2011 Bucyrus 200

The 2011 Bucyrus 200 presented by Menards was a NASCAR Nationwide Series race held on June 25, 2011, at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The race was the 16th of the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series and the 2nd iteration of the event. Michael McDowell won the pole for the race and led the most laps but the race featured a crazy and controversial finish as Reed Sorenson won the race in the end as the race became a wreckfest towards the end.[2]

2011 Bucyrus 200
Race details[1]
Map of Speedway
Map of Speedway
Date June 25, 2011 (2011-06-25)
Official name 2011 Bucyrus 200 Presented by Menards
Location Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Course Road Course
4.048 mi (6.515 km)
Distance 57 laps, 231 mi (371.758 km)
Scheduled Distance 50 laps, 202 mi (325.807 km)
Weather Sunnt
Average speed 78.929 mph (127.024 km/h)
Attendance 50,000
Pole position
Driver Joe Gibbs Racing
Time 2:13.230
Most laps led
Driver Michael McDowell Joe Gibbs Racing
Laps 30
Winner
No. 32 Reed Sorenson Turner Motorsports
Television in the United States
Network ESPN
Announcers Allen Bestwick, Rusty Wallace, Andy Petree

Background

Road America is a motorsport road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, United States on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, IndyCar Series, SCCA Pirelli World Challenge, ASRA, AMA Superbike series, and SCCA Pro Racing's Trans-Am Series.

Entry List

  • (R) denotes rookie driver
  • (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points
# Driver Team Make
01Mike WallaceJD MotorsportsChevrolet
2Elliott SadlerKevin Harvick Inc.Chevrolet
03Scott Wimmer (i)R3 MotorsportsDodge
6Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Roush Fenway RacingFord
7Ron FellowsJR MotorsportsChevrolet
09Kenny WallaceRAB RacingToyota
11Brian ScottJoe Gibbs RacingToyota
13Jennifer Jo Cobb (R)JJC RacingFord
14Eric McClureTriStar MotorsportsChevrolet
15Timmy Hill (R)Rick Ware RacingFord
16Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord
18Michael McDowell (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
19Mike BlissTriStar MotorsportsChevrolet
22Jacques VilleneuvePenske RacingDodge
23Alex KennedyR3 MotorsportsDodge
28Derrike CopeJay Robinson RacingChevrolet
30Ricky Carmichael (i)Turner MotorsportsChevrolet
31Justin AllgaierTurner MotorsportsChevrolet
32Reed SorensonTurner MotorsportsChevrolet
33Max PapisKevin Harvick Inc.Chevrolet
38Jason LefflerTurner MotorsportsChevrolet
39Josh WiseGo Green RacingFord
40Charles Lewandoski (R)Key MotorsportsChevrolet
41Doug HarringtonRick Ware RacingFord
42Tim AndrewsKey MotorsportsChevrolet
44Jeff GreenTriStar MotorsportsChevrolet
46Chase MillerKey MotorsportsChevrolet
51Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet
52Tim SchendelMeans MotorsportsChevrolet
53Andrew RangerNDS MotorsportsDodge
55Brett RoweFaith MotorsportsChevrolet
60Billy JohnsonRoush Fenway RacingFord
62Michael AnnettRusty Wallace RacingToyota
64Jason BowlesRusty Wallace RacingToyota
66Steve WallaceRusty Wallace RacingToyota
67J. R. FitzpatrickGo Canada RacingFord
70Dennis SetzerML MotorsportsDodge
75Carl LongRick Ware RacingFord
81Blake Koch (R)MacDonald MotorsportsDodge
87Kevin ConwayNEMCO MotorsportsToyota
88Aric AlmirolaJR MotorsportsChevrolet
89Morgan ShepherdFaith MotorsportsChevrolet
Official Entry List

Qualifying

Michael McDowell won the pole for the race, his first of his career, with a time of 2:13.230 and a speed of 109.381.[3]

