Matt Kenseth had no pity for his struggling Roush Racing teammate Jamie McMurray as he passed him with three laps to go in the Neighborhood Excellence 400 at Dover.
Jamie McMurray was deemed the lucky dog with over one hundred laps remaining, and opted to stay on the track while the rest of the leaders pitted under the next caution, therefore, he inherited the lead on lap 302. McMurray would not relinquish the lead until his Roush Racing teammate Matt Kenseth bypassed him on the low side on lap 398.
Kevin Harvick valiantly fought for the win as well, and made several attempts to pass Jamie McMurray on the low side, but he was prevailed over by the two Roush Racing drivers. Harvick was clearly faster than McMurray, and if he could have effectively made the pass, he may have been able to win at Dover, a.k.a The Monster Mile.
Is it just me or does the FOX crew, especially Darrell Waltrip, go overboard just a bit when it comes to giving Jimmie Johnson accolades. My wife and I were flabbergasted at how much love they gave Johnson throughout the entire weekend. On qualifying day, Johnson did a great job of keeping his car off the wall when he spun out. Yeah, it was a great save, but that's all we saw and heard about for the rest of the broadcast.
And on Trackside Live, the trio of Johnson worshipers, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds, and Jeff Hammond, bowed down to Jimmie Johnson throughout the whole interview. They might as well have crowned Jimmie Johnson the King Of NASCAR.
And on Sunday, the FOX crew talked more about Jimmie Johnson's comeback in which he finished sixth-place, than they did about Matt Kenseth's win, or Jamie McMurray's resurgence. I guess it's just a pet peeve of mine. But it's broadcasts such as this past weekend at Dover that cause me look forward to the NBC crew.
Toyota has snagged another old-school veteran as Bill Elliott joins Red Bull Racing for three events in 2006, in preparation for their 2007 debut. Elliott will attempt to qualify for the fall race at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Texas Motor Speedway. Obviously, Red Bull Racing will not field a Toyota Camry for those events, and the decision as to what manufacturer that they will choose to field is impending. But, the input that Bill Elliott will provide will be accommodating.
The latest rumor around the garage has been a possible merger between Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and MB2 Motorsports, as DEI would actually buyout MB2. That rumor was purportedly denied, but I wouldn't rule out the amalgamation. Silly season has hit full swing.
It was good to see Ricky Rudd back on the track as he was the super sub for wounded Tony Stewart.
Speaking of Ricky Rudd, he had the quote of the week.
"I was telling somebody the other day, I race more now than I used to race, I just don't get paid to do it. So we've been out chasing each other (referring to himself and his son) around."
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