(Author’s Note: On this day 13 years ago, the entire NASCAR community mourned the loss of a bright young man with an exceptional future within the sport: Ricky Hendrick. Hendrick, who was the son of championship owner Rick Hendrick, competed in 68 races between the former NASCAR Busch Series and the former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series from 1999-2002 while driving for his father and Jeff Gordon. His racing career appeared to be blossoming into a possible Cup Series ride in 2002, but a shoulder injury in a Las Vegas Motor Speedway crash forced the young driver into an early retirement since he felt he couldn’t perform at the highest level. Still, Ricky stayed close to the sport, transitioning into a small ownership role with Hendrick Motorsports. He was the listed owner for Brian Vickers’ in 2003 when Vickers became the youngest driver to win the NBS championship at only 19 years old. In 2004, Ricky maintained his ownership role as he assisted with Vickers first full-time season in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and helped with Kyle Busch’s rookie campaign in the NBS. Unfortunately, October 24, 2004, proved to be a tragic day for Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR. As the NNCS prepared to run its annual fall race at Martinsville Speedway, Hendrick boarded a small plane with nine other people to fly to the Virginia short track from the Hendrick Motorsports office in Concord, North Carolina. The list of people on the flight other than Ricky Hendrick included John Hendrick, Ricky’s uncle and Rick’s brother; Kimberly and Jennifer Hendrick, John’s twin daughters; Jeff Turner, the general manager of Hendrick Motorsports; Randy Dorton, the director of the Hendrick Motorsports engine department; Scott Lathram, Tony Stewart’s personal pilot who was about to be deployed to Iraq following the race weekend; Joe Jackson, the director of DuPont’s motorsports sponsorship program; Dick Tracy and Liz Morrison, the two pilots of the small airplane. Between 12:00 and 12:30 P.M., as the ten people on board traveled through foggy conditions, the aircraft crashed into Bull Mountain, a Martinsville-area mountain about ten miles from the track. The devastating crash killed all the people on board and the entire sport was left shaken and saddened by the tragedy. Since it took several hours to verify that the plane was a Hendrick Motorsports aircraft, the race was run without any knowledge of the fatalities. When the checkered flag waved, Jimmie Johnson, one of Hendrick’s up and coming NNCS stars, fittingly went to victory lane when the news of the tragedy was released. No victory lane celebration was held and in the coming weeks and months, fans and teams honored the lives lost in the crash as the entire sport attempted to recover from the devastation. Over time, the legacy of the ten people killed has remained a prominent fixture for NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports. Nine months after the crash, Ricky Hendrick’s fiancée, Emily Maynard, gave birth to the couple’s child, a sad yet joyous occasion for the Hendrick family. In the years since the crash, every Hendrick Motorsports victory has been honored with a picture where every member of the team wears their hat backwards, which is a tribute to Ricky’s style of wearing a hat. Plus, since 2004, the organization has won 9 of the 12 fall races at Martinsville Speedway with each one being a special opportunity to remember all ten of the impactful individuals lost in the accident. Finally, just one month ago in the Darlington Raceway throwback event for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, William Byron, a Hendrick Motorsports development driver, raced a tribute paint scheme to Ricky as he grabbed a fifth-place finish in the race. Thankfully, the memory of Ricky Hendrick and the rest of the lives lost continue to be present in the minds of the NASCAR community. To honor Ricky Hendrick and his impact on NASCAR today, we will analyze his only win in NASCAR in the 2001 O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway. Despite an air temperature of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, Ricky managed his Chevrolet truck to perfection and grabbed an emotional victory for his entire family. Let’s remember his amazing victory in the heart of the Midwest as if the checkered flag just waved on the inaugural NCTS race at Kansas.)
