After the short track experience of Bristol last week NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series is headed out to Fontana, California this week.
The Auto Club Speedway, as it is now called, is another D-shaped mile oval. It is most similar to Michigan International Speedway in my opinion, with one exception; it is a flatter racing surface with less banking in the corners and on the straight-aways.
The flatter racing surface combined with the higher centre of gravity of the new Car of Tomorrow (CoT), high speeds, and usually high temperatures will put a lot of stress on the front right tire of these race cars. This is the tire you don’t want to fail when you are entering the corner to turn left at nearly 200 mph as all of the weight of the car is transferred to this tire when you enter the corner.
It is for this reason that it is really important for each and every driver to make sure they enter the corners properly and not overdrive the car because that will make the car roll over onto that front tire more than it has too and if you do that one too many times you’ll be having a nice meeting with the outside wall.
Another thing about this race track is that since the corners are long and sweeping the drivers tend to stay on the throttle more, which in turn keeps the rpm’s up giving the engine no breaks during the course of running the 500 miles to complete the race. It is tracks like this that have the engine department for each team sitting on the edge of their seats the whole entire weekend. It wouldn’t surprise me to see some teams limit their practice time prior to the race to save their engines for the main event.
Like Michigan, fuel mileage may be a factor at this track. Look for some of the teams to gamble on their fuel mileage to gain those ever so valuable points, or to get the win and the bonus points that may come with it in The Chase depending on where they are in the standings at the end of the 26 race qualifying season.
After watching the antics between Kyle Busch (18) and Carl Edwards (99) last weekend I wouldn’t expect to see a lot of give and take between these two this weekend, especially since they both run very well here.
As an aside, I think Kyle’s post-race actions at Bristol last week selfish and uncalled for. If you have ever read my blog (NASCAR Ranting and Raving) you would know that I’m not a Carl Edwards fan by any means, but I’m on his side on this one. Busch would have done the same to Edwards if the roles were reversed, without a doubt – heck if I were in that race I even would have done it.
Other drivers to watch out for at Fontana are Jimmie Johnson (48), Matt Kenseth (17), and Clint Bowyer (07). I would also expect a good run out of David Ragan (6) as he is steadily gaining momentum and edging his way into the Chase.
With just two races left until the start of The Chase I would really be paying attention to those drivers who haven’t locked in yet, especially those who are hovering around the 12th and final spot, because as The Chase looms near it is the action between these drivers that may be better to watch over the next two races than the actual battle for the lead.
This is your last chance to enter the “Win An Autographed Kevin Harvick Hat” contest. Follow the link for all of the details, but hurry time is running out. What are you doing? Stop reading this, and enter now! I said stop it!
Get going!
Move it! That’s it. I’m not writing anymore … Now get going! I give up.
Ugh!
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Here are a few tidbits that are floating around here after the Bristol race:
1) Kyle Busch really acted like an immature young twenty-something after the race when he ran into Carl’s car to show his displeasure int he way Carl passed him - wait a minute … he is a young twenty-something … oh, just forget it (but I think Carl won’t).
2) Kasey Kahne can’t catch a break. That was a huge wreck. Man. I also feel sorry for some of those other guys too like Hornish, and Robby Gordon.
3) It was cool to see Kenny Schrader back in the Cup Series. Why didn’t Childress just hire Kenny as a filler in the 33 car … oops … I mean the 07 car until Richard’s grandson Austin ready to take over the driving duties because we all know that is what is going to happen eventually anyway. Don’t we?
4) Casey Mears moves on over to RCR for next year. I wonder how long he’ll be there until Austin shows up to take over Casey’s ride?
5) Can you believe that Dale Jr jumped the re-start. Holey Cow, I can’t either. Sometimes when you dig yourself a hole, you just can’t get out of it no matter how hard you try and that was the case here. He still moved in front of Jimmie in the points though.
6) Speaking of Jimmie, can you believe his luck too? I think all of the drivers at Hendrick Motorsports have monkeys on their backs right about now - although I think some of the drivers outside the top 12 would rather have the Hendrick monkeys on their backs instead of the gorillas that they currently have.
This week all three of NASCAR’s top racing series will be at Bristol Motor Speedway, otherwise known as “Thunder Valley”.
