tom_jensen's avatar
Author:
Tom Jensen
Login For More
Rate this article:
  • 0/5 Stars
  • Related Photos
  • Related Videos
SPEEDtv.com Store
DVD: David Jefferies Story
The David Jefferies Story is a reminder of the much loved and much missed Yorkshireman.
Our Price: $24.95
Visit Button
Buy Button
Man-Made Thunder
The book examines the sport of stock car racing through the eyes and ears of the men behind the wheel and the wrenches.
Our Price: $49.00
Visit Button
Buy Button
Unisex Sandwich Cap
Unisex Velcro back hat with SPEED logo on front. PINKS logo embroidered on left and PAO logo on right. One size fits all.
Our Price: $24.95
Visit Button
Buy Button
Speedway T-shirt
Men's 6 oz. 100% Cotton Jersey Short Sleeve Tee. SPEED logo imprinted on the front center chest.
Our Price: $24.99
Visit Button
Buy Button
Ferrari Red Classic Hat
100% cotton twill. Ferrari shield embroidered on front, piping on the peak and Ferrari logo embroidered on back strap adjuster.
Our Price: $30.00 ($27.00 Member)
Visit Button
Buy Button
Footer Bg
  • Zoom More Photos Button
  • Camera Icon
CUP: Chevy Rock and Roll 400 Notebook
Written by: Tom Jensen   
09/07/2008
Richmond, Va.
 
Clint Bowyer took the final spot for the Chase for the Sprint Cup after Sunday's Chevy Rock and Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway.(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Photo) ยป More Photos

MADE IT Clint Bowyer was the most relieved man at Richmond International Raceway on Sunday, as his 12th-place finish in the Chevy Rock ‘N’ Roll 400 allowed him to hold onto the 12th and final spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. And so, for the second year in a row, the Emporia, Kansas, native will race for a NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, with the Chase starting next week at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“It's been a tough summer for all of our team,” said Bowyer, who last year shocked the racing world by finishing third in the Chase. “Just making the Chase is a big deal. We've been struggling and there have been a lot of things going on in our organization and our team in particular, and everybody stuck together.”

After a summer of turmoil, Bowyer thinks his team may be peaking at the right time. “The last three weeks have been a step in the right direction, and, you know, with some momentum, I think we can do just fine in the Chase,” he said. “We are going to a race that we won last year, and, you know, got the thing started on the right foot, so hopefully we can have a good run there and do just that.”

PAYBACK OR NO? With three laps to go in the spring Richmond International Race Sprint Cup race, Kyle Busch got underneath leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. and made contact, with Earnhardt spinning out and Busch going on to finish second.

In Sunday’s Chevy Rock ‘N’ Roll 400 at RIR, the roles were reversed, much to the delight of the delirious legion of Earnhardt fans in attendance. This time, Busch was on the outside in Turn 2, when it looked as if he came down on Earnhardt who appeared to lock up his front tires trying to avoid Busch. But the two made contact, with Busch getting the worst of hit by spinning out and hitting the wall en route to a 15th-place finish. Earnhardt went on to finish fourth.

Afterwards, Earnhardt insisted the contact
wasn’t a payback. “If I wreck somebody, I ain't going to leave him in good enough shape to come back and get me in the same race, so that wasn't really my intentions,” said Earnhardt. “If I wanted to — I really ain't never wrecked anybody on purpose — I can go back and remember a couple of times but if I wanted to do it, I would do it really, really good.”

“We got tore up a little bit there, but nothing we could help with that,” shrugged Busch. “We had to continue on and soldier on.”

SMOKIN’ MAD There was no driver angrier and more frustrated after the Chevy Rock ‘N’ Roll 400 than runner-up Tony Stewart, who slammed his helmet, gloves and steering wheel after he came up just short of race-winner Jimmie Johnson Sunday afternoon at Richmond International Raceway.

Stewart and Johnson engaged in a ferocious duel in the race’s closing stages, demonstrating how two champions can drive to the absolute limits of their own ability and those of their respective cars. “We just couldn’t get by him,” Stewart said of no-holds-barred battle royale with Johnson. “We did everything we could. We raced him clean, we raced him the way he would have raced us. I wanted to race him with respect the way he would me, and we just came up short.”

Asked to explain what happened in the final laps, Stewart said he tried repeatedly to go under Johnson but ultimately, came up 0.365 seconds short. “What happened, we got down there and we couldn’t get by,” said Stewart, who along with Johnson is a two-time Sprint Cup champion. “You know, we were able to get a run and get under him and you know, we had a great race. That’s probably one of the greatest races I think I’ve ever had here at Richmond racing there with Jimmie like that with 15 laps to go like that, but we just came up short.”


Page 1 of 2
Next Page »
1 2 >
View All Comments