Race Report - Pennsylvania 500

Under sunny skies and rising temperatures, NASCAR’s Nextel Cup Series took to the 2.5-mile triangle, the Pocono Raceway, for Sunday’s Pennsylvania 500.  A capacity crowd was on hand in the Eastern Hills of Pennsylvania as 43 cars took the green flag at 1:40 p.m. Eastern.

Starting on the outside of the front row, the defending series’ champion wasted no time establishing a recurring theme of the day.  Kurt Busch led early and often, a total of 131 of 203 laps, en route to his second victory of 2005 and his career first at the Pocono Raceway.  Several cars took their turn at the front, including the veterans Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin, but none could pull away like Busch when he would inevitably regain the top position.  Twelve cautions slowed the race including a late spin to set up a green-white-checkered finish.  But, Busch would pull away every time.  Kasey Kahne hit the wall on the white-flag lap to end the race under caution with Busch well in front.  Wallace and Martin rolled across in second and third respectively, with Carl Edwards and Ryan Newman rounding out the top five. 

Ken Schrader and the Schwan’s Home Service Dodge team started the day with high hopes, taking the green flag in the 12th position.  For a time it appeared as if Schrader and company were heading to the front, but it wasn’t to be.  On the day, the entire Schwan’s Home Service pit crew did a masterful job getting Schrader out of the pits, having one of their best all around days of the season.  But, one slipup ended up costing the team a lap on the track.  It occurred during one of the few green flag pit stops of the day.  While coming around to service the left side of the car, Schrader shifted gears and in the process rolled the car forward, ever so slightly, but enough to roll the car off the jack.  The mistake was magnified since it was made under green-flag conditions.

An untimely caution fell a few laps later and trapped the team one lap down.  Over the remainder of the race, Schrader fought an uphill battle, but had managed to work his way back into the top-25.  Schrader could make up ground, but needed long runs to do so; something he didn’t get towards the end of the race as six cautions slowed the pace over the last 50 laps.  The final caution occurred in front of Schrader and he slowed to avoid making contact.  In the process Schrader lost several positions and ended up 31st on the day.

“The mistake on the pits definitely cost us,” Schrader explained.  “Had that not happened we could have probably stayed on the lead lap and maybe picked up a top-20 (finish).  We weren’t as good as we thought we were going to be, but the car handled well in the turns for most of the day.  We’ve got a few things to work on, but we’ll be alright.  We had a great test at Indy and are looking forward to getting there in two weeks.”  

The Pennsylvania 500 aired live on TNT and was broadcast live on MRN Radio.

The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series will take its final break of the 2005 season before heading to the historic 2.5-mile Indianapolis (Ind.) Motor Speedway on August 7, for the Allstate 400.

                  

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