Sears Point Race Talk - Spoilers

[Hoss Ghoul]

Let's bring the race talk in here, I think this one's a bit later than usual for the Europeans, so we can try to avoid any spoilers.

Quick poll: Who finishes higher Jeff Gordon in 41st or JPM in 32nd starting positions?

I'm going with Gordon.

This should be one of the more interesting road races we've seen in a while, I'm betting on some lead changes up front and think this is Boris Saids best chance ever at a win.

[harvick#1]

I think Robby and Jamie will both go off course into turn 2

but the guys who have the best cars are Stewart, Harvick, and Robby this week

Hamlin I'm sure is jetlaged and will not do so well

[e2mtt]

I'm in....

Never bet against Jeff Gordon on a road course, even if he is starting dead last.

OK ready to go... road racing time!!!

There are all sorts of things to like: Robby on the front row, Jr. sitting right up front, Jeff & Jimmie not up front, Jaun & Jeff having to try & fight there way through the pack, nice sunshine, you name it.

I even bought myself a can of Monster to drink! (Lousy... I'm gonna stick to Red Bull as my energy drink of choice)

Start your Engines!

[Hoss Ghoul]

All week they mentioned how no one has won from a worse starting position than 13th...but, I did read that Ernie Irvan won after a penalty placed him at the back of the pack right after the start of the race. So, it's been done before, essentially.

[e2mtt]

green!

[e2mtt]

Robby Leads!!!!!
Nice start for Jr, hes pushing!

[harvick#1]

stewart went off

[e2mtt]

Wow all of 1 lap green. Bunch of ametuers.

Junior is all over Robby... very nice.

[Hoss Ghoul]

That was actually a very clean 1st lap overall, especially with some of the 3-wide we saw.

Bad move on Kenseth's part, way way over-optomistic, and too early in the race to try something like that(3wide into the hairpin).

Caution was for a stopped car, that sometimes just happens, especially with a non-series regular like Gossens.

[Jonesi]

All week they mentioned how no one has won from a worse starting position than 13th...but, I did read that Ernie Irvan won after a penalty placed him at the back of the pack right after the start of the race. So, it's been done before, essentially.

Also about 10 years ago Mark Martin had to pit (from about 5th) on the parade lap to reattach a plug wire, so he ran from last to 2nd behind Rusty at the end. A great drive!

[e2mtt]

Great pressure from Junior. Looking good on the road course.

[harvick#1]

Montoya movin up pretty good has gained 9 spots already

[e2mtt]

Did Jeff Gordon just pull off a free pitstop there?

Like I said, don't bet against him, here or this year.

[e2mtt]

green!

[Jonesi]

Did Jeff Gordon just pull off a free pitstop there?

Like I said, don't bet against him, here or this year.

Sort of, if you pit right when the incident is happening, before Nascar can react with a caution, you get better track position.

[Hoss Ghoul]

Very nice pass by JJ on JPM and Truex, 3 wide in the hairpin. Slick.

[e2mtt]

Very nice pass by JJ on JPM and Truex, 3 wide in the hairpin. Slick.

Sure was. I don't think JPM saw it coming at all.

[harvick#1]

why Gordon is still a whiner.

did you hear what he said about Fellows, what a jerk

[KK3869]

Yeah, that was just stupid

[Hoss Ghoul]

Some of this action right now, you'd be hard pressed to know there's 60 laps to go.

[KK3869]

Caution is out

[Jonesi]

Very nice pass by JJ on JPM and Truex, 3 wide in the hairpin. Slick.

and JG just did the same when JPM nudged Kurt Busch.

[Hoss Ghoul]

WTH? Earnhardt's pitting...I don't think that's a good idea. There will likely be enough cautions that many cars will NOT pit again.

[Hoss Ghoul]

Nevermind. Shame on me for listening to the broadcasters who made it sound like no one would pit after that last caution flag stop. Should have listened to Larry Mac who's one of the few talking heads who has a clue what's going on.

[Hoss Ghoul]

This is some great racing between Montoya and McMurray...I don't know if they have enough gas to win or not, but either way just great stuff.

[El Sween]

I hope JPM pulls this off.

[Hoss Ghoul]

Possible fuel mileage win for JPM...of course he ran great too.

[veeten]

Yes!!! :D

[muggle not]

JPM really "snookered" Harvick.

Jamie was really impressive racing JPM.

This was some great racing.

[veeten]

work the track, save up the fuel & tires... that's how to win.

[El Sween]

Result. Tracy, Franchitti, Montoya. Perfect day for me.

[Hoss Ghoul]

In the final analysis it will probably become clear that a lot of the guys who pitted could have made it after all. Definetly JPM and his team gambled and won on that won. Great race.

[harvick#1]

hmm RCR still not good enough for the chase, 2-3-4.

enough said :s mokin:

I thought those guys weren't good enough

[blakebeatty]

well harv, with all of these first time winners this year, i think boyer needs to step it up

[harvick#1]

Bowyer will get it hopefully this year, but hes improved alot this year and is getting consistent.

