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 For the first time in the Chase, one driver, Matt Kenseth,
intentionally tried to alter the chances of another driver winning
the championship -- rival Joey Logano -- by crashing him into the
wall. Once the wreckage was cleared, it was Jeff Gordon providing
the surprise finish after three race leaders got eliminated in the
wreckage.
A jubilant Gordon scored his first victory of the season and
qualified to run in the Championship round at the Homestead-Miami
Speedway later this month, which will be the final race of his
Sprint Cup career. After his 93rd career victory, one of NASCAR's
greatest drivers will be seeking to win a fifth championship and the
first under the Chase format first run in 2004.
Gordon, who was heartily cheered by the crowd, said his ninth
victory at Martinsville -- which breaks a tie with Jimmie Johnson
for most by any active driver -- was huge because of the new Chase
format.
"The format has changed completely, the trophy is different, the
banquet is completely different, the competitors are completely
different," Gordon said. "Everything's changed since I won a
championship. It only makes it that much more meaningful to me, that
it's been this long, that it's been in this format.
"I will say I like this format. I liked it last year, and I like it
better this year. I think it suits me personally. I think it suits
our race team better. It's because of this racetrack right here that
I feel that way."
Gordon initially had trouble navigating the narrow half-mile, but
mastered it early in his career after extensive testing with his
Hendrick Motorsports team. "I knew if we got here, we'd have a shot
not only at just having a chance of winning, but even getting the
points that we needed to advance and go do it over the next couple
weeks."
There may be a third surprise in store. NASCAR officials called
Kenseth, his crew chief Jason Ratcliff and team owner Joe Gibbs to
the sanctioning body's hauler after the race to discuss the incident
that saw Kenseth turn his crippled car into the Penske Racing Ford
in Turn 3 on an otherwise unoccupied section of the track. Kenseth
had been involved in a wreck with Logano's Penkse Racing teammate
Brad Keselowski on a restart earlier while both were contesting
second place.
Keselowski said that his Ford was rammed from the rear and the
ensuing contact with Kenseth ruined his front suspension and
prevented him from steering away from the Toyota driver. Each of
those two was taken out of contention by the late-race incident.
With the specter of the Chase turning into a lawless fairgrounds
thrill show, the penalties anticipated to be directed at Kenseth may
break new ground. Logano, who led 207 laps, was derailed from his
bid to gain an automatic bid to the Championship round and an
opportunity to win a record-tying fourth straight race.
Is this any way to run a major league racing championship? Or is it
the equivalent of Noah Syndergaard throwing high and tight at 98 mph
to the first Kansas City Royals batsman in Game 3 of the World
Series to maintain respect for his team?
After NASCAR officials ordered the Kenseth team not to return to the
track, the driver was careful in his comments, saying his broken
spoiler caused the accident.
"I really thought we were going to have a shot for the win before
they got me the first time," said Kenseth, who was knocked out of
the Chase in the second round while leading the race in Kansas City
when Logano hit him in the rear bumper, the second victory in
Logano's streak.
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"Disappointed to get wiped out twice in the last four weeks with a
shot to win for sure."
Kenseth also made it clear there was an issue of getting respect
from the Penske drivers.
"You can't get yourself ran over," Kenseth said. "You can't get in
the Chase next year and get ran over for the same reason. I hate the
way it ended. Wish we were out there celebrating or having a shot
for the win like we did before we got wrecked, so a disappointing
day."
NASCAR spokesman Steve O'Donnell said the incident would be taken
under review and a decision would be made by NASCAR officials no
later than Tuesday. He said the fact the Logano crash on Sunday was
not an incident between two drivers hotly contesting the lead made
the circumstances unique and different from NASCAR's philosophy of
"Boys have at it."
For his part, Logano called Kenseth's move cowardly, although it was
lustily cheered by the Martinsville crowd in part because it put
Gordon into the lead.
"I think what happened at Kansas is a completely different deal,"
said Logano, whose angry father had to be restrained by Penske crew
members after the race. "We were racing for the win and he blocks
you a few times and then we raced hard and he blocked me the last
time and we spun out. That's what happened there. Here it was just a
complete coward move, especially for a championship race car driver
and race team. Just a complete coward. I don't have anything else to
say. It's a chicken-you-know-what move to completely take out the
leader when your race is over. We'll move on."
If past is prologue, NASCAR officials will post an unusually stiff
penalty for Kenseth and his team. But it's also fair to say that
Kenseth's actions were consistent with the history of NASCAR racing,
where ultimately drivers have always policed themselves. Action by
NASCAR could be viewed as closing the barn after the horse has
already bolted.
It's likely the only remaining blood to be spilled in this battle,
since Keselowski, two below the cut line, and Logano, now in last
place among the Chase contestants, will both try to revive their
chances to make the Championship round.
On the other hand, the incident really began last season when
Keselowski and Kenseth got into a post-race fight after the Chase
race in Charlotte. So the bad blood can spill from one season into
the next.
Certainly, no Christmas cards will be exchanged between the Penske
and Gibbs teams this year.
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