If you want to see a ton of close racing with some beatin’ and bangin’ then this is the track for you.
Bristol is a ½-mile concrete oval with variable banking in the turns (24 – 30 degrees). Since the track was repaved with this variable banking the racing groove has widened a bit, it is now almost two full lanes wide. Prior to the addition of the new banking, Bristol was pretty much a one groove track where the only way to really pass was to put your front bumper up against the rear bumper of the car in front of you and ‘gently move’ the guy out of the way.
One thing the crews and drivers don’t have to worry about too much is the way the track will change during the course of the race. Since it is made out of concrete the track temperatures don’t change too much, which means that the race teams won’t be fighting significant handling problems as a result of drastic temperature changes in the racing surface like they do at asphalt tracks.
What the teams have to worry about is keeping their car out of trouble on the track. One way to do that is having a good qualifying effort to put the car up front where the chances of getting caught up in a wreck are less than running back in the pack where anything can happen.
Also, if you get a good qualifying spot then you get a better pit stall - and trust me you want a good pit stall - preferably the first one leaving pit road where no one can block you in as the pit stalls at Bristol are not as long as at other tracks, making it tighter for drivers to get in and out.
After the huge penalties, fines, and suspensions handed out by NASCAR to the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) organization for what NASCAR analyst and former Cup Champ Darryl Waltrip calls “reverse cheating” on his blog it will be interesting to see how JGR responds to the unwanted media attention. Even though the penalty infraction happened in the Nationwide Series, I can’t see that the Cup side of the organization isn’t affected somehow because everything those guys do, whether it is Nationwide or Sprint Cup, will be watched under a microscope now by NASCAR, the media, and the fans.
With JGR trying to keep their drivers in the hunt for the Chase with just 3 races remaining this is a distraction that drivers Kyle Busch (18) Denny Hamlin (11) and Tony Stewart (20) and their crews don’t need right now.
The drivers to watch out for at this track are any of the JGR drivers (11, 18, 20) - if they can handle the extra attention they’re getting; Greg Biffle (16); Kevin Harvick (29); Jeff Burton (31); Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88); and the still-winless-this-season Jeff Gordon (24).
Something else of note is that current NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champ, Andrew Ranger, will drive in seven of the remaining Ten Nationwide Series races, including Bristol, for Fitz Motorsports in the number 22 car.
If Ranger can just finish the race on the lead lap without wrecking his car, or anyone else’s, I would consider that to be a victory and it would further solidify his new position at Fitz Motorsports.
Ranger is a talented driver and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the Sprint Cup Series one day and he must look at this 7 race deal as an audition for future rides in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series’.
That is why it is important for Ranger to run well, consistently, and without incident so he can better his chances for a future in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
I think Ranger will find that easier said than done in “Thunder Valley” on Friday night though.
As promised from yesterday, here is the “Win An Autographed Kevin Harvick Hat” contest. I’ve got 5 of these head-friendly hats to give away and all you have to do is follow these instructions: - Answer the following 2-part question: “In what year did Shell win its first NASCAR race as a primary sponsor and who was the driver?” - Send all answers via email to rantingandraving_4ever3@hotmail.com - Please use Hat Contest as the subject heading in the email.
- Also, please include your mailing address with your answer. Your address will not be shared with anyone outside of NASCAR Ranting and Raving Blog and/or Shell Oil’s PR Company. - The contest will run for 7 days. - The contest will start at noon on Thursday August 21, 2008. - The contest closes at noon on Thursday August 28, 2008. - Winners will be selected from all accurately completed entries - You may enter more than once, but your are limited to 1 entry per day per email address. - Chances of winning are based on number of entrants. - Winners will be chosen as follows; 2nd correct answer, 3rd correct answer, 21st correct answer, 29th correct answer, and 33rd correct answer. - You may only win once per email address. In other words, one win per email address.
Good Luck!
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American LeMans™ drivers Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz will be at the Hamilton, Ont. Lowes on Thursday Aug. 21 from 4-5pm. See here for all of the details.
Sometimes I wish I lived in the States. All of the good NASCAR Contests are for US residents only.
