Busch started 17th in the 40-car field but quickly advanced position despite battling handling issues that saw his racecar tight on the left-hand corners while loose on the right-handers. Busch was scored eighth when he came to pit road for a scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 26. Noting almost no tire wear, crew chief Tony Gibson called for fuel only and a minor wedge adjustment to help the handling of the Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chevrolet.
Following the pit stop, Busch was scored 17th. He would gain positions on the racetrack as the laps clicked off, and when the caution flag waved on lap 47 for a loose wheel on pit road, he stuck to his planned strategy and stayed on the racetrack. He would inherit the lead for the restart but would lose it on the first turn when he washed out wide. A multicar incident unfolded shortly thereafter, forcing NASCAR to display the red flag. It couldn’t have come at a worse time for the No. 41 team; now, Busch would come to pit road with the rest of the leaders but with a near-empty fuel tank, requiring more time on his stop than other drivers who had pitted before the red flag and so had more fuel and quicker pit times.
Busch restarted 24th and would see his ability to improve position over the closing laps limited due to a number of late-race cautions. He took advantage of the green-flag laps that he had and was able to advance to 11th to take the checkered flag.
“We didn’t quite time the final pit stop to our advantage,” Busch said. “We ended up behind and then had too many restarts and yellow flags at the end. There was no way to get caught up. I didn’t drive aggressive enough and the strategy didn’t play out, but the Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chevrolet was underneath us, we just got put in a hole.”
Busch’s teammate Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS, led the four-car SHR contingent Sunday by finishing fifth. It was Stewart’s fifth top-five this season and his eighth top-five in 16 career Sprint Cup starts at Watkins Glen.
Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 21st. Patrick led once for 11 laps. She was involved in a multicar incident on lap 83 but was able to return to the race and finish on the lead lap.
Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Beer Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 32nd after getting caught up in the same accident on lap 83. Due to excessive damage, he was not able to return to the racetrack.
Denny Hamlin won the Cheez-It 355k at The Glen by 2.065 seconds over Joey Logano to score his 28th career Sprint Cup victory, his second of the season and his first at Watkins Glen. Brad Keselowski finished third, while AJ Allmendinger and Stewart rounded out the top-five. Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Jamie McMurray, Trevor Bayne and Matt Kenseth comprised the remainder of the top-10.
There were eight caution periods for 20 laps, with seven drivers failing to finish the 90-lap race around the 2.45-mile, 11-turn road course.
With round 22 of 36 complete, Harvick continues to lead SHR in the championship standings. He fell from first to second with 718 points, nine behind new points leader Keselowski. Kurt Busch is third with 689 points, 38 behind first. Patrick is 24th with 413 points, 121 ahead of 31st-place Chris Buescher. Stewart is 26th with 389 points, 97 ahead of 31st.
Harvick, Busch and Stewart are all eligible to compete in the 16-driver, 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, which begins after the Sept. 10 race at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. All have won a race this season and are among the top-30 in points, the two requirements necessary to secure a spot in the Chase. Patrick can also earn a Chase berth by winning a race and staying inside the top-30. Five races remain before the Chase begins Sept. 18 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois.
The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race on Saturday, Aug. 20, at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race begins at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN.
SHR Press Release.
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