ESPN Sprint Cup

Updated: September 18, 2009, 2:12 AM ET

Lane choice critical for restarts

Comment Email Print Share

By David Newton
ESPN.com
Archive

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Rewind to Lap 175 of the June Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Dale Earnhardt Jr., running third, spun his tires on the restart and started slowly. Martin Truex Jr. checked up to avoid contact.

Kyle Busch did not.

[+] Enlarge

AP Photo/Mark HumphreyGreg Biffle, front left, and Mark Martin have the worst restart numbers among Chase drivers.

Slam! Crash! Bam!

A major pileup in Turn 1. Jeff Burton, Brian Vickers and Truex were knocked out of the race. Busch took the brunt of the blame, nearly getting a helmet thrown at him by Truex and taking a tongue-lashing from Vickers.

"I guess everybody just learns to expect Kyle to do something stupid," he said. "Stupid is forever."

It wasn't the first time a driver did something stupid on a double-file restart -- excuse me, double-file restarts, shootout style as NASCAR proudly calls it -- and it won't be the last.

Remember these words: The rule implemented 13 races ago will be the X factor that decides the 2009 champion in the playoffs that begin this weekend at New Hampshire.

Outside of fast pit stops or a really fast car, it is the best way to make up multiple positions on the track. It also is a good way to lose a lot of spots if you make a mistake or happen to get caught up in somebody else's, as was the case at New Hampshire in June.

Double-file restarts become more of an X factor when you consider New Hampshire is the only track among the 10 in the Chase in which the rule has been used. Nobody knows what's going to happen at Dover, Talladega, Martinsville or anywhere else.

"I keep saying we still haven't seen the worst-case [scenario] with these double-file restarts," said Carl Edwards, who will start ninth in the Chase. "I think that there's huge potential for a shake up based on that, especially as we get towards the end of the year and the stress level for everyone gets higher and higher and more is on the line for different people for different reasons."

What he means is if somebody does something really stupid.

"You still could have that massive wreck at a place like Texas or California based on those double-file restarts, so it's something you have to treat with respect," Edwards continued.

There'll be just as much thought put into choosing a lane on restarts as there is whether to make a two- or four-tire stop. And not just from the leader, who has the first option. "It's making guys thinking about coming off pit road maybe even giving up a spot just so they can possibly be on the outside," four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon said.

Gordon admits that may be a stretch. He also knows from experience, such as a few weeks ago in Atlanta, that the preferred lane is crucial. He went from 10th on one restart to the top three because he was in the outside lane.

"So I think that [double-file restarts] can definitely make a big difference," said Gordon, who will start the Chase 30 points behind leader Mark Martin. "Not just the action and the potential for bumping and crashes and cautions -- it's just that you can gain or lose a lot of spots."

The top five drivers who have gained the most from double-file restarts all are Chase contenders. Ryan Newman tops the list with 101 spots gained, an average of 7.7 a race. Tony Stewart is second with plus-76, followed by Kurt Busch at 67, Denny Hamlin at 62 and Jimmie Johnson at 60.

Martin hasn't done so well, losing a combined 20 positions. Greg Biffle, who will start last in the Chase, has lost 62 spots to put him near the bottom of the list.

Kyle Busch, not in the Chase, is the most interesting case. He ranks second behind Johnson on the season in the category of fastest driver within the first two laps of a restart. But on double-file restarts he lost 28 positions.

Only 10 drivers are behind him, with Michael Waltrip bringing up the rear at minus-99.

Translated: Busch takes a lot of chances like he did at New Hampshire but has lost more times than he's won. That could make a loser out of a Chase contender if he gets too frisky.

Gordon says that's one of the added excitements of the Chase. It's also one of the added fears.

"They have every right to be out there battling for those positions and wins because they are still battling for something that is important to them, their sponsors, the points in general," Gordon said. "It could be top 35, it could be just trying to be in 13th, it could be a lot of things.

"But it gets a bit frustrating sometimes when you just want to be racing the guys you are racing in the Chase."

Remember what Edwards said about respecting the restarts? Non-Chase drivers don't have to. Busch becomes the driver most likely to cause havoc not because he is any more aggressive than the others, but because he is expected to be up front with Chase contenders.

Remember, he won four races, more than every Chase driver except Martin.

"The thing with the double-file restart is if you have nothing to lose then you just go hard and you can pick up more spots," Edwards said. "But if you're on the other side of it and you're just trying to make it out of there unscathed, it's pretty tough."

Some are better at this than others. Biffle obviously by his numbers is not among them.

"It seems like you always pick the wrong lane," he said. "You don't have a choice, but it always seems like you're in the wrong lane. Like at Pocono, I'm on the bottom and that lane gets slowed up. I'm on the top, somebody gets loose and up nearly in the fence."

At Atlanta, Biffle restarted eighth behind Martin after working all night to get back into the top 10.

"I'm thinking, 'OK, if we just get a good restart here I'm better than two or three of these guys. We're gonna end up fifth or sixth,'" Biffle recalled.

Oops. Martin spun his tires and Biffle lost five spots to 13th before he could blink. He rallied to 10th, but the 18 to 20 points he would have lost had he not recovered would have made him even more vulnerable going into last weekend's race at Richmond.

Remember, Busch missed the Chase by eight points, a matter of two to three spots depending on where you are in the field -- positions one through six are separated by five points each, seven through 11 by four and three the rest of the way.

"So it's luck of the draw," Biffle said. "I would not have expected [Martin] to do that with the experience he has, but things happen."

It literally could come down to picking the right or wrong lane a few times to determine if Johnson wins a record fourth straight title or Gordon wins a fifth title or Martin wins a first.

"It's definitely going to play a role in the Chase," Johnson said. "Your chances really lie in the lane that you're in. If you're not in the right lane, you've just got to minimize your losses and be careful."

Johnson, easily the fastest on double-file restarts according to NASCAR averages, already has somewhat of a strategy. He likes the outside line on 1.5-mile tracks, believing the cars handle better and there's less risk there.

"Guys can control the way your car drives and handles on the outside of you," he said. "They can side-draft you and really affect you."

Since half the Chase races are on 1.5- to 2-mile tracks, they will be key. Martin wouldn't be in the points lead were it not for a double-file restart at the mile-and-a-half Chicagoland Speedway.

On a late restart, Hamlin was fourth and on the second row. He quickly stuck his car between leader Johnson and Vickers, knocking Johnson out of the way.

While all this was happening Martin slipped past Hamlin and Vickers for the lead that he never lost. Johnson wound up running into Kurt Busch, taking him out of contention.

Had Johnson won instead of Martin he would be the points leader. So you see how this can shake up the Chase.

Chances are it will decide the champion.

David Newton covers NASCAR for ESPN.com. He can be reached at dnewtonespn@aol.com.