You wouldn’t believe the email and free offers that get sent my way that I can’t capitalize on because I don’t live in the U.S. of A. I’ve even had people recind their offers once they’ve found out that I live in Canada. What can you do? The latest NASCAR contest from the U.S. that caught my eye, as I was watching the NASCAR race on a U.S. channel this weekend, was the free gas promo being offered from Shell. I wanted to know more about it so I decided to get a hold of my Shell PR contact and find out from them what this contest was all about as I only saw part of the commercial, and here is the reply they sent me: (pay attention to the 6th paragraph) “We are working on two fun programs.
The first is an all-new promotion that brings new meaning to the “No. 29.” August 4 through September 28, Shell is highlighting the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil car and offering customers the chance to win free Shell gasoline through the “Shell $2,900 Every Day Giveaway” promotion.
At participating stations, customers receive a scratch-and-match game card with any fuel purchase. Consumers need to scratch off the gunk on the valves to see what they won. On top of that, the game cards feature online codes for more chances to win Shell fuel every 29 minutes and thousands of other prizes, including No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil merchandise autographed by Kevin Harvick and a limited edition 105th Anniversary Harley-Davidson® Motorcycle, XL Sportster 1200C.
Consumers can also write in for a free game card. And in Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia only, Shell customers will have the chance to participate in the “Get a Free Race Cup” promotion while supplies last. There will be three different racing cups to collect – featuring each of the RCR Cup Series drivers.
I’m not sure if you caught last week’s race in Pocono, but if you did, you might be wondering about the new hat Harvick was sporting during his pre-race interview with ESPN. I think we all get from the Shell commercials that Harvick hates engine gunk and now he is taking a stand! He is joining Shell in its American’s for a Gunk-Free Nation (AGFN) campaign, a movement focused on protecting the nation’s engines by living gunk-free. The hat he was wearing during his interview is the same as the one featured in the above photo.
If you’d be interested in running the photo and letting your readers know they can check out the Web site www.shell.us/livegunkfree for more information on gunk-free living.We would love to get you a few signed hats to give-away to your readers. Maybe a little contest you’d want to put together for your readers? Later in the year, we will share some humorous JibJab-type videos including some of the RCR drivers. We’ll keep you posted so you can share them with your readers.
Thanks so much and I look forward to your feedback.”
Well there you have it. Two great promos from the folks at Shell. Oh, and one great contest in the making from yours truly.
Since this NASCAR contest is originating in Canada I’ll be nice and open my it up to those people living in the U.S.A. as well.
Maybe some of the big time NASCAR sponsors will follow my lead and open their contests up to Canadian residents in the future.
Look for all of the “Autographed Kevin Harvick Hat Contest” details tomorrow.
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Carl Edwards captured his third Nationwide Series victory of the season Saturday with a win in the Carfax 250 at Michigan International Speedway.
Carl Edwards: It’s not easy at all. You know Tony Stewart with his car and Brian Vickers is very fast, it’s just pretty awesome man to win a race with, you know right here in Ford Motor Company’s backyard, you know in Jack Roush’s backyard, to win it for Planter’s Peanuts, they’re only on the car one time and they got a win that’s pretty cool.
I was a little nervous that we were gonna get a caution just because you know those guys were racing so hard. You know all over the track, everyone was racing really hard. We were lucky that the caution didn’t come out. We’ve been really close to winning here before in this series and had to go through a green-white-checkered and it didn’t work out that day so, it’s very cool to win this race. But pit road, you know coming off of pit road first was obviously the key, I mean you know Tony was so fast that it would have been a lot different race if he’d have come off of pit road where he came on.
Brian Vickers beat out Tony Stewart to finish second.
Brian Vickers: It was tough to get by those guys, I mean they were running us hard and you know they had a good car as well. We were better on top on old tires than we were on the bottom and that’s how he got by us the first time, then once I got up top and the tires were old enough we got back down.
Test your knowledge about NASCAR Nationwide series in the Up to Speed Challenge, an exciting NASCAR fantasy game, with great prices, including a $100,000 grand prize. Visit www.espn.com and enter key word “nationwide” to participate.
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If you can pry yourself away from the Olympics this Sunday (isn’t Phelps amazing?), the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway might prove to be an interesting alternative.
No, I don’t foresee a lot of crashes, spins, or collisions. What I do see is some creative race strategies by some teams as races at Michigan usually turn into fuel mileage marathons and how teams handle it depends on where they are in the points.
