Pit strategy backfires on Biffle; Stewart takes Chase race at Kansas

Tony Stewart has another sweaty towel to auction off for charity after the Sprint Cup’s regular-season champion took his first Chase race Sunday in the Price Chopper 400 at Kansas Speedway and moved back into contention in the standings with seven races to go.

In what was clearly the best race of the Chase thus far, Cup fans thrilled to the explosive start by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who roared out to a three-second advantage after taking the lead from pole-sitter Mark Martin on Lap 12. Little E’s uncustomary post at the head of the field lasted for 41 laps, when he pitted from the lead on Lap 53. But as Junior fans have come to expect, Dame Misfortune again made her untimely entrance into the 88 car’s affairs. Earnhardt Jr. was black-flagged by NASCAR officials for failing to tighten a left rear wheel lug nut. The miscue dearly cost the race leader, who had to return to pit lane to rectify the issue. He reentered in 32nd position, one lap down and, effectively, was done for the day.

It looked to be Greg Biffle’s afternoon, when the 16 car took over the lead on the 72nd lap and began logging the day’s most laps led. But with 29 laps to go, Biffle crew chief Greg Erwin made the wrong call, electing to put on four fresh tires when everyone else went with two. Stewart then won the race off pit row, Biffle coming out fourth. The Roush-Fenway driver could never close the gap, as Stewart raced off into clean air. In fact, hard-charging Jeff Gordon came on to grab the second spot from Biffle with just 13 laps remaining.

ROADSIDE RANTS: After the opening 40 laps, NASCAR’s worst fear looked like it might possibly come true: Two non-Chasers were leading the Chase! But Chase order was rightfully restored by race’s end, as nine of the top ten finishers were all Chasers…With 20 laps to go at Kansas, Denny Hamlin dropped fully below the white line onto the apron to pass two cars, one of which subsequently re-passed him. On the next lap around, Hamlin repeated the maneuver. NASCAR has mandated that passing below white lines is legal; passing below double yellows (Daytona and Talladega) is not. I’m wondering why, during a Chase race of all things, passing below any line is allowed. It’s yet another example of NASCAR’s inconsistency with its own rules. I say either let them pass at any time at any track or ban passing below the line entirely. If you think about it, it’s kind of like letting a base runner in baseball run from first to third without having to touch second. Drivers down on the apron actually gain an unfair advantage because they’re shortening the distance around the track…In Formula One, Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel dominated the Japanese Grand Prix, whittling nine points off Jenson Button’s precarious grip on the championship standings. With two races to go, Button holds a 14-point lead over Brawn-Mercedes teammate Rubens Barrichello and tops Vettel by 16.

Alan Ross is the author of 32 books and a regular contributor to American Profile. E-mail: alanross_sports@yahoo.com© Sportland 2009