Still the Scottish Racer - And the next step…
By Bram • Aug 19th, 2009 • Category: From The Backstretch, NASCAR, Racer, Sprint Cup Series, Your Series. Your Driver.
Michigan’s dust-up has barely settled, the fuel milage battle was a game changer in many ways.
Brian Vickers gets the ‘all-important’ 10 bonus points, and albeit not comfortably, stays ahead of both Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch in actual standing.. but still not quite in the “Chosen Twelve” that get to the Chase.
The win was the important part, and another win would put him in no matter what others do.
With the contract extension signed and Vickers nested for the foreseeable future at Red Bull, now comes the time to prove it as the right move for the immediate tasks at hand: The next three races.
That means Bristol this weekend, Atlanta and Richmond have to be punctuated by the best efforts he’s ever mustered at those tracks.
At Bristol, from all outward appearances for Vickers, that is an uphill battle.
Never a top ten, best finish was a 12th in his tenure at Hendrick, and a 15th is his best result with Dietrich Mateschitz’ Red Bull operation.
This is a better Red Bull team than the historic stats show, a season/career high of 15th finishing position, but with three season DNF’s I’m sure have to be factored in somewhere in the competitive picture overall, for this reason: his Bristol record has two DNF’s in career, and there’s absolutely no margin for one this time out.
His race-finish improvement on Bristol historic will have to be vast, 26th wont do it, only a top ten to be in Chase contention.
Clint Bowyer has a strong record of recent history at the .533 mile bullring, 6.5 average finish in the last 4 races.
Kyle Busch is still plenty dangerous at Bristol, he’s got an average 5th place finish in the last six races at the track. posting two wins and two runner-up positions.
To say that he has an affinity for the famed short-track is understatement. Busch is strong at the remaining three tracks (Bristol, Atlanta, Richmond). At those three tracks, he has four wins, 13 top fives, 15 tops 10s, an average finish of 12.1 and a Driver Rating of 101.6.
Juan Pablo Montoya needs the 10 bonus points in a huge way, a win moves him into the lime-light come reset time - in the ten that can contend for on-stage bragging rights come banquet time, if all goes right during the Chase. Otherwise he sits in the crowd and watches the others get the accolades.
The ten bonus points for winning give the Columbian driver the edge over Edwards, Biffle and Newman at reset.
Think that Indianapolis penalty wasn’t the deal-breaker? Think again. That’s one page of history that will be the EGR No. 42’s “wish we could have that back” for a long time to come.. it is what it is, in no uncertain terms.
Montoya is just OK at Bristol, Atlanta and Richmond.. so that is what it is also. The steps-up have to be huge for the 42 team, the season’s good product top tens have to be even better product top fives if the win doesn’t come.. and they HAVE to continue all the way through the Chase.
Running mid-pack isn’t getting it done.
Not that making the Chase isn’t a crowning achievement for this team; it definitively is.
And maybe that’s good enough for 2009.
Life at the top of the standings isn’t all resting on laurels and knowing the comfort of Chase seeding, Mark Martin has the most bonus markers with 40 - but do not think for an instant the Stewart and Johnson aren’t gunning for the tie-up or capture of all of the last three sets of extras to be had - the tie goes to the best otherwise finishes.. and Stewart gets No. 1 seed, for now.
The next step.. night racing at Bristol, and a telling tale continues to unfold…
Stay tuned
