After a vast improvement from a difficult weekend in Nashville, handling issues and late-race damage contributed to a 19th place finish at Phoenix International Raceway for Scott Wimmer. The finish bumped the No. 40 StopRepairBills.com Chevrolet up two more spots in the NASCAR Nationwide Series owner points, leaving the Key Motorsports team 31st in the standings, a mere three points outside the top-30.
19th Place Finish At Phoenix International Raceway Bumps Key Motorsports Up Two Spots In Owner Standings
Scott Wimmer took the green flag for the Bashas' Supermarkets 200 in 15th after a solid qualifying time of 27.833 seconds. Almost immediately, Wimmer picked up a position, and by lap six he was challenging the No. 6 of David Ragan for 13th.
The first caution flag of the night flew on lap 23 when the No. 52 of Kevin Hamlin spun in turn two, and Crew Chief Gary Showalter called Wimmer into the pits to adjust the No. 40. A slow pit stop resulted in Wimmer exiting the pits in 22nd, but the team was confident that the StopRepairBills.com Chevy would improve under the twilight conditions.
When green flag racing resumed on lap 27, Wimmer regained position by position, running 18th by lap 42. As the minutes passed, the ever-changing track transitioned to night racing, which didn't suit the team's current setup. By lap 83 the No. 40 was a lap down, and the car had slipped to 20th by the time a caution came out for debris on lap 109.
The Key Motorsports crew picked up one position in the pits, and fresh tires and more adjustments sent Wimmer rolling in the right direction when green flag racing resumed on lap 114. Wimmer quickly moved into 17th position, and the No. 40 StopRepairBills.com Chevy showed signs of improvement as the laps wound down.
With 46 laps remaining, the No. 09 of John Wes Townley hit the wall, and sent the surrounding cars dodging to avoid him. In the melee, the No. 62 of Brendan Gaughan made contact with Wimmer's machine, damaging the right-side of the No. 40. Wimmer lost only one position immediately, but struggled with the car's handling for the remainder of the race, losing one more position before the checkered flag fell.
After the 19th place finish, the No. 40 StopRepairBills.com Chevrolet now sits 31st in the NNS owner standings, just three points behind the No. 89 of Morgan Shepherd, 534 points behind current leader Kyle Busch.
Next on the NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule is the Aaron's 312 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 25.
RECAP:
Date: April 17, 2009
Track: Phoenix International Raceway
Event Name: Bashas' Supermarkets 200
Start: 15th
Finish: 19th
Laps Led: 0
NEXT ON SCHEDULE:
Date: April 25, 2009
Track: Talladega Superspeedway
Event Name: Aaron's 312
TV: ABC, 2:30 PM EST
Radio: MRN, 2:30 PM EST
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