Quaker State 400 Race Recap

As the cars pass the halfway point, so even if it rains the race is now official, the top 5 are Johnson, Logano, Bowyer, Hamlin and Kenseth. But Hamlin appears to be having issues as he gets passed first by Kenseth and then by Jamie McMurray. Whatever issues he was having rear their ugly head when he hits the wall to bring out the caution flags for the seventh time and wouldn’t you know it Jeff Gordon is on pit road for a green flag stop just at that moment and will have to go to the rear of the lead cars. The leaders all come to pit road and a strategy call by Edwards sees the 99 team only take 2 tyres and move up nineteen spots and lead at the restart. After a lap of side by side racing Johnson eventually makes makes his four fresher tyres count as he gets by Edwards to retake the lead, while Edwards is able to hold second place.

Jun 30, 2013; Sparta, KY, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards (99) and Jimmie Johnson (48) lead a pack of cars during the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Bowyer starts to try and take advantage of Edwards older tyres and tries to find a way around. While the two of them battle it out for second Kenseth takes full advantage of the situation and gets round both of them to set off in pursuit on Johnson. Edwards battle’s on on his old tyres but they start to give up grip and he slips back to fourth place with 90 laps to go and keeps slipping further back. While up front Johnson’s lead is up to 1.7 seconds over Kenseth and 4.1 seconds ahead of third place Bowyer. But once again those times are wiped away when debris is spotted out on track and the eighth caution of the day comes out.

Johnson again plays the strategy game mirroring Edwards earlier move and only takes two tyres which gets him out first by a country mile. The 55 of Brian Vickers also takes two tyres and gets out in second to make the top five Johnson, Vickers, Kesenth, Logano and Jamie McMurray. No issues for Johnson who retains his lead but not such a good start for Vickers who gets passed by Logano and Bowyer. There might be no contest over the lead but down the field there are battles aplenty, Kyle and Edwards are fighting over 7th and Gordon, Newman and Martin Truex Jr all are fighting Kahne for 10th. Gordon wins out in the battle and is able to move up to ninth and Bowyer catches right up to Logano’s rear bumper and is matching his every move. Somehow Logano finds some extra pace and is able to pull away from Bowyer but is still 1.5 seconds behind Johnson. Once again though a caution undoes all of Johnson’s hard work when Vickers gets into the outside wall.

A bold move by Kenseth and the 20 team sees them take fuel only and win the race off pit road from Johnson who, along with most of the field, took two tyres. As the green flag flies both front rowers get a good start and are joined by Logano and Kyle into turn one. But the caution flags are out before they make into turn two as Johnson, who had cars either side of him, gets loose and spins, as with Kyle earlier in the race everyone avoids him. The restart sees Kenseth leading alongside Kyle, but the 18 can’t hold his position and is quickly passed by Bowyer who immediately starts to harass Kenseth for the lead and at the same time try to hold off third place McMurray.

Jun 30, 2013; Sparta, KY, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth (20) celebrates winning the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

While Kenseth works on holding the lead Johnson and Jr are rapidly moving the field. Johnson restarted 24th and with twenty laps to go he is back into the top 10 along with Jr but are seven seconds behind the leader. Back up front Kenseth is making the old tyres work for him and it is Bowyer who is losing time as he gets passed by McMurray. While McMrray is closing down on Kenseth lap by lap there aren’t enough laps left for the 1 to catch the 20 and it is Matt Kenseth who takes his fourth win of the season.

It was not a classic race by any stretch but it also wasn’t a boring race as some had feared we would see. There were plenty of incidents to keep the cars bunched up and a good bit of NASCAR conspiracy over Johnson not getting penalised always keeps the fans happy. So far this season the gen-6 car is certainly making the cookie cutter tracks more entertaining than they have been in previous years, but that doesn’t really take much. Next week it’s back to the Superspeedways and restrictor plate racing, while they have been entertaining in past years I think teams are still finding their feet with the new car so who knows if we will see tandem, pack or strung out racing. But what ever type of racing expect to see the usual suspects at the front of the field.