Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Coca-Cola 600

Welcome back to another edition of Sprint Cup Notes & Quotes, where even Noah couldn't keep his boat afloat after the non-stop rain at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Are you one of those lonely souls mad that David Reutimann snookered 'em -- yep, that's the first recorded use of that word on FH -- to win his first career race Monday afternoon?

If so, get over it. First time winners are fun to see, and when the race officially ended he was the car leading everyone else. Kyle Busch, Brian Vickers and the rest of the field didn't have to pit, but they did -- and that's just the way it goes.

I'd still like an explanation as to why NASCAR decided on a start time of 12 p.m./EDT for the Monday make-up of its longest race.

It wasn't hard to see that the Charlotte region was to get a brief lull from the rain in the Monday morning hours, with the rain probability picking up steadlly as the afternoon wore on. And just on cue, showers hit the track just as the field took the green flag.

The reasoning behind that probably had something to do with a west coast audience with a three-hour time difference. My recommendation of a 10 a.m. start would have meant at 7 a.m. wake up call for fans on the left coast, and likely a drop in viewers.

That, then, brings back the question we had with the late start of this year's Daytona 500: what's more important, a race ran closer to completion or a few more bucks in advertising revenue? I think we're seeing what side is winning that battle.

Brian Vickers is gonna win one of these doggone races at LMS at some point. That No. 83 Toyota has now been more than good enough to win the last three Coca-Cola 600's.

In 2007, he had power steering issues that led to more issues. 2008 saw a loose lug nut break the wheel as he sailed into turn one, sending the tire bouncing into a trackside motorhome and Vickers into the turn one wall.

This year? He was the only car to pass Kyle Busch under green flag conditions during the Coca-Cola 340.5, just as he was Saturday during the Nationwide race. He's now led 339 career laps at LMS without a win after pacing 33 on Monday.

Wanna know how far Michael Waltrip Racing has come since its inception prior to 2007? Just look back two years ago at the Coca-Cola 600, when both Michael Waltrip and David Reutimann wrecked in qualifying and missed the show.

Now, they're in victory lane.

Joey Logano's brake adventures turned to a learning moment during Monday's rain-postponed and shortened race.

"We lost our brakes after one of the rain delays," said Logano. "I was taking care of my brakes and getting in (the corners) easier and actually was running faster that way. Apparently there's something there and hopefully it will help us in the future."

Monday, it was good enough for the now-19-year-old to tie his career-best Cup finish of 9th for a third time.

I wouldn't have said this at Daytona, but I'll be surprised if he doesn't win a Cup race this season. He's finding a major part of winning at this level -- confidence.

1988 Cup champ Bill Elliott made his 800th start in Monday's race, and afterwards he joked about the on-again off-again rain showers giving the aging driver a break from his laps in the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford.

"I told them it sure was nice of them to throw in a few 'old man cautions' in there with those red flags to let me get out and rest a few minutes," joked Elliott.

The No. 21 finished 15th.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

5-26-2009 @ 5:19PM

Kim said...

I couldn't agree with you more, Geoffrey! I just said on the David R. winning board that fans sure didn't seem to mind it when Jr. or Kenseth won shortened/called races. I guess it just depends on if the race fan is a fan of the driver as to if they support the rule or not. What a crock! Like you said, David was the car in the lead when the race was called, the other drivers didn't have to pit and frankly many like my personal favorite, Jimmie Johnson, should have known better. So get over it, yes! Congratulations to David!

As for the start time...couldn't agree with you more there either. Viewership had to be way down due to the race being on Memorial Day anyway with all the parades, family gatherings, and baseball/softball games that I know I attended all day. I for one never miss a race, but I missed it yesterday. So since viewership was down due to the holiday anyway, the race should have defintely been started in the morning and then SPEED, Fox or ESPN could have replayed it later in its entirety for the West Coast viewers.

And there my friend, is my two cents for whatever it's worth. :-)

Kim

5-26-2009 @ 6:41PM

terry280zx said...

I was just so disappointed in the way that Jr. performed with the same equipment as Martin, JJ, and JG. I think it is time for a complete crew changeover since this group can't seem to get a car ready to race and do not have a clue as to what changes are required during a race to make it better. Even though Martin had a pit problem, he was immediately on the move through the pack and could pass high or low with equal confidence. Truly awesome to watch!

5-26-2009 @ 6:57PM

illsell4u said...

