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Suburban
Journals of Chicago Inc.
Sports
 
 
Dan Peters
Sports Editor
Suburban
Journals of Chicago Inc.
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Drivers line up for a group photo
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
photo by Dan Peters
"Cousin"
Carl Edwards won the Bucyrus 200 Presented by Menards, his 26th victory
and 1st of 2010. It was his 12th top ten victory this year.
Road race
ace Ron Fellows
finished second and posted his first top ten at Road America. Brendan
Gaughan finished third after a fun day on an off the course.
The highest finishing rookie was Colin Braun.
Points
leader and fellow Sprint cup driver Brad Keselowski lead Edwards by 237
Points heading into Daytona.
Carl Edwards Loves Wisconsin
Carl Edwards comes a long way after a dismal first practice on
Thursday.
After Thursday's first NASCAR Nationwide Series practice at Road
America, Edwards was the first person to tell just how bad he was on
the 4.048-mile road course, even though he was the fifth fastest
driver.
Edwards proved to be a quick study, as he dominated the Bucyrus 200 to
win the first NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Road America.
"The corner workers, I could tell they were shaking their heads at me
and the rest of us. It was ugly," Edwards said of Thursday's day-long
practice. "But as a driver, this track is pretty tough. It's a long
track, there's a lot going on. … I thought about it a lot going back
and forth (to Sonoma, Calif. for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race) on the
airplane. Last night, laying in my motor home, I ran laps in my head. I
really tried to give my guys the best focus I could give them."
Carl Edwards leads in the turn...
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
photo by Joe
Paolella
Edwards credited road-course veteran Boris Said #88 and a Road America
driving instructor for providing tips on how to get around the mammoth
track.
Then, Edwards and crew chief Drew Blickensderfer got some motivation
from Roush Fenway Racing teammate Paul Menard, who was blistering fast
on Thursday.
"To be honest, Drew was mad that he was faster than us," Edwards said.
So the team worked on getting the No. 60 Ford better, and by the time
Edwards showed up for Saturday's qualifying and race, he was the class
of the field. Edwards put down a blazing fast lap to claim the pole in
qualifying, and then he led 35 of the race's 50 laps.
"First of all, my guys built an amazing race car," Edwards said. "That
car was really, really fast. It was just a joy to drive."
But the race wasn't without some drama. Road-course races are usually
filled with fuel-mileage strategy, and this one was no different.
Edwards gave up the lead to pit for fuel under caution with 19 laps to
go and restarted 13th.
Carl on the Charge..
"I was nervous about that," Edwards said. "Once I got to the fast
section at the back of the track, my car didn't handle as well without
fresh air on the nose. That was a little wild. … I saw the race
slipping away at that point. I was pretty nervous."
Brad Coleman #18 inherited the lead, but the race got physical in the
closing laps, and Coleman got punted out of the way in Turn 1 by Brad
Keselowski #22 In the melee, Edwards moved up quickly, following
Jacques Villeneuve toward the front.
After yet another yellow, Edwards charged inside Villeneuve #32 into
Turn 1 and got the lead. From there, he pulled away to 4.3-second
victory over runner-up Ron Fellows #88. Brendan Gaughan was third, with
Keselowski fourth and Owen Kelly fifth.
Villeneuve suffered a broken alternator wire in the closing laps and
finished 25th.
Edwards led four times for 35 of the 50 laps. and he also won the
pole... that's what I would call domination.
How was reaction to the new Road Course race at Elkhart Lake? Nothing
but positive.
"It was a great event," George Bruggenthies, track president and
general manager, said after the race. "Look at all the people it
attracted. I think we attracted a lot of new people. I want to do it
again."
The early reports showed 40,000 tickets sold and with the infield crowd
included, the crowd was estimated near 100,000. This might have been
one of, if not the largest crowd ever at Road America. "I don't know if
I've ever seen this many people here," race fan George Connolly said.
"It's good to see. It helps Wisconsin and helps the economy."
"This is such a beautiful atmoshere," said race fan Mike LaPlant of
Gillete, who made is first trip to a Road America race. "What a great
place to have a race. It is just awesome."
Where did he see a race last year? Where else, the Milwaukee Mile.
Edwards reflected on the loss of racing in Milwaukee..
"I loved racing in Milwaukee, and when they said we weren't going to be
racing there, I was sick. Then we got here, ran and got to meet some of
the fans and we're sitting in victory lane. If we had to not race in
Milwaukee, there'd be no better place tnan this.
