Sprint Run at Atlanta for One Dodge Boy!

Posted on September 7th, 2009 • by J.R.

It was great to witness racing on Labor Day weekend, back in the South, the way it’s supposed to be: NASCAR style! Also, it was significant as it was the first night race at Atlanta Motor Speedway – was racing on this old track wild or what? I don’t think any driver had complete control of his car as drifting was the norm all evening long around this 1.5 mile course for the Pep Boys 500-mile race.

Drivers struggled all night with the slippery track and with every pit stop wrenches were taken to the cars, tire pressures were adjusted and spring rubbers were applied, all done in the name of grip. In victory lane, Kasey Kahne would say of the track, “(E)veryone struggled out there tonight, I just had my car set up for the short runs.” And the final run to the checker flag would be a quick 10 lap sprint for the #9 Budweiser, Dodge Charger. Kasey’s pit crew just needed to hit their marks and get him out as quick as possible.

During the final 100 miles, Kevin Harvick would prove to be top contender. He, Juan Montoya and Kasey would battle for the lead, but as the laps continued it was the #29 Shell Chevy pulling away. Kevin was on his way to clinch his first win of the season for Richard Childress Racing (RCR), when with 13 laps remaining his teammate Clint Bowyer spun bringing out the final caution of the evening. Kevin’s two-second lead over Juan Montoya and Kasey Kahne instantly went up in smoke. A final pit stop by the entire field for new tires and final adjustments, well—Kevin knew he didn’t have the advantage. He needed to come out of the pits first, and his crew needed to make a change that would free up his car for a short speed run. Maybe pumping up the tires would provide the needed edge and be just enough or maybe Kasey or Juan would falter on their pit stops. Either way, Kevin was going down fighting.

Kevin won the race off pit road, followed by Kasey in his signature red Budweiser Dodge Charger. Kasey had been running almost the entire evening up front. Only once did he find himself mired back in the top third of the pack after some bad adjustments were made to his car after his second pit stop. Overall, Kasey’s car and pit crew were on top of their game; they needed to be, if they were going to get the Budweiser Dodge back into serious contention for the Chase Championship.

Kasey was not only the class of the field for the Dodge race teams, he proved to have the fastest car, especially on short (20-lap) runs. And, with the final caution flag coming out with only 13 laps remaining, it was setting up to be his race. He just needed a great pit stop by his Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) pit crew, and four new Goodyear tires. They delivered and the restart, well… Kevin couldn’t catch Kasey. Kasey drove off to win by almost two seconds.

The win catapulted Kasey to 6th in championship points: he’s now one position ahead of Kurt Busch in the Chase. Kurt didn’t finish the race tonight having lost control of his Charger with 119 miles to go, He applied power to the #2 Penske Dodge coming off turn 4 and the car just came around, a slight correction and then Kurt collected the #43 Dodge driven by Reed Sorenson. Reed just didn’t have any place to go; it would turn out not to be the evening either driver wanted or expected.

Tonight’s win by Kasey Kahne was just what the doctor ordered. It keeps Kasey in the hunt for the championship, but it’s even a bigger win for RPM as many folks questioned the merger in the off season between Gillett-Everham Motorsports and Richard Petty Enterprises. This gives RPM two wins so far this season. But the biggest winner in my mind is Dodge! Now it’s on to Richmond International Raceway—the final race of the season before the Sprint Cup Chase races begin. Both Kasey and Kurt must stay out of trouble on this short track or they will find themselves looking from the outside on the championship.

The following are the finishes for all the Dodge race teams at tonight’s Pep Boys 500:

#9 (Budweiser), Kasey Kahne, 1st
#12 (Penske Racing), David Stremme, 14th
#44 (Hunt Brothers Pizza), A.J. Allmendinger, 20th
#19 (Stanley Tools), Elliott Sadler, 21st
#43 (Air Force), Reed Sorenson, 27th
#77 (Mobil 1), Sam Hornish, Jr., 35th
#2 (Miller Lite), Kurt Busch, 38th
#09 (Miccosukee Resort and Gaming), Mike Bliss, 41st

J.R.
6 Sep 2009