I ****ing hate TNT 5 hours of prerace bordom and 15 minutes of Post-race

[KK3869]

Congrats to Montoya

[BobbyC]

Great race for Dodge, especially stopping Impala Nation.

The Montoya family has learned what it takes in NASCAR to celebrate winning -- those winning photos and to be around the team. The entire #42 crew ringing the winner's circle with the Montoyas shows NASCAR's image -- team and family.

The kids will learn they are soon to join the photos, as so many drivers have added the kids to winner's photos.

Watch out come Atlanta. He has proven himself to be potent at the track billed as "real racing real fast".

I read DW's comments in March after his spectacular run and he noted the winning mentality JPM brings. Now the entire team's morale boost might be just what the doctor ordered for all three teams.

"Establishing relationships off the track with (other) drivers, Juan Pablo is happy, and his wife (Connie) is very happy, too. She likes the camaraderie that she's found being with the other wives."

Being part of the winner's photos just like Chandra, Delana, Katie, Ingrid, and other great wives probably was a joy for her to see. Watching the Montoyas celebrate with the Ganassi crew was the icing on the cake since they became the entire focus.

I don't think JPM had driven on a short-shift playbook since his CART FedEx Championship Series days, when you short-shift at Road America, where a 4-mile track demanded it. It was back to strategic road racing he learned in FedEx racing, and is used in sportscar racing, but was never used in F3000 or modern F1.

Short-shift playbooks aren't used in F1, and with Champ Car rule changes on pit stops over the years to avoid the economy runs, were abandoned.

[harvick#1]

JPM really "snookered" Harvick.

Jamie was really impressive racing JPM.

This was some great racing.

Harvick also slowed alot those last 20 laps to save fuel. TNT never said it but they were 1 lap short and Harvick started saving and let Montoya by

[blakebeatty]

I ****ing hate TNT 5 hours of prerace bordom and 15 minutes of Post-race

Yeah, what's with that? I would much rather watch post-race than pre-race. Maybe with Victory lane, speed has the rights to all post-race.

[e2mtt]

Arghh. What a race, I had to leave when Robby Gordon was regaining the lead before his second stop, I thought he was sitting in the catbird seat and was expecting good thing when I returned.

Nice to see Jaun win, but very dissapointed to see Robby & Junior go from starting 2nd & 3rd to running right up front to finishing 16th & 13th.

I guess we now know that you can get about 40 laps out of a tank, not 32 ~ 35. That will ge good for the next time around maybe.

[Alexamateo]

Congratulations to JPM! It's a shame about Robby and Jr today, they ran much better than they finished, but hindsight is 20/20. Really wrecked my pickem's though. :D

[BenRoethig]

Harvick also slowed alot those last 20 laps to save fuel. TNT never said it but they were 1 lap short and Harvick started saving and let Montoya by

They also expected him to run out of gas around 2 or 3 to go and was about ten seconds ahead of Burton. To be honest, I don't think the 29 team really factored Juan into the equation. If they had, I don't think you would have seen the 29 lay back like they did.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Every year, this race seems to be about that last pit stop as much as the racing on the track. This just proves once again that a good crew chief who is aware can make a huge difference and Juan took full advantage of this as he charged forward. Great victory.....and I think it shocked some in Cup who didn't think JPM was that adept at passing people on the road course. Most of the top Cup guys think they are (quite rightly) the equal of the "ringers" but JPM I think showed them just how good an f1 guy can be....

[IndianChiefJoy]

True. I was watching speed and Jeff Gordon said in an pre-race interview that even if Montoya had the skill to win that race, F1 guys are not used to pass people in track for position. Obviously he has not seen Montoya's videos in youtube.

[BenRoethig]

True. I was watching speed and Jeff Gordon said in an pre-race interview that even if Montoya had the skill to win that race, F1 guys are not used to pass people in track for position. Obviously he has not seen Montoya's videos in youtube.

Juan isn't your typical F1 guy, which is probably why he got fed up with F1. He's a racer, not a driver unlike many of his former peers.

[-Helix-]

NASCAR needs more road courses. I get sick of ovals after awhile. But I finally paid attention to NASCAR again this past weekend and they put on a good show.

[Erki]

why Gordon is still a whiner.

did you hear what he said about Fellows, what a jerk

What did he say?

[BobbyC]

It's good racing.

Watching the COT drive gracefully and seeing drivers err through the tight curves shows what a good road race can be where the driver has to be on his line, learn to baby his equipment, and not err.

NASCAR racing often is where the fastest car isn't the winner, but the driver and crew chief with the smartest brains win the race. The brain of the man on top of the pit box can win the race.

I didn't like comparing the race to F1. It was more like the old CART races at Road America where fast wasn't as important as the bloke who beat the other guys with smart driving and fuel conservation determined the game. Remember when guys ran out of methanol at Road America on Lap 49 and 50 of the 50-lap, 200-mile affairs?