NASCAR has found a new home in Wisconsin.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
photo by Dan Peters
Carl Edwards leads #32 Jacques
Villeneuve early.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
photo by Dan Peters
Mike Wallace, Rusty Wallce
(Center) and Kenny Wallace
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
photo by Dan Peters
Brendan Gaughan #62 does some
off-roading early in the race, recovers to finish a strong third...
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
photo by Joe
Paolella
Carl Edwards Wins the Race, and as
a bonus get a new Harley Davidson--not bad !!!
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
photos by Joe
Paolella
The
Inaugural Bucyrus 200 by Menards Trophy is outlined in chrome and
black marble and features the Harley-Davidson's iconic "Bar and Shield"
Logo. The trophy was designed by the Motor Company's award-winning
styling department, which is lead by Willie G Davidson, grandson of the
company's co-founder William A. Davidson. "We have always considered
our motorcycles rolling sculptures," said Ray Drea, Senior Director of
Styling at Harley-Davidson. "Our Passion for creating rolling art
combined with our rich racing heritage and 107-year history in the
State of Wisconsin makes Harley-Davidson the perfect partner to help
celebrate the return of NASCAR racing to Road America." The last NASCAR
race at Road America -- 1956.
In addition to the
special trophy, race-winner Carl Edwards received a special 2011
Harley-Davidson Sportster XR1200X. With a tank and tail section
designed to evoke the Legendary Harley-Davidson XR750 -- King of the
gritty American flat-track racing scene -- the XR1200X features
blacked-out powertrain and exhaust, revised tank graphics and black
wheels with an orange rim pinstripe.
"I'm certain this
trophy will create considerable buzz throughout the entire NASCAR
driver community. We're thrilled to welcome NASCAR racing to our track,
as well as have a partner as iconic as Harley-Davidson to help make
this race for the drivers and the fans." said Road America president,
George Bruggenthies.
Road America is probably one of the most friendly tracks in the entire
United States for any kind of car racing venue. It was
particularly interesting this past weekend where NASCAR fans
unlike any other track had access for their own personal photography
from incredible vantage points. In and around the track, and in
the forests, you probably get closer to the actual racers than any
other track in use by NASCAR. It's a short ride from
Chicago (3
plus hours..) and a great time for all with
plenty of camping and and other things to do while spending the night,
or a longer day and drive both ways.
It's a pleasant ride through the Wisconsin countryside.
The Bucyrus 200 Presented
by Menards
June 17-20
NASCAR
returns with the Nationwide cars, ready to shake things up on their
schedule's longest road circuit! It will be an incredible show of hot
competition as America's racing heroes tackle sharp turns, dramatic
elevation changes and fast passing areas. Big screens, fan activities
and great support races including SCCA Pro-Racing's Trans-Am and MX-5
Series, and Mid-American Stock Series.
http://www.roadamerica.com
Road America:
Longest Track in NASCAR
The last in a
stretch of three consecutive stand-alone races also is the first of
three road-course races on the NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule this
summer.
And for the fourth
time in the last six years, the series debuts at a new track. The
latest addition is Elkhart Lake’s Road America, a 4.048-mile, 14-turn
course nestled in the Wisconsin countryside.
Saturday’s Bucyrus
200 presented by Menards replaces the Milwaukee Mile on the schedule.
And this event keeps alive the series’ opportunity to continue to race
in front of Wisconsin’s staunch racing fan base, now for the 17th
consecutive year.
A Badger State
favorite, Paul Menard (No. 98 Mastercraft/Menards Ford) — one of three
drivers pulling fulltime double-duty — may be able to use some “home
cooking” to his advantage.
The native of Eau
Claire hasn’t just raced in a stock car at Road America before, he’s
won. In 2001, he captured a victory in the former NASCAR Re/Max
Challenge Series. That was the second time NASCAR had visited Road
America, having debuted at the-then one-year-old track in 1956. Tim
Flock won in what is now the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Menard comes home
sixth in the point standings in his first fulltime season in the series
since 2006, when he finished sixth in the final rankings.
There will be a full
day of practice on Thursday at Road America before the first official
practice takes place on Friday. That, according to Menard, makes his
familiarity with the road course more perception than reality. “By the
second practice, I’m sure everyone will be up to speed because the
drivers are so good in the Nationwide Series,” he said.
Two unique
competition aspects are specific to the NASCAR Nationwide Series when
it races at road courses. Teams will utilize road-course qualifying,
where drivers go out in timed groups as opposed to a maximum of two
individual qualifying laps.
And, the NASCAR
Nationwide Series brings Goodyear rain tires and will race in inclement
weather as it has done at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal the
last two years.
The last time the
series ran three road courses in the same year was 2007, when it
competed at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, at Watkins
Glen International and in Montreal.
