Go Bowling 400 Race Recap

A week after the race at Indy that left a little to be desired, although if you agree with Tony Stewart it was exactly how racing should be, hopes were not that high the entertainment factor would increase at Pocono Raceway. Last years decision to reduce the length of the race from 500 to 400 miles did help but the race in June earlier in the season was a very strung out affair and it looked like the gen-6 car may have undone the good done the year before. But there have been many surprising races this year so nothing can be written off until the chequered flag flies.

from NASCAR.com

There was little surprise in qualifying as Jimmie Johnson, who has been dominant all year, set the fastest time of 49.019 seconds (180.654 mph) setting a new track record that had already been broken five times. But rarely is anything Johnson does without controversy and this was no exception. The 48 car was scheduled to go out in 24th place but had some issues in inspection, where their left rear wheel’s toe angle was a thousandth of an inch out and therefore had to go back through inspection. This meant he missed his scheduled slot and instead went out in 28th place, just as clouds covered the track which has the effect of cooling the track and increasing speeds.

The front row as the green flag dropped is a side by side battle between Johnson and Kyle Busch into turn one but before they entered the back straightaway the caution flags were out. Back in the pack Juan Pablo Montoya appears to move up the track into the side of the Rick Stenhouse Jr sending the 17 into a spin down the track while the 42 car continued up the track and right into the path of Matt Kenseth who has nowhere to go but into the side of the 42. This restart is much easier for Johnson as he takes the lead before they get to turn one ahead of Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch, who is able to find a way passed Ryan Newman for third.

While the cars quickly fall into single file there are no big gaps being opened up and there is still plenty of passing going on through the field where there is a tough battle for 12th between Brad Keslowski, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne. But for Jamie McMurray his race takes a turn for the worst as he is forced to come to pit road to get some debris removed from his grille which coincidently seems to be a piece of tape that has come off his team mates, Montoya’s car. All those battles are brought to a halt when Denny Hamlin’s poor season continues as his front right tyre blows and he hits the outside wall to bring out the yellow flags. This caution will also be the competition that NASCAR scheduled due to Saturdays practice being rained out, as it is only 5 laps before the scheduled caution on lap 20. Even so early in the race different fuel strategies start to be used as some cars pit and some don’t. Of the front-runners Johnson, Keselowski, Kyle Busch stay out. The top five at the restart is Johnson, Kyle Busch, Keselowski, Paul Menard and Casey Mears with the winner off pit road, Greg Biffle, in 7th.

Aug 4, 2013; Long Pond, PA, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (17) Juan Pablo Montoya (42) and Matt Kenseth (20) wreck in turn one during the GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O

Johnson is able to pull away on the restart while behind him the pack makes full use of the wide track going four wide in places while jostling for position. Not such a good start though for Greg Biffle who after being the leader off pit road and restarting in 7th quickly falls back to 14th. At the head of the field though no such issues for Johnson who in only a couple of laps pulls out a lead of over two seconds. There’s a great battle for second place between the 18 and 2 who for a couple of laps run side by side with the 2 running strong into the corners on the bottom line while the 18 is very strong off the corners and is able to just keep his nose in front. But eventually Keselowski gets a great run off turn two and eases by the 18 to take second. But all the fighting has let Johnson extend his lead even more and is now over three seconds ahead, but the front-runners still need to pit.