Grid No. Driver Team Manufacturer Time Speed
118Michael McDowell (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota2:13.230109.381
233Max PapisKevin Harvick Inc.Chevrolet2:14.163108.620
322Jacques VilleneuvePenske RacingDodge2:14.336108.480
460Billy JohnsonRoush Fenway RacingFord2:14.406108.424
57Ron FellowsJR MotorsportsChevrolet2:14.967107.973
666Steve WallaceRusty Wallace RacingToyota2:15.000107.947
72Elliott SadlerKevin Harvick Inc.Chevrolet2:15.213107.777
86Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Roush Fenway RacingFord2:15.624107.450
938Jason LefflerTurner MotorsportsChevrolet2:15.651107.429
1064Jason BowlesRusty Wallace RacingToyota2:15.710107.382
1116Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord2:15.712107.380
1232Reed SorensonTurner MotorsportsChevrolet2:16.288106.927
1311Brian Scott*Joe Gibbs RacingToyota2:16.305106.913
1431Justin AllgaierTurner MotorsportsChevrolet2:16.365106.866
1530Ricky Carmichael (i)Turner MotorsportsChevrolet2:16.389106.847
1609Kenny WallaceRAB RacingToyota2:16.673106.625
1767J. R. FitzpatrickGo Canada RacingFord2:16.924106.430
1839Josh WiseGo Green RacingFord2:17.202106.214
1923Alex Kennedy*R3 MotorsportsDodge2:17.302106.137
2088Aric AlmirolaJR MotorsportsChevrolet2:17.661105.860
2153Andrew RangerNDS MotorsportsDodge2:17.804105.750
2262Michael AnnettRusty Wallace RacingToyota2:18.224105.429
2315Timmy Hill (R)Rick Ware RacingFord2:18.453105.254
2481Blake Koch (R)MacDonald MotorsportsDodge2:18.506105.214
2501Mike WallaceJD MotorsportsChevrolet2:18.849104.954
2619Mike BlissTriStar MotorsportsChevrolet2:19.198104.691
2751Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet2:19.648104.354
2887Kevin ConwayNEMCO MotorsportsToyota2:20.742103.543
2914Eric McClureTriStar MotorsportsChevrolet2:20.812103.491
3041Doug HarringtonRick Ware RacingFord2:22.358102.367
3144Jeff GreenTriStar MotorsportsChevrolet2:23.994101.204
3228Derrike Cope*Jay Robinson RacingChevrolet2:25.590100.095
3375Carl LongRick Ware RacingFord2:25.79799.953
3446Chase MillerKey MotorsportsChevrolet2:26.59599.409
3589Morgan ShepherdFaith MotorsportsChevrolet2:27.06899.089
3603Scott Wimmer (i)R3 MotorsportsDodge2:30.44196.867
3755Brett RoweFaith MotorsportsChevrolet2:30.67196.719
3842Tim AndrewsKey MotorsprotsChevrolet2:31.30196.317
3970Dennis SetzerML MotorsportsDodge2:33.58994.882
4040Charles Lewandoski (R)Key MotorsportsChevrolet2:34.08994.574
4152Tim SchendelMeans MotorsportsChevrolet2:34.87894.092
4213Jennifer Jo Cobb (R)*JJC RacingFord2:36.83692.917
Official Starting Grid

* – Brian Scott, Jennifer Jo Cobb, Alex Kennedy, and Derrike Cope had to go to the rear of the field due to adjustments after impound.

Race

Pole sitter Michael McDowell led the first lap of the race. The first incident of the day did not take long as it happened on lap 2 when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. made contact with Reed Sorenson and both spun in turn 3. It happened right in front of J. R. Fitzpatrick who went through the grass to avoid Stenhouse and Sorenson. No caution flew as they got their cars back going again. The first caution flew on lap 7 when Doug Harrington spun in turn 12 and got stuck in the gravel traps. Michael McDowell won the race off of pit road but Steve Wallace, Elliott Sadler, Jason Bowles, Michael Annett, and Timmy Hill did not pit although Hill went to pit before the green flag and Wallace led the field to the restart on lap 10. On lap 11, Jacques Villeneuve took the lead from Wallace. On lap 13, Jason Bowles' car got loose in turn 11 and slid up the track into the wall and taking out one of the Bucyrus signs. On lap 14, Trevor Bayne's car spun in turn 1 but no caution was thrown as Bayne got rolling again. On lap 15, Michael McDowell took the lead from Villeneuve. On lap 17, Billy Johnson spun in turn 5 and no caution flew as he got his car rolling. On that same lap, McDowell came into pit handing the lead to a veteran road course ringer in Ron Fellows. On lap 20, Doug Harrington spun out of turn 6 but did not bring out a caution as he got rolling again. The second caution flew when Kevin Conway spun in turn 1 on lap 21 and got stuck in the gravel trap. Some drivers went in to pit like Fellows while others stayed out because they pitted under green like McDowell and McDowell led the field to the restart on lap 25. On the restart, Jacques Villeneuve took the lead from McDowell in turn 5. Unfortunetly for Villeneuve, he would be penalized for changing lanes before they reached the start finish line on the restart handing the lead to Michael McDowell once again.

