Racin' With Russ
By Russell Schmidt

Johnson Wins Econ-O-Run 500 in Phoenix
Monday, April 14th, 2008

You would have thought they were in Las Vegas the way NASCAR Sprint Cup crew chiefs and engineers gambled on making it all the way on what sips of gas were left in the tank.

The TV announcers has a field day playing out the various scenarios for each top runner over the final 20 laps in Phoenix.

Pit...don’t pit...save me some gas... gas only...gas and two tires...decisions, decisions...were the final topics.

In the end, crew chief extraordinaire Chad Knaus talked his driver Jimmie Johnson into saving enough fuel on each of the final dozen circuits to land the Hendrick champions back into the winner’s circle for the first time this year. There was even enough for some smokey burnouts, yet the Lowe’s Chevy ran out of gas, coming up short on the way to the winner’s circle.

Johnson didn’t have the fastest car...no, that honor, most would agree goes to Mark Martin. The wiley veteran was taking the field to school for most of the day, wheeling his Army Chevy out front until having to stop, as most did, for a splash and go...or more with less than 10 to go.

Dale Earnhardt Jr led 86 laps, polesitter Ryan Newman led the opening segment, but Johnson led the most with 120.

The rest of the top five included Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, a resurgent Carl Edwards (coming back from an early pit lane violation, setting him back to 34th) and Martin.

Current points leader Jeff Burton illustrated why he’s on top with yet another top 10, this time an impressive sixth after starting deep in the pack.

Burton leaves Phoenix with an 80 point lead over Kyle Busch, 86 over Hendrick driver Earnhardt Jr., 99 in front of Johnson and 100 over teammate Kevin Harvick.

Notes: The Dodge contingent had a rough day with three of their best finishing at the bottom of the field. They included Ryan Newman’s blown engine about a third of the way in, same deal for Elliott Sadler and young Reed Sorensen’s Dodge succumbed to two bouts with the retaining walls.

--- The Nationwide series competed at Phoenix on Friday night with Kyle Busch zooming to the front early and often to rack up his second win of the year. Had it not been for an error during his final pitstop, Carl Edwards may have been standing tall in victory lane.

Capping the top five included a rapidly charging Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and David Ragan.

Clint Bowyer tops the overall picture, yet only 20 markers ahead of Edwards.

From Rumorville -
It’s the third race in a row for Team Petty to leave the track early as the No. 45 did not qualify for the race in Phoenix. Was the big move to be among the rest of the competition the right way to go? Or not? What’s next? Will Kyle get back in the car? Or will it be Chad McCumbee or ?? Stay tuned...

It appears that full-time Nationwide driver David Stremme has been tapped as Penske’s test driver to fill a possible void in the race and practice schedule of the No. 77 usually piloted by Sam Hornish Jr.

Seems that Roger (Penske) has an extra car with the No. 77 on it just waiting for Hornish Jr for this year’s Indy 500. I like the whole idea. Stremme is a good shoe that deserves some kind of Cup ride and I still can’t get used to seeing Hornish wheel the taxi cab.

Did you know?
The kind of money current Cup drivers are making? The numbers are staggering and it would be a safe bet to say the Cuppers are competing in the highest purses in auto racing...period.

Looking at the top ten in points, the average driver is earning $150-300,000 per race where most of the top 40 are making around $90,000 per race!!! Yes, I said per race!

In startling contrast, the average winnings for a top ten driver in the Craftsman Truck series (currently) is $24,000 per race.

That’s it for this week. While the NASCAR top trio is off, next week’s RWR will review the action from open wheel series’ Indy Racing League and Champ Car from Japan and the U.S. along with more racing news from around the globe.

Questions? Comments? Contact Russ