Michigan Busch Recap
The Busch Series returned to Michigan International Speedway (MIS) Saturday for the CARFAX 250, where Tony Stewart was once again behind the wheel of the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) No. 33 Old Spice Chevrolet.
During Friday’s practice, the No. 33 Old Spice Chevrolet appeared to be on track for an exciting run during Saturday’s CARFAX 250. With great weather, the team was 8th fastest in the first practice of the day, with a time of 40.183 (179.180 mph). During the afternoon practice, the team slipped to 18th with a fast lap of 39.985 (180.068 mph). Even with the slip, the No. 33 team and Stewart agreed the car would be good during the race.
Saturday began with qualifying at 11:10 a.m., where the team had a time of 39.475 (182.394 mph), placing the No. 33 Old Spice Chevrolet 24th in the starting line-up.
Between the end of qualifying and the start of the race, weather conditions began to change and teams started calculating strategies in case of a rain shortened race. The main goal of all 43-teams was to make the halfway point of the race before the overcast clouds turned to rain.
The No. 33 team began the race 24th and quickly began the pursuit to the front of the field. By lap two, Stewart had moved into the 18th position, a gain of six spots. According to Stewart, the car was loose but handling well.
The first caution of the race came on lap seven when the No. 42 of Kevin Hamlin wrecked leaving debris on the track. Crew chief Dan Stillman decided to stay out during the caution and restarted the race on lap 11 in the 20th position. Shortly after the restart, Stewart lost several positions falling to 22nd. After telling the team the car was “way loose,” Stewart continued telling the team about the car by saying “I can’t hustle it (the car) at all.”
On lap 23, the team jumped into action when Stewart began voicing concern about a vibration. “Feels like the right front is coming off,” said Stewart. The team immediately began preparing for the first pit stop of the day, and a caution on lap 24 came at just the right time. The team pitted on lap 25, entering the pits in the 25th position. Four tires, fuel and a few adjustments helped tighten the handling of the car, and the No. 33 returned to the track in the 19th position. After gaining eight positions off pit road, Stewart was quick to tell the team they had given him a great stop.
Several laps later, on lap 32, the caution flew again. This time it was the No. 33 spinning out on the backstretch. Crew chief Dan Stillman summoned Stewart to bring the car down pit road and again made major adjustments and changed right side tires. One lap later, Stewart returned to pit road to change left side tires and to work on the damage caused to the car. Unfortunately, even after the adjustments were made, the car remained really loose. “How can it be this loose when it was almost perfect yesterday?” asked Stewart. The team restarted on lap 36 still on the lead lap in the 38th position.
Stewart again began his move toward the front, but the car was still loose. On lap 43, while riding in the 33rd position, Stewart told the team the car was “still loose, loose, loose.” On lap 57, the Rushville, Indiana native told the team the car “needed more adjustments,” and the team began preparing for the next stop.
The No. 33 Old Spice Chevrolet fell into the clutches of the No. 20 car piloted by Stewart’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin on lap 70, when Hamlin passed Stewart on the low side, putting him one lap down. A few laps later, the leaders began their first green flag pit stops of the day.
The No. 33 team decided to stay out and hoped for a caution. By lap 77, the team was in the 20th position, and by lap 83, the team moved into the top-10 by taking over the 9th position.
On lap 86, while running in the 9th position, Stillman called Stewart to pit road for a scheduled stop under green flag conditions. The team changed four tires, added fuel and made more adjustments in an effort to help tighten the car. After the stop, the team cycled around into the 34th position.
Even with the drop in positions, Stewart let the team know the adjustments they made were definitely heading in the right direction. “Feels a lot better already,” explained Stewart on lap 89 while in the 34th position. “Your times are a lot better after these changes,” said Stillman. “Keep doing what you are doing and we will get some positions back,” concluded Stillman.
With an adjusted car and better lap times, Stewart was able to gain four positions before the end of the race. Stewart and the No. 33 Old Spice team put in a great effort, but were unable to gain the lost laps back finishing, the day in the 30th position.
The No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet remains in the fifth position in the NASCAR Busch Series Owner’s Point standings.
-Source: Kevin Harvick Inc.-