Matt McLaughlin’s Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2011 New Hampshire Fall Race Recap
With two laps to go Clint Bowyer ran out of fuel, handing the lead and the win to Tony Stewart.
Thinkin’ Out Loud
Bowles Thinks Out Loud For Matt: 2011 GEICO 400 at Chicagoland
Tony Stewart had the pit crew to give him track position on his final stop of the race, the speed to get past Matt Kenseth on the restart and a little extra Sunoco to survive when almost all his rivals ran out of gas.
Bowles Thinks Out Loud For Matt: 2011 Wonderful Pistachios 400 at Richmond
Kevin Harvick caught a late caution, creeped in front of Jeff Gordon on pit road, then held off an assault by Cheez-It Crackers (err, Carl Edwards) to win one of the most bizarre short track races in recent memory.
Bowles Thinks Out Loud For Matt: 2011 Advocare 500 at Atlanta
With two laps left, a slip-sliding, hard-charging Jimmie Johnson misjudged turn 4 just enough to break loose. He kept the car in one piece, but Jeff Gordon scooted away to score his 85th career NASCAR victory – good enough for third all-time behind Richard Petty and David Pearson.
Bowles Thinks Out Loud For Matt: 2011 Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol
Brad Keselowski beat Jeff Gordon off pit road during the race’s final caution, blew by two-tire Martin Truex, Jr. on the final restart and made the rest of the Bristol field look like they were the ones driving drunkenly impaired on Miller Lite. Gordon tried to catch him, but alas, Bristol is the new half-mile Fontana: fresher tires made little difference while aero and track position took center stage – even at 15 seconds a lap.
Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2011 Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan
Kyle Busch chose the outside lane on a green-white-checkered restart to keep Jimmie Johnson at bay. He cleared him within the first 10 seconds under green and… that was it. The outside line is now the preferred line on speedways, just so long as the car in the right lane clears the inside one before he gets sucked around. Add in a little aero push for Johnson, some horsepower under the hood for Busch and the No. 18 cruised to Victory Lane.
Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2011 Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen
On the first green-white-checker restart, Kyle Busch overdrove turn 1, was unable to keep his car in the preferred groove on exit, and opened the door for Brad Keselowski and Marcos Ambrose to slip by. That left the two of them to settle the win amongst themselves; through the bus stop, Ambrose pounced, making the pass and riding off into the sunset for his first career Cup win.
Matt McLaughlin’s Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2011 Pocono Summer Race Recap
Kyle Busch got so preoccupied with Jimmie Johnson’s attempted divebomb pass to the inside, a quick move on Turn 1 of the final restart they both flat out let Brad Keselowski get away.
Matt McLaughlin’s Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2011 Brickyard 400 Race Recap
Remember back when the Brickyard 400 used to draw a standing room only 300,000 fans?
Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2011 Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at Loudon
Ryan Newman managed to clear Clint Bowyer on fresher tires following a lap 229 restart and never looked back, scoring his third career victory at Loudon.
Matt McLaughlin’s Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2011 Kentucky Cup Race Debacle Recap
Kyle Busch let loose on the field most of the night with an old-fashioned butt-whoopin’ at Kentucky.
Matt McLaughlin’s Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2011 Firecracker 400 at Daytona Race Recap
David Ragan, with an essential assist from teammate Matt Kenseth, got some sweet redemption after his miscue shifting lanes in the Daytona 500.