(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Points: Eighth
David Reutimann
This wasn't what David Reutimann was hoping for on Saturday. Reutimann considers this track his home track and was hoping for a great finish, but they got caught up in someone else’s mess and were forced to the garage to work on the car.
They did make it back onto the track and limped around the rest of the night. A 36th place finish was not what he wanted.
Already trying to rebound from a poor finish at Sonoma, they needed just to finish the race in a decent position.
Reutimann has used up his mulligans, now he needs top 10 finishes or his chase chances will not happen.
Points: 14th
Lucky Dog…
Jeff Gordon
I know what you are thinking—the favorite coming in, he led one lap, and finished 28th. How is he lucky?
He was involved in the first big wreck. Quickly, though, crew chief Steve LeTarte got to work using the caution laps to work on the car.
They were never good enough to contend up front, but when it mattered, they showed how tough they were when they battled back—no matter how disappointing the finish.
Points: Second
Ryan Newman
At one point, Newman was one lap down and barely keeping up. This team never gave up, and battled back for a 20th place finish.
He was another driver in the first big wreck, and they, too, worked on the car.
It wasn’t flashy, but with points being so important, drivers in the hunt can’t afford to not finish races.
Points: Seventh
Joey Logano
After finishing dead last here in February, anything higher than that would be an accomplishment. They ran very well today, and their 19th place finish doesn't tell the whole story.
They ran well within the top 10, and actually were in contention for most of the day.
During the last lap melee, Logano crashed hard into his teammate Busch, all but ending his chances at a better finish.
Points: 20th
Final laps…
What a race!
We know the critics will be out in full force in the coming days, pleading with NASCAR to do something about cars going airborne. But there is nothing they can do. Nothing NASCAR can really do, because these types of accidents will continue to happen.
I'm not saying I like seeing wrecks like we had tonight and at Talladega, but this is what we get with plate racing.
To be honest, I was more concerned about whether or not everyone walked away, but this is what we get with these cars, and these engines.
I do want to say these drivers are well aware of the procedures after a wreck—that includes Busch. No matter how upset you are, its policy to go see the medical staff at the track. You never know what type of injury you could have suffered.
Busch's antics on pit road just fuel his critics even more. There is no excuse for not following the rules.
Surprisingly, the points didn't change all that much. The only thing that changed was the points spread out more, and that's not good news for the guys on the outside looking in. For the guys who held a position in the top 12, they did exactly what they needed to do.
Next up my home track of Chicagoland, and the final race on TNT.
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