The teams of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth each received written warnings last weekend at Sonoma Raceway, with Kenseth receiving his fourth and losing pit selections for the race.
Earnhardt, whose car failed pre-qualifying template inspection twice, received his second written warning. A fourth warning results in loss of pit selection for the following race
Kenseth’s fourth written warning was issued after failing pre-qualifying laser inspection.
Earnhardt’s team has already gone through the cycle of earning four warnings and losing pit selection. The No. 88 team lost pit selection for the Coca-Cola 600.
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KANNAPOLIS, N.C. -- In a lightning-paced span of less than 24 hours, Mike Bugarewicz went from Sonoma Raceway's Victory Lane in the heart of California wine country to right back to work on the shop floor at Stewart-Haas Racing.
The first-year crew chief had just made the savvy pit call of a veteran, propelling Tony Stewart to his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win in more than three years and the brink of his first Chase playoffs appearance in almost four. Accordingly after such an intense day atop the No. 14 team's pit box and all the high-energy fanfare that followed, sleep did not come easy.
Movies replaced shut-eye on the plane ride back to North Carolina, and once Bugarewicz arrived at his home, he said he still didn't feel tired. So at 4 a.m. with a hoppy West Coast IPA by his side, he finally found a quiet moment to exhale.
Sonoma's celebratory drink of choice is typically served in a chalice; Bugarewicz's comes in a pint glass.
"I just needed a minute to myself to just reflect on the day and just enjoy a nice, cold beer," Bugarewicz said Monday from SHR's expansive stock-car headquarters. "I just sat and thought about everything that happened and how special it was for Tony and this whole organization…
"It's still kind of sinking in quite a bit, but seeing all the people here at the shop, how happy everybody is and all that, it's just a great feeling around the shop today."
Yeah it's 4am and just got home but I needed to sit alone for a bit and take all of today's event in... pic.twitter.com/DPdxHwb0xW
— Mike Bugarewicz (@BugaMike14) June 27, 2016
The joy was magnified by both the manner in which the owner/driver outdueled Denny Hamlin on the last lap and the protracted wait for his first checkered flag after an 84-race dry spell. That it also put Stewart one step closer to championship eligibility in his final Sprint Cup campaign made it that much more meaningful. Stewart now has the victory he needs; his next agenda item is to inch into the top 30 in driver points in the 10 regular-season races that remain.
Though the three-time champ's actions behind the wheel played a huge part in the Sonoma success, Bugarewicz's strategy play to give Stewart precious track position was similarly crucial. With NASCAR spotters searching to confirm reports of debris on the track, Bugarewicz called for Stewart to hit pit road ahead of the other frontrunners. When the yellow flag flew just one lap later, Stewart was out front and in control.
"I talked to him on the radio and said, well, our options here are either to ride it out and finish in the teens somewhere, and yeah, we'll gain some points on 30th (in the drivers' standings), but we all know at the end of the day we have to win to have an opportunity to compete in the Chase," Bugarewicz said. "So I said our other option is listen to radio and when we think a caution's going to come out, we'll hit pit road, we'll take the chance. If it works, yesterday's result could come, and if it doesn't work, well, we might finish 30th, but you know what, I don't think the losing 10 points versus gaining 10 points is really what we're looking for. We were shooting for wins."
In other words, no pressure. Taking late-race gambles weighs on even the most experienced crew chiefs. So is Bugarewicz, just 16 races into his first season atop a premier-series pit box, getting more comfortable with the weekly tension?
"It still makes you nervous because if it wouldn't have worked out, then I'd be kicking myself today, saying, 'well, that was dumb and we lost 10 points because of it,' " Bugarewicz said. "With the way the format is nowadays in NASCAR, and especially in our unique situation, winning is everything. People are taking the bigger risks and the bigger chances to try and get those wins because it does solidify your Chase hopes."
While Bugarewicz is less than halfway through his rookie season as a crew chief, he's spent even less time working directly with Stewart behind the wheel. The severe back injury that kept 'Smoke' out of the No. 14 Chevrolet's seat for the first eight races forced Bugarewicz to adjust, calling the shots for substitute drivers Brian Vickers (five races) and Ty Dillon (three races) in the interim.
In the two months since Stewart's April return at Richmond, Bugarewicz said the communication has improved, with the 34-year-old engineer trying to keep Stewart loose and reminding him to have fun. Though the farewell season now has its defining highlight to date, Bugarewicz said he hopes to add an equally compelling postseason chapter to the story.
"We keep meshing better and better every week and I think if it keeps progressing like it has and we can still show that every week that we can contend, we can lead laps, we can run up front, in the top 10, top five and so forth, then absolutely we can be a contender," Bugarewicz said. "Heck, we've really only had eight races together now, me and him working together and the rest of the team. We've got a lot of time yet to prepare for the Chase and there's still going to be a lot of that prep work going on."
