Click here to view photos from the Brickyard 400:
Gallery 1: http://stlracingphotos.smugmug.com/gallery/9051072_uYfHh#602428613_xXCG4
Gallery 2: http://stlracingphotos.smugmug.com/gallery/9052798_8AfZy#602556337_5z77z
Jimmie Johnson wins back-to-back Allstate 400's at the Brickyard. This is his third victory at the famed race track.
"Darn he [Martin] is fast for an old guy," said Johnson describing his battle with Martin.
The sentimental favorite was Mark Martin who seemed to be in second place the entire race. First he trailed Montoya and then on the last green start Jimmie Johnson took the lead and Martin spent the rest of the race chasing Johnson. He was able to get within a car length in the final laps but just didn't have enough to pull out the victory.
"We were driving for all we were worth," said Martin. "And I couldn't get him."
Jimmie Johnson who in the last four Allstate 400 at The Brickyard events, has either kissed – as in “The Bricks” – or crashed. In 2005, Johnson finished 38th. A year later, he captured only the second Daytona 500-Allstate 400 sweep en route to his first series championship. But then in 2007, Johnson suffered another DNF (accident). Finally, last season, he dominated once again. In his second career Indianapolis win, Johnson scored a near-perfect Driver Rating of 147.3 (a perfect rating is 150.0). So this year it was thought to be an off year for the former champion, but that was not the case and he competed in the top 10 nearly the whole race and won the Brickyard.
Pole sitter, Mark Martin grabbed the early lead at the start of the race. The pole sitter has led the first lap of all 16 Allstate at the Brickyard races. However, caution came out immediately after Robby Gordon spun in fluid from Elliott Sadler’s race car, bring out the first caution.
Montoya took advantage of the second chance and took the lead for the first time on lap 5 and from that point literally dominated the race. For awhile it looked as though Montoya, who won the 2000 Indianapolis 500, would win the Brickyard. But with 25 laps to go, he received a penalty for entering too fast into the pits. Montoya finished in 11th place.
"It kind of ****s. But it is what it is," said a dejected Montoya after the race. "I thought I wasn't speeding. Once it happens [penalty], you can't change it. It pretty frustrating."
NASCAR and Goodyear officials did extensive tire tests that resolved wear problems that plagued last year’s Allstate 400 at The Brickyard. Thirty teams logged more than 13,000 miles at the 2.5-mile track during seven tests since last summer’s event.
“I'm very confident in the tires,” said Jeff Gordon prior to the race. “I did the last test there and was very pleased.”
Gordon finished in 9th place.
Kasey Kane also added: “I must have tested six or seven times there since last year’s race. The teams have spent a ton of time testing up there and I feel like the tire is as good as anything that I’ve been on up there.”
Kasey Kahne, the 2004 Raybestos Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, made his 200th career start in Sunday’s Allstate 400 at The Brickyard and finished in 7th place.
Story & photos by: Kevin Proot and Larry Vancil
St. Louis Motor Racing News
Gallery 1: http://stlracingphotos.smugmug.com/gallery/9051072_uYfHh#602428613_xXCG4
Gallery 2: http://stlracingphotos.smugmug.com/gallery/9052798_8AfZy#602556337_5z77z
Jimmie Johnson wins back-to-back Allstate 400's at the Brickyard. This is his third victory at the famed race track.
"Darn he [Martin] is fast for an old guy," said Johnson describing his battle with Martin.
The sentimental favorite was Mark Martin who seemed to be in second place the entire race. First he trailed Montoya and then on the last green start Jimmie Johnson took the lead and Martin spent the rest of the race chasing Johnson. He was able to get within a car length in the final laps but just didn't have enough to pull out the victory.
"We were driving for all we were worth," said Martin. "And I couldn't get him."
Jimmie Johnson who in the last four Allstate 400 at The Brickyard events, has either kissed – as in “The Bricks” – or crashed. In 2005, Johnson finished 38th. A year later, he captured only the second Daytona 500-Allstate 400 sweep en route to his first series championship. But then in 2007, Johnson suffered another DNF (accident). Finally, last season, he dominated once again. In his second career Indianapolis win, Johnson scored a near-perfect Driver Rating of 147.3 (a perfect rating is 150.0). So this year it was thought to be an off year for the former champion, but that was not the case and he competed in the top 10 nearly the whole race and won the Brickyard.
Pole sitter, Mark Martin grabbed the early lead at the start of the race. The pole sitter has led the first lap of all 16 Allstate at the Brickyard races. However, caution came out immediately after Robby Gordon spun in fluid from Elliott Sadler’s race car, bring out the first caution.
Montoya took advantage of the second chance and took the lead for the first time on lap 5 and from that point literally dominated the race. For awhile it looked as though Montoya, who won the 2000 Indianapolis 500, would win the Brickyard. But with 25 laps to go, he received a penalty for entering too fast into the pits. Montoya finished in 11th place.
"It kind of ****s. But it is what it is," said a dejected Montoya after the race. "I thought I wasn't speeding. Once it happens [penalty], you can't change it. It pretty frustrating."
NASCAR and Goodyear officials did extensive tire tests that resolved wear problems that plagued last year’s Allstate 400 at The Brickyard. Thirty teams logged more than 13,000 miles at the 2.5-mile track during seven tests since last summer’s event.
“I'm very confident in the tires,” said Jeff Gordon prior to the race. “I did the last test there and was very pleased.”
Gordon finished in 9th place.
Kasey Kane also added: “I must have tested six or seven times there since last year’s race. The teams have spent a ton of time testing up there and I feel like the tire is as good as anything that I’ve been on up there.”
Kasey Kahne, the 2004 Raybestos Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, made his 200th career start in Sunday’s Allstate 400 at The Brickyard and finished in 7th place.
Story & photos by: Kevin Proot and Larry Vancil
St. Louis Motor Racing News
