NASCAR Pocono 2016 recap: Kurt Busch shines in winning without suspended crew chief

As Kurt Busch and interim crew chief Johnny Klausmeier celebrated their victory Monday at Pocono Raceway, they took a photo together commemorating the experience. But instead of standing right next to one another, they left a gap between them to allow the superimposing of the man Klausmeier man temporarily replaced.

Tony Gibson, Busch’s regular crew chief, wasn’t permitted to attend Monday’s rain-delayed Axalta 400. He was back in North Carolina serving a one-race suspension for a loose lug nut found on the No. 41 car following last week’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

With Gibson benched, Stewart-Haas Racing tabbed Klausmeier, Busch’s lead engineer, to fill-in.

On the surface losing a crew chief for a race isn’t too difficult a problem to overcome. Texting, instant messaging and FaceTime make instantaneous communication incredibly easy, and deep organizations such as SHR should be able to withstand the loss of a key personnel member for a short duration without missing a beat.

“You’d probably be surprised at how involved the crew chief is in the race weekend even though he’s suspended,” second-place finisher Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “Them guys find unique ways to be able to communicate and be involved and be on top of everything the car and the team are doing with the car, even though he’s not there to see it with his own eyes. It’s pretty impressive.

“Six weeks would be a little worrisome, but one race is not a big deal.”

Still, Pocono with all its variables -- an odd triangular shape and a tendency to produce races decided on fuel mileage -- can be a difficult track for even a veteran crew chief to master, let alone someone without the experience of making key decisions in the heat of the moment.

And when Monday’s race turned out like so many do at Pocono, requiring teams to play the fuel mileage strategy game, the onus was placed on Klausmeier to perform. But though he admitted to having some nerves, Klausmeier handled the task flawlessly never letting his anxiousness seep into radio conversations with Busch -- “His voice was way more calming than Gibson,” Busch said.

Also greatly helping is the guy behind the wheel of the No. 41 car. The 2004 Cup Series champion is one of the more talented drivers in the sport -- his 28 career victories rank sixth among active participants -- and well regarded for his ability to process information mid-race. So, when Klausmeier informed Busch there were 38 laps remaining and barring a caution they weren’t going to pit again, Busch understood what he needed to do.

“Johnny Klausmeier called a perfect race to gamble on the fuel a little bit,” Busch said. “But he also gave me the ball.”

As the laps wound down, Busch enacted various measures including cutting off his engine to coast through the corners to make up the five miles Klausmeier estimated they were short on fuel. Busch compared the high wire act of trying to conserve while maintaining his lead over Earnhardt to being a contestant on an episode of Chopped.

“I felt like a cook in a kitchen trying to beat the buzzer and not get chopped at the end of the show with as many things as I felt like I was managing,” Busch said.

Klausmeier’s gambit and Busch’s ability to execute the plan worked to perfection, culminating in the No. 41 team’s first trip to Victory Lane in 2016. Busch even had enough gas in the tank to do a celebratory burnout.

The Pocono triumph punctuates just how strongly Busch has been this season. He has a series-best 12 top-10 finishes through 14 races, and his point total and average finish ranks second only to teammate Kevin Harvick. And as Monday indicated, he’s got a strong enough team behind him to overcome the absence of its leader.

“When you’re not at your full strength, everybody pulls harder, everybody digs in a little bit deeper,” Busch said. “Not having Tony Gibson here, I know everybody gave that much more. This is a win for Gibson.”