@@moontainbew5018 he did good but staying out hurt him he was 17th when they chose to stay out then after the next cycle he was a lap down and needed one of those cautions to get back on the lead lap
i really hope we get a lot of memorable and classic finishes during the nbc portion of the year since fox has already had plenty this year alone but I will say the booth did a great job with the ending today
@@CPO-Snarky "And Christopher Bell runs out of gas on the white flag after Christopher Bell loses his engine. Austin Dillon is going to win his 2nd race for team Penske"
Larry McRynelods said Blaney's team didn't plug a second can of gas during that last pit stop, while Austin's team did. It just came down to Austin's gas man covering his priority while Blaney's didn't. Tough last three points paying weekends for us Blaney fans.
Blaneys gas man did what he was told to do, thats on Hassler for not doing a second can. Nothing the gas man can do when hes not even handed a second can.
@@alexortega626 And its on Hassler for not telling Blaney he might be a lap short on fuel. If he knew that coming out of the last pit stop, Blaney could have saved a little.
Let’s see. I’m not a Hendrick fan but did the 9 and the 5 win championships at Phoenix. Eric, you saying Bell will be in the final 4, and a favorite. Little early my friend. You still have yellow stripes on the back of your car. And I like C Bell.
Love the intro, thats awesome. This race was easily the best Gateway/ St Loius/ World Wide Technology Race race since 2022. It was entertaining, the restarts were great, good passes, great pit road strategy, tons of drama, great racing. Loved everything about this and I am super hyped as a hardcore Penske Fan. Still gutted for Blaney.
Truex had some bad luck again with a blown tire 12 laps after pitting . What a team player helping Bell out by pushing him after his engine went sour .
Agreed, it was a painful race for Truex. He was running in the top five and had something for Bell. But the tire ruined that. I did like see him helping Bell.
@@pwm_boboman It's really not. Did you watch the race? He was in 4th before the green flag pit stop and him and Bell made it back into the top 10 from 20th.
Happens every year, it’s why you can’t rely on points. Especially if you are a mid driver. There will always be a couple drivers outside the top 16 to get a win & knock out the bottom 16 in points.
Blaney was impressive at the end. Bell worked him over for laps and once he finally got the lead, Blaney immediately crossed him over. It seemed like almost immediately after Blaney took the lead back, Bell fell off hard with that engine issue. At the track, a lot of us were confused thinking maybe he destroyed his tires (although they lasted a long time). Then Bubba got in between him and Blaney and was almost thinking that maybe that buffer car was hurting Bell's aero...Once I saw him losing more spots I assumed he lost a cylinder.
There have been so many Cars movie moments this season. Also, this has got to be one of the greatest modern day seasons so far with the finishes. While the Next Gen still has its problems, this has to be the greatest Next Gen season so far and we are not even half way done.
This has been the most entertaining NASCAR season I can remember. (I'd make a snarky comment comparing it to F1, but it turns out Verstappen and Red Bull have actually been beaten several times already.)
Per @Jeff_Gluck "NASCAR has just put out the points report after Gateway. Kyle Larson is listed second in points, but now shown with zero playoff points. Last week, he was shown with 17 playoff points after the 600" 🤦🏻♂
Also, Austin Dillon's daughter recently had her Birthday. In a way, this was a great present that Austin gave to her, by getting a Top 10. Well done Austin, and I hope the performance can improve as the season progresses.
@@CPO-Snarkyhis dad is the INDY car manager not the nascar team manager. He is the one of the ones suspended from the indy 500 for the push to pass thing
It's Nothing new, every time he turned around Bill Elliott would be leading on last lap ! he'd run out of Gas or blow an Engine,or have a Flat tire ! Bill Elliotts and Brad Keselowskis luck with New Gen cars is Quite similar!
Exactly 💯 Guaranteed True Facts! Although his rear tire changed Screwed him ,requiring a 2nd pit stop , on a track difficult to pass ON Keselowski has the Worse Luck with those Next GEN. cars ! What gives? The week before Brad K had the Fastest car and the Fastest FORD in the race! What happened? , weather, rained out ! Come ON !
Didn't we see Penske 1,2,3 at one point in the race. Then! They ran out of gas. Briscoe charged hard all day. Does Ford need saving? Obviously, the company that owns the team is at risk. Not the entity that owns the copy right on the name and logo on the car. That is al it owns. Sponship is their choice. They reap the same reward. Or DNF. 2nd ... 1st loser.
