He would not speculate on potential contingencies stretching into 2017 and did not know how long Gordon would be willing to substitute.
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My top pick for the weekend started as Matt Kenseth, but after practices and qualifying morphed into fellow Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. He only lost one lap – until he cut another tire and hit the wall.
So Buescher rages in a five-race duel against Ragan for a bid in the Chase where maybe Buescher will be the only rookie.
A win on Sunday would tie Gordon with Tony Stewart for the Watkins Glen track record for victories with five. With fiancée Amy Reimann away for the weekend, Earnhardt chose to make the trip to the road course in central NY.
Having gained the pole at the Sonoma Raceway, Edwards swept the poles for the two road course races this season.
Friday at Watkins Glen International, he met the media in person for the first time since he’s been forced to sit out.
Keep an especially close eye on track performance. Practice sessions on Friday were another chance for teams to figure out how to adapt their cars to the track.
Elliott and the other drivers are not sure what to expect since the road course went through a $12 million repaving project during the offseason. “You are just worrying about getting normal”. But check back after qualifying for my final picks and fades.
In the second practice Friday afternoon, A.J. Allmendinger posted the fastest speed at 127.551 miles per hour and he is now on the outside looking in for the Chase.
Earnhardt has not raced since the Quaker State 400 on July 9 at Kentucky Speedway. Got back into the auto. He has been as high as fourth in the past, and he really seems to shine most on road courses. Open wheel products Juan Pablo Montoya won at Sonoma and Watkins Glen – encompassing both of his Sprint Cup wins – Marcos Ambrose won at the Glen in 2011 and 2012 before returning to race in Australia and A.J. Allmendinger leaped into the Chase with his first Cup win at Watkins Glen in 2014. After being knocked out of the top 12, Newman made a last minute dash and finished 11th.
And while Earnhardt might well finish the season among the top 30 drivers in points, he has yet to meet the most hard requirement: winning a race.
A driver who has emerged in recent years as an absolute must-have on the road courses is A.J.
For fans watching on television or at the track, Jarrett said they might think one thing in the race’s first 80 laps and then have their whole perspective changed in the final 10 laps. The year before that, he won here. You don’t have to try to throw the kitchen sink at it and try something way out in left field to try to make your racecar work.
Earlier this week, Hendrick Motorsports announced Earnhardt will miss Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen and the ensuing race at Bristol on August 20 following an off week.
“At the end of the day we did gain a couple points, only on the 30th position”, he said.
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That’s all I have for you this week. “When we first went into the doctor’s office, we never anticipated being out this long”.
