October 3, 2009

Kansas pit stall selections

Jayski.com has posted the pit stall selections, and as expected pole sitter Mark Martin took the final box at the exit of the pits.

Our View Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne and Brad Keselowski also have openings in front of them and will be able to pull straight out. Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Scott Speed, Brian Vickers and Jeff Gordon have openings behind them and can pit shallowly to give themselves a little more room.

Kansas has a wide, long pit road, however, and no one should have too much trouble.

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Official tweets from the track

Stewart's issue is ignition #NASCAR

For most of the morning practice session, Tony Stewart thought he had an engine going sour, which caused him to turn only eight laps. Between sessions, the team changed an ignition box and the miss seems to have gone away.

Our View Stewart will get to keep his fifth-place grid position and his fans hope the issue is truly resolved. Gremlins can be hard to find, however.

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Ky Busch continues to unravel in Happy Hour practice

Kyle Busch is showing signs of wear and tear after swerving at David Reutimann in Happy Hour for the Price Chopper 400 by Kraft Foods. His frustration in practice comes on the heels of a poor qualification effort.

Our View There is no doubt that the Young Gun has speed on his side, but until he develops some maturity, he is a risky proposition.

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N'Wide: Logano wins Kansas

Kyle Busch dominated the race, but youth was served with three laps to go. Joey Logano used the high groove to pass his teammate and pulled away from the field—just like he did at Chicagoland this summer.

Our View One week after his terrible tumble at Dover, this is the best confidence booster a teenager could have.

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Montoya wins Kansas Happy Hour

Juan Montoya posted the quickest average speed in Happy Hour for the Price Chopper 400 with a speed of 168.214 mph during 23 laps. His fastest lap of 172.018 was fourth-best on that chart.

Our View Montoya didn't post too many laps in either session, but that means he didn't need the extra track time. At his level, Montoya provides the best bang for the buck.

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Johnson fastest in Kansas Happy Hour

Jimmie Johnson posted the fastest single lap in both the morning and Happy Hour sessions, which continues to make him a favorite to win Sunday's Price Chopper 400.

Our View The best way to silence his critics is to dominate. Fantasy players need to put personal feelings aside and ride this pony until he goes lame.

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Stewart has possible engine problem

Tony Stewart heard something he didn't like in his engine during morning practice and spent most of the session looking for the gremlin. The team will need to decide whether to change powerplants in between the morning and Happy Hour sessions.

Our View if he changes engines, he will have to give up his fifth-place qualification effort. The Price Chopper 400 by Kraft Foods can be won from the back, but that will still be a seriously blow to his chances for a first-place finish.

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Johnson wins Kansas Sat. a.m. practice

Jimmie Johnson posted both the quickest single lap of 173.388 mph during the morning practice session and the quickest average speed of 168.765 during 23 laps.

Our View That gives him a great balance of speed and durability. He was one of our favorites at the start of the week and he remains a favorite.

Actually, Tony Stewart posted quicker average speeds, but he was battling an engine problem and made less than a handful of very short runs.

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Biffle spins in Kansas Sat. a.m. practice

Greg Biffle spun off the track in the Saturday morning session at Kansas Speedway. He did not do any apparent damage.

Our View His confidence has to be shaken, however. This is his second spin of the day after previously crashing in Nationwide qualification. It's hard to recommend him for the Price Chopper 400 unless he shows a ton of speed later in the day.

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N'Wide: Kligerman steals Kansas pole

Parker Kligerman will make his Nationwide debut in style. He stole the pole for the Kansas Lottery 150 over Kyle Busch and a long list of Cup veterans.

Our View Now that is impressive, but his youth will almost certainly get the best of him during race conditions.

Be patient; there will be plenty of opportunities to start this kid in the future.

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