Is eight enough? Win at Glen begs the question
Kyle Busch locks up top Chase spot
JIM UTTER
The Charlotte Observer
Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. - There is a new King of the NASCAR Roads.
Kyle Busch completed a sweep of both road courses in the Sprint Cup Series with a dominating victory at Watkins Glen International in Sunday's Centurion Boats at the Glen that allowed the 23-year-old driver to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Along with his series-leading eighth victory, Busch also helped deny a win to Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Tony Stewart, who is engulfed in a career-long 36-race winless streak. Stewart has finished second in the past two races.
The win didn't come without some late-race drama.
Eight laps from the finish, Michael McDowell and David Gilliland made contact racing off Turn 11 with Gilliland getting slammed head-on in the tire wall. His car bounced back into the track and was hit violently by the cars of Bobby Labonte and then Joe Nemechek.
Sam Hornish Jr., trying to avoid the wreck, swerved to the right and slammed driver's-side first into the tire and water barrier at the entrance to pit road. Hornish's wreck sent water and tires flying everywhere and one trackside photographer was nearly struck by a tire.
Labonte was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation
The race was immediately red-flagged. The cars were cleared from the track nearly 45 minutes later and the race restarted on Lap 86 with Busch still in the lead, followed by Stewart and Marcos Ambrose. Busch comfortably held off Stewart for the win.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. took an early lead over pole-winner Kyle Busch and led the first 29 laps of Sunday's race until he made his first green-flag pit stop.
When Earnhardt Jr. pitted, Busch inherited the lead and was followed by Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Stewart and Carl Edwards on Lap 30.
Jeff Gordon briefly lost radio contact with his crew and crew chief Steve Letarte needed NASCAR to black-flag Gordon to get him on pit road. He returned to the track in 23rd place.
Earnhardt Jr. made his way back into the top five by Lap 42 and on the next lap Johnson was forced to pit under green due to a flat rear tire. On Lap 44, Busch led, followed by Stewart, Edwards, Harvick and Earnhardt Jr.
The race's first caution came on Lap 48 when Hornish dragged gravel onto the surface in Turn 7 after sliding off the track. About half the field, including Earnhardt Jr., elected to pit under the caution. On the restart on Lap 51, Busch maintained his lead, followed by Stewart, Edwards, Harvick and Juan Pablo Montoya.
Three laps later, Stewart made his way around Busch to take his first lead of the race. One lap after that, Busch made his way back in front and then both Joe Gibbs Racing drivers and Harvick decided to pit under green on Lap 56.
Montoya took over the lead on Lap 57 after the others stopped. He was followed on the track by Johnson, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman and McDowell.
Montoya headed to pit road to lead several other drivers in another round of green-flag stops on Lap 58. That move allowed Johnston to take the lead on Lap 59.
The race's second caution came on Lap 64 for debris. The caution was displayed just before Earnhardt Jr. was able to make his green-flag stop, which left him the only lead-lap car that needed to pit under the caution. On the restart on Lap 67, Busch again led, followed by Stewart, Newman, Truex and Ambrose. Earnhardt Jr. restarted in 31st.
Newman ran off the track on Lap 77 while running third and got stuck and was nearly hit by a dozen cars before NASCAR finally displayed a caution. On the restart on Lap 82, Busch continued to lead followed by Stewart, Ambrose, Montoya and Truex.
Is eight enough? Win at Glen begs the question