NASCAR at Kansas 2015: Winners and Losers from the SpongeBob SquarePants 400
An evening race turned into a morning race in Kansas at the SpongeBob SquarePants 400, as a lengthy mid-race rain delay transformed this into an episode of NASCAR: After Dark.
However, the clock striking midnight certainly didn't turn Jimmie Johnson into a pumpkin, as the No. 48 driver found himself in a very familiar spot after 400 milesโVictory Lane.
Throughout the long night in Kansas, we saw legends of the sport lose their cool, youngsters impress, veterans question the NASCAR decision-makers and champions make some pretty dumb mistakes. All in all, it was another entertaining Sprint Cup race.
Here are all of the winners and losers from Kansas Speedway.
Winner: Jimmie Johnson
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All Jimmie Johnson does is win races, especially on 1.5-mile tracks.ย This was the 73rd Sprint Cup win of his career, third win at Kansas and third win of 2015.
It seemed like things weren't going to go Johnson's way after another frustrating qualifying run saw him start the race 19th, and he dropped to 31st early in the race after getting loose and nearly spinning out.
But the driver of the No. 48 car just kept his cool and ended up winning on Mother's Day, and he can now take the SpongeBob trophy home to his kids.ย
"A long, hard night of racing, but once we got up front we were able to hang on," Johnson said on the Fox Sports 1 broadcast from Victory Lane after the race.
Loser: Tony Stewart
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Another week, another disappointing race for three-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart.ย
Just like the last few weeks, Stewart was actually driving well and looking like a contender until he ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. This week, the No. 14 got hit by Brett Moffitt after Matt Kenseth spun out. His car was damaged significantly, and he ended up finishing 39th, nine laps down.
Stewart was certainly frustrated with Moffitt, as he showcased in an expletive-filled rant on his radio show. "Thank God for NASCAR's Generation Next," he was heard saying sarcastically, as reported by Nick Bromberg of Yahoo.ย
It has now been nearly two years since Stewart last won a race, and he sits 30th in the points standings this year.
Winner: Erik Jones
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OK, so 18-year-old Erik Jones and the aptly numbered No. 18 car finished in 40th place in the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 on Sunday, 25 laps down due to Jones getting loose and crashing into the wall on Lap 196.
However, considering this was Jones' first Sprint Cup start, and he's barely an adult, it was an impressive debut. The teenager figured out his car quickly, and after the rain delay, he found himself running with the leaders. He led one lap during a cycle of pit stops and was in the top five before he crashed.
Jones unfortunately let his guard down a bit, which led to his crash. But he made a lot of fans along the way, and it's pretty clear that he has a bright future ahead of him. He was filling in for the injured Kyle Busch, and it's unknown whether he'll return to the car in the future.
"I learned a lot about racing up front and racing with these guys," he said in a Fox Sports 1 interview after his wreck.
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Loser: Joe Gibbs Racing
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Besides Erik Jones' noteworthy debut, the Joe Gibbs Racing team doesn't have much to smile about after this race in Kansas. All four of its cars had significant problems during the race.
Denny Hamlin's No. 11 car had tire problems that at first caused him to make an unplanned pit stop and then caused him to crash into the wall and end up in the garage, eventually finishing 41st, 62 laps down. Hamlin was incredibly frustrated when NASCAR didn't throw a caution flag immediately when he hit the wall and started spinning out, according to Jay Pennell of Fox Sports.
Carl Edwardsโwho had a similar complaint for NASCAR last week at Talladegaโalso had a frustrating night. The No. 19 driver, who led 12 laps during the race and did get some help from a timely caution flag, ended up being slowed by a bad vibration in his car late in the race and finished 20th. He is still searching for his first win this season.
Matt Kenseth was the JGR driver with the best finish, as the No. 20 finished sixth on the day. However, he had trouble during the race too, spinning out midway through it. For the most part, this was a night that this team would rather forget.
Winner: Hendrick Motorsports
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Kevin Harvick was the only driver with a Hendrick motor in his car in the top five for most of the race, as the No. 4 Stewart-Haas driver led 53 laps and ultimately finished second.
However, when the checkered flag waved, there were three Hendrick Motorsports drivers and Harvick in the top four: Johnson, Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon.ย
Johnson, Earnhardt and Gordon all seemed to come out of nowhere at the end, but the reason the teammates were able to finish so well was because they decided not to pit during the last round of pit stops. Sometimes fresh tires are the key, but on this day, it was track position and Hendrick power.
Loser: The Entire 22 Team
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Joey Logano started on the pole for this race and finished fifth, but he and his entire team will leave Kansas thinking about what might have been.
Early in the race, Logano was penalized when one of his crew members came over the wall too soon on a pit stop, and he had to start at the back of the pack. He was able to work his way back through the field, but then, later in the race, Logano went to pit road when it was closed, causing him to have to start at the back of the longest line again.ย
Logano's car had plenty of speed, and he was able to work his way back through the field once again for a respectable finish, but silly mistakes that could have been easily avoided doomed him.ย
"Those two penalties cost him a chance to win this race," Michael Waltrip said after the race from the Fox Sports broadcast booth.
Perhaps Logano's entire night can be summed up by how off he was after the race, when heย referredย to his Ford as a "Chevrolet Fusion" in his post-race interview on Fox Sports 1. This team's brain just wasn't in Kansas on Saturday night.
Winner: The Weather Gods
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Heading into Saturday evening's race at Kansas, one of the biggest storylines was Mother Nature. The radar did not look promising, and there was a big question as to whether the race would be completed Saturday at all.
However, although there was a nearly two-and-a-half-hour rain delay after 98 laps, the race did resume, and all 267 laps were completed. That is always a welcome surprise, even if it results in a 1 a.m. ET finish.
Martin Truex Jr. was in firm control of the race before the first rain delay, and while he was certainly a factor in the second half as well, it will never be known what might have happened had the rain stayed away. But heyโthat's just a part of racing.ย
Of course, while bad weather is part of the deal with an outdoor sport like NASCAR, and it is always better to be safe than sorry where driver safety is concerned, let's hope that as the spring turns into summer, the NASCAR rain delays are few and far between.
Loser: Drivers Without a Win in 2015
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So, this might sound like an incredibly obvious loser, but bear with me for a second. Coming the week before the All-Star Race in Charlotte, North Carolina, Kansas was a golden chance for a driver without a victory in the 2015 season to not only get a win, but also secure a berth in the Chase and a trip to Charlotte.
With Truex leading for a good portion of the raceโhe was out in front for 95 lapsโit looked like it might be the night for him to get the win. Unfortunately, the Furniture Row Racing driver had trouble with fuel mileage and decided not to take any tires on a late pit stop, and he ended up finishing ninth.
"We're going to get one, we just have to finish," Truex said on Fox Sports 1 after the race.
Kyle Larson also was in good position to win not only his first race of 2015, but the first race of his Sprint Cup career. He led three laps and was running right with Truex for a good portion of the race. However, he got caught up in the fuel mileage conservation strategies and cautions at the end of the night as well, and he ended up 15th.
Other winless drivers with good finishes were Gordon (fourth) and Ryan Newman (10th). There's still time for drivers to get a victory before the Chase, but there's certainly a bigger sense of urgency with the summer looming.
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