SRT Motorsports - Sprint Cup Race Recap - Watkins Glen

 
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (Aug. 12, 2012)  – Dodge drivers Brad Keselowski and Sam Hornish Jr. each brought home top-five finishes in a wild and crazy dash to the finish at Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International.  Keselowski led Dodge with a runner-up finish, his second straight at the 2.45-mile road course, while teammate Sam Hornish Jr. was fifth in the Finger Lakes 355. 

Keselowski’s second-place finish moved the Penske driver up to fifth in the season standings.  He’s 80 points ahead of 11th-place Kasey Kahne, all but guaranteeing him a spot in this year’s Chase to the Sprint Cup Series championship

In a wild one-lap sprint to the finish. Three drivers – Keselowski, Marcos Ambrose and Kyle Busch – battled in a one-lap sprint to the finish that included multiple passes and unrelenting action.  Ambrose survived.  Keselowski just missed.  Busch is ticked.  

As usual, the race was a fuel-strategy affair with teams opting for a two- or three-stop approach.  And, as Watkins Glen has become short-track racing with right-hand turns, there was plenty of fender banging that continued all the way through the last corner of the 90-lap, 220.5-mile race.

“What a race and what a finish” said Keselowski’s crew chief Paul Wolfe.  “We had a fast Miller Lite Dodge all weekend and it showed today.  Brad (Keselowski) has proven that he can run a great race on road courses.  Today was no different.”

The Wolfe-led Blue Deuce was fast off the hauler qualifying fourth.  A two-stop fuel strategy was the plan from the start and it paid off.  Keselowski led three times for 37 laps and was at the point on Lap 71 when the fourth and final caution appeared.

On the restart, Busch (third) dived inside Ambrose and Keselowski in a gutsy pass in the ultra-fast, right-hand Turn 1.  Busch led the next 15 laps to the white flag.  In the next 2.45 miles, all three drivers would lead as oil on the racing surface figured prominently in the finish.  Busch stumbled in the oil on corner exit in Turn 1.  Keselowski hit the slick patch and ended into the back of Busch which was enough to turn the No. 18.  For the rest of the final lap, Ambrose and Keselowski appeared to be racing on ice (oil).  They entered the final corner side-by-side with Ambrose clearing the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge and held the advantage to the checkered flag.
 
“He (Busch) missed the corner (turn one) because he slipped in the oil,” said Keselowski.  “I got under him going into (turn) two.  We all slipped in the oil.  I hit him and spun him.  I mean, I hate to say there was nothing I could do but there was literally nothing I could do. It was just one big giant oil slick underneath his car.  I feel bad about that.”

Keselowski was seeking his fourth win of the season.  He’s currently tied with Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart as the only three-time winners this season.

“It came down to just running a whole lap against Marcos,” he added.  “I got in the oil and we’d slip up.  He’d get by me and then he’d get in the oil and I’d get by him.  Just really good, hard racing; some beating and banging.  I think that’s the way racing should be.  It’s great to race against guys like Marcos that you can run on, lean on and don’t lose their cool and intentionally wreck you.  That’s what racing is supposed to be right there: a little bit of bumping and rubbing but none of that intentional wrecking.  Marcos is a class act and that’s the way racing should be.”

Not lost in the excitement of Keselowski-Ambrose duel was Hornish’s run in the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge.  Starting 17th, Hornish was solid all day capitalizing on a fast car and patience.  He methodically worked his way up the scoring tower.  He broke inside the top 10 on Lap 46 and never looked back. 

His fifth-place finish is his first top five in seven career Cup road course races.  His career best finish of fourth came at Pocono in 2009.

“A really good day for the Shell/Pennzoil Dodge,” said Hornish.  “I thought that we had a great car, great strategy and it all worked out today.  This is a tough place.  It was real hard racing with a bunch of fast cars.  Our Shell/Pennzoil Dodge was fast.  We had to come a long way from the back (17th) but I knew that the car was fast enough to make my way up through the pack.  I just had to be patient and not wear the car out before the end of the race.”

Race Results
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series         
Finger Lakes 355  
Watkins Glen International   
August 12, 2012
  1. Marcos Ambrose                      
  2. BRAD KESELOWSKI      
  3. Jimmie Johnson
  4. Clint Bowyer
  5. SAM HORNISH JR.
  6. Greg Biffle
  7. Kyle Busch
  8. Matt Kenseth
  9. Regan Smith
10. Martin Truex Jr.

 
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series             
Point Standings
(After 22 of 36 events)
  1. Jimmie Johnson                      777
  2. Greg Biffle                                  -1
  3. Matt Kenseth                              -2              
  4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.                     -17
  5. BRAD KESELOWSKI                -44  
  6. Martin Truex Jr.                         -49
  7. Clint Bowyer                              -58
  8. Tony Stewart                             -61
  9. Kevin Harvick                            -67  
10. Denny Hamlin                           -84

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