Quaker State 400 Race Recap
This restart appears a lot easier for Jr who takes the lead but before the cars make it to turn 3 the yellow flags are back out as Kyle Busch spins in the middle of the pack. Amazingly he doesn’t hit anyone and everyone is able to get round him, helped by some fantastic reactions, and carnage is avoided. Johnson has also just been able to get his nose in front of the 88 before the yellow flags came out so he will lead at the restart. No problems for Johnson at the restart as he leaves the chasing pack for dust and immediately opens up a gap while former front runner Jr quickly drops a few places.
Jun 30, 2013; Sparta, KY, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski (2) car after crashing during the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
But before any further action can take place the fourth caution comes out for a big wreck. Kurt Busch was on the apron and as he comes back onto the track the car was pushed up into the side of Keselowski who starts to slide and momentarily looks like he’s holding it before the back end breaks away and he slides all the way up the track and right into the path of Greg Biffle who slams into the side of the 2 collecting the 7 and 93 cars on the way to the outside wall. The 16’s front end disappears and the remains burst into flames as fluids pour onto the track. Luckily everyone is okay but the race is briefly red flagged to allow the clean-up to take place.
The restart again poses no problems for Johnson as he easily gets in front of Edwards who himself is pressurised by Jeff Gordon but the 24 can’t make the move stick, unlike Matt Kenseth who does make a passing move on both the 99 and the 24 for second place. The top 6 of Johnson, Kenseth, Edwards, Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne quickly open up a sizeable gap over the rest of the field.
While Johnson extends his lead to over two seconds Kahne is working his through this train and moves up to 5th closing in on team mate Gordon for 4th. He makes short work of the 24 and is working the bottom line better than any other car out there. He briefly gets by Edwards for third but lapped cars get in Kahne’s way and slow him down allowing the 99 to retake the place.
Green flag stops get under way as Marcos Ambrose is the first to make the move closely followed by Edwards and Kahne. As seems to becoming all to common during green flag stops the caution comes out as David Gilliland blows a tyre and gets into the outside wall. The leaders all come to pit row and the cars that had unfortunately already pitted will have to take the wave around and start at the back of the cars on the lead lap giving the top 5 a new look. At the restart the top five is now Johnson, Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman. This restart is not so good for Johnson who is slow to get going and becomes the filling in a Kenseth Busch sandwich as the two of them put the 48 into 3rd and Kenseth becomes the new race leader. Johnson isn’t hanging around though and a couple of laps later is gets by Kyle for second and is only half a second behind while the rest of the early front runners are now sitting somewhere in the 20s, for example Kahne is now 24th!
Jun 30, 2013; Sparta, KY, USA; NASCAR during the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Kenseth’s lead is completely wiped out when the sixth caution of the day comes out for debris on the track. While Kenseth comes to pit road alongside other top ten cars some strategy starts to play out as Johnson, Bowyer, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch stay out. Some Johnson controversy then erupts as when Johnson faked coming into the pits and pulled back onto the track he passed the pace car, which is against the rules. But after the incident was looked at by NASCAR he is allowed to retake his position as race leader alongside second place Kyle Busch. A great start by Johnson sees him hold his lead from Kyle Busch. But the fastest car on the track is Logano who moves up to second ahead of Kyle. Kyle is complaining about a lack of grip on the 18 car and this is emphasised when he loses the third spot to Bowyer and then slips down to 5th as Hamlin also gets around him. It’s not just Logano on a charge, so is Kenseth and Kahne, who are up to 5th and 8th respectively after falling down the order due to pit stops.