Fuel gambles could cost some drivers a championship

MRM

MRM

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With this year's points positions being one point per position, some of the drivers that ran out of gas could see a loss of a championship by a few points. And those who do lose by a few points can point back to their gamble at Chicago. I really feel it's going to be close all the way to the end.
 
MRM said:
With this year's points positions being one point per position, some of the drivers that ran out of gas could see a loss of a championship by a few points. And those who do lose by a few points can point back to their gamble at Chicago. I really feel it's going to be close all the way to the end.
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Close by design. It was close after 26. It'll be closer after only 10.
 
Jeffrey00 said:
I fail to see what the gamble was.
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fastfordfan said:
+1
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Really??? Have'nt you seen how running out of fuel on the last few laps of the race has effected some teams point standings?
The Gamble was trying to make it to the Checkered the Stakes where Good Finish or Horrible Finish. Several teams in The Chase could have pitted for just a splash of gas and made it to the end but they did'nt. Some Won the Gamble ala Stewart, Harvick and Lil E some did'nt Gordon, Johnson and Hamlin.
 
FlFlash said:
Really??? Have'nt you seen how running out of fuel on the last few laps of the race has effected some teams point standings?
The Gamble was trying to make it to the Checkered the stakes where Good Finish or Horrible Finish. Several teams in The Chase could have pitted for just a splash of gas and made it to the end but they did'nt. Some Won the Gamble ala Stewart, Harvick and Lil E some did'nt Gordon, Johnson and Hamlin.
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Agreed! That is exactly what the gamble was....
 
Fuel Mileage Woes for Kenseth
By: Pete Pistone on September 20, 2011 | 1:00 P.M. EST

Matt Kenseth is currently 10th in the Chase standings. (Photo: Getty Images)
PrintEmail ShareMatt Kenseth was one of the many drivers bitten by the fuel mileage game Monday in the GEICO 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.

But a penalty on the last lap for being pushed across the finish line by J.J. Yeley compounded Kenseth’s woes.

Kenseth started from the pole and stayed in the front of the field for most of Monday’s rain-delayed race. He was the race leader with 30 laps to go but that’s when his fuel strategy issues started to make an impact.

Kenseth was told he was five laps short of making it to the checkered flag if the race stayed green the rest of the way so he backed off to a conservation mode.

That allowed eventual race winner Tony Stewart to take over the top spot and Kenseth faded back as he tried to stretch his fuel load to the end.

He eventually crossed the finish line in eighth position and was not happy about the way his race wound up.

“We were out in the lead there and I didn’t floor it for 30 laps, so it’s just ridiculous,” Kenseth said. “Honestly, I don’t know what they can do about it but it’s ridiculous. It is really frustrating to be a race-car driver and they drop the green on the last run of the day when you are supposed to put on a show for the fans and you have to run half throttle and can’t floor it or you will run out of gas.

“It is pretty aggravating to do all the work and qualifying and pit stops and adjustments but none of it makes any difference.”

Kenseth has never been a fan of fuel mileage racing and again voiced his displeasure after the unfortunate turn of events on Monday.

"There were so many races this year that have been like that already where the guy running half-throttle or pitted off-sequence or whatever has won," Kenseth said. "I wish they could figure out how to fix it, because it is not a lot of fun."

To make matters worse, Yeley pushed Kenseth across the finish line on the final lap when he ran out of fuel. NASCAR then penalized Kenseth for breaking the rule of any driver not being allowed to be assisted to the finish of a race on the last lap.

Kenseth was dropped back to the first car one lap down and left Chicago with a 21st-place finish.

The decision dropped Kenseth to 10th in the Chase for the Sprint Cup standings and 24 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.
 
FlFlash said:
Really??? Have'nt you seen how running out of fuel on the last few laps of the race has effected some teams point standings?
The Gamble was trying to make it to the Checkered the Stakes where Good Finish or Horrible Finish. Several teams in The Chase could have pitted for just a splash of gas and made it to the end but they did'nt. Some Won the Gamble ala Stewart, Harvick and Lil E some did'nt Gordon, Johnson and Hamlin.
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Question Is How Much Would It Have Helped To Stop

They Were Under Green Maybe The Get Back To 21
 
fastfordfan said:
Question Is How Much Would It Have Helped To Stop

They Were Under Green Maybe The Get Back To 21
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Bingo they knew if they stopped they would be way back there so they Gambled they would make it.
It's part of racing!
 
