June 28, 2009

Logano wins rain-shortened race at New Hampshire

For the second time this year a driver has won his first NASCAR race with an assist from Mother Nature. Joey Logano stretched his fuel mileage and caught a final rain shower to win the Lenox Industrial Tools 301.

Our View: This is precisely how Kurt Busch won this same race last year, but the points still count the same.

Our other rain-aided winner David Reutimann finished fourth.

No one to the rear at New Hampshire

None of the cars will drop to the back of the pack, according to a tweet from @NASCARSays.

Our View: Of course, this would be more meaningful if qualification had been complete, but it's good news for everyone at the front of the field.

More Cup Series Newsbreakers

Competition caution coming on lap 35

NASCAR will throw a caution on lap 35 to allow the teams to gauge their tire wear, according to a tweet from @NASCARSays. The track has had all its rubber washed away by rain.

Our View: This will allow the frontrunners to make needed changes and since they have the best pit stalls, they should be able to stay up front.

More Cup Series Newsbreakers

IRL: SunTrust Indy Challenge Results, with avg. finish

It was a good day for Chip Ganassi. His racers ran away from the field and finished first and second at Richmond International Raceway. The victory was Scott Dixon's 19th career win in IRL competition, which ties him with Sam Hornish Jr. for the most in the series. With Ganassi and Roger Penske dominating the Indy Racing League for the moment, it's a fair bet that he will sit alone at the top before long.

Dario Franchitti led most of the race, but was beaten in the pits on the final stop. In dirty air on a 0.750-mile track, he was never able to get around Dixon and recorded his worst IRL short track finish in his last four attempts—he won the three previous.

Danica Patrick continues to be one of the hottest drivers in the series. With a fifth-place finish at Richmond, she recorded her seventh consecutive top-10, of which five were also top-fives. She's been great on the ovals, but the series now turns its attention to a string of road and street courses. There is some hope; the last time the IRL was on a twisty track was at Long Beach and Patrick kicked off her streak with a fourth there after starting deep in the field in 22nd.

Results, with average finish

FinishStartDriverLapsStatusAvg Fin
12Scott Dixon300Running6.86
21Dario Franchitti300Running4.00
35Graham Rahal300Running10.50
48Hideki Mutoh300Running8.50
510Danica Patrick300Running8.40
617Tony Kanaan299Running8.29
716Marco Andretti299Running8.00
86Raphael Matos299Running8.00
912Robert Doornbos299Running9.00
1013Dan Wheldon299Running5.71
119Tomas Scheckter299Running9.71
127E J Viso299Running11.00
1314Ed Carpenter299Running11.67
1415Justin Wilson298Running10.50
1518Ryan Hunter-Reay298Running15.50
1619Mario Moraes297Running16.50
173Helio Castroneves245Accident7.88
1811Mike Conway135Accident18.00
194Ryan Briscoe26Accident18.33
2020Jaques Lazier0Accident18.33

More Indy Racing League Newsbreakers

Trucks: MemphisTravel.com 200 results, with avg. finish

It appears that Ron Hornaday Jr.'s troubles are behind him after he dominated and won the MemphisTravel.com 200 to record his second consecutive victory. He led three times during the race for a total of 175 laps and the victory was never in question—not even when a late caution for a two-car incident set up a green-white-checkered finish. More importantly, he stopped the bleeding after back-to-back finishes outside the top 15 gave the owner points' lead over to No. 51 of Billy Ballew.

Brian Scott turned in another gutsy performance. Driving with a cast on his hand, he's posted back-to-back top-fives following the accident at Michigan that left him injured. He was third at the Milwaukee Mile and second this week at Memphis. Scott led 20 laps during the event and was the only other driver to lead more than a couple of circuits.

Results, with average finish

FinishStartDriverLapsLaps LedStatusAvg Fin
11Ron Hornaday Jr201175Running5.29
28Brian Scott20120Running7.50
314David Starr201
Running12.10
44Aric Almirola2011Running17.25
511Matt Crafton201
Running8.33
63Mike Skinner201
Running13.50
79Timothy Peters201
Running12.33
815Johnny Sauter201
Running8.00
95Colin Braun201
Running19.00
1012Todd Bodine201
Running14.00
1113Rick Crawford201
Running12.92
1210Brian Ickler201
Running12.00
132Terry Cook201
Running16.42
1416Ricky Carmichael201
Running14.00
157Dennis Setzer201
Running7.36
1617Tayler Malsam201
Running16.00
176Stacy Compton2001Running14.20
1824T J Bell2004Running18.00
1922Mario Gosselin200
Running19.00
2018James Buescher197
Running20.00
2134Norm Benning196
Running21.00
2223Brent Sherman162
Rear Gear22.00
2329Jason White144
Valve26.33
2419Jason Young140
Running24.00
2520J J Yeley139
Rear Gear25.00
2626Hal Martin119
Overheating26.00
2721Chris Fontaine115
Suspension23.50
2825Chris Jones111
Running30.00
2931Wes Burton94
Vibration29.00
3035Brandon Knupp28
Engine30.00
3132Trevor Boys24
Engine26.50
3233Nick Tucker23
Overheating33.00
3336Mike Harmon20
Overheating33.00
3430Michelle Theriault17
Vibration34.00
3528Butch Miller16
Drive Shaft19.00
3627Brent Raymer11
Handling36.00
37
Andy Ponstein0
Did Not Qualify
38
Paul Bamburak0
Did Not Qualify


More Camping World Truck Series Newsbreakers