Mayfield cleans up at Michigan
On a day when Michigan International Speedway resembled the county dump more than a race track, it only stood to reason that strange things were likely to happen. And any day when you find Jeremy Mayfield in the winner’s circle you know you’ve been to the gNA$hCAR equivalent of the Twilight Zone.
Mayfield himself admitted he didn’t have a car capable of winning. But when fuel strategy became a factor late in the race, he was in the right spot with just enough petrol to make it to the checkers.
I fared slightly better in my Michigan picks this time around, but still I think I should have done better.
GLENN'S TEN (5-for-10... Eh.):
* Brian Vickers (winner) -- 9th, What a bust this was, even if he did manage to make the show. The car was flat out bad most of the day, and it was only because he got a lucky dog and had good fuel economy that he finished here. I’ll take the point, but this pick was about as far off as I could get.
* Tony Stewart -- 5th, The current points leader did exactly what I said he would, charging through the field to get the top 5. Sitting pretty for the Chase.
* Greg Biffle -- 6th, The Biff ran strong, but encountered the same problem most ran into Sunday: garbage on the grill. That slowed him down only a bit, but a two-tire pit stop near the end left him with inferior rubber.
* Ryan Newman -- 12th, Where was Ryan at the end of this thing? He ran a consistent race, which keeps him in good shape to make the Chase. He had a fast pit stop for fuel in the final series of stops.
* Jeff Gordon -- 15th, It’s really hard to believe that Jeff’s team tested here after the disappointing June race. This one didn’t go any better, with the car dropping to the lower half of the field after every pit stop. It was only because the crew topped off the tank with about 54 laps to go and because they didn’t have to refuel that they finished as well as they did. Now 58 points out of 10th spot.
* Matt Kenseth -- 3rd, Matt probably should have won this race under different circumstances. He led a bunch of laps and was charging through the field near the end, but he didn’t have the fuel mileage to get the job done.
* Mark Martin -- 17th, Mark had been having a good day, as did all the Roush drivers. But he ran the water temperature too high a couple of times when he got trash on the grill and I think that may have hurt him.
* Elliott Sadler -- 39th, Elliott found the wall. End of story. Well, not quite the end. He had been running a decent race before then, and he did return to finish the thing. But this is a big hit in the points.
* Kyle Busch -- 43rd, Did I say it couldn’t get worse here for Hendrick drivers? OK, I take it back. KB caught some trash on his grill after grabbing the lead early on and had to pit with water temperature close to 300 degrees. That apparently cooked the engine enough that he eventually retired from the race for good.
* Carl Edwards -- 4th, Carl worked his way to the front and perhaps could have won this thing if not for the crappy fuel mileage he and all his teammates endured. Still, he did an awesome job to take four tires on the final pit stop under green and still finish here.
REST OF THE TOP 10:
* Jeremy Mayfield -- 1st, Where was Jeremy most of this race? Down around 20th, where he would have finished if not for good fuel economy. This is only his fifth career victory. Wonder how long it will be until the sixth?
* Scott Riggs -- 2nd, I was pulling for Scott to overtake Mayfield. But alas, Robby Gordon wouldn’t move over and cost Riggs too much time to run down the leader. Great finish for a team that badly needed one.
* Kurt Busch -- 7th, For a while I thought this would be the winner. Fuel kept him from having a better finish, despite having led the most laps.
* Joe Nemechek -- 8th, It wasn’t a win, but a decent finish backs up a pole qualifying run.
* Jimmie Johnson -- 10th, I shouldn’t have doubted him after all. Had the fastest laps of those he was chasing at one point.
OTHER NOTABLES:
* Bill Elliott -- 11th, Where did he come from?
* Kasey Kahne -- 29th, He led a few laps. Wasn’t leading the last one.
* Tony Raines -- 31st, Did anyone really think he would actually win this thing when he was leading with less than four laps to go? Mayfield would have run him down anyhow, but poor fuel economy caught him first. This would have been the upset of the decade. Too bad it wasn’t to be.
Next week: A little beatin’ and bangin’, Bristol style.