Despite track temperatures at over 130 degrees Fahrenheit and a brand-new track to contend with, Ricky Hendrick looked like a polished veteran as he managed strategy and grabbed his first career NASCAR victory at Kansas Speedway in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250. Hendrick, the son of championship Cup Series car and Truck Series truck owner Rick Hendrick, entered today’s race with only 17 starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, but he proved himself as a contender for race victories and excellent finishes as the checkered flag waved. His consistency turned out to be the key for his victory as he maintained his spot in the Top 5 throughout the 250-mile event and saved his equipment while drivers dropped out of the race with mechanical problems. Overall, today’s race proved to be a battle of attrition and strategy as the NCTS battled for the inaugural victory at Kansas with the running order changing each lap that clicked by. Dennis Setzer started on the pole and the North Carolina driver held onto the top spot through two cautions within 20 laps of the start. However, after the green flag waved following the second caution, Setzer couldn’t hold off Jack Sprague as the two-time NCTS champion grabbed the lead on lap 21. Just as Sprague moved into the lead, the third caution waved for a Jon Wood spin. The race restarted quickly after the on-track spin and Sprague began to drive away from the field as he set a torrid pace. As he pitted on lap 56 with his teammate, Hendrick, only a handful of race trucks remained on the lead lap. The round of stops began to cycle through, but the unknowns surrounding tires and fuel caused several teams to make strategy calls. Brendan Gaughan stayed out 14 laps longer than the leaders and when he pitted, Wood inherited the lead after he stopped following his lap 22 spin. Wood staying on track kept only four cars on the lead lap just as the fourth caution waved on lap 76 for Gaughan’s spin in turn 2. Thanks to a mixed bag of green flag strategy, the entire running order was shuffled as the yellow flag waved. Plus, even more pit stops occurred during the caution. The four lead lap drivers pitted for fuel only and positions five through eight stayed on track, which prepared them to restart in front of the leaders at the back of the lead lap. Meanwhile, Sprague, Musgrave, and Hendrick pitted a second time for various issues, but they maintained their respective spots for the restart. When the green flag waved on lap 82, the entire field felt chaotic as lead lap drivers battled with lapped cars and four drivers restarted in front of the leaders. Before a massive wreck eliminated some contenders in the field, the fifth and final caution waved on lap 83 to line-up the field with all the lead lap drivers starting in order. Again, more strategy affected the running order. Wood, Setzer, Travis Kvapil, Billy Bigley, and Matt Crafton pitted for tires and fuel while Sprague, Musgrave, and Hendrick stayed on track to take the Top 3 spots, respectively. Sprague held the lead on the final restart of the race as chaos erupted behind him. Kvapil and Crafton ended up making contact, which damaged their cars and brought them down pit road for unscheduled stops. Despite the contact, the green flag remained out and Sprague drove away from the field as the final stops of the race neared with 50 laps to go. Sprague began the charge to pit road early on lap 129 and he returned to the track. Seven laps later, Hendrick brought his Chevrolet down pit road from the lead for his final stop. Just after Hendrick’s team completed his stop, Sprague’s truck began to smoke on track and his engine blew up. This meant his teammate would inherit the lead after the cycle of stops and set his sights on winning his first race, if he stayed consistent in the final laps and stayed in front of his fellow lead lap competitors. The rest of the lead lap drivers completed their green flag pit stops and Hendrick grabbed the lead on lap 144. From there, the North Carolina driver and son of Rick Hendrick maintained his advantage over the pack and he grabbed a thrilling first victory after a hard-fought battle in the 250-mile race. The race truly wasn’t easy for the entire field as strategy, mechanical problems, scorching temperatures, and a new track proved to be challenging for the 36-truck field. As these 5 stages of analysis display, the win came down to Ricky Hendrick’s ability to outlast the intense challenges of the day and the young driver grabbed a memorable win in the inaugural NCTS race at Kansas Speedway.