Kim my babe, I am sorry but I am going to have to disagree with you to some degree. Not only for the same reasons I mentioned in my last post but also for the fact that this race was at Charlotte. Even if it took 2 days of ran delays the whole race should be run. How far did the crews have to travel after the race to get back to their shops? 10, 15, 20 minutes? Nascar deems the win a more important factor in where a driver stands in the CHASE then whether or not he had a 800 point lead going in.
There is no way to tell who was going to win the race that had only been 55% completed at the time it was stopped had they decided to come back today to finish. Just because Busch had lead the major portion of the race the best teams find a way to adjust their car all race long and stay on the lead lap so at the end they are competitive.
I am glad I did not get to see this race. Why call it the longest race of the year if you are only going to run 340 miles?
mbl

5-26-2009 @ 8:42PM

Moved to here from another blog:

Sorry, Kim. Still not satisfied. The drivers did not get to see the finish as it was.
Here is an interesting way to look at it. We will call each race a 300, 400, or 500 lap race but the powers that be will put numbers in a hat with each lap numbered past the half way point. Some lucky person gets to pull a number out of the hat and at that point in the race Nascar will just announce the winner. There will be no advance notice of this.
You want to see real racing all the time? No more laying back and saving the car BS. Everyone will always want to be the lead dog.
Of course, every other number in the hat would be the full lap count. So, there is a 50/50 chance the race will run the whole count.
Nobody knows the answer as to how many laps will be run except the accounting firm hired to monitor the draw.
Sound crazy? Maybe so. I understand your point of people that bought the ticket and went to the race deserve to see it end that day. But for many of them they would rather see the whole race even if it takes another day. The drivers deserve a chance to run the whole race. And the sponsors that pay $100 grand or more per race deserve a whole race. There is no way to please everybody on this issue. But if the choice is satisfy half the fans that cannot come back the next day and ONE driver, OR satisfy half the fans that can, ALL the drivers but ONE, and all the sponsors but ONE, I will take the latter. As stated by another poster, this issue would be made easier to resolve if every race were a Saturday race.
mbl

5-26-2009 @ 9:43PM

Hey Mike!

I think you misunderstood my comments a little. Let me reassure you, I completely disagree with races being called instead of postponed, period! My point was that I agreed with Geoffrey. The weather reports for the area were clear that rain would arrive by early afternoon. To restart the race at noon was pure stupidity. The race should have been started earlier in the morning so the drivers, fans and the rest of us could have had a chance to run and see a race in its entirty.

My other point was that NASCAR throws the flag and decides to call the race. This is nothing new. I have never seen so many complaints about this before and believe there is a bias toward David. It was fine when it was Earnhardt and Kenseth, but not fine for David. Why? He drives a Toyota? He drives for MWR? He isn't as popular? He doesn't sell as much merchandise? Who knows. But the powers that be called the race and David was the car in the lead when they did, so I am simply congratulating him. It's not like he hasn't been competetive. He has. He was coming on strong late last season and has done very well this season with the exception of a few races, which all the drivers have had a few duds this season.

We may just have to agree to disagree. :-)

Kim

5-26-2009 @ 10:29PM

nzcr14 said...

yeap KIM you hit it right on the nose. i just got done posting the same solution for the racing rain problem in the DAVID RUDEMAN BLOG, and it is; START THE RACE EARLY IN THE DAY. GO read it when ya get a chance. that the only way i too see of getting around this problem, because postponing the race to the next day will work not for all fans that were at the track the day before when the race was due.

MIKE, I JUST GOT DONE READING YOUR SAME ABOVE BLOG
in the DAVID ROWDYMAN BLOG. Looks like a double post i guess, but anyway, at your convenience go read it too. I DON'T THINK saturday racing could solve the problem and if it does will be partially only because qa lot of fans work on saturday too and won't be able to get to the race at all.
check my solution and KINS again; i think would be a
more plausible answer for many more fans ability to show at the track. just a thought.
works for me...

5-26-2009 @ 10:47PM

Sorry, Anna. Having been self employed the past 25 years I often forget some people actually have to work for a living. LOL
MBL

5-27-2009 @ 12:14AM

well MIKE, self employed or otherwise i assume your REALTY JOB is work too some how. I Don't think it's all play,LOL.More likely, it's probably because you are off on SATURDAY'S in the kind of work you do.
i would think. works for me..

5-27-2009 @ 4:01PM

Brad said...

A race is a race is a race.....well sometimes anyway.
Kim, which race did Jr. win when Nascar called it for rain? Or even Kennseth. Matt maybe but I don't believe Jr. ever had a win because of rain. It's just my personal opinion but races called because of rain should revert back to the last lap run under a green flag.....when they were actually 'racing'! ! !

5-27-2009 @ 4:50PM

WOW Brad. I could even get behind that one. In fact, since there is probably no way in hell they would do what I want and FINISH the damn race, I love it. Winning a race under a green flag. Incredible!!
It would change one aspect of the races. If a caution were to come out and it looked like there was going to be a significant period of rain there is no reason ALL the cars would not come in under yellow to make adjustments and fuel up.
mbl

5-27-2009 @ 7:03PM

Susan said...

