Short track racing typically equals disappointment. Disappointment for the drivers, not the fans, and Bristol was no exception.
Once again, like several times this season, the expected winner or dominant driver didn’t cross the finish line first.
For the second time this season with only five races under the belt, Cup qualifying was cancelled due to rain (or weather). Once again, the starting order was set by the owner points.
Nationwide qualifying was also cancelled (for the third time), because the drivers had not practiced on the track. (The rain had cancelled Nationwide practices earlier.)
Saturday called for both series to have one long final practice each with Clint Bowyer’s No. 2 BB&T Chevrolet being the fastest Nationwide car. Kasey Kahne’s No. 9 Budweiser Dodge was the fastest Cup car. Both names would continue to play a part in Saturday’s Nationwide race.
The race was slated for 300 laps, but even before the green flag flew to start the race, all the drivers, crews and NASCAR officials knew there was a huge possibility the race would get rained out. Everyone was counting on and hoping to get 150 laps in, making it halfway — and official.
As the race began, it became very apparent that everyone was doing just that — counting on the rain.
Denny Hamlin quickly got past Scott Wimmer, driving the No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet, who had inherited the pole position thanks to the 2007 owner points. Hamlin would keep the lead for 37 laps before Bowyer took the lead for the first of three times.
Bowyer pulled away from the pack the best that he could considering it was a short track. After a caution, the lead went back to the pole sitter, Wimmer, and like the start of the race, it was quickly taken away — this time by Bowyer.
Despite another caution and Wimmer again taking the lead, Bowyer would make his way to the front. He did not seem to have any problems, except for Kahne, driving the No. 9 Ragu Dodge, who appeared to have the fastest car. Kahne was last fall’s winner.
Kahne tried to take the lead away from Bowyer before the inevitable rain came, but Bowyer was extremely persistent and would block him.
At lap 150 — halfway — the rain wasn’t in sight. Drivers persevered and were wholeheartedly expecting the rain.
Kahne still couldn’t get past Bowyer, and at lap 161, sprinkles appeared on several cars causing NASCAR to throw the caution flag. The cars drove under caution until NASCAR had them all park on pit road at lap 171 and wait it out.
The drivers and announcers were very hopeful that the race would finish in its entirety. Kahne wasn’t one of the hopefuls.
“I should have forced the issue,” he said still sitting in her No. 9 Dodge. He meant he should have forced himself past Bowyer before the caution and shouldn’t have worried about wrecking him. “It’s too late now.” And it was. Twenty-odd minutes later, NASCAR called the race official, Bowyer first and Kahne second. It was Bowyer’s first Bristol win.
The Cup race wasn’t postponed and wasn’t shortened, it was simply as it should be — good!
Bowyer, No. 07 DirecTV Chevrolet, wasn’t as dominant as he was the day before. He led only 81 of the 500 laps early on and would never regain the lead.
He lost the lead to Tony Stewart at lap 96, after a pit stop. Stewart would keep the lead a majority of time, losing it to teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Shell/Penzoil Chevrolet.
With Hamlin leading and very few laps remaining, Stewart and Harvick were both battling for second position, both seeking first place as well. Harvick slid up the track and touched Stewart’s back bumper, causing both to turn into the wall. The caution was thrown with only one official lap left.
This left room for over time and a green-white-checkered, single-file restart.
Hamlin, still leading, had a good restart but suddenly the car appeared to have something wrong and he faded back. Jeff Burton in the No. 31 AT&T Chevrolet, who was in second place, drove around Hamlin and claimed the lead. Burton would maintain the lead for the final laps and get his first Bristol win.
Second and third place drivers were his teammates, Harvick and Bowyer. A 1-2-3 Richard Childress Racing finish — another first at Bristol.
Stewart ended up 14th and was highly livid after the race, trying to not show or vocalize fault toward his friend, Harvick. Stewart’s teammate finished sixth, despite having a problem in the final laps.
I had no favorite. Of course, I tend to always root for my driver, but usually that’s just habit and imagination. This time, however, I thought he had a good chance. If given more time and an actual qualifying session, I think his outcome would have been better than it was.
Yes, I am happy with his Top 10 finish and still extremely happy that he’s maintaining his Top 10 points position. In fact, he moved up one spot.
Just a reminder — no Cup racing is scheduled this weekend but the Cup drivers will return to the track next weekend at Martinsville. There will be Nationwide racing this weekend, and quite a few Cup drivers will be participating on Saturday, as Sunday is Easter.
Happy Easter!
Don’t miss:
From Nashville
- Nationwide qualifying (delayed), at Saturday 1 p.m. on ESPN
- Pepsi 300 (Nationwide race), Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN
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