Stage 1:
Clutch Closer: Hendrick Cruises to Victory Lane after Leading Last 24 Laps at Kansas
Ricky Hendrick is in the middle of his first full season in one of NASCAR’s Top 3 series, but the young North Carolina driver has been consistent all year. In the first 11 races of the NCTS season entering today’s event, Hendrick grabbed five Top 5’s, ten Top 10’s, and a season best finish of second at Daytona in the season opener. His only finish outside of the Top 10 coming into Kansas, a 34th at Darlington, came after a mechanical problem that was no fault of his own. Thanks to his promising start to the season, Ricky came into today’s event fifth in the points and he was leading the Rookie of the Year standings in the series. Despite all the early success for the driver and team, the young North Carolina driver came to the brand-new Kansas Speedway with increased motivation to win his first NASCAR race and put his name in the record book as the first NCTS winner at the 1.5-mile track. Hendrick started the race in second, but he dropped to fifth on the first lap. Fortunately for the young driver, the first caution waved on lap 1 and he would have an opportunity to rebound from his poor start. When the green flag waved to restart the event, Hendrick worked his way back towards the front. By lap 11 when the second caution waved, he found himself in third position with Dennis Setzer and Jack Sprague in front of him. Again, the race restarted and Hendrick maintained his spot in third until the third caution waved on lap 22. On the subsequent restart, he lost a position and rode in fourth as the first long run of the race began to take shape following three quick cautions on the start. Hendrick managed to gain two positions from Setzer and Ted Musgrave in the first 15 laps of the run and by lap 50, the North Carolina driver sat in second spot with his teammate, Sprague, leading the field. On lap 56, Hendrick and his teammate pitted for four tires and fuel as the first round of green flag pit stops began for the field. Teams used a variety of strategies during the pit stops and several drivers stayed on track for much longer than the leaders. On lap 76, the pit stops were cut short by Brendan Gaughan’s turn 2 crash, which brought out the fourth caution. Only four drivers found themselves on the lead lap as the caution waved. Jon Wood led the pack after he stayed out during the set of green flag pit stops with his Ford while Hendrick prepared to pit from the fourth position during the fourth caution. However, he experienced his first minor issue of the day. He pitted twice during the caution because he was feeling the effects of the extremely hot temperatures. His team gave him a bottle of water and he returned to the track with a fast Chevrolet capable of competing despite his struggles. Fortunately, due to the low amount of trucks on the lead lap, he remained in fourth for the restart after his second stop. When the race restarted, Hendrick managed to maintain his position as the fifth and final caution waved just a lap after the lap 82 restart. Again, more strategy caused the running order to change during the pit stops. Five of the eight lead lap drivers pitted for two tires and fuel while Hendrick and the two others stayed on track. For the restart, Hendrick lined up third for the final run to the checkered flag. The green flag waved for the final time and fresher tires began to battle older tires. Travis Kvapil, on fresh tires, moved to Hendrick’s outside on the restart heading into turn 3 as Wood moved to the inside. Hendrick ended up staying in front of Kvapil, but he lost a position to Wood. However, his truck remained clean and he was prepared to run fast on the final run. Much like he did earlier in the race after the third caution, Hendrick moved into second about 20 laps into the run and began to work on passing his teammate for his first win. On lap 129, he moved into the lead as Sprague pitted earlier than most people expected. On lap 136, Hendrick came down pit road for his final scheduled stop. He returned to the track after the stop with an increased desire to contend for the win and visit victory lane for the first time. Just two laps after Hendrick’s stop, Sprague’s motor expired and ended his chance at winning after a dominating race. Thanks to his teammate’s misfortunes, Hendrick prepared to inherit the lead after the green flag pit stops and pursue his first career win. The rest of the lead lap drivers moved to pit road between laps 141 and 143, which gave Hendrick the race lead with a huge advantage. The future star maintained his advantage in the final 24 laps to perfection as he executed through every single turn. Finally, the checkered flag waved to complete lap 167 and Hendrick took his first career NASCAR win with a nearly three second advantage. The entire team was clutch in the final run of the race and Ricky Hendrick earned his first NCTS win in thrilling fashion in the inaugural Kansas Speedway race.