Obviously a team that is trying to stay in the top 12 in points so they can be in The Chase will probably not stretch out their fuel mileage to try and win the race because if they run out of gas with just a few laps left they will finish low in the order – probably no better than 20th place which would hurt them greatly in the points race, after all the higher you finish, the more points you get.
While on the other hand, you might find some teams willing to gamble and roll the dice on their fuel mileage. Those teams trying to get into the top 35 in points so they can get those guaranteed starting spots for each race may try to stay out for the win because if they win they will get 3-4 times the amount of points they usually do for finishing well in the pack like they usually do.
Keeping those sponsorship dollars, and in some cases your job, by guaranteeing your starting spot for the next race is well worth the risk at this point in the season, just ask Michael McDowell (00) who caused a huge wreck last week at Watkins Glen trying to gain more positions on the track so he could get his team in the top 35 and keep his job. McDowell eventually finished 25th, but did not get his team in the top 35 and has been ‘temporarily’ replaced for the next three races by veteran driver Mike Skinner.
Watch Skinner this weekend in that double zero car, as he races well at Michigan and if he feels he has a chance to get his first points win at the Sprint Cup level you know he would wreck his own mother to do it. I remember listening to Skinner’s radio frequency at this race in 1999 when he was Dale Earnhardt’s teammate at Richard Childress Racing. Skinner was in turns 3 and 4 with his car literally sideways when he keyed the mic and yelled, “Yehaaaaw” over the radio. He then got the car pointed in the right direction, kept on going, and didn’t even loose a spot. He won himself a new fan that day that’s for sure.
Another person who might stay out and gamble that they did their fuel calculations right is current point leader Kyle Busch (18). Why would he do that you ask? Simple, the 10 bonus points for winning that he gets headed into The Chase.
When The Chase starts the top 12 drivers point totals are effectively wiped out, and they start all over again even for the last 10 races, except for the bonus points they have earned for any wins they might have had in the previous 26 races.
Kyle Busch (18) already has 8 wins, so that means he already has 80 points more than everyone else who hasn’t won any races yet like Jeff Gordon (24) or Tony Stewart (20). If Busch gets another win or two before The Chase he will begin it with a huge lead, and that is why he might gamble with his fuel mileage this weekend – he wants to win that Championship and those bonus points just might prove to be the thing that does it for him.
Also, watch out for any car that comes from the Roush-Fenway organization (6, 16, 16, and 99) as they have traditionally run well at Michigan, and have been getting pretty good gas mileage this season. This might even be the race that David Ragan (6) gets his first win at, as he finished 8th here back in June.
All of this is depended on the weather of course. It rained so bad last year that they had to run the race on Tuesday - two days after it was scheduled – and with all of the rain we’ve been having this year I’m glad I didn’t get tickets for this year’s event.
If it gets rained out at least I’ll still have the Olympics to watch.
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Here they go again…. ONLY $120K to enter this year (plus cost of your vehicle and gas, etc..) SOmething tells me David “Night Rider” Hasselhoff won’t be driving the route.
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On August 16, during the CARFAX 250 NASCAR Nationwide series race at Michigan International Speedway, the #20 Old Spice Car will have a new look as it races to help special children from around the world. Give Kids The World, the nonprofit organization that provides week-long, cost-free vacations to Central Florida for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families, will be honored with its very own “Give Kids The World Village” design. The brightly colored car was designed by Wish child Emily Marsala (pictured) and will be driven by Joe Gibbs Racing driver Tony Stewart.
In celebration of this unique partnership, Give Kids The World is encouraging NASCAR fans everywhere to participate in a View-A-Thon to help us raise $25,000, or $100 for every mile of the race. As a popular voice in the NASCAR fan community, we hope you can help us by sharing this story on The NASCAR Ranting and Raving blog.
Give Kids The World Village (GKTW) is a 70-acre, non-profit resort in Central Florida that creates magical memories for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. GKTW provides accommodations at its whimsical resort, donated attractions tickets, meals and more for a week-long, cost-free fantasy vacation. With the help of many generous individuals, corporations, and partnering wish-granting organizations, Give Kids The World has welcomed more than 89,000 families from all 50 states and over 65 countries.
