Kobyluck Brings Home Runner-Up Finish At Lime Rock Park
Matt Kobyluck hoped to close out the 2006 season with a win at the race that carries the name of his own team sponsor – the Mohegan Sun 200 at Lime Rock Park. And, he came pretty close to doing just that. Kobyluck, who led the most laps with 34 circuits out front, took the checkers only 0.184 seconds behind race winner Ruben Pardo. After getting spun out of the lead on lap 56, Kobyluck made a late-race stop for tires at lap 69 and charged through the field to make the last-lap challenge for the lead -- only to run out of time.
“I thought it was the second to last lap when it was actually the last lap,” Kobyluck said. “I was geared toward setting him up towards the bottom of the hill and then passing him on the frontstretch on the white flag lap, but when we got to the uphill corner the team told me it was the checkered flag this time by. I wasn’t close enough. I was a lap too late.”
Kobyluck kicked off the weekend by earning his second Busch Pole Award of the season with a qualifying lap of 101.057 mph (54.504 seconds).
Kobyluck's #40 lead a bunch of laps at Lime Rock. (Hodge photos)
“There’s no better spot than the first spot at Lime Rