.” Almirola must finish first or second in the Showdown to earn a spot in the All-Star Race.
22 A J ALLMENDINGER, Dodge
Team: Penske Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: 22nd, 84 points out of the top 10. Lost two spots last week.
ALL-STAR RECORD: In his only start in the All-Star race, he finished 17th. Will have to race his way into the main event by finishing first or second in the Sprint Showdown. Won the Showdown in 2008.
LOOKING AHEAD: Allmendinger said, “I’ve won the Showdown before and we can win it again. We’ve had fast cars all year long; we just haven’t had the luck we’ve needed. We’re bound to change the luck soon. We’ll definitely have a good shot to win this thing and advance. I do not doubt that at all.”
LOOKING BACK: Allmendinger had rallied from being a lap down and was in position to challenge for a top-10 finish when he and Jamie McMurray bounced off each other with only 50 laps to go. The contact forced Allmendinger to go to the garage area for repairs. He returned 11 laps later to finish 33rd.
ETC.: Crew chief Todd Gordon believes a win in the Showdown on Saturday night “would be huge for our confidence level — for A J, for me and for the entire No. 22 Penske team. Success of that type would be something great to build off of and a steppingstone for the future.”
55 MARK MARTIN, Toyota
Team: Michael Waltrip Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: 23rd, 95 points out of the top 10. Gained one spot last week.
ALL-STAR RECORD: Two wins and 10 top-10 finishes in 22 starts.
LOOKING AHEAD: Martin is a big fan of the Sprint All-Star Race. “It is just a great race,” said Martin. “I really love it. It’s really a break from counting points plus it’s a lot of fun and excitement. You race for a big trophy and a big check (a million dollars). It’s also special because it is in Charlotte.”
LOOKING BACK: Martin finished 20th at Darlington. “That was a battle for 500 miles,” said Martin. “We did everything we knew to do tonight (to try to correct an ill-handling race car). I’m proud of the effort. That isn’t what we were hoping for, but we’ll figure it out.”
ETC.: Michael Waltrip Racing will hold its sixth annual Fan Fest at its race shop on Wednesday, May 23. Martin and teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer will sign autographs from 1-3 p.m. Up to 300 wristbands for each driver will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at 9 a.m. Monday in the MWR team store. No purchase is required to obtain a wristband.
24 JEFF GORDON, Chevrolet
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
WHERE HE STANDS: 24th, 96 points out of the top 10. Lost one spot last week.
ALL-STAR RECORD: Three wins and nine top-10 finishes, including six top-fives in 18 starts. His three wins tie him with the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. for the most victories in the special event.
LOOKING AHEAD: Gordon said, “Every week we’re racing I’m pushing as hard as we can to try to win the race. It doesn’t matter if points are on the line or not. I don’t approach the All-Star Race any different than I do any other race. The All-Star Race is always pretty wild and crazy.”
LOOKING BACK: Gordon’s run of bad luck continued at Darlington. He ran in the top 10 for the first half of the race before two flat left rear tires sent him to the garage area for repairs. He returned and finished 35th.
ETC.: After Jimmie Johnson won Darlington to give Hendrick Motorsports its 200th victory, Gordon was asked why car owner Rick Hendrick has been so successful. “First, you have to have the passion,” said Gordon, who ranks first in career wins for the organization with 85. “For Rick, he’s always had a passion for racing and for cars. Rick is that guy that doesn’t like to finish second, and he’ll do whatever it takes to be No. 1, and that never stops. To me, the greatest sign of a true leader, a great leader, is when the people around you eat, breathe and sleep with it (the passion for success) the way you do.”
51 KURT BUSCH, Chevrolet
Team: Phoenix Racing
WHERE HE STANDS: 25th, 99 points out of the top 10.
ALL-STAR RECORD: Won the pole and the race in 2010. Overall, has five top-10 finishes, including four top-fives, in 10 starts.
LOOKING AHEAD: Busch said, “The All-Star Race is an amazing event where you don’t have to think about points. You just think about the trophy and the cash prize at the end of the night. You want to be on your game. You want to make sure you’re bringing your best stuff.”
LOOKING BACK: Busch ran in the top 10 for most of the night before hitting the wall twice with less than 15 laps to go. The contact caused the right rear tire to go flat as Busch spun out on the backstretch, bringing out the final caution flag of the evening with six laps remaining. Busch was able to limp to his pits, where his pit crew changed all four tires and pulled out the right-side sheet metal. As Busch left his pit stall, he revved the engine and spun his tires as he exited through the pit box of Ryan Newman. Busch ended the night in 21st place.
ETC.: The real excitement for Busch came after the race when he ran into the back of Newman’s car as they coasted down pit road. Naturally, this didn’t sit well with Newman, who climbed out of his car and confronted Busch, who claimed he was removing his helmet and “took his eyes off pit road.” Moments later, Newman’s pit crew stormed after Busch. They thought he had put several of them in danger when he raced out of his pit stall. NASCAR officials and several members of Busch’s team kept the confrontation from being nothing more than a few heated words. “I was upset and I didn’t handle it very well on pit road,” said Busch on Monday. “I would not have left my pit if I actually thought I was going to hit someone. I was frustrated because we had yet another (race) go up in smoke at the end of the race. I had no reason to have any issue with Ryan or that team.” Busch was fined $50,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until July 25 for his actions.
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