Give Kids The World is committed to fiscal responsibility and being a good steward of the support and resources we receive. Of each dollar spent in the fiscal year 2007, approximately 93 cents went directly to our families for their cost-free, magical vacation. Very few charitable organizations reach and sustain this level of administrative and fundraising efficiency, and we work everyday to maintain this success.
– Learn more about Give Kids The World at www.gktw.org
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“Back in July Kevin Harvick paid a surprise visit to Chris and Jim Lamb who have a huge collection of antique Shell Oil Company signage and collectibles.
Several weeks before these folks sent a note to Kevin at his race shop in Kernersville, North Carolina telling him of their collection and inviting him to visit their house in Maine.
Little did they know that Kevin had already planned to run the TD Banknorth 250 Late Model race in Oxford, Maine in his final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series off weekend during the July 19th - 20th weekend.
Not only was the surprise visit to the unofficial Shell museum special for these Shell fans in Maine, but Kevin went on and won the event in dominating fashion - one of the largest short track races in the United States.
Kevin was the 7th Daytona 500 champion to compete in that late model race.” - from Shell’s PR Firm.
Man, look at all of that Shell stuff. Back when I was in High School and in University I worked for a guy who owned and operated several Shell stations. Those were good times, and I see some of the same stuff we used to have kicking around our stations that is in the picture of this mock Shell station.
In fact, Shell tore down one of the stations I worked at to get rid of the garage and put up a store and I took the original hand painted “Please Hang Up Air-Hose After Use” sign that was attached to the building and I have it hanging in my garage right now beside my compressor and air hose.
I just dig gas old station stuff, don’t you?
You should see the Shell/White Rose collection my old boss from Shell has. It would blow your mind. I even found him an original Shell gas pump from the 1950’s exactly like the one Kevin is standing beside in the picture, that my boss’s original lite-up glass globe pump topper fit perfectly.
I would have bought it for myself, but I couldn’t afford it going to school and all. I asked him once a while ago, as he and I are still friends, if I could buy it and he just laughed at me.
Honestly though, if the roles were reversed I would have done the same thing.
Photo Courtesy of Shell’s PR Company.
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I have to give Jeff Hammond a big kudos. I recently emailed him some photos I took of Patty and Jeff at Daytona. It was a hilarious few minutes. There is a post about it in my archives…
Jeff answered my email and remembers that day. It’s so cool when celebrities take the time to reach out to the fans and it’s rare. Funny thing.. Jeff’s friend and co-worker Steve Byrnes also answered an email of mine.
Thanks Jeff!!
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Michael McDowell needs to accept responsibility for his actions that led to a 9 car pile up which sent Bobby Labonte to hospital. All that McDowell has done is said that it was just a result of “hard racing” with Gilliland and offered up the excuse that he is racing for his job out there trying to stay in the top 35 in points.
McDowell eventually went on to finish 25th in the race, but is still out of the top 35 in Owner Points anyway. Go figure.
This incident reminds me a bit of what Ernie Irvan did at Darlington in 1990 where he was a lapped car racing with the leaders and caused a huge wreck that put Neil Bonnet in the hospital with life threatening injuries. Bonnet would eventually return part-time to racing in 1993 and then full-time in 1994, where he died practicing for the Daytona 500.
As far as I’m concerned McDowell needs to accept the fact that he made a bad move - he is a rookie after all. After looking at the replays it seems to me that he went into the corner to take the spot from Gilliland, which he did, but then he moved up the track like Gilliland wasn’t there. What does he expect? That Gilland would just back off and let him go? Not with 8 laps left. If he would have just held his line he would have eventually cleared Gilliland going into the next right hand corner at the end of the straight-away anyway because he would have had the preferred line.
I’m in agreement that this incident was a product of hard racing (combined with a rookie-like mistake), but McDowell needs to have bigger shoulders and say it was his fault instead of making up excuses like ‘he is racing for his job out there’. I’ve got news for you Micheal, so is most everyone else out there you just wrecked.
We went up to Rogers’ Rock Campground on Lake George Thursday 8/7. We no more than got things done and the rain came. I had engineered a tarp tied to trees and stretched it over 2 tents and a screen room/tent, so we stayed dry for the most part. Friday brought another period of rain but the night hours and all day Saturday were dry and very nice. Sunday…. more rain!!