Cindric really needed that win. He’s been on the back foot of Penske for a while and that win helps. But I definitely thought that win was either Blaney or Bell’s
I started watching NASCAR in 2020, and picked Bell as my favourite driver out of whim. The thrilling battle for the lead by Bell and Blaney was mesmerizing as a rookie NASCAR fan but I did not expect to see Austin Cindric be one doing donuts at the finish... Edit: NASCAR showed how awesome it could be.
I was helping family all day so only occasionally checked in on the race and when I saw Cindric won I definitely went "well I'll be damned, look at that" suprised but happy for him
Truex had a top 5 car until the tire blew up. He couldn't just recover from that two laps down with no cautions. At leas he helped Bell.😅 Also, Hocevar and Haley have true talent. And Congratulations to Cindric! Cool to see the number 2 back in victory lane!
That's two times in the past three races I've found myself going "wtf" as he crawls his way into the top 10 on raw speed in the closing stages of the race. Man can wheel a RWR car to places it has no right existing, that's for sure
Eric you are right on what happened in the Kyle vs Kyle, so many people commenting that Larsen hit Bush on purpose not so for sure. Also saw that Larsen got 0 playoff points??????? I really think that Nascar is making new rule on waivers and this is what is taking so long in my opinion! But he should get the waiver, and to all those who keep saying Larsen chose to stay at Indy are wrong, Mr. Hendrick told him to stay there at Indy, and the other factors are the amount of sponsors and money put in for Larsen to run the 500 which in my opinion is the Biggest Race of the year!!
no one is at fault for the wreck it was just racing i am disappointed that even people like eric can't agree on hard racing i get that he can have opinions but man it just bizarre
What's the difference, buddy? Larson works for Mr. H. It's not like Larson is making his own decisions here. If Larson stayed there, everybody knows that decision is from higher ups. This is not an excuse.
Bell vs Blaney reminded me of watching Darlington 1993 where Dale and Mark battled for what seemed like 15 laps straight. Just two drivers using all their cars can give them.
I can’t remember the last time Cindric ran in the top 10 in a race before today. But credit to that team this weekend. Qualified 2nd, ran top 10 all day and was in position to take the win at the end.
He was in the mix all day at Atlanta. But this is the first time since then that he was a legit contender to win. Props to him on 53 laps led and the race win 👏
I see Front Row brought another Drag Racing setup for the 34 Can nab the pole for the race, but as soon as traffic became a factor it's like letting loose a drag chute. Friendly reminder that 34 is tied for the most poles of the season with Kyle Larson, but with almost nothing to show for it.
Bruh it hurts.... Saw they were in the top 5 again at some points. But soon as cars get around them, they just can't seem to manage. They'll get past a car or side by side and not make a pass then lose two positions in the process. They've had great speed for short runs out front... but they always seem to struggle with long runs and traffic. Honestly while there have been improvements. They need to start focusing more on long term race pace. They're fast enough now to compete with the big dogs on a more consistent basis... they need to take less gambles on pit stops, car setups and strategies to really get the most out of what they have.
Cindric certainly needed a day like this. While he inherited that win by luck, he and that team just ran a fantastic race all day and simply was in contention all day. Even if he didn't luck into that win, there was a lot for them to be proud of here. This heartbreak for Blaney reminds me of Allgaier's cut tire at Phoenix and when Hamlin cut a tire at Indianapolis back in 2020 right at the end. Those heartbreaking losses just happens sometimes and why it's so important to put yourself in position. Cindric did a great job all day. I've always respected Cindric's ability as a driver in Xfinity so I think there's still reason for the team to stick with him, but this win and the general performance do help in making that case. Justin Haley with two top 10s in the last three races. Haley is quietly building a good reputation and RWR seems to be seriously working to make strides. Hocevar seems to just get this particular track. Good for him to maximize his day and good to see he made his brakes last the whole race, which was a question after last year. I agree about Kyle Busch here. He had a right to be frustrated with Stenhouse in my opinion, but it was also an overreaction. His frustration and aggression has cost him here. I think his lack of patience is just getting in his own way and he's frustrated because the RCR cars just aren't as consistently fast as the Gibbs cars. I think he could still do very well if he reigns in the negative aspects of his approach. Also, Martin Truex Jr. is one cool dude.
Bell ran the motor right out of his car. Blaney used his fuel up. Trying to outrun the 20. Austin just sat there and let them brake. And jumped into the Chase and possibly saving his job. As it was rumored, he would be replaced at the end of the year.
coming from someone that was at the race my dad said with about 20 to go "i don't think the Penske cars have enough gas" cause some of the cars that they pitted with were coming back in for splashes of gas cut to the last lap and Blaney runs out of gas and i was just smacking his shoulder edit: also shoutouts to that scoring pilon, legit helped me keep track of some guys cause everyone was so spread out
Remember C Bell is also great at New Hampshire. Low banked moderate speed tracks is his bag. BTW, Carson actually filled in for Corey Lajoie last year in the 7 car at this track and not the 42. He did fill in later after Noah was suspended..
