Dover deals disappointment to Chase Elliott, Ryan Newman in differing ways
DOVER, Del. — And to think they used to run 500 miles at Dover.
There were tensions aplenty along pit road Sunday afternoon a few minutes after the finish of the Apache Warrior 400, a tough race that ended with winner Kyle Busch passing Chase Elliott, he of the seemingly endless second-place finishes, with barely a lap to go.
First, it’s helpful to know that Elliott is an expert at self-criticism. When he wins a Cup race — and he will, probably many — it’s likely he’ll beat himself up in victory lane for winning by six seconds instead of seven.
But Sunday was the toughest. After leading 59 consecutive laps in the twilight of the race and building as much as a four-second lead, Elliott watched another win disappear in the wake of Busch, who would fight to beat his twin out of the womb — if he had had a twin.
“Chase was kind of plugged up with the lap cars in front of him, so I think the lap cars actually helped us with that one, but overall just great day for us,” Busch said. “I think the biggest thing there at the end was just having a little bit fewer, fresher laps on tires than Chase did.”
Jimmie Johnson, Elliott’s teammate, walked over to Elliott’s car as the afternoon sun lit their faces perfectly for the probing eyes of the television cameras. Elliott turned his face away, and the two drivers talked for a few minutes, the seven-time champion consoling the new kid on the block.
DOVER: Busch chases down Elliott as four eliminated from playoffs
ELIMINATED: Kurt Busch, Newman, Dillon, Kahne out of NASCAR playoffs
MORE: Grammy winner Wyclef Jean starts Dover race, without protest
It was a moment that likely would have been interrupted earlier if not for a post-race protocol change instituted by NASCAR last week after Elliott’s team was penalized for tape added to its car’s spoiler at the playoff opener at Chicagoland Speedway.
Officials prevented team members — and news media representatives — from approaching the cars for several minutes post-race, giving those with wounds to treat a little extra time.
That didn’t seem to help in the case of Ryan Newman, whose late-race attempt to gain a couple positions and qualify for the next round failed. At the end of Sunday’s race, Newman missed the 12-driver round-two playoff grid by one spot.
Newman’s quest to pick up enough spots to stay alive in the playoffs also played into the finish at the front. He was running in front of Elliott, the leader, in the race’s waning laps and was trying to stay on the lead lap as he pursued drivers in front of him.
Newman carries a reputation of one of the hardest drivers to pass in any situation, whether he’s racing in the top five or the bottom five or driving the kids for ice cream. Nothing changed about that as Elliott and Busch raced for the high ground in the final laps, as Newman burned strong laps in front of them.
It’s debatable whether Newman held up Elliott or Busch (or neither or both), but Jeff Gordon, who sat in Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 24 before Elliott, seemed to have an opinion. As he walked past Newman on pit road, Gordon apparently made a sarcastic remark, basically “thanking” Newman for the “help”.
“You don’t think I was racing for my own position?” Newman said to Gordon. “Just watch what you say, man. You said it as a smartass.”
Later, the two were seen walking together in the garage, and Gordon had his left arm around Newman’s shoulder — a sign of apparently happier times.
Meanwhile, Austin Dillon, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch joined Newman at the bottom of the barrel as the playoffs move on to Charlotte Motor Speedway next week. Three drivers whom many had predicted wouldn’t survive the first round — Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Blaney and Jamie McMurray — ride on to the round of 12.
Their positions aren’t necessarily comfortable, but they do have positions in the final dozen. One of the 12 will hoist the first Monster Energy trophy in two months, the result of 36 races and more afternoons of tension like some endured at Dover.
PHOTOS: TOP SHOTS FROM 2017 CUP SEASON