INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana — After having spent nine straight days on the road for the Matco Show in Las Vegas and the NHRA race in Gainesville, Fla., a couple weeks ago, I enjoyed a weekend at home with awesome Spring weather! Usually when I'm on the road is when Indianapolis gets great weather and I don't get to bask in any of it. This weekend I took the opportunity to get a jump on my yard work and started the early stages of Spring-cleaning in my house. It's amazing how much laundry you can accumulate while you are on the road! And laundry is one of my least-favorite cleaning chores.
While I've been to Bristol Dragway for numerous NHRA races and even to Bristol Raceway for a World of Outlaws Sprint Car event in 2000 (they covered the track with dirt), I have never seen a NASCAR race at the famed half-mile, high-banks of Bristol Motor Speedway. Both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series raced their respective events in Thunder Valley over the weekend.
When the green flag dropped in the Scotts Turf Builder 300 on Saturday for the Nationwide Series, Ringers' supporter Brendan Gaughan led the pack for the start of the race, with his first career Nationwide Series pole. Gaughan's good luck didn't last once the race started. Early on in the 300-lap event, Gaughan experienced a tire failure that relegated him to pit road under green flag conditions, losing three laps. He was able to rally back with some hard driving to finish in the 21st position. Gaughan sits in the fourth position in Nationwide Series points heading into Texas in two weeks.
Penske Racing rookie Justin Allgaier continues to impress in his young Nationwide career. Allgaier grew up on short tracks in the Midwest in the midget and dirt late model ranks, before his racing path led him to the ARCA RE/MAX Series, also known for racing at some great short-track venues. So, adapting to Bristol Motor Speedway was fairly easy for the 22 year-old Illinois native. After qualifying in the 14th position, Allgaier held off a hungry Kyle Busch in the closing laps of the race, to be the highest-finishing rookie of the race in fifth place in his No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger. This was Allgaier's first career top-five finish. He now leads the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings.
Allgaier, Gaughan and the rest of the Nationwide Series return to action April 4 at Texas Motor Speedway during the O'Reilly 300.
Two of the three Penske Racing drivers in the Sprint Cup Series finished in the top 20, with one in the top 15.
Despite being part of an accident on lap 59, Kurt Busch and his No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge used perseverance and hard driving to flight back to finish in the 11th position in Sunday's Food City 500.
The No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge piloted by David Stremme was also caught up in the lap 59 incident as well. With less than 50 laps to go, Stremme was on his way to a possible top-10 finish when another car spun, resulting in contact for Stremme causing a flat tire. He was able to make it to his pit stall for repairs, but fell a lap down. Stremme finished 19th.
Sam Hornish Jr. and the No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge finished the race in 31st.
The Penske Racing trio will head to Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va., along with the Camping World Truck Series for their respective races this weekend.
The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series returns to action this weekend at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, Tex., for the O'Reilly Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil.
