Tums Fast Relief 500

Burton posts second consecutive top-15 finish in Martinsville

October 26, 2009

Jeff Burton took the green flag in the 22nd position at Martinsville Speedway and looked for opportunities to advance his track position. When a caution period presented itself on lap 44, Burton used the opportunity to drive down pit road for adjustments, and quickly advanced to the 16th position thereafter. Then, on lap-90, crew chief Scott Miller called Burton to pit road under caution for another round of adjustments, and returned Burton to the track in the 13th position.

Unfortunately, when the seventh caution flag of the day displayed, Burton lost several positions in the process, and returned to the race in the 19th position. Despite this minor setback, Burton advanced to the 14th position at lap 224, the 11th position at lap 230 and the ninth position at lap 250.

In the second half of the event, changing weather conditions caused the No. 31 machine to develop a loose-handling condition. Burton fell to the 18th position and eventually fell one lap down to the leader. On lap 417, Miller called Burton to pit road for a scheduled green-flag pit stop. Luckily, the adjustments seemed to help and Burton quickly made his way into the lead spot, one lap down to the leader.

Finally, when a caution flag flew on lap 448, Burton was awarded the “lucky dog” free pass and returned to the lead lap. In the closing laps of the event, Burton ran in the 19th position and engaged in a heated battle with his competitors. As a result, Burton gained four positions and crossed the finish line in the 15th position when the checkered flag flew.

“Despite falling one lap down to the leader, we were in this race every step of the way,” said Burton. “The No. 31 team continues to get stronger with each race and our continued efforts are apparent in our second consecutive top-15 finish.”

Jeff Burton and the No. 31 team gained one position and now sit in the 18th position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Point Standings.

Successful strategy leads Harvick to a 10th-place finish in Martinsville

When the green flag flew at Martinsville Speedway, Kevin Harvick started in the 10th position and powered his way to the sixth position by lap 20. Although the No. 29 machine appeared to perform well, Harvick informed crew chief Gil Martin that he was struggling with a tight-handling condition. On lap 47, Martin called Harvick to pit road under caution for a slight chassis adjustment. When Harvick returned to the racing surface, the handling condition improved significantly and Harvick was able to maintain a spot in the top-10.

Later, when a caution flag flew on lap 176, Harvick ran in the 16th position and Martin made the call to keep the No. 29 machine on the track in an effort to gain back track position. As a result, Harvick restarted the event in the sixth position and was able to make a significant advance through the field – powering his way up to the third position by lap 190.

In the middle stages of the event, the No. 29 team’s pit strategy continued to work well, so Martin opted to keep Harvick on the track during the next two caution periods while many of the competitors drove down pit road for service. The decision allowed the No. 29 machine to remain in the top-10 throughout second half of the event.

In the closing stages of the 263-mile event, Martin called Harvick to pit road during each of the four final caution periods for minor chassis and air pressure adjustments. The changes were key in keeping Harvick in the top-10 throughout the final laps of the event. And when the checkered flag flew, Harvick crossed the line in the 10th position.

“I’m pleased with our performance and believe we had a very competitive race,” said Harvick. “Now it’s time to focus on preparations for the race at Talladega Superspeedway next weekend, and advancing our position in the Sprint Cup Championship points standings.”

Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 team remain in the 21st position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Point Standings.

Late-race penalty relegates Bowyer to a 19th-place finish

During Thursday’s practice session, Clint Bowyer recorded the seventh-fastest time. Later during Friday’s qualifying session, Bowyer posted a time of 19.742 seconds, which placed him in the 19th position for the start of Sunday’s race.

When the green flag flew at Martinsville Speedway, Bowyer advanced from the 19th position to the 10th position by lap 32. Although changing weather conditions in the beginning stages of the event altered the handling of the No. 33 machine, Bowyer continued to maintain his position
inside the top-10 for the first half of the event.

In the middle stages of the event, the No. 33 machine developed a loose-handling condition, but Bowyer continued to race in the top-10 successfully. Later on lap 418, Bowyer drove down pit road under green-flag conditions for the final scheduled service of the day. Unfortunately, NASCAR ruled that Bowyer exited pit road too fast, resulting in a pass-through penalty that caused him to line up at the back of the field. Despite the unfortunate circumstance, Bowyer continued to work on his advance through the field.

In the closing laps, Bowyer powered his way through the field and gained several positions before the end of the race. When the checkered flag flew, Bowyer crossed the line in the 19th position.

“The late-race penalty we encountered unfortunately prevented us from a top-10 finish,” said Bowyer after the race. “However, we will learn from this experience and work towards accomplishing a better outcome next weekend in Talladega.”

Clint Bowyer and the No. 33 team remain in the 15th position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Point Standings.

Late-race contact prevents Mears from a top-10 finish at Martinsville Speedway

When the green flag waved at Martinsville Speedway, Casey Mears rolled off the starting grid in the sixth position and raced strong to maintain a spot in the top-10. While changing weather conditions had an affect on the No. 07 machine’s handling, Mears managed to race in the top-15 throughout the first half of the event.

In the second half of the 263-mile contest, Mears continued his advance through the field. And on lap-425, Mears had battled his way to the 10th position. Five laps later, crew chief Todd Berrier called Mears to pit road for a scheduled green-flag pit stop. Although Mears returned to the track in the 15th position, he maneuvered his way back to the 10th position by lap 475.

With less than 20 laps remaining in the race, a caution flag displayed on lap 483 and Berrier opted to keep Mears on the track to protect track position. The move allowed Mears to capture three positions, and line up in the seventh position for the lap-489 restart. During the next three laps, Mears fell two positions, but was still in position for a top-10 finish.

Unfortunately, in the closing laps of the race, the No. 07 machine felt contact from the No. 5 car on lap 492 and the No. 43 car on lap 493. The late-race contact from both drivers kept Mears and the No. 07 team from a top-10 finish. Although a caution period on lap 495 allowed Mears to drive down pit road for fresh tires, Mears had little time to pick up positions and crossed the finish line in the 18th position when the checkered flag flew.

“We had a much better race car than our finish shows, considering we ran in the top-15 for most of the event,” said Mears. “Next weekend in Talladega, we will work on gaining enough points to advance our position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Point Standings.”

Casey Mears and the No. 07 fell one position and now sit in the 19th position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Point Standings.

The SKF Racing Team of Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Casey Mears will next travel to Talladega, Alabama for the Amp Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. The event will be televised on ABC beginning at 12 p.m. (EST) on November 1, 2009.