Final laps

With 24 laps to go, the third caution flew when Jeremy Clements' car stalled up the hill entering turn 6 after his engine let go. The race would restart with 21 laps to go. McDowell had a challenge for the lead in Elliott Sadler but Sadler could not get past McDowell. Soon green flag pitstops began with 17 to go. With 16 to go, McDowell pitted and gave the lead to Ron Fellows. Fellows pitted with 15 to go and handed the lead to Jacques Villeneuve. Villeneuve pitted with 14 to go giving the lead to Mike Wallace. Wallace soon pitted with 12 to go and handed the lead to Brian Scott who would lead the next 5 laps before Michael McDowell took the lead from him with 7 laps to go. McDowell was looking for his first ever win in all of NASCAR 3 years after his violent qualifying crash at Texas as he began to pull away from Scott with the 3rd place car in Ron Fellows being over 7 seconds back. Unfortunately for McDowell and some others, the fourth caution would fly with just 4 laps to go when Doug Harrington crashed in turn 11. The caution would turn things upside down as the race became a fuel strategy race to see who had enough to make it around 8 miles and take home the checkered flag and it would also set up three attempts of a green-white-checkered finish. McDowell took the lead from Fellows on the restart. But for some reason, Jacques Villeneuve thought it was a good idea to go to Brian Scott's right side before the pit road exit lane ended and Villeneuve clipped the grass and ended up sliding up the track and wrecking both Scott and Max Papis in the process in turn 1 bringing out the 5th caution of the race. The caution would set up a 2nd attempt of a green-white-checkered. McDowell took the lead from Fellows on the restart. But in turn 3, Justin Allgaier charged his way and challenged McDowell for the lead. McDowell got in front of Allgaier in turn 5 but McDowell pushed up the track in the turn and Allgaier sneaked under McDowell and took the lead. McDowell tried to catch Allgaier but slid up again in turn 6 and ended up spinning out in the grass ending his chances of winning. While he was spinning, Eric McClure, Alex Kennedy, and Steve Wallace all spun out in the same turn with McClure and Wallace crashing out while Kennedy got stuck in the gravel trap. This would bring out the 6th caution of the race and set up a final attempt of a green-white-checkered. Cars frantically started saving fuel as the race would restart for the last time. On the restart, Allgaier took the lead from Fellows and began to pull away. Soon, cars started spinning everywhere. Aric Almirola spun in turn 5 while Brian Scott spun in turn 6 on the same lap. Almirola got stuck in the gravel trap and could not get back going again. Allgaier took the white flag before the 7th and final caution flew for Almirola's car stalling in turn 5 when Allgaier was in turn 3. Allgaier had to make it around 11 more corners and cross the finish line first to take the win which would be his third career Nationwide Series win and the second of the season. But coming up the hill to turn 6, Allgaier's car ran out of gas and as a result of NASCAR's rule, if you don't maintain pace car speed you lose your position. Ron Fellows passed Allgaier and Fellows was the new race leader. Allgaier's teammate Jason Leffler, who was in 5th, also ran out of gas. Ron Fellows took the checkered flag in first place as he was looking for his 7th career NASCAR victory and his first since the 2008 NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Montreal.[4]