FlFlash said:
Bingo they knew if they stopped they would be way back there so they Gambled they would make it.
It's part of racing!
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So what u r saying is that all those Crew Chiefs, Engineers and everybody else on the pit box are fkn idiots and stupid
 
Not in the least, their hand was forced because they knew that some of teams would Gamble.
 
fastfordfan said:
Question Is How Much Would It Have Helped To Stop

They Were Under Green Maybe The Get Back To 21
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They were kinda stuck staying out. Stopping wouldn't have changed much in the results because they would have lost a lap or two anyhow. Basically, either the gas guys didn't get the car full or the driver's didn't save enough.

As an interesting side note, I was listening to Kyle's radio on Raceview and I only heard Dave Rogers mention fuel twice during that run really. Once after they pitted he told Kyle they were 5 laps short and to save fuel. At one other point, they asked him if he had been saving fuel and then told him to watch the fuel pressure gauge. Shortly after that, Kyle radio'd that he was coming to them. I think that was a miscue on Dave's part and may have cost them the championship.

This is the sort of thing that you can't have happen if you are going to win the championship.
 
If you think about it Stewart, Earnhardt, Keselowski and Hamlin if he did'nt have earlier problems had the least to loose by staying out. They where already at the tail end of the Chase contenders points but due to NASCARs point adjustment could not fall below 12th.
So what the hell go for it!
Now that Stewart and Earnhardt are towards the front I bet they don't try it again ;)
Keselowski and his crew are on a mission to prove something..... No Way I'll bet on them not taking longshots.
 
There was no gamble. They did as the leader did, which is the best situation, and any other crew chief would do the same thing over and over and over again. The real gambler was truex who stayed out for track position. He pitted with 10 to go as the leader and finished 18th. So where would the other guys finished if they pitted? Right where they did. Either way they were screwed so they followed the leader, and it just didn't work out.
 
Jeffrey00 said:
There was no gamble. They did as the leader did, which is the best situation, and any other crew chief would do the same thing over and over and over again. The real gambler was truex who stayed out for track position. He pitted with 10 to go as the leader and finished 18th. So where would the other guys finished if they pitted? Right where they did. Either way they were screwed so they followed the leader, and it just didn't work out.
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So you don't feel like the leader gambled by staying out as well?
 
I guess if you go by that logic then the whole lead lap gambled. My point being is the OP was trying to make it sound like those drivers were trying to get a "one up" on the other guys and in doing so it cost them. In reality they had no other choice but to do what the leader was doing. Like they always say the leader dictates the race.

The title of the this thread says "Fuel gambles could cost some drivers a championship." I guess my question is well what else were they suppose to do? What was their alternative? They were stuck playing the strategy they were handed to them by the leader.

I mean the constant here is Truex. He was leading with 10 to go and pitted, and finished 18th. If Gordon, Kenseth, or Busch had done the same thing while running seconds behind Truex they would have finished exactly where they did. So their only hope at the time was to try and stretch fuel.
 
Jeffrey00 said:
I guess if you go by that logic then the whole lead lap gambled. My point being is the OP was trying to make it sound like those drivers were trying to get a "one up" on the other guys and in doing so it cost them. In reality they had no other choice but to do what the leader was doing. Like they always say the leader dictates the race.

The title of the this thread says "Fuel gambles could cost some drivers a championship." I guess my question is well what else were they suppose to do? What was their alternative? They were stuck playing the strategy they were handed to them by the leader.

I mean the constant here is Truex. He was leading with 10 to go and pitted, and finished 18th. If Gordon, Kenseth, or Busch had done the same thing while running seconds behind Truex they would have finished exactly where they did. So their only hope at the time was to try and stretch fuel.
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Ok...I see what u r sayin now...good points
 
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