NASCAR News | May 31, 2010

Ganassi just misses on Indy-NASCAR owner double

By Mike Cranston
May 31, 2010


Concord, NC — About four hours after winning the Indianapolis 500 with driver Dario Franchitti, car owner Chip Ganassi arrived at Charlotte Motor Speedway, climbed Jamie McMurray's pit stand and liked what he saw.

"I heard we had good cars down here, that's why I came down," he said.

Ganassi's chances of sweeping the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 came up just short, however. McMurray, who won the Daytona 500, led four times for 29 laps and was closing on Kurt Busch late, but couldn't catch him and finished second.

"It was a great race. Jamie did a great job," Ganassi said. "My old buddy Penske beat me tonight."

Indeed, Roger Penske seemed to have the better chance of the two car owners of winning both races coming in, with 2009 Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves on the pole there again, and All-Star race winner Busch starting second in Charlotte.

But Franchitti ended those hopes, then Busch had just enough to beat McMurray, who got his fourth top-five finish of the year.

"Every race that we've actually finished without an issue we've had a top-five car," McMurray said. "We just run second one week and 30th the next. It's just about being a little bit more consistent."

BURTON BURSTS

A week later, Kyle Busch wasn't angry and ready to confront a driver. Instead, a driver was angry and gesturing at him.

Jeff Burton was spotted shouting and pointing his finger at Busch immediately following the race, accusing him of a reckless move on the final restart that caused him to tumble to 25th place.

"Kyle just tried to make it three-wide and cut my left rear tire. It made me mad," Burton said. "He's very aggressive and I don't care. He can get aggressive as he wants to be, but when I pay the price for his aggressiveness, I'm not going to tolerate it."

A week after Busch accused teammate Denny Hamlin of causing him to hit the wall, Busch pinned the blame on Burton's teammate, Clint Bowyer.

"I said, 'Look, man, it's the last restart of the race. You've got to go. You've got to make some bold moves. It wasn't me that made it three-wide, it was your teammate. Why don't you have a chat with him?'" said Busch, who finished third.

"If I did anything wrong, I'd be more than happy to sit with Jeff Burton and talk with him and for him to point it out on replay."

Burton wasn't buying it, clearly frustrated at his finish after running in the top 10 much of the night.

"Not run into me," Burton said. "That's what he could have done differently."

FRUSTRATED KENSETH

Matt Kenseth finished 10th and sits in third place in the points race, 117 behind leader Kevin Harvick.

But Kenseth, who hasn't won since consecutive victories to open last season, was clearly frustrated.

"We didn't pass everybody. We did it by pit strategy and pit stops and the way cautions fell," Kenseth said on his top-10 finish. "It was good to get up front, but we don't have anything that can run with those guys. Everybody is working on it as hard as they can, but we just have to keep working on it.

"We don't have anything that can possibly win against those guys right now, but we will keep working on it."

MONTOYA'S WOES

Juan Pablo Montoya, who had one of the fastest cars at Charlotte Motor Speedway the past two weeks, suffered a significant blow to his Chase for the Sprint Cup championship chances when he lost control of his loose car on the 63rd lap and brushed the wall.

After coming in initially to change tires, his crew told Montoya to go to the garage. He didn't return to the track until he was 69 laps down and finished 38th.

It was a big hit in points for Montoya, who dropped a spot to 20th in the Sprint Cup standings.

BODINE'S BACK

Fit, trim and full of energy, Geoff Bodine is not only attempting a comeback at age 61, he's set a high goal.

"I would like to be the oldest winner of a NASCAR race," Bodine said. "I swear I feel good enough to do it."

Bodine announced Sunday he'll try to qualify for his first Cup race since 2004 next weekend at Pocono Raceway in the No. 36 Chevrolet for Tommy Baldwin Racing.

Bodine, who overcame a fiery crash in a Truck Series race in 2000, hasn't run a full Cup schedule since 1999 and is mostly known these days for helping design the four-man bobsled that won a gold medal for the U.S. at the Vancouver Olympics.

The 1986 Daytona 500 winner failed to qualify in two races last year, but did finish 26th in a trucks race at Atlanta in March.

"I've really changed the way I eat the last 3 1/2 years of my life. I've changed my body and I feel better now at 61 than when I was 41," Bodine said. "I think better than when I was 41. In racing, things come back to me so clear."

Bodine might not get a chance next weekend to shatter Harry Gant's record of the oldest winner at age 52. Bodine is in a one-race deal and acknowledged he likely won't finish the race since the car is without a sponsorship and has been mostly a start-and-park operation.

Johnny Sauter drove the No. 36 car for 37 laps in Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway before retreating to the garage.

HALL ATTENDANCE

NASCAR Hall of Fame director Winston Kelley said it had its biggest crowds yet Friday and Saturday as fans in town for the race weekend flocked to the downtown Charlotte facility that opened May 11.

Kelley said attendance figures won't be released until next month, but indicated tens of thousands have attended and there was a long line to enter the building Saturday morning.

"We are very pleased with the turnout and are particularly thrilled with the feedback," Kelley said in an e-mail Sunday. "The comments have been overwhelmingly positive."

LUG NUTS

U.S. Army Cpl. John Hyland, who lost his leg in an explosion in Iraq in 2007, sang the national anthem before the race. ... While it may not be as prestigious as a grandfather clock, which the winning driver gets at Martinsville, Coca-Cola presented a 1956 Coke vending machine to Busch for his win. ... Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel and other cast members from "The A-Team" movie participated in pre-race activities. "I'm still surprised they don't change direction," said Biel, attending her first race.

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