Race cars spread across the track during a restart of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Pennsylvania 400 auto race at Pocono Raceway, Monday, Aug. 1, 2016, in Long Pond, Pa.
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The race had already been rain-postponed from Sunday afternoon until Monday. The drivers completed six more laps under caution before the drivers were brought to pit road and the race was red-flagged with 22 laps remaining.
“As I got closer to the tunnel turn I felt (the tire) start to go down”, Truex said.
No need. He was declared the victor after about an 80-minute delay. In order to get in position for the chase, Buesher will need to be in the top 30 in points to have a chance to make the playoffs. “We’re on the right path right now”, said Buescher, who currently sits six points outside the cutoff for 30th place.
That story’s a breath of fresh air in season where the win column has been dominated by the usual suspects.
The No. 34’s win also snaps a streak of 118 consecutive races since Front Row Racing’s last victory, which was David Ragan at Talladega Super Speedway.
Buescher said the wait for the race to be called was “stressful”. It was a great victory for him and Osborne, a former crew chief for Carl Edwards.
“I’m thinking of every kind of rain dance I can”, Buescher said on his radio. He last pitted on lap 107 when others pitted on lap 122 or later and the decision was made to say out with weather approaching. He may have schooled us all today.
So it would make a lot of sense for Roush and Ford to hedge their bets with their best shot to make the Chase and send additional help to Buescher, if that’s even remotely possible.
Hamlin is followed by two-time Daytona 500 victor Jimmie Johnson, who joins Kyle Busch at +975 despite being forced to start from the rear of the field in a backup auto after being involved in a crash in the final lap of Thursday’s second Can Am Duel race. Larson led Dillon for 10 laps before Logano snuck past in the low line as they door-jammed each other through a turn on Lap 81.
Austin Dillon has 549 points and is the top Chase seed among the winless drivers. Larson kept his tight lead with a timely block of Dillon just two laps shy of the halfway point.
Although some – like Joseph Materia from upstate NY – got nervous around lap 70 when heavy clouds started to roll in.
Larson and Dillon resumed their race for the lead shortly before the fog came, but both faded.
“I was doing all I could to stay in front of him and he was doing all he could to get by me”, Larson said.
Once the race started just after noon on Monday, an hour later than planned because of fog and a light mist, pole victor Martin Truex Jr. led the field to the green flag.
A pair of tire incidents caused the driver of the No. 78 Toyota to finish 38th.
After going to the garage for repairs, Truex returned to the track. “Crazy bad luck and just a shame. Man, they gave me a good auto”. I was literally on cruise control and driving away. “I was trying not to get my hopes up because I know how these things can play out”.
It was also going to be yet another opportunity for NASCAR fans to see Jeff Gordon back on the track.
“I’m here on a Monday”.
NASCAR moves to the road course at Watkins Glen, New York next week.
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The race resumed on lap 92 with Logano out front.