Thank god Blaney ran out of gas. Sick of seeing him win cause of luck, glad it went the other way for once. I’m not a Bell fan either but damn strange ending
Looks to me like he did a fine job keeping Bell behind him until Bell probably made a mistake and dropped a cylinder? Blaney is a pretty good driver at times. You could say that about all of them as none win all the time. Even Larson screws up from time to time. Many drivers have won by "luck". I guess your driver didn't have any "luck" yesterday?
Blaney consistently has the worst pit crew of the Penske cars. How did they not know it wasn’t full? Whoever was responsible for figuring that out should be canned, that’s ridiculous. They don’t scale the fuel cans after putting it in the car? Just a huge error. The 20 car having an issue was a gift, and somehow we still figured out a way to give it away. Unreal…
Another great video, Eric...thanks for keeping us in the loop! When you put up the Groove Gauge in a puff of smoke and sponsored by an EBike company hmm ;)
_TLDR: Bell was the class of the field, Gateway had a good crowd/meh track with multiple grooves, good battles through the track that probably weren't on TV, need more tire fall off, Busch needs to be smarter, crowd was stunned with the ending, the season has been crazy_ *I was at the track and have a few mental notes:* - Obviously CBell was the class of the field (until he wasn't). Keselowski had a very good car along with Blaney and Cindric. - Hamlin had a good car. Not race winning car but the type of car that will get you a top 5 if you have a clean race. - Gateway itself will never be a good track for nascar just due to it being more flat and the current car. - Crowd was great. Seating is less than other tracks, but the main stands were full. We can all agree this will never (and should never) have a 2nd race in the season. Gateway just feels more "homey" than other tracks if that makes more sense. The venue is smaller, the stands are simple and basic. Like a smaller town feel if that makes sense. If you want the glitz and awe, you won't get that here. - One thing that saves Gateway is that although it's hard to pass, it's "racey". There were multiple lanes. In turns 1 and 2, you can argue there were 4 different ways to get through there. Near the end, they added another lane by entering lower and almost driving up the track. It was a very odd line. IDK if the tv showed that. Turns 3 and 4 had 2 different lanes. - As usual, the networks/camera crew don't know how to show races. I would look up on the big screen and they would show the leader by themselves. I would look at 3 different areas on the track and there would be some very good battles that would last a while. - At one point at the beginning of stage 3, iirc, Larson, Wallace, and Gibbs were battling for like 15 laps for 24th position. I doubt TV showed that but it was a great battle. Another moment was the last 20 laps of the race, there was like a 4 way battle for 10th. Larson drove up the field as Gibbs followed. They got to Chastain and I think Briscoe (was an overstock shr car). It was good racing but I doubt the tv viewers saw it. - In terms of battles and passing. You really needed to work on the pass a long time to make it happen. For example you would see a guy in 11th. 3 guys behind him would be faster and catch up and then struggle so bad to pass although they were clearly faster. Then those 3 other guys would end up side by side and would almost artificially make a great battle on it's own. - The restarts were ridiculous. There were so man 3 and 4 wide battles on the restart that I still can't believe there wasn't a big wreck. - We have to do something about these tires. Whatever you had this week vs whatever goodyear did with Bristol, just try to find that middle recipe. There's no reason why guys with 50 lap tires have almost no fall off. Now, I don't want to completely blame goodyear. If the cars didn't have aero issues and weren't so "perfect", the racing would then mask a tire that's too durable. - Busch really needs to think with his head. That guaranteed yearly win isn't as guaranteed anymore. I'm not counting him out, but he needs to focus on points. He had a top 10 car today. It wasn't overly fast but he had good track position before that wreck. Let's say Larson passes and Busch finishes 8th in that stage. He gets 3 points. Then, lets say he finishes the race in 9th well, that's 26 spots better than his 35th place finish. He probably lost 28 points today trying to keep one point. That's dumb. He's currently out of the playoffs by 20 points. It just seems like some drivers focus on the bigger picture and some need that instant satisfaction. Now, it's fine if he has a win or is 5th in points before this. He can cry about Larson, but when you bump a guy going into a breaking zone and then crowd him down, that guy will often spin. And, when he's underneath you, he's usually going to spin upwards towards you. - The crowd was in disbelief when the 12 car slowed down. I wasn't immediately watching him at that moment and looked down to see him going slow as 2 car passed him. I originally thought he took it as the checkered flag since nothing made sense. It wasn't a fuel mileage race so I didn't even consider that. With 10ish laps to go I was wondering if maybe there were penske orders to maybe slightly give up time for Cindric so he had a shot of winning/making the playoffs, but there's no way he would have done it on the last lap like that (plus smt data would show that and would cause a huge controversy). - Overall it was an ok race. It did get boring at times, but there were still battles and with as crazy as this season has been, it isn't a shocker that it ended like this. - Honestly, this is one of the weirdest/craziest nascar cup seasons I've ever season when it comes to endings and things happening. We've had a fight, last lap gas issue when there shouldn't be, closest finish of all time and tricking everyone into thinking Buescher won, then shortly after that same guy getting wrecked near the end of a race he had a shot at win, oh yeah we had a 3 way photo finish, bristol tire race, Elliott and Keselowski breaking their slumps....and we are only halfway through the season. It's almost exhausting. *Thank you for listening to my Ted Talk.
