Short Day For Long, ML Motorsports
Overheating leads to 37th-place finish at Talladega
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
Unfortunately for 19-year-old driver Johanna Long and the Warsaw-based ML Motorsports team that didn’t happen in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
“That was our strategy coming in, to be there at the end,” said ML Motorsports crew chief Mark Gutekunst. “It’s no different than any other race, you have to be there at the end. There’s a million things that could go wrong at the track, and just one thing could end your day early. That thing for us was overheating, and we blew the motor.”
Long started the Aaron’s 312 in the 24th position after the field was set by owner’s points because qualifying was rained out.
She finished 37th, her and the team’s day shortened to just 18 laps.
“She was fast,” said Gutekunst. “She said she could go to the front if she wanted. She was just riding around and trying to stay out of trouble. We know we have a good car to take to Daytona in July.”
Long said she didn’t know she got into the back of someone, but at Daytona and Talladega, where restrictor plates force the field into pack-racing, it’s not uncommon for drivers to bump the car in front of them, cutting off air to the radiator.
The nose on Long’s No. 70 Chevy was pushed in about four inches, the duct work was was messed up, and there was no air getting to the radiator.
The end result was a 37th-place finish, a blown motor and Long and the team’s first DNF of the season.
Saturday’s race was the sixth of Long’s Nationwide Series career.
In her previous five starts, all with ML Motorsports, the Pensacola, Fla., native had finished 21st or better four times.
Joey Logano won the race, making a last-lap pass on runner-up Kyle Busch to give Toyota its 200th win in NASCAR.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Cole Whitt and Dale Earnhardt Jr., rounded out the top five.
Kurt Busch, James Buescher, Justin Allgaier, Kenny Wallace and Elliott Sadler finished sixth through 10th, respectively.
Danica Patrick finished 13th.
The race was marred by a late accident that sent Eric McClure to an Alabama hospital by helicopter, but NASCAR officials said he was awake and speaking to medical personnel.
And, after the finish, Patrick intentionally wrecked Sam Hornish Jr. on the cool down lap. It was apparent retaliation for Hornish squeezing Patrick on the last lap; he said he had a flat tire, but she wasn't buying the excuse from her former IndyCar colleague.
Meanwhile, Logano was celebrating his sneaky victory over Busch, his teammate in the Sprint Cup Series.
"I haven't seen one yet that's predictable at Talladega," Logano said. "I just got him right at the line. I was super pumped."
The multi-car accident that collected McClure brought out a 19-minute red flag, and Busch restarted as the leader with two laps to go in the race. Logano went off in third, and immediately pulled onto the back of Busch's bumper.
He stayed in line and pushed Busch around the track as the two teamed to hold off the tandem of Stenhouse and Whitt.
Stenhouse and Whitt never pulled alongside of Busch and Logano in an attempt to pull them apart, and it gave Logano the chance to make his move.
"Was hoping (Whitt and Stenhouse) would get up alongside of us and we'd have to drag race it and Joey would have to push me to the checkered," Busch said. "They couldn't quite get up alongside and it gave the opportunity for Joey to win."
Logano pulled out as they exited the final turn, and nipped Busch by .034 seconds at the finish line.
Logano said later he was nervous he hadn't timed the move correctly.
"I thought, 'Oh my God, I went too soon,' " said Logano. “We were in the right position. You have to position yourself for the end of these things. I thought we were in the right position there for a while. Kyle knew it was coming. I know he knew it was coming."
Because NASCAR during the offseason banned driver-to-driver radio communication, Stenhouse wasn't able to make a plan with rookie Whitt for the final restart.
"I knew I was going to push Cole," Stenhouse said. "If I could have talked to Cole, I could have told him what I thought to do but it is his first situation there."
The race was stopped after a 10-car accident on the previous restart. It wasn't clear how it started, but Michael Annett appeared to be turned into Brad Keselowski, and cars began spinning all over the track. McClure's darted head-first into the inside wall of Turn 3. The car's roof had to be cut and peeled back for McClure to be removed.
