News

Track:  Pocono Raceway
Race:   Windows 10 400
Date:   August 1, 2015
 
No. 2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Fusion – Brad Keselowski

Start:  9th
Finish: 2nd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 160/160
Laps Led: 3
Points Position (behind leader):  6 (- 99)
 
Recap: Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford team started the Windows 10 400 from the ninth position, overcame a scary pit lane incident and fought back for a second-place finish Sunday afternoon at Pocono Raceway. Early in the race, the No. 2 Ford Fusion was tight in the center and subsequently dropped back numerous positions on the track. Keselowski stayed out the longest of all the lead-lap cars before his second stop of the day, allowing him to lead a lap before coming to pit road.  As he entered the pits for a lap-57 green flag stop, Keselwoski slid through the pit box, hitting the jackman and front tire carrier. The pit crew members, while stunned, were able to regroup and finish out the stop. The incident cost the No. 2 team a lap due to a pit road penalty and Keselowski was scored back in 38th. The team, led by crew chief Paul Wolfe, stayed focused and made the lap up getting a couple of timely cautions.  After several strong adjustments from Wolfe, the Alliance Truck Parts Ford came to life and Keselowski balanced charging through the field with making fuel mileage. The strategy paid dividends, as the former Pocono winner was able to stay on the track as the leaders ran out of fuel or had to pit for fuel and brought home his second top-two finish in the last three races. The strong result keeps Keselowski sixth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings, now trailing leader Kevin Harvick by 99 markers.

Quote:  "My car was really fast which was the highlight. Fast race cars are really a joy to drive. That was so much fun to have a car that strong. Unfortunately it is another race where I kind of feel like it didn't all come together for us and we had the problems on pit road and sliding through the box and that dug a hole and we got a lap down with the penalty. The last restart somewhere around 60 or 70 to go we restarted 12th and were able to drive up to sixth and it looked like we would get to fifth and then the fuel came into play at the end and we were able to take care of it to bring home second which is a very respectable day. Certainly not where we were going to finish without the fuel but that is sometimes how it works. I think my teammate and his team did a phenomenal job. I am heartbroken for them to not win the race but that is how it plays out sometimes. It was nice to have a race like this that stayed green so long at the end. That was enjoyable to me to let the racing kind of play out on the track and not on pit road or restarts. I think it has been about two years since we have seen a race play out where there was a green flag pit stop and a full length green flag run at the end. It was nice to have that today. Sometimes that can create some of the best racing and best finishes and I think that is what we saw."
 
No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion – Joey Logano

Start:  3rd
Finish: 20th
Status: Running
Laps Completed:  160/160
Laps Led:  97
Points Position (behind first): 2nd (-46)
 
Recap:  Joey Logano and the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion dominated Sunday's Windows 10 400 at Pocono Raceway, leading 97 of the 160 laps before running out of fuel while leading with just three laps to go and eventually finishing 20th.  Logano ran third early in the event and stayed there until the first caution of the day – a competition caution on lap 15 – when he came out of the pits in the 12th position.  Logano had a great restart and raced his way up to fifth in just two laps, eventually finally working his way into the lead during green-flag pit stops on lap 39.   Once out front, Logano and crew chief Todd Gordon would work their pit strategy perfectly to keep their track position up front.  As several rounds of green-flag stops continued, Logano would slip back with cars coming in on different laps, but eventually work his way back to the lead.  Once up front, Logano would run the fastest laps on the track and pull out to a commanding lead.  With fuel strategy likely to decide the winner of the race, Gordon called Logano to pit road for the final time on lap 123, leaving 37 laps to the finish.  Logano would again find his way to the front and pull to a big lead before Gordon ordered Logano to start saving fuel.  With many of the front runners saving gas, Logano continued to hold a commanding lead while in fuel conservation mode.  However, with just three laps to go and while in the lead, Logano ran out of fuel on the back stretch and coasted to the pits, losing the top spot.  Logano then got a speeding penalty while coasting in to get gas, relegating him to 20th as the checkers flew.  Logano led a race-high 97 laps in the dominating but disappointing performance.  Even with the finish, Logano made up points on leader Kevin Harvick and now sits just 46 points behind the leader.
 
Quote:  "I guess our numbers, from what Todd said, was good enough to make it by a half a lap. I was saving fuel just to cushion it. I thought I was going to be good and then I started running out and knew we weren't going to make it. It was tough. We did everything right today. We had such a fast Shell Pennzoil Ford and got clean air and stayed up there and the pit crew did awesome on pit road and kept me up where I needed to. We keep getting so close to these wins and they don't happen and it is so frustrating. The truth is that is if we keep racing hard and racing to the front we will win races. We were so close. You are counting down the laps in your head thinking you are going to make it but just didn't do it. I am so proud still of what we did today and it was a great weekend and we are happy about the speed we have in our cars and the way we executed, we just have to figure out why we didn't have enough gas."