I was there. With three laps left I went down towards the finish line from my seat up in turn 1 to be part of Ryan's celebration. I got there right as the race finished, not having seen him run out of gas, I still thought he won. I was wildly confused when Cindric started doing the burnout and Blaney rolled his car into pit road.
Hot take: Busch ran larson down the track and squeezed him because larson ran into him, yeah obviously. But if larson is going to race aggressively with busch hes obviously going to race him aggressive back. Busch im sure expected larson to back out but instead larsin stayed in it, (probably knowing he would spin out) and spun out. I understand, yes you have to be aggressive and greedy for position but you cant be mad when you physically never spin him out, and a driver messes up and causes your own dnf. Larson knew what he was doing making contact with busch on the front, busch knew what he was doing pinching down larson in the corner. Just a great move for defending that larson didnt bacm out on like busch expected.
Can we all agree we want to see what Haley would do in a quality ride? I've had my eye on him since early last year and I know his stats don't show he does well, but I've seen him up near the top 10 during races when he has no business being there in that car. He got a top 10 in a Rick Ware car at Darlington. That alone may as well be a win for them.
I was at the race too. Once he started getting passed, I told my friend "pretty sure he's down a cylinder". With these cars and this specific track, he actually didn't lose too much speed in the turns but you could definitely see it on the straits. Did you hear the sound change right after Blaney crossed him back over? Because it seemed like almost immediately after Blaney got that little buffer space. IIRC Bubba had brand new tires and blew past Bell and I was thinking that Bubba was kind of screwing Bell by being in the way (until Bell fell back even more).
Rick Ware Racing is becoming a story they have been impressive this season Cody aint much to wright home about but Haley and Gralla have been really solid
The fox producer doesn't know what they're doing. Several times today, while green flag racing is going on, they decide to show tailgate parties, or what's going on in the infield or grandstands. Show the race already!
3rd time being at the race 3rd great time had. As soon as Blaney took the white flag i looked down to grab my cooler to get ready to leave i look back up at the screen and it showed Cindric was in the lead i was so confused for a good moment
the interesting thing to me is before passing blaney coming to the white, cindric had already been closing the gap the previous few laps, i think the gap was like 3 seconds and he had brought it down to almost 1 with 2 to go. so i’m not sure if blaney was already running out of gas then or what
I particularly like how Fox’s end of race top on screen graphic has SVG in the #16 placing like 26th. I had to do a double take and make sure I hadn’t missed this all race.
It was a good race Christopher Bell had the car to beat, Ryan Blaney what a heartbreaking to lose a race on the last lap, and the most unlikely driver won. Congrats Austin Cindric. Hey there was one bright spot for Chevy this weekend...Shane van Gisbergen won Portland.
I was the only one that noticed that cindric was atualy catching blany at the end and at his pace he would at least of gotten to blany even if he didint run out of fuel
When luck came on the final lap. Cindric takes the dub from both Blaney and Bell. Blaney wish he had 2 more gallons of gas to win the race, wasn't meant to be and Bell's motor was going away and about to blown up.
As an Erik Jones/Legacy fan, this has been a tough year. 2022 was so promising, 2023 a step backwards, and 2024 another step backwards. I'm looking for just a little bit of hope.
Congrats to the #2 team. They had their best run of the year and lucked out that the two drivers that should have won both had issues in the closing laps. The unfortunate in my opinion is with the, "win and you are in" format we now have TWO lame duck drivers in the championship with the #2, and #99 teams qualified.