Stage 2:
Comeback of the Race: Wood Overcomes Early Spin to Finish in the Top 5
Since NASCAR’s founding in the late 1940s, one family-owned organization has been a fixture in the sport: the Wood brothers. Glen and Leonard Wood, two brothers from Stuart, Virginia, began racing on their local dirt tracks around 1950 with Glen driving and Leonard tinkering with the racecars. Just a few years after they began racing on local dirt tracks, the two brothers ran several NASCAR Grand National Series, known as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series today, races with Glen taking four career checkered flags in only 62 total starts. After Glen stopped driving, the Wood brothers began fielding cars for some of the sport’s greatest drivers to win races and championships. As of today, the Wood Brothers Racing team has won 98 races with their most recent victory coming earlier this year at Bristol with Elliott Sadler. In the past 20 years, Glen and Leonard have become less involved in the day to day operations as Glen’s two sons, Eddie and Len, have transitioned into key ownership roles. Now, a third-generation member of the Wood family has started to make his own name in the sport: Jon Wood. Jon, who is the son of Eddie Wood, is only 19 years old, but the young driver had already made three starts in the NCTS prior to today’s race and he entered Kansas with his opportunity to make a third start for Jack Roush, another famous owner in NASCAR. While Jon had yet to finish in the Top 10 prior to today’s event, the Virginia driver came into the 250-mile battle with a desire to finish well and continue his goal of becoming a star in NASCAR. Jon started in the fifth position with veterans and rookies all around him. Throughout the first 20 laps of the race, Wood remained in the Top 10 through restarts and caution flags. When the race restarted on lap 21 after the second caution, he found himself in eighth with hopes of moving back into fifth where he started. Wood began to maneuver his way through the lapped drivers as he battled for spots in the Top 10 just after the restart. However, on lap 22, the Virginia driver’s promising run took an unfortunate step backwards. As he attempted to pass Jason Small entering turn 1, Wood moved up the race track and slid into the top groove. The lack of rubber and grip on the outside caused the young driver to break loose on track. He spun towards the inside of the 1.5-mile speedway as his fellow competitors made evasive moves to avoid damage. Fortunately for Wood and the field, his #50 Ford slid to the apron of the track without contact. He refired his Ford engine and he drove away from the scene towards pit road. Despite avoiding damage, Wood needed to pit for fresh tires and he would lose all his track position. However, if the strategy game worked out in his favor, he could stay out longer than the rest of the field and catch a lucky caution to regain his track position. He restarted in 28th position, but he had a much faster truck than most of the drivers in front of him and fresh tires to advance through the pack. As the laps clicked by through the long run, Wood continued to gain spots and rebound from the mistake as green flag pit stops loomed for the leaders. As stops occurred from lap 56 to 70, he remained on track and inherited the lead on lap 71 as Brendan Gaughan pitted from the lead. With his own green flag stop coming soon, Wood maintained the lead for a couple of laps, hoping for a caution. Fortunately for his team, the fourth caution waved on lap 76 and the strategy had worked out perfectly for Wood to remain at the front. Plus, with only four drivers on the lead lap and only a few more able to restart in front of the leaders, the Virginia driver was poised to battle for his first Top 10. During the caution, he came down pit road for fresh tires and returned to the race as the leader with three lead lap drivers behind him. In front of him, four trucks had stayed on track and were at the tail end of the lead lap, hoping for a caution themselves. The green flag waved and Wood maintained his spot in the lead as he avoided incidents with the drivers all around him. Thankfully, the fifth and final caution waved a lap after the restart and the field was properly lined up with Wood out front. However, instead of staying out during the caution, Wood came down pit road with four of the now eight lead lap drivers for two tires and fuel. The strategy move left him in fourth for the subsequent restart as the first driver who pitted for fresh tires. When the green flag waved for the final time, Wood immediately began to battle with Hendrick for third position. As they entered turn 3 nose to tail, Travis Kvapil shot to the outside and tried to pass both trucks. The move caused Hendrick to slide off the bottom and Wood powered to the inside as he grabbed third position. Contact between Kvapil and Matt Crafton erupted behind him, but he drove away as he tried to continue his charge to the lead. Unfortunately for Wood, Hendrick regained the third spot a few laps later and forced the Virginia driver into fourth position. However, Wood maintained his consistency and as the laps clicked by towards the checkered flag, the young driver slid into third position. By lap 129, more green flag pit stops began and Wood’s team prepared him for his final stop as they desired a Top 5 finish. On lap 137, Wood pitted from the lead and his team executed a decent stop. As the stops cycled through for the six lead lap drivers, Wood had slipped to fourth after quick stops from Ted Musgrave and Dennis Setzer’s teams. For the last 24 laps of the event, the third-generation member of the Wood family remained in the fourth position and when the checkered flag waved, his Roush Racing Ford truck crossed the line with a brilliant fourth place finish. After spinning early and restarting 28th, Jon Wood and his team utilized the strategy game as well as a fast Ford truck to engineer an incredible comeback for the 19-year-old and grab a career-best finish for the Virginia driver.
