RCR Post-Race Report — NSCS Michigan Internatio​nal Speedway

Menard Earns 14^th-Place Finish at Michigan International Speedway

 

After his best qualifying effort of the season, Paul Menard started the No. 27 CertainTeed/Menards Chevrolet from the fourth position and captured a hard-fought 14^{th –} place finish at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday. The early laps of the race looked promising as Menard quickly made his way to the second position on the first lap. The Eau Claire, Wis., native remained inside the top 10 until a lap-42 pit stop for right-side tires, fuel and a track bar and packer adjustment. Multiple cars elected not to take tires, or not pit at all, and Menard was forced to restart in the 22^nd position. Starting mid-pack, Menard fought a loose-handling condition in traffic and the crew made a variety of chassis adjustments during the ensuing pit stops to help remedy the issue. The driver of the No. 27 Chevrolet steadily worked his way back toward the front and was running in 12^th on lap 165 when crew chief “Slugger” Labbe called him onto pit road for a routine green-flag pit stop. Three laps after pitting, the caution flag flew for the final time causing Menard to fall a lap down to the leader, who had not yet come to pit road. Taking the “wave around” under caution, the 32-year-old driver was able to return to the lead lap restarting in 26^th. On a mission to get back inside the top 15, Menard gained 12 spots in the remaining 27 laps to finish 14^th. Menard now sits in the 11^th spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings heading to Sonoma Raceway next weekend.

 

 

Start – 4thFinish – 14thLaps Led – 0 Points – 11th

 

PAUL MENARD QUOTE:

“We had a fast CertainTeed/Menards Chevrolet at the start of the race and began to battle handling issues as the laps wore on. We got caught behind later when the caution came out after we had just pitted under green-flag conditions and had to restart at the tail end of the lead pack. I have to give my guys credit, they never gave up and we were able to fight back and come home with a top-15 finish.”

 

 

Kevin Harvick Hangs Tough to Finish Second at Michigan International Speedway

 

When the 200-lap, 400-mile race at Michigan International Speedway began on Sunday afternoon, Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet team lined up 21^st for the initial green flag. The first pit stop on lap 22, for a pre-determined competition caution, allowed the team to make multiple adjustments to help the car’s loose-handling condition. Throughout the race, crew chief Gil Martin called for pit stops taking on two and four tires at various times. This allowed the team to manage their tires during the race and avoid flats like other teams endured. For the last caution restart with 27 laps remaining, Harvick came off pit road in third with four tires, chassis adjustments and was topped off with enough fuel to go the remaining distance. During the final green-flag run, Harvick radioed in that he was feeling another vibration and didn’t want to push the car and lose valuable track position. He jumped to second place, then lost the position and regained it to earn the runner-up finish. This was his fifth consecutive top-10 finish and moved the team up to fourth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.

 

Start – 21stFinish – 2nd Laps Led – 0Points – 4th

 

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:

“We had a few vibrations during the race and you just have to ride them out and stay in the race. Gil (Martin, crew chief) and the Budweiser Chevrolet team did a great job on pit road managing stops during the race. They just kept making good adjustments, with the biggest ones coming on the first pit stop. It was a good day for us, we fought through the vibrations to stay out there and came up with a good finish.”

 

Jeff Burton Collects Third Top-10 Finish of 2013 Season at Michigan International Speedway

Jeff Burton and the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet team collected their third top-10 finish of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, finishing 10^th in the 400-mile event at Michigan International Speedway. After starting the 200-lap affair from the 18^th position, the South Boston, Va., native maintained a top-20 running position while battling with a loose-handling condition on his black and yellow machine. Burton was able to find speed in the latter stages of long green-flag runs, but the loose-handling condition plagued the Richard Childress Racing driver from passing other competitors on the track. Crew chief Luke Lambert directed the Caterpillar pit crew to make chassis and air pressure adjustments under multiple two and four-tire pit stops through the course of the event. As the race progressed, Burton began to showcase speed by posting top-five lap times. With just under 50 laps remaining, the 21-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winner worked his way into the top 15 and caught a break on lap 168 when the caution flag was displayed after many competitors had already made green-flag pit stops. Burton capitalized on the next restart and benefited from other competitors running out of fuel in the waning laps before crossing the finish line 10^th for his fourth-consecutive top-15 result of the season. With the solid finish, Burton gained four positions and now sits 17^th in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.

Start – 18th Finish – 10th Laps Led – 0 Points – 17th

JEFF BURTON QUOTE:

“The No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet team fought hard all day to bring home another solid finish. It turned out that tires made a huge difference and Luke (Lambert, crew chief) made all the right calls with adjustments as the track conditions changed. We continue to make progress with our 1.5-mile and two-mile track programs. Overall, it was a good points day for us.“

Austin Dillon drove the No. 33 American Ethanol Chevrolet SS to an 11^th-place finish in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Michigan International Speedway, posting his career-best finish in his seventh series start. The Richard Childress Racing driver started the 200-lap race from the seventh position, his best starting position in NASCAR’s top tier division. The Welcome, N.C. driver spent the beginning of the race battling a loose-handling condition on his black and green Chevrolet. Working with crew chief Dr. Eric Warren, Dillon & Co. followed a pit strategy off-cycle from the race leader during the beginning and middle stages of the race. The team opted not to pit when the race leader and several front runners visited pit road under caution on lap 42, positioning Dillon in the second spot for a lap-45 restart. The rookie Sprint Cup Series driver was fast at the front of the field, maintaining pace within the top five for the next 30 circuits until he was pinned one lap down when the caution flag was displayed while pitting under green-flag conditions on lap 72. Dillon opted to take the “wave around” to gain his lap back and restarted 26^th on lap 80. Although his car handled loose during the next run, Dillon continued to post fast lap times and move forward in the running order. He was scored in the 13^th position when the caution flag was displayed on lap 168, prompting Dr. Warren to direct him down pit road for the final pit stop of the day. When entering his pit box, Dillon overshot his pit stall and had to be pushed back into his box, costing valuable seconds on pit road before the RCR team changed four tires and added Sunoco Green E15 fuel. Dillon was relegated to the 22^nd position for the lap-173 restart, but assured his crew he planned to drive as aggressively as possible during the remaining laps of the event. Not to disappoint, Dillon gained 11 spots to finish a career-best 11^th in the No. 33 American Ethanol Chevrolet.

Start – 7th Finish – 11th Laps Led – 0Points – N/A

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE: “I’m very proud of the No. 33 American Ethanol team. The guys on the team did a great job all day. I’m looking forward to our next race together.”

RCR PR