Post race

While Fellows was taking the checkered flag, Reed Sorenson pulled up alongside Fellows as if to argue he won. But when replays were shown, Fellows was in third when the caution came out and Fellows did not slow down and passed by Sorenson under caution while still on the gas before he slowed down when he was right behind Allgaier. After Allgaier ran out of gas and Fellows passed him, Fellows continued to speed up and not go pace car speed until he caught up to the pace car out of turn 10. After looking at the replays, NASCAR determined that Ron Fellows passed Reed Sorenson under caution which is illegal and Reed Sorenson is the race winner with Fellows finishing in 2nd. This would be Sorenson's first win of 2011, his 4th and final career Nationwide Series win, and his first win since the 2007 Gateway 250. Jacques Villeneuve, Elliott Sadler, and Mike Wallace rounded out the top 5 while Andrew Ranger, Michael Annett, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ricky Carmichael, and J. R. Fitzpatrick rounded out the top 10. All four Canadian drivers in Fellows, Villeneuve, Ranger, and Fitzpatrick all finished in the top 10.[5]

After the race, tempers flared against Jacques Villeneuve. Brian Scott and Max Papis, who Villeneuve both wrecked, took turns expressing their frustrations at Villeneuve. Scott ran into the rear of Villeneuve on the pit road and then Papis pulled up alongside Villeneuve's car to talk about what happened. The conversation between Villeneuve and Papis was not caught on camera.

Race results

Pos Car Driver Team Manufacturer Laps Run Laps Led Status Points
132Reed SorensonTurner MotorsportsChevrolet571running47
27Ron FellowsJR MotorsportsChevrolet576running43
322Jacques VilleneuvePenske RacingDodge575running42
42Elliott SadlerKevin Harvick Inc.Chevrolet570running40
501Mike WallaceJD MotorsportsChevrolet572running40
653Andrew RangerNDS MotorsportsDodge570running38
762Michael AnnettRusty Wallace RacingToyota570running37
86Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Roush Fenway RacingFord570running36
930Ricky Carmichael (i)Turner MotorsportsChevrolet570running0
1067J. R. FitzpatrickGo Canada RacingFord570running34
1115Timmy Hill (R)Rick Ware RacingFord570running33
1218Michael McDowell (i)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota5730running0
1339Josh WiseGo Green RacingFord570running31
1481Blake Koch (R)MacDonald MotorsportsDodge570running30
1519Mike BlissTriStar MotorsportsChevrolet570running29
1611Brian ScottJoe Gibbs RacingToyota574running29
1728Derrike CopeJay Robinson RacingChevrolet570running27
1870Dennis SetzerML MotorsportsDodge570running26
1931Justin AllgaierTurner MotorsportsChevrolet564out of fuel26
2038Jason LefflerTurner MotorsportsChevrolet560out of fuel24
2123Alex KennedyR3 MotorsportsDodge560running23
2288Aric AlmirolaJR MotorsportsChevrolet560running22
2333Max PapisKevin Harvick Inc.Chevrolet550running21
2487Kevin ConwayNEMCO MotorsportsToyota540running20
2552Tim SchendelMeans MotorsportsChevrolet540running19
2666Steve WallaceRusty Wallace RacingToyota524crash19
2714Eric McClureTriStar MotorsportsToyota520crash17
2809Kenny WallaceRAB RacingToyota490running16
2913Jennifer Jo Cobb (R)JJC RacingFord490running15
3041Doug HarringtonRick Ware RacingFord450crash14
3116Trevor BayneRoush Fenway RacingFord360overheating13
3251Jeremy ClementsJeremy Clements RacingChevrolet260engine12
3360Billy JohnsonRoush Fenway RacingFord250engine11
3464Jason BowlesRusty Wallace RacingToyota160crash10
3589Morgan ShepherdFaith MotorsportsChevrolet110handling9
3675Carl LongRick Ware RacingFord60carburetor8
3740Charles Lewandowski (R)Key MotorsportsChevrolet40ignition7
3844Jeff GreenTriStar MotorsportsChevrolet30vibration6
3903Scott Wimmer (i)R3 MotorsportsDodge30brakes0
4046Chase MillerKey MotorsportsChevrolet20brakes4
4142Tim AndrewsKey MotorsportsChevrolet20brakes3
4255Brett RoweFaith MotorsportsChevrolet20brakes2
Official Race results

References

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