JGR engine experiment backfires in All-Star event
All three cars experience trouble; Busch, Hamlin get DNFs
By Raygan Swan, NASCAR.COM
May 19, 2008
11:54 AM EDT
type size: + -CONCORD, N.C. -- Joe Gibbs Racing's head engine builder, Mark Cronquist, knows if he's going to build outside the proverbial box, the All-Star race is the time to do it.
And so he did, but after watching three engines fail in one weekend, Cronquist admits he got a little "greedy."
Denny Hamlin dropped out in the fourth segment.“
This stuff you wouldn't try in a regular race.
”
J.D. GIBBS"We got some new stuff coming and it is really good and we should've brought it, but we got greedy and brought more than that," he said. "So it was just probably more my greed than anything, but you come to this race with all your guns loaded."
After dominating the first segment of Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race, the No. 18 of Kyle Busch faltered in the second. Attempts at repairs during the break before the third 25-lap segment were futile (watch video).
"This was a new piece and it was pretty stout and it was pretty right but just didn't make the whole longevity here," Busch said.
Then, while out front in the last segment of the race, it was Denny Hamlin's turn to blow up.
"It was a valve train problem," Cronquist said. "We knew [the engine] was really radical. I thought it would go 300 miles, but I mean Tony's [Stewart] went really early. Kyle and Denny's went longer. We have stuff at the shop and know what we have now, but this race pays too much money not to bring everything in your arsenal."
JGR president J.D. Gibbs agreed.
"This stuff you wouldn't try in a regular race," he said.
Fortunate for the No. 20 team, Stewart's engine troubles came Friday before the All-Star race and the crew was forced to make an engine change, which is why the JGR Toyota started in the rear of the field Saturday night.
But poor track position wasn't a problem as Stewart still finished in the fifth position.
"I was happy, you know, considering [we] had to start dead last because of engine troubles and still ended up in fifth, that's a pretty good night for us," Stewart said. "We didn't do anything fancy to get ourselves to the front. Basically, where we came in the pits is where we came out of the pits every time, so we basically drove our way to this spot, and that I'm very proud of."
You can't get better if you don't try stuff, Stewart added.
"It was experimental stuff and [Saturday night's] the night to try that stuff," he said. "When it comes time to run 600 miles next week, we can do it."
All three cars experience trouble; Busch, Hamlin get DNFs
By Raygan Swan, NASCAR.COM
May 19, 2008
11:54 AM EDT
type size: + -CONCORD, N.C. -- Joe Gibbs Racing's head engine builder, Mark Cronquist, knows if he's going to build outside the proverbial box, the All-Star race is the time to do it.
And so he did, but after watching three engines fail in one weekend, Cronquist admits he got a little "greedy."
Denny Hamlin dropped out in the fourth segment.“
This stuff you wouldn't try in a regular race.
”
J.D. GIBBS"We got some new stuff coming and it is really good and we should've brought it, but we got greedy and brought more than that," he said. "So it was just probably more my greed than anything, but you come to this race with all your guns loaded."
After dominating the first segment of Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race, the No. 18 of Kyle Busch faltered in the second. Attempts at repairs during the break before the third 25-lap segment were futile (watch video).
"This was a new piece and it was pretty stout and it was pretty right but just didn't make the whole longevity here," Busch said.
Then, while out front in the last segment of the race, it was Denny Hamlin's turn to blow up.
"It was a valve train problem," Cronquist said. "We knew [the engine] was really radical. I thought it would go 300 miles, but I mean Tony's [Stewart] went really early. Kyle and Denny's went longer. We have stuff at the shop and know what we have now, but this race pays too much money not to bring everything in your arsenal."
JGR president J.D. Gibbs agreed.
"This stuff you wouldn't try in a regular race," he said.
Fortunate for the No. 20 team, Stewart's engine troubles came Friday before the All-Star race and the crew was forced to make an engine change, which is why the JGR Toyota started in the rear of the field Saturday night.
But poor track position wasn't a problem as Stewart still finished in the fifth position.
"I was happy, you know, considering [we] had to start dead last because of engine troubles and still ended up in fifth, that's a pretty good night for us," Stewart said. "We didn't do anything fancy to get ourselves to the front. Basically, where we came in the pits is where we came out of the pits every time, so we basically drove our way to this spot, and that I'm very proud of."
You can't get better if you don't try stuff, Stewart added.
"It was experimental stuff and [Saturday night's] the night to try that stuff," he said. "When it comes time to run 600 miles next week, we can do it."