Stage 3:
Underdog of the Race: Bigley Delivers First Top 5 Finish of the Season at Kansas
For most casual NASCAR fans, Billy Bigley is a virtual unknown competing full-time in the NCTS. However, to fans of regional NASCAR racing, Bigley is a champion and race winner. Last year, the Florida driver won four races in the former NASCAR Slim Jim All-Pro Series and grabbed the championship after an intense battle with Jeff Fultz and David Reutimann. Prior to winning the title, Bigley was a regular in the series with seven victories prior to the 2000 season. His success in the regional tour captured the attention of Wayne Spears, who is a very recognizable car and truck owner across NASCAR. Spears is notable for discovering Kevin Harvick, who has been overachieving in his attempt to help Richard Childress Racing heal from the tragic loss of Dale Earnhardt, and winning three NASCAR Winston West Series championships with Harvick and Bill Sedgwick. For 2001, Spears tapped Bigley to drive the #75 Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet full-time in the NCTS. Through the first 11 races of the season, the owner-driver combination resulted in four Top 10’s with their best finish coming last week at the Milwaukee Mile. Because of his seventh-place finish last week, Bigley came into Kansas Speedway with the goal of continuing to learn and grabbing an excellent finish as an unknown driver. He started the race in 17th, but the regional champion found himself in 15th after three cautions waved in the first 22 laps of the event. Following the restart after the third caution, the race entered a long run as Jack Sprague began to set a torrid pace as he lapped drivers. Bigley, though, moved up a few positions during the long run and he wasn’t in danger of going a lap down as he sat in ninth position on lap 51. When pit stops finally began on lap 56, several teams utilized different strategies due to the unknowns surrounding tires and fuel. Bigley came down pit road on lap 58 and his team gave him two fresh left-side tires as well as two cans of fuel. He returned to the race after his pit stop with other drivers pitting in the next few laps. By lap 76, only Jon Wood remained on the track just as the fourth caution of the race waved. Because of the timing of the caution, only four drivers remained on the lead lap including Wood, Sprague, Ted Musgrave, and Hendrick. Bigley sat in eighth position only one lap down to the leaders. To make their way onto the lead lap, Bigley and his team decided to stay on track during the caution. This move put the #75 in front of the leaders for the restart, but he would have to stay in front of the leaders and hope for a caution to stay on the lead lap. Fortunately for Bigley and the three other drivers utilizing the strategy, the caution flag waved a lap after the restart and all four drivers remained on the lead lap with the opportunity to grab excellent finishes. As Sprague, Musgrave, and Hendrick stayed on track, Bigley came down pit road with Dennis Setzer, Travis Kvapil, Matt Crafton, and Wood for two tires and fuel. The race restarted after the fifth and final caution with the Florida driver sitting in eighth as the last driver on the lead lap. When the green flag waved, the Top 8 competitors battled hard for positions. As the leaders drove into turn 4, Kvapil tried to pass Hendrick for third in a three-wide battle, but he made slight contact with Carlos Contreras. Kvapil began to drop back through the trioval and he ended up in a three-wide situation with Crafton in the middle and Bigley on the bottom. The two drivers on the outside of the three-wide battle made contact, which damaged their race trucks. Bigley narrowly avoided contact and he slid into sixth position as the two damaged drivers ended up coming to pit road. As the run progressed, Bigley remained smooth and maintained his spot in sixth as the final truck on the lead lap just as the final pit stops of the race loomed. Sprague made the first move on lap 129, but his race ended just a few laps later due to an engine issue. Sprague’s misfortune helped Bigley as he moved into the Top 5 with a shot at his best career finish. On lap 136, Hendrick made his final pit stop and the rest of the lead lap drivers followed. Bigley stayed out longer than the rest of the leaders and he led two laps before making his stop on lap 143 for fuel only. The regional NASCAR champion returned his #75 to the track in fifth position with only one lead lap driver behind him. For the final 24 laps, he smoothly guided his Chevrolet around the 1.5-mile speedway and when the checkered flag waved, Bigley crossed the line in fifth for his best career NCTS finish in his 12th series start. Thanks to a fortunate strategy call and a fast Spears Manufacturing truck, Billy Bigley grabbed his first career Top 5 as an underdog driver in the NCTS.