"Everyone is doing what they have to do at these races," Annett said. "Unfortunately we tore up a bunch of race cars. Everybody is trying to get everything they can on those last two laps. It is just the way this racing is."[[In-content Ad]]
Unfortunately for 19-year-old driver Johanna Long and the Warsaw-based ML Motorsports team that didn’t happen in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
“That was our strategy coming in, to be there at the end,” said ML Motorsports crew chief Mark Gutekunst. “It’s no different than any other race, you have to be there at the end. There’s a million things that could go wrong at the track, and just one thing could end your day early. That thing for us was overheating, and we blew the motor.”
Long started the Aaron’s 312 in the 24th position after the field was set by owner’s points because qualifying was rained out.
She finished 37th, her and the team’s day shortened to just 18 laps.
“She was fast,” said Gutekunst. “She said she could go to the front if she wanted. She was just riding around and trying to stay out of trouble. We know we have a good car to take to Daytona in July.”
Long said she didn’t know she got into the back of someone, but at Daytona and Talladega, where restrictor plates force the field into pack-racing, it’s not uncommon for drivers to bump the car in front of them, cutting off air to the radiator.
The nose on Long’s No. 70 Chevy was pushed in about four inches, the duct work was was messed up, and there was no air getting to the radiator.
The end result was a 37th-place finish, a blown motor and Long and the team’s first DNF of the season.
Saturday’s race was the sixth of Long’s Nationwide Series career.
In her previous five starts, all with ML Motorsports, the Pensacola, Fla., native had finished 21st or better four times.
Joey Logano won the race, making a last-lap pass on runner-up Kyle Busch to give Toyota its 200th win in NASCAR.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Cole Whitt and Dale Earnhardt Jr., rounded out the top five.
Kurt Busch, James Buescher, Justin Allgaier, Kenny Wallace and Elliott Sadler finished sixth through 10th, respectively.
Danica Patrick finished 13th.
The race was marred by a late accident that sent Eric McClure to an Alabama hospital by helicopter, but NASCAR officials said he was awake and speaking to medical personnel.
And, after the finish, Patrick intentionally wrecked Sam Hornish Jr. on the cool down lap. It was apparent retaliation for Hornish squeezing Patrick on the last lap; he said he had a flat tire, but she wasn't buying the excuse from her former IndyCar colleague.
Meanwhile, Logano was celebrating his sneaky victory over Busch, his teammate in the Sprint Cup Series.
"I haven't seen one yet that's predictable at Talladega," Logano said. "I just got him right at the line. I was super pumped."
The multi-car accident that collected McClure brought out a 19-minute red flag, and Busch restarted as the leader with two laps to go in the race. Logano went off in third, and immediately pulled onto the back of Busch's bumper.
He stayed in line and pushed Busch around the track as the two teamed to hold off the tandem of Stenhouse and Whitt.
Stenhouse and Whitt never pulled alongside of Busch and Logano in an attempt to pull them apart, and it gave Logano the chance to make his move.
"Was hoping (Whitt and Stenhouse) would get up alongside of us and we'd have to drag race it and Joey would have to push me to the checkered," Busch said. "They couldn't quite get up alongside and it gave the opportunity for Joey to win."
Logano pulled out as they exited the final turn, and nipped Busch by .034 seconds at the finish line.
Logano said later he was nervous he hadn't timed the move correctly.
"I thought, 'Oh my God, I went too soon,' " said Logano. “We were in the right position. You have to position yourself for the end of these things. I thought we were in the right position there for a while. Kyle knew it was coming. I know he knew it was coming."
Because NASCAR during the offseason banned driver-to-driver radio communication, Stenhouse wasn't able to make a plan with rookie Whitt for the final restart.
"I knew I was going to push Cole," Stenhouse said. "If I could have talked to Cole, I could have told him what I thought to do but it is his first situation there."
The race was stopped after a 10-car accident on the previous restart. It wasn't clear how it started, but Michael Annett appeared to be turned into Brad Keselowski, and cars began spinning all over the track. McClure's darted head-first into the inside wall of Turn 3. The car's roof had to be cut and peeled back for McClure to be removed.
"Everyone is doing what they have to do at these races," Annett said. "Unfortunately we tore up a bunch of race cars. Everybody is trying to get everything they can on those last two laps. It is just the way this racing is."[[In-content Ad]]
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