Bugarewicz said the focus wouldn't necessarily change over the regular season's home stretch, indicating that the No. 14 team will still aggressively pursue victories when the chances arise, but with a measured approach to minimize any subpar results in the points standings.
Stewart sits 32nd in the driver standings, just nine points behind Brian Scott and the 30th-place threshold he needs to cross. That quest continues this weekend at Daytona International Speedway in the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola (7:45 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM), a race Stewart has won four times in his career.
Though Bugarewicz was already back to business Monday, his spirits were lifted by watching a jubilant Stewart's long-awaited celebration, a festive memory to carry through one special sleepless night and beyond.
"It was a genuine happiness that I haven't seen on his face in a long, long time," Bugarewicz said. "I've seen a drive in him that, it's what we all remember and we see in the highlight films and remember Tony as. I mean, that guy just wanted it yesterday and just seeing that sheer happiness in his face is definitely going to stick with me."
Take a look at the highlights from the weekend at Sonoma, including audio from the drivers and their crew, and the nail-biting finish between Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Matt Tifft will undergo surgery for removal of a low-grade glioma in his brain.
The slow-growing tumor was found during treatment and evaluation for a recent disk condition in his back. Tifft, who turned 20 years old two days ago, is expected to undergo surgery and rehabilitation soon afterward and is expected to return to racing once cleared by doctors.
David Ragan will drive for Tifft in Friday night’s NASCAR Xfinity race at Daytona International Speedway.
Tifft did not drive in either the recent Xfinity or Camping World Truck Series races at Iowa Speedway. Sam Hornish Jr. won the Xfinity race at Iowa with Joe Gibbs Racing. German Quiroga drove in the Truck series race for Tifft.
Tifft had driven in three Truck series races and six Xfinity races. He won the pole for the Xfinity race at Talladega.
Ragan drove nine races for Joe Gibbs Racing last season in the Sprint Cup Series after Kyle Busch was injured. Ragan had three top-10 finishes, including a fourth-place result at Auto Club Speedway. He finished the season with Michael Waltrip Racing. Ragan is driving in the Cup series this year for BK Racing.
The No. 48 Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson will have a special tribute during this weekend’s race at Daytona International Speedway.
A decal will be placed on the car honoring Antonio Brown, one of the 49 people killed in the June 12 Pulse club shooting in Orlando, which is about 60 miles south of Daytona Beach.
Brown, 30, was a human resources manager at a Lowes’ store in Fern Park, Florida. Brown was also a former U.S. Army captain who served in Kuwait during the Iraq War.
Rick Allen, the lead announcer for NBC Sports’ NASCAR Sprint Cup and Xfinity Series race coverage, joined the NASCAR on NBC podcast to discuss his circuitous route to becoming one of the sport’s most recognizable voices.
While competing as a decathlete who once was ranked in the top 10 in the world and trained for the 1992 Olympics with bronze medalist Dave Johnson, Allen discovered his calling for PA announcing. After a stint as the PA announcer for the University of Nebraska, Allen moved into NASCAR broadcasting and joined NBC Sports in 2014.
He explains how he handles the serious and uncertain moments of racing (such as Austin Dillon‘s crash at the end of last year’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway), but he embraces its chaos.
“I’ve always felt comfortable,” he said. “I think under pressure situations, I think clearer. I feel like when the intensity is really high, I think I have better focus.
“The very first race we have on NBC goes rain delayed for almost eight hours, and the way it ends, we think that someone dies. That chaos, I knew I’m not going to say the wrong thing. That’s in me. I know the situation and the magnitude and how to convey that. I have a lot of confidence that I believe I’m in the right job.”
You can listen to the podcast by clicking below or download and subscribe to it on iTunes by clicking here. The free subscription will provide automatic downloads of new episodes to your smartphone. It also is available on Stitcher
Stay tuned for time cues to provide easy referencing while listening to the episode.
Premium Motorsports has announced that the No. 55 Chevrolet driven by 12-year Sprint Cup veteran Reed Sorenson will be sponsored by RoyalTeakCollection.com for the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Royal Teak Collection is a manufacturer of patio/casual furniture that offers Solid Teak and All-Weather Wicker collections.
Sorenson is in his second season with Premium Motorsports and is a veteran of 243 Sprint Cup starts. The native of Peachtree City, Georgia, has started in nine races this season while failing to qualify for the Daytona 500. If he starts the Coke Zero 400, it will be his first start at Daytona since the 2015 Daytona 500.
“Claus and Julia Villebro through their company Royal Teak Collection.com has been a partner of our race team since 2012,” said team owner Jay Robinson in a press release. “The team has enjoyed many great runs with Royal Teak Collection.com and expects to continue with great results in Daytona.”
Sorenson’s first start this year came at Martinsville Speedway. His best finish through his nine starts was 28th at Pocono Raceway.
“I am always excited to go to Daytona, it provides our team with a great opportunity to run competitive the entire race and come away with a great finish,” said Sorenson in a press release. Sorenson’s best finish at Daytona in 12 starts is fifth in the 2008 Daytona 500.