Stage 4:
Driver of the Day: Sprague Leads 80 Laps, But More Bad Luck Ends His Shot at the Win
Since the inception of the NCTS in 1995, Jack Sprague has been one of the most successful drivers in series history. In his six full-time seasons prior to 2001, the Michigan driver won 19 races and captured two championships. This season, Sprague added another win at Texas to bring his career win total to 20 events with the goal of adding another championship. However, in the two most recent events for the NCTS, bad luck prevented Sprague from heading to victory lane. At Memphis, Sprague led 90 of the 200 laps after starting on the pole, but issues with his truck saddled him with a 23rd place finish despite an excellent run. Last week at the Milwaukee Mile, he grabbed the pole for the second consecutive race and led 167 of the first 170 laps, but Ted Musgrave passed him on the final restart to take the win. For the second week in a row, Sprague was left winless despite a race dominating truck. Yet, the two-time champion came into Kansas today with motivation to be the first winner of the NCTS race at the new speedway. Sprague started in third, but the veteran driver quickly passed his teammate, Ricky Hendrick, to move into second place as the first caution waved on lap 1. When the race quickly restarted, he attempted to pass Dennis Setzer for the lead, but the second caution waved on lap 11 and ended his advance to the lead. However, after the wreck was cleaned up and the green flag waved for the third time, Sprague moved underneath Setzer exiting turn 4 to lead lap 21 and take the outright lead. Just as he looked to drive away, the third caution waved with the #24 Chevrolet in front of the field. For the third race in a row, Sprague looked to dominate, but he hoped his domination would lead to a second victory on the season. When the green flag waved after the third caution, the race entered a long green flag run with Sprague setting a torrid pace at the front of the field. He lapped most of the field as green flag pit stops neared for the pack of drivers. On lap 56, Sprague began the cycle of stops as he pitted from the lead. His team gave him four fresh tires and fuel as he returned to the track. The rest of the field quickly followed in the next twenty laps and on lap 75, Sprague was sitting in second with only Jon Wood left to pit before he inherited the lead. However, the fourth caution of the event waved on lap 76 with Sprague still in second and Wood leading after a fortunate strategy call. During the caution, the four lead lap drivers came down pit road and Sprague experienced his first potential problem of the day. He came down pit road a second time under the caution and reported to his team that the engine had been shutting off randomly during the previous run. His team investigated a possible ignition issue, but they didn’t see a problem and returned their driver to the track. Fortunately, the other lead lap drivers except for Wood pitted and Sprague remained in second for the restart. The green flag waved again and the leaders had to be cautious because four drivers at the tail end of the lead lap started in front of them since they didn’t pit. Thankfully, the fifth and final caution of the race waved after only one green flag lap and the leaders avoided potential issues with the mass of traffic in front of them. During the caution, Wood and several other drivers came down pit road for their penultimate pit stops of the race while Sprague remained on track to inherit the lead. When the green flag waved for the final time in the event, the Michigan driver powered away from the pack as they raced for positions. About 30 laps into the final run, teams began to discuss and prepare for the final stops of the day as only six trucks remained on the lead lap thanks to Sprague’s torrid pace during the middle portion of the event. On lap 129, the leader started the round of green flag pit stops, but the stop came earlier than most teams expected. Sprague’s crew changed all four tires and added fuel before returning him to the race track. However, just prior to the stop, Sprague reported to his team that the engine appeared to be running on only seven cylinders. Plus, the extremely hot temperatures in Kansas continued to vapor lock the engine and cause it to shut off randomly liked it did during the middle of the race. Nonetheless, the #24 Chevrolet continued to run full-throttle around the speedway a few laps after the pit stop as the Hendrick Motorsports team looked to grab their second victory of 2001. Sprague’s bad luck was just beginning to resurface, though. On lap 137, just eight laps after his pit stop, Sprague shot to the apron of the track in turn 4 with smoke pouring out of his race truck. He coasted all the way around the 1.5-mile track on the apron with smoke continuing to billow out the back as the field passed him at full speed. Sprague finally made it to his pit stall and his crew investigated the issue, but they immediately determined that the engine problem was terminal and their race was over. The #24 team pushed their truck to the garage and Sprague climbed out disappointed after another strong run ended without a visit to victory lane. When the checkered flag waved, the two-time NCTS champion was scored in 23rd position after leading 80 of the 136 laps he completed. Overall, the finish proved to be disappointing for the entire team after bad luck dismantled their nearly perfect run, but Sprague continued to prove his ability to dominate and be a championship contender.