Unofficial Results
2010 Unofficial Race
Results :
Bucyrus 200 presented by Menards
Bucyrus 200
presented by Menards |
June 19, 2010 | Race 15 of 35
FIN
ST CAR DRIVER
MAKE SPONSOR
PTS/BNS LAPS STATUS
1 10
60 Carl Edwards
Ford Fastenal
195/10 50 Running
2
9 88 Ron Fellows
Chevrolet AER Manufacturing
170/0 50 Running
3
20 62 Brendan Gaughan
Toyota South Point Hotel &
Casino 165/0 50
Running
4
25 22 Brad Keselowski
Dodge Discount
Tire 160/0 50
Running
5
19 27 Owen Kelly
Ford K1 Speed
155/0 50 Running
6
2 18 Brad Coleman
Toyota SafeWay Driving
Centers 155/5 50
Running
7
4 7 J.R. Fitzpatrick
Chevrolet Schick
Hydro 146/0 50
Running
8
22 38 Jason Leffler
Toyota Great
Clips 147/5 50
Running
9
16 66 Steve Wallace
Toyota 5-Hour
Energy 138/0 50
Running
10
12 99 Trevor Bayne
Toyota
OutPetCare.com 134/0
50 Running
11
13 16 Colin Braun
* Ford Roush Fenway
Racing 130/0 50
Running
12
6 33 Ron Hornaday
Chevrolet Longhorn Smokeless
Tobacco 127/0 50
Running
13
28 11 Brian Scott
* Toyota
BigSpot.com 124/0
50 Running
14
17 90 Patrick Long
Toyota System High
Corporation 126/5
50 Running
15
31 10 Tayler Malsam
Toyota Iron Horse
Jeans 118/0 50
Running
16
8 98 Paul Menard
Ford MasterCraft Doors / Menards
115/0 50 Running
17
- 31 Stanton Barrett
Chevrolet Lilly Trucking /
4Caring.org / Taleo Grill 112/0
50 Running
18
37 01 Mike Wallace
Chevrolet J Davis
Motorsports.com 109/0
50 Running
19
39 89 Morgan Shepherd
Chevrolet Victory In
Jesus 106/0 50
Running
20
32 35 Tony Ave
Chevrolet TriStar Motorsports
103/0 50 Running
21
29 28 Kenny Wallace
Chevrolet Anderson's Maple
Syrup 100/0 50
Running
22
23 70 Mark Green
Chevrolet Roth Maple Syrup
97/0 50 Running
23
14 05 Victor Gonzalez Jr.
Chevrolet State Water Heaters /
31-W Insulation 94/0
50 Running
24
26 15 Michael Annett
Toyota
Germain.com 91/0
50 Running
25
7 32 Jacques Villeneuve
Toyota Dollar
General 93/5 50
Running
26
21 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
* Ford
CitiFinancial 85/0
50 Running
27
40 24 Eric McClure
Ford Hefty
Odorblock 82/0 46
Running
28
42 23 Alex Kennedy
Chevrolet
HelpTruckers.com 79/0
46 Running
29
1 20 Matt DiBenedetto
Toyota Pizza
Ranch 76/0 44
Running
30
33 09 Robb Brent
Ford RAB Racing
73/0 43 Running
31
34 40 Mike Bliss
Chevrolet Sheboygan Chevrolet
70/0 38 Accident
32
5 21 Tim George Jr.
Chevrolet Sargento
Foods 67/0 36
Accident
33
35 81 Michael McDowell
Dodge
Mobile-Shop.com 64/0
34 Engine
34
11 43 Kevin O'Connell
Ford Taleo Grill
61/0 34 Engine
35
3 12 Justin Allgaier
Dodge Verizon
Wireless 58/0 30
Running
36
36 34 Tony Raines
Chevrolet Long John
Silver's 55/0 29
Engine
37
- 159 Kyle Kelley
Chevrolet UPR.com / Apex /
Jamison 52/0 29
Accident
38
41 87 Antonio Perez
Chevrolet
FrontRowJoe.com 49/0
10 Engine
39
27 156 Joey Scarallo
Ford Cobblestone Inn &
Suites 46/0 8
Brakes
40
- 26 Brian Keselowski
Dodge K-Automotive
Motorsports 43/0
3 Transmission
41
38 61 Josh Wise
Ford Specialty Racing
40/0 1 Brakes
42
30 92 Andy Ponstein
Dodge K-Automotive
Motorsports 37/0
1 Susp.
43
15 104 Kevin Lepage
Chevrolet J Davis
Motorsports.com 34/0
1 Rear End
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