Brad, I like that idea too. I don't recall Jr winning a race due to rain either. I sure as heck don't think there was a 'conspiracy' because David won in a Toyota and drives for MWR. Michael Waltrip has been in the top ten most popular drivers this season according to the Chex website. He was also in the Top 5 for the All-Star vote. He defends Nascar on every issue and he's probably their best spokesman.
I thought it was good for Nascar that a different team won and that a first time winner won. David has a great story. He's from a racing family, tried for years to work his way up to Sprint Cup, he's humble and seems like a great guy.

Six months ago I wouldn't buy anything but a GM, Chrysler or Ford. I wouldn't buy a GM or Chrysler today. Democratic Chrysler dealerships survived and the Republican dealerships were forced to close. These SECURED bondholders were intimidated into taking cents on the dollar and so the government could give the company to the UAW. Normal everyday people lost significant portions of their pensions due to this nonsense. It can only be called taking or stealing from one group and giving their "secured investment" to the UAW. Sounds a LOT like Hugo Chavez to me.

Then forcing the carmakers to sell cars built like tin cans to achieve their desired gas mileage. (I also think it's a safe bet that gas will be taxed even more). I survived a head on crash and I was lucky to survive. I (and my kids) wouldn't be alive if we were in the tin can that the greenies want.

Now that I've vented, people will complain about everything Nascar does, everything Jr does and just in general everything. I know that I complain too but sometimes we should all just say it is what it is and move on!

What is the best foreign made new car? lol Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, VW

5-28-2009 @ 3:30AM

I think KIM is right when she says there is too much bias against RUDEMEN because he drives a toyota. He is not a popular driver. He drives for MIKE WALMART, A no much of a driver,just as bad as an owner.SHE IS RIGHT ON THAT ALSO.
HOWEVER,as ya all know, a long time EARHARDT DINASTY FAN here and i was at the tracks or by the tube enjoying DEJ ONLY 17 WINS in the cup.
I DO NOT RECALL ANY OF JUNIOR WINS EVER CALLED FOR RAIN and actually, not even MATT KEMSET were ever obtained in a rainy situation.He has little less wins than junior, so no too hard to remember.
THEREFORE BREAD IS RIGHT ON THE JUNIOR WINS ISSUE.

SUSAN HI,it is no for nothing that the right wing media has for long time defined PRES. BARABBA OSAMA
A SOCIALIST, SO the comparison to UGO CHAVEZ is not that far off track.
In the pursuit of SOCIALISM B. OSAMA promised repeatedly about UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE FOR ALL AMERICANS in the campaign. WHERE IS IT? YES, maybe too early; LETS GIVE SOME MORE TIME. BUT YET I HAVEN'T ONCE HEARD BARABBA OSAMA TALK ABOUT THE HEALTHCARE ISSUE SINCE HE HAS BEEN IN THE WHITEHOUSE. No the republicans would never got my vote either in this past election due to all their screw ups and spending so i'm glad i did not go vote at all.GOOD THING i always said about the BARABBA healtcare issue: I BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT.
I haven't seen it yet.
In regard to the stock and bond markets those same GIMMICKS have been going on for decades. YES they are stealing from one group and giving it to the other,but the same thing has occurred in the BUSH YEARS every since all financial markets were crashing in the year 2000 and got much worse after SEPT 11 -01. BILLIONS MOVED FROM THE AVERAGE LITTLE AND MIDDLE CLASS GUY and even from some wealthy individuals and co.ACCOUNTS to the ACCOUNTS OF THE FEW THE PRIVILEDGED RIGHT WINGER BIG FINANCIAL SHOTS THAT KNOW HOW TO PLAY WALL STREET.
The point is; the stealing is mutual from the right or the left and done at proper time of the financial and political enviroment. hope it was clear enough.
CHRYSLER JUNK is in the bankruptcey courts and on the way of being purchased by the italian FIAT and the deadline for the deal closure is JUNE 17, i think i heard. BUT DON'T COUNT ON UNTIL FIAT ACTUALLY DISHES OUT THE $$$.

5-28-2009 @ 8:12AM

Hello Susan & Anna!

Anna, thanks for agreeing with me on the David R. comments. I have never seen so many people complain about who won a race that was called before. I could have sworn that Jr. once won a race that was called, but may be thinking of another driver. I am not "beating" up Jr. as everyone accuses me of, I just really thought I remembered him winning a called race. Kenseth won a called race this season due to rain.

Now Susan & Anna, love you both but have to defend the politcal comments that were made.

First and foremost, is Obama making mistakes? Probably, yes. Do all Presidents? Yes! But here's a fact, the guy has only been in office for 5 months and everyone expects him to have just "magically" solved every one of our nation's problems by now. Now I don't care who you are, what political offiliation you are and so on, that is just an unfair expectation. As I have said many times, give the guy a break. Let's give him a year or two and see what he does, then we can crticize.

