Where the Raybestos Rookies finished at Bristol:
Franchitti 22nd
Keselowski 31st
Clauson 35th
UNOFFICIAL Raybestos Rookie standings:
Franchitti 58
Clauson 43
Keselowski 38
Gale 20
BRYAN CLAUSON, No. 41 POLAROID DODGE: “We were just kind of cruising around there in the lucky dog spot and just trying to wait it out until the next caution and the 38 got into the back of us there. I hate it for my guys. They worked really hard getting the backup car out and ready to go and it wasn’t too bad, just needed to make a few more adjustments on it and I think we’d have been ready to go.” THE FIRST LAPS YOU HAD WITH THIS CAR WAS IN THE RACE. “It’s tough but the guys did a great job getting the Polaroid Dodge ready today. The rolled it out and it was drivable, just a little tight. We were having to slow it down a little too much in the center of the corner. But we had a little adjustment there on the pit stop and it seemed to help. I think we were just an adjustment or two away from having a shot there of at least getting back up in top-20. It’s such a tough place because the leaders catch you so quickly. You just got to get in your rhythm real fast. Another rough day for us but we’ll head to Nashville and try again.” WAS THE TRACK DIFFERENT THIS AFTERNOON FROM PRACTICE THIS MORNING? “Not really. I think it would have been more different if it wouldn’t have rained because we got on a green track this morning so it was pretty similar to how we started practice. A little bit different than when we ended. It seemed to have a little less grip but overall, with the rain, it seemed to keep us pretty consistent.”
DARIO FRANCHITTI IN THE No. 40 FASTENAL DODGE WAS THE RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE RACE IN TODAY’S RACE.
Notes:
Franchitti scored a 22nd-place finish in today’s race and claimed Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the third time in five Nationwide Series races this season.
UNOFFICIALLY Franchitti leads the Raybestos Rookies standings by 15 points (58-43) over Bryan Clauson.
Franchitti has been running at the finish of all five Nationwide Series races this season. He has completed 834 of 841 possible laps this season.
FRANCHITTI: “One of the yellows there we didn’t do a very good job of getting stopped and we ran under the 47 and that put a lot of damage on our Fastenal Dodge but even then we’ve been running okay. Typical Bristol, you know, one guy gets up there inside and a train of them go past you. We’re learning a lot. We’re just doing our best but that put us a lap down and we kind of sat there for the rest of the time. We almost got the lucky dog but you know what they say about almost: it’s only good in hand grenades and horseshoes. The guys have been working hard in the pits today. We’re learning a lot for tomorrow. My spotter [Mike Calinoff] and I will sit down tonight and see if we can come up with a better solution. He’s been a tremendous help.” HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO RACE CLEAN HERE? “A lot of guys have been racing me cleanly I’ve been racing guys cleanly, and you get guys like Kasey Kahne that do stupid stuff running into the back of you for no reason. I don’t know what he was doing. I was trying to give the leaders room and he wrecked me going into one there but everyone else has been fine.”