Stage 5:
Memorable Moment: NASCAR’s First National Race at Kansas Proves to be Challenging for the Entire Field
When a Top 3 NASCAR series visits a track for the first time, the race automatically becomes a memorable moment for the history of the speedway and the entire sport. Today’s inaugural race at Kansas Speedway turned out to be memorable for the entire field due to the challenges of competing on the brand-new 1.5-mile oval. From the start, rookies, veterans, and NCTS regulars faced trials and struggles as they tried to master the high-speed and difficult Midwest track. In fact, most of the 36-driver field experienced some challenge or problem throughout the event thanks to the tricky layout, the extreme heat, and the unknowns heading into the speedway. On lap 1, Jason Small broke loose and caused the first caution of the event after only a single circuit. The California driver ended up being involved in another spin just 20 laps later and he brought his Chevrolet home in 29th after a tough day. During the first caution of the day, Willy T. Ribbs came to pit road in his Dodge with a reported throttle sticking issue. The Trans-Am racing standout ended up behind the wall for a few laps before he returned to the speedway. Later in the event, he spun through the grass and continued without a caution or damage to his race truck. He ended the day with an impressive 15th place finish despite his difficulties. On lap 11, Brian Sockwell and Trent Owens made contact as the two drivers attempted to master turn 2 of the speedway in their first attempts at the new track. The two drivers ended up in the outside wall with race ending damage after they completed only 10 laps. Owens, the nephew of Richard Petty, ended up in 34th position while Sockwell came home in 33rd spot. On lap 22, Jon Wood spun as he tried to pass Small on the outside in turn 1 after a restart. Fortunately, Wood didn’t hit the wall and he rebounded to a fourth-place finish after managing the strategy calls throughout the remainder of the event. On lap 45, Terry Cook came to pit road and he immediately drove his Ford to the garage. He reported to his team that the engine was shutting off on track due to a potential carburetor issue. His team repaired his truck, but he lost several laps and ended up finishing in 20th. Just a few laps later, Joe Ruttman, the points leader heading into the event, reported to his team that his Dodge powerplant was having an electrical issue. He slowed dramatically and ended up losing a lap on track. Eventually, after a battery replacement in the middle of the event, his alternator quit working and he retired from the event, which resulted in a 24th place finish and a loss of the points. On lap 76, Brendan Gaughan, who had just led several laps during the round of green flag pit stops, broke loose exiting turn 2 and slammed the inside wall hard with his Dodge truck. The huge damage to his race truck ended his race early and he finished in a dismal 26th after losing control in the tough corner. During the caution, three more drivers experienced problems. Jack Sprague pitted twice during the yellow flag period and reported to his team that his Chevrolet was experiencing an ignition issue. The team worked on the problem and it seemed to fix itself as Sprague returned to the lead, but his engine expired on lap 138 and he ended up finishing 23rd after a dominating performance. Ted Musgrave pitted twice with a possible electrical issue on his Dodge truck, but the issue seemed to disappear after the pit stop and he finished in second place. Ricky Hendrick reported to his team that he was experiencing some heat exhaustion in his truck due to the high temperatures at Kansas, but some cold water reignited his drive and he ended up heading to victory lane. On the subsequent restart after Gaughan’s crash, Randy Briggs broke loose in turn 4 and slammed into the outside wall with his Ford truck, which ended his race early and he finished in 18th after losing a couple of laps. Finally, Matt Crafton and Travis Kvapil completed the trouble for the entire field on the track. As the two drivers drove through the trioval just after the restart following Briggs’ crash, they made contact in a three-wide situation at the start/finish line. The contact forced them to pit road in a few laps, which cost them track position and time. Later, Crafton had an engine problem and finished 22nd after the contact and mechanical failure. Kvapil rebounded from the damage and finished sixth as the last driver on the lead lap. When the checkered flag waved in Kansas after 167 laps, only 21 of the 36 starters were still running while only six drivers remained on the lead lap thanks to mixed strategy calls and problems for the usual front runners. Overall, today’s race was memorable just because of Ricky Hendrick’s first win and the first visit for one of NASCAR’s Top 3 series to Kansas, but the challenges of the track and the struggles for the entire field will make the inaugural event memorable for years to come.