As for the comment about the "democratic Chrysler dealerships" being favored over the "republican favored dealerships," I am sorry, Susan but you are way off to base to make such a statement. In fact if anything, all American car manufacturers support Republican Presidents and always have. In addition, Obama and the Democrats are NOT the reason the American car manufacturers are failing. They and the UAW are the reasons they are failing. They put out a subpar product at ridiculous prices due to the unions ridiculous expectations for workers (many with only a high school education), to make over 25 dollars an hour with full paid medical benefits. It costs Chevy $1000.00 for every car built just for those free medical benefits, per person. Why should Americans such as myself with subpar and expensive medical insurance have to pay more for a car so these workers can have 100% paid benefits. Sorry, I boycotted these car manufacturers way before the rest of the country did.

The only comments you made that I agree with are the ones about having hybrid cars forced down our throats. I just bought a new mini-van as you all know, but I also still have a 1995 SUV. I can't afford another new vehicle and my SUV is just fine. Now I read that I might be taxed more because I drive a gas guzzler? Bullshit! When the government wants to give me a car for free, then they can charge me more for gas!

Now, my rant is over. :-) Feels good to vent.

Kim

5-28-2009 @ 8:54AM

Welcome Dawn said...

So I predicted Jr's start from the back would make it easier for him to move all the way back proved right. I will have to admit my new name for his team " start fast finish last " is right on target.
How long Hendrick will allow Jr's team to disgrace the rest of the Team is the only question remaining.
Tony has GOT TO GO !!! And JR better step it up or give it up and sell web domains with Danica !

5-28-2009 @ 9:36AM

I have stayed out of the politics Kim but you tempt me too much. Don't ask the government to give you a new car. They may just do it and find a way to tax you double the cost to pay for it. Since our new President has been in office he has doubled the national budget and quadrupled the national deficit. How, over spending the budget in a recession that is bringing in less revenue. It would be the same as going on a major shopping spree if you lost your job and now had to solely depend on William's income. How do you pay for it when the bills come in? The answer is simple, you cannot but your children and grandchildren will be for decades to come.
Sorry, I cannot tie this one to Nascar other than to say I have no problem with WHO won the race but I have a problem with the RULES that are in place. IF Nascar is not going to be fair to the drivers, owners, and sponsors by finishing a race then Brad has the FAIR solution in my opinion.
mbl

5-28-2009 @ 11:23AM

Well I can see we have a new drive by blogger, all I can say to that person is GOOD NIGHT. LOL

5-28-2009 @ 12:45PM

AIAIAIAIAI BREAD. THOSE DRIVE BY'S, NOW HIT&RUN keep on pupping up. yeap they do.Were they not in
the posters POP UP CATEGORY too, for a while? YOU know pop ups like computer pop ups.got to switch the category label every now and than, so it does not become a monotony.
OH, AND I also agree with the STOP THE RACE IDEA UNDER GREEN flag, if a race needs to be called off for rain.

KIM you welcome,as always there are things we can agree and others we cannot, no sweat wharsoever.
About the OSAMA issue, YES I AGREE WITH YOU; IT'S TOO EARLY IN the predidency to expect BARABBA OSAMA to solve all the problems, as matter of fact i did also say that in the previous blog and pretty sure i also said;LETS GIVE HIM SOME MORE TIME and so be it.

MIKE & BRAD, i did say i agree with the BREAD under green finish race solution , before the rain start or as soon as it starts raining.
However my first choice will always be to complete
all the race laps as long as possible and that means starting the races early in the day, as previously said in the other post.
works for me...

5-28-2009 @ 2:31PM

WOOOOOOWWW, talking about HIT AN RUN POSTERS.
Damn, i just got done checking the new DALE JR & T. EURY FILE.
THE DRIVE BY POSTERS HAVE SHOWED UP IN MASSES THERE ONCE AGAIN. A truckload of them BRAD.
SHALL WE ENGADGE THE ANTI JUNIOR CROCKPOTS THERE?
I seen plenty but i think i stay away from the blog
cause if i post there all my posts will get sabotaged again. lol, does not work for me.

5-28-2009 @ 3:47PM

I am actually staying out of that one Anna. The main reason being is that you cannot leave a lengthy post in that format and are forced to leave one of those short meaningless posts. Aside from that I feel tha article was poorly written and I emplore either Geoffrey or Holly to write another more in depth article. The one currently up is full of mundane information written for non fans and people that have only heard of Nascar.

5-28-2009 @ 6:04PM

yeap you got it mike; as matter of fact the pages are full of anti junior hit n run, full of the nazcar sport drive by's and mostly they always pop up in junior related blogs or jeff gordon.
Sometime STEWART gets them too.lets boycot the file.
we all be better of. works for me...