Smith vows to keep two Cup dates
LOUDON, N.H. - Even though he never hid his desire to acquire a second Sprint Cup date for his track in Las Vegas, Bruton Smith, the CEO of
Smith was asked if he planned to take a Cup date away from Loudon before yesterday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301. He leaned into the microphone and tersely replied, "No."
"How's that?" he added. "We'll try to accomplish it in other ways. We're working on a few things."
Among some of the ideas Smith seemed to have in mind for the improvement of NHMS was the addition of lights, 100 acres of parking for recreational vehicles, "and more restrooms," he said.
Smith expected to receive opposition to his plan to add lights, but indicated it wasn't for the purpose of holding a night race but rather to give the track the flexibility to complete a race in the event of rain delays. Yesterday's rain-shorted race, won by Kurt Busch, was called on Lap 284.
"We just want to have that flexibility to get these races in," Smith said.
While it was thought more significant changes to the track might be in the offing, there seemed the possibility there might be none after Smith said he was "pleasantly pleased" after observing Saturday's Nationwide Series and Whelen Modified Tour races.
"I'm real delighted and I was pleased with our races [Saturday]," he said. "I found out that this speedway was far racier than I had realized. We had some great races here yesterday and I'm real proud of that."
Chuck Hossfeld defeated Ted Christopher in the Modified race by one-thousandth of a second while Tony Stewart won the Nationwide Series race.
NHMS general manager Jerry Gappens indicated negotiations were ongoing with the Indy Racing League to bring a race to NHMS next year. Gappens added that he hoped to pair it with a third Modified event.
"I still feel good about wanting them here," Gappens said, "I think our company feels good about wanting to bring them back and it's just a matter of sitting down and figuring it out."
Family matters
Gappens oversaw a symbolic changing of the guard at NHMS when he presented the Bahre family with an enormous grandfather clock.
Bob Bahre, the 82-year-old track founder, thanked fans for their support.
"If it wasn't for you fans," Bahre said, choking back his emotions, as the crowd responded with thunderous applause, "we wouldn't have a damn thing here. I want you to know that we'll never forget you. And that's the way it is."
Bahre told the crowd they had no reason to fear Smith would take one of NHMS's two Cup dates.
"I know I shouldn't say this," he said. "You're all worried about a date going [away]. I know damn well . . . both of these dates will stay here."
Follow the leader
Considering his practice times from Saturday (36th fastest), his experience at NHMS (never driven before this weekend), and his status among the Sprint Cup stars (37th in the standings), polesitter Patrick Carpentier thought he might not lead a single lap of yesterday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301.
"I thought they were going to go by me half a lap in down the back straight," Carpentier said.
But the Canadian driver remained in front for the first four laps, an achievement that dulled the disappointment of finishing 31st.
"It's great, because every race, I see improvements," said Carpentier. "I'm so happy today because usually they go by me like there's nothing else."
Carpentier said that during driver introductions, he approached Kevin Harvick, who started the race in third.
"I just want to lead one lap," Carpentier told Harvick. "That's all I'm asking and then I'll let you by."
The No. 10 Dodge, however, was strong enough that it remained in front for three additional turns around the 1.058-mile track before ceding position to the faster machines. Carpentier stayed in the top 10 through 60 laps, but lost his brakes and couldn't stay within sight of the leaders.
"I don't know what happened there," Carpentier said. "We lost them really early in the run. I don't know if I used them too hard."
Despite his run, Carpentier fell one slot to 38th in the standings, meaning he must qualify on speed to appear in this Saturday's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
It's the pits
On Lap 272, Dale Earnhardt Jr. made a quick move off Turn 4 to duck onto pit road. Too quick.
Jamie McMurray didn't see Earnhardt duck toward the pits until it was too late. McMurray barreled over the No. 88 Chevrolet to bring out the race's sixth yellow flag.
"I never saw the 88 until I hit him," McMurray said. "Typically when guys pit like that, the spotters all get together and wave their hands or whatnot. The spotter never said anything and I was looking at the 10 car on the outside. I was on the apron because that's where I'd been running all day. I didn't see Junior until I hit him."
Earnhardt's Chevy was hooked up at the beginning of the race, leading 29 laps. But after the first round of pit stops, the No. 88 never regained its strength.
Earnhardt finished 24th, although he held onto third in the Cup standings.
Tires no issue
After Dario Franchitti, tagged from behind by David Reutimann, spun on Lap 86 to bring out the race's first caution, all the leaders ducked onto pit road for fresh tires and gas.
Casey Mears and Brian Vickers, however, stayed on the track.
On Friday, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Mears would not return to the No. 5 car in 2009. After the 2006 season, Vickers had moved from Hendrick's Chevrolets to Red Bull's Toyotas.
So while Hendrick drivers Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson, and Jeff Gordon pitted during the caution, Mears and Vickers didn't show any weaknesses on their old Goodyears on the following restart. Mears remained in the lead for 53 laps, while Vickers remained in the top five for more than 100 laps.
"There are a lot of things going on lately, and to have as good of a run as we did today, I'm just real proud of that," said Mears, who finished seventh. 