Posted on May 30, 2007

The Right Call?

by Joe Ewert About The Author	Email   Print

Apparently I am going to be a pit reporter. Not a bad gig, but I demand to have a Dick Berggren hat! Maybe the guys at Fox can work on that for me. The first thing I’d do is give Chris Meyers a big ol’ boot in the rear and knock him out of the Hollywood Hotel. But, don’t worry…I kid because I care. I don’t know why but that guy just rubs me the wrong way. Just like that Brad Dougherty guy on NASCAR Now. Anyways, since I’m in my pit reporting mood, I decided that just off the “top of my head” I would give you a synopsis of what went down late in the race with the fuel game. And, it all revolves around Matt Kenseth and the Killer Bees.

The “King Bee”, Robbie Reiser, had his thinking hat adjusted to the same size as mine because I called their move at home before it even happened in Charlotte. See, when you’re running a fuel mileage race and you KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that you are not going to be able to go the distance; it makes sense to pit again very shortly to ensure your fuel mileage. Why? Because you will pit for what, two to three seconds worth of fuel and you won’t lose a lap. There were about 13 cars on the lead lap anyway, so you’d only drop to 13^th after running in the top five.

This will allow your driver to make up for lost time on the track. He can mash that throttle while the other guys feather it because he knows he can make it to the end. This will let him pick up about two or three tenths per lap at minimum. He’ll be in good shape. The only problem was that Reiser waited too long to bring Matt in. Had he done it about fifteen to twenty laps sooner, it may have worked out. But with 26 to go, there was just no time left.

Another question you may have is about the two tires that Kenseth’s crew put on. This took more time to do, but had things played out the way Reiser was thinking, Casey Mears would have once again been a bridesmaid. The reason they took two tires is in case of a late caution. Two tires and a splash of fuel will not put you a lap down at Charlotte, so if there is a late wreck like, say, Sterling Marlin hitting the wall, or debris on the track from Marlin blowing a tire, you will still be on the lead lap and everyone will undoubtedly come into the pits for a splash and go, putting who up front? You guessed it! Your driver…in this case it would have been Matt Kenseth.

Even if the guys behind you put on two tires or maybe even four, your driver would be leading late in the race with two fresh slicks on the right side, poised and ready to take the World 600 trophy home.

The way things fell, a Hendrick car wins again, but the pit strategy showcased by Robbie Reiser and his Killer Bees really proves why he is the best crew chief in the garage. Better than Chad the Cheater, better than Eury, better than Steve Retar…I mean Letarte. Robbie Reiser and Matt Kenseth are certainly a force to be reckoned with both this season, and heading to the Monster Mile where the number 17 team looks to make it 2 in a row at Dover’s June races.

Real quickly, if you haven’t read Becky Noll’s column, I urge you to do so. I want to thank her for the congratulatory remarks, and I also want to thank Barry Albert for his banner he posted on the site after graduation. If it hadn’t been for Barry, I would not have had the opportunities and experiences I’ve had in writing for this site since 2003. To give you a quick update, I have recently accepted a job as the sportswriter for our local paper here in Franklin, WI. But, despite that, I still plan on writing here at Speedway Media for quite some time! Thanks y’all!

You can contact Joe at ewert_joe@yahoo.com

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