Newman and Stewart were among a handful of drivers that collided in a multicar wreck with 37 laps remaining in the final regular-season race of the season Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway.
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Actually, bang might be an understatement.
FEDERATED AUTO PARTS 400Site: Richmond, Virginia.
“It’s a great team effort for us”.
But it was an eight-car wreck on Lap 363 that almost dashed the hopes of Chris Buescher on Saturday. It’s the first time in the Chase’s 13-year history that two rookies are in the field.
Lap 95 – Chase Elliott hits wall.
“Said the victor, “(Toward the end) I thought we should come in for tires but (crew chief) Mike Wheeler knew we had a good enough buffer. It was obvious the driver of the No.20 was none-too pleased with Keselowski once again Saturday night.
“That’s all Brad”, Kenseth said. “I said if we won the race, we’d go to a 9”. “But he knows better than that”.
He doesn’t care what it takes, though, he just wants results.
But the tempers didn’t stop there. Once again, Tony Stewart threw an on track fit and Ryan Newman bore the brunt of his animosity. Blaney made contact with Trevor Bayne that caused a flat tire and sent Blaney into the wall. It’s the last NASCAR race before the season-ending “Chase for the Sprint Cup” begins.
Tony Stewart’s wrecked auto. “I think things get a little bit tamer in the Chase because people are aware of the Chase cars”.
“I guess he thought he was in a sprint vehicle again and didn’t know how to control his anger”, Newman said. Newman said on television that Stewart was “bipolar” and had “anger issues”.
Stewart, for his part, didn’t back away when asked about Newman’s comments that the move was intentional. It’s just disappointing that you’ve got somebody old like that, that should be retired the way he drives. In a television interview after the incident, Newman bitterly criticized his former boss at Stewart-Haas Racing. “I could pass them within 10 laps but just never got that opportunity because the caution would come out every time before it happened”. But he hits me in 1, he hits me off of 2, and it’s like the third time by that time. It’s the third time by that time, there was once earlier in the race that no one saw. “Three times? That’s two more time than I normally let somebody run into me”.
Hamlin was able to survive the caution-filled race and crossed the finish line first as the checkered flag waved.
Truex was the leader at the halfway point of the race, and Toyota held the top three spots at that point, with Matt Kenseth running second and Hamlin third.
Leading the pack at the green flag tonight will be Denny Hamlin in the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota.
“That’s what is so special about it”. “You get to do it at home”. I see all the extra Denny Hamlin shirts and hats and everything. Both finished in the top 10, and Newman is now just outside the top 16 in the Chase. “Man, this is a great vehicle”.
And with that, the 2016 Chase season is now underway. The original format back in 2004 was 10 drivers, who had their points reset after this race. Top seeds are Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski followed by Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson.
As for the Chase drivers? The same goes for the round of 12 and the round 8 until the final four of the championship round which is the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Kyle Busch rounds turn one during the NASCAR Sprint Cup auto race at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Va., Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016.
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The regular season ended on a insane note in Richmond, giving the sport a lot of momentum headed into the racing world’s version of the playoffs.