Watkins Glen… the rain plagued qualifying but they were spared yesterdays wetness. The Glen is about 3 hours west of my house and it surprised me to see they were not getting hammered like the rest of NY state. This has been the wettest summer I can remember in a long time.
Maybe it’s just me… but this 3 week stretch of the racing season is the longest…boring!! From Pocono’s [yawn] race to Michigan’s. At least there is Bristol as an encore.
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The Race For the Chase is starting to heat up as the NASCAR ‘Cupsters’ head into the second road race of the season at Watkins Glen in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Only the top 12 drivers in the points will be allowed to compete in the last 10 races of the season for a chance to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup and with only five races remaining until The Chase, every point gained on the track might mean the difference between sitting in 12th or 13th in the standings. Matt Kenseth (17) fell out of the top 12 after last week’s race in Pocono and is just 11 points from the 12th and last spot. David Ragan (6) has quietly put together a good sophomore year and is sitting 14th in points, just 46 out of 12th. Could Ragan make The Chase? With five races left, you never know. But one thing for sure is that everyone who wants to stay, or get in, the top 12 will have to have a good race at The Glen. If you do poorly on this road course, you may just find yourself on the outside of the top 12 come Chase time. The Glen is a fast road course encompassing 11 turns over hilly terrain for approx 2.5 miles. The spots to watch out for on the track are turn 1, where it is easy to overdrive your car and lose several positions in the process; and turns 5, 6, 7 and 8 that make up what is called the “inner loop”, which is a chicane that was put in after the death of NASCAR driver J.D. McDuffie in 1991 in order to slow the cars down before they enter what is now called turn 9. One other place to watch for interesting developments is pit road. At The Glen, cars enter pit road on the right side instead of the left, and this means that the pit crews must service the cars backwards by changing the driver’s side tires first instead of last. This little change in routine might be enough to throw even the best teams off, especially if the driver pulls in too close to the pit wall because they can’t see it very well. The drivers to watch at this track are Tony Stewart (20) and Jeff Gordon (24), who have combined to win eight of the last 11 races and both of whom are winless so far this season.
Also, you can’t leave out point leader Kyle Busch (18), who won the last road race in Sonoma, and Mark Martin, who is no slouch on road courses and has an average finish at The Glen of 6.9 in 19 starts. The darkhorses will be Canadian Ron Fellows (01), who won last week in the history-making Nationwide race in Montreal where NASCAR continued the race in the rain with the race cars using a specially designed rain tire for the first time, and former Trans Am ace Boris Said (45), who taught most of today’s NASCAR drivers how to properly race on road courses. No matter who you are cheering for on the weekend, pay attention to those drivers in the top 12 in points because if they are doing well or not, this race may not get someone into The Chase. But a poor performance will almost certainly keep them out, and that just may be a bigger story than who won the race.
The following is a Q&A with Ron Fellows winner of this week’s NASCAR Nationwide Series NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Saturday: Announcer: With drivers using wet-weather tires for the first time since they were built in 1999, Canadian Ron Fellows raced through the rain to victory in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Saturday.
Ron Fellows: I’ve done some rain racing before, and you know the conditions were just treacherous with the downpour, lots of flooding, and that’s as flooded as I’ve seen it since Le Mans in 2001. So it’s obviously very, very difficult and visibility is a big, big problem, especially to see anything over about 70 MPH, there’s just so much spray from other cars, it’s just very, very difficult. So I’m happy that it ended, and I think we did just fine winning a race. This was, I think, a great day for Canadians and obviously very special to be here on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and I’ve got to thank the fans. The race fans here in Quebec are incredibly passionate and very vocal and it’s just like the Trans-Am days in Trois-Rivieres—and I hope I didn’t spoil anything but we’ll take this win.
Announcer: Fellow Canadian Patrick Carpentier came home the runner-up.
Patrick Carpentier: I’m happy for Ron, he’s a great competitor and he’s always been fast on road course so he definitely deserves it and I’m happy for him but, no I wish we would have gone a little bit longer for me. But not in those conditions so they made the right decision, they made the right call.
.JPG)