After 167 laps of high-speed racing around the brand-new Kansas Speedway, the NCTS heads to another similar track in terms of age and layout: Kentucky Speedway. Last year, Kentucky Speedway opened and fans in the Bluegrass State were thrilled by the NCTS for 150 laps on a Saturday night. Despite intermittent rain showers throughout the evening leading up to the race and several cautions during the event, the fans were shown some awesome racing as Greg Biffle grabbed one of his five checkered flags in his championship winning season in the NCTS. Next week, though, the entire field will be focused on the present and the future as the season enters the second half. With only 12 events remaining on the 2001 schedule, drivers and teams have only a few opportunities to win races, earn points toward the championship, and learn the challenges of competing at one of NASCAR’s highest levels. Plus, most of the drivers who competed in last year’s Kroger 225 will not be in the field next week, which means many inexperienced competitors will be forced to manage the difficulties associated with the high speeds around Kentucky Speedway. Finally, even though strategy didn’t play a key role in last year’s race due to the high frequency of cautions, this year’s event could prove to be a strategy battle as teams try to stretch their tires and fuel if possible in the later stages of the 225-mile race. In addition to the potential strategy decisions and inexperience for the field at Kentucky Speedway, several drivers have storylines surrounding them as they prepare to compete at the 1.5-mile track. Jack Sprague finished second in the inaugural event last year at Kentucky and the perennial championship contender will be motivated to avenge his disappointing finish today in Kansas after a dominating performance. In addition to the NCTS race last season at Kentucky, the NASCAR Slim Jim All-Pro Series, which is now sponsored by Gatorade, competed at the track with Billy Bigley grabbing the checkered flag during his championship winning campaign. Thanks to his experience in the Bluegrass State, the Florida driver will be poised to continue his momentum from his fifth-place finish today with another excellent run at a familiar race track. Ricky Hendrick might be fresh off his first win after a fantastic conclusion to today’s race in Kansas, but the young star will be a contender for back to back wins next week as he looks to continue his climb up the racing ladder. Finally, Scott Riggs grabbed the points lead from Joe Ruttman after Ruttman struggled with engine issues throughout today’s race and did not finish. With his new points advantage, Riggs will look to increase the points gap over his fellow competitors, but he has many potential challengers looming with 12 races still to go. Today’s race featured a first-time winner in Ricky Hendrick, struggles and difficulties for the entire NCTS field, record breaking ambient and track temperatures, an inaugural race at the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway, a change at the top of the points standings, and 250 miles of high-speed action in the Midwest.
(More Stats Down Below!)
Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 1- Jason Small broke loose in turn 4 and spun up the race track, but drove away without damage after missing the outside wall.
2nd Caution: Lap 11- Brian Sockwell broke loose in turn 2 and made slight contact with Trent Owens. The two drivers slid up the track and slammed into the outside wall, which ended their races.
3rd Caution: Lap 22- Jon Wood broke loose entering turn 1 as he tried to pass Jason Small on the outside. Wood spun down the race track towards the apron, but the rest of the field avoided him and he continued without damage.
4th Caution: Lap 76- Brendan Gaughan broke loose exiting turn 2 on fresh tires. He spun down the race track and through the backstretch grass before he slammed into the inside wall with the left front of his racecar, which ended his promising day.
5th Caution: Lap 83- Randy Briggs broke loose in turn 4 and spun up the race track, which caused him to slam into the outside wall with his left front.
Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Ricky Hendrick
2nd: Ted Musgrave
3rd: Dennis Setzer
4th: Jon Wood
5th: Billy Bigley
Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Travis Kvapil
7th: Scott Riggs
8th: Rick Crawford
15th: Willy T. Ribbs
20th: Terry Cook
22nd: Matt Crafton
23rd: Jack Sprague
24th: Joe Ruttman
26th: Brendan Gaughan
32nd: Morgan Shepherd
Credits:
-My Own Notes:
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2001_O'Reilly_Auto_Parts_250/C
-Information:
http://www.jayski.com/trib/hendrick-tragedy.htm
-Image:
http://heritage.hendrickmotorsports.com/moments/363
-Full Race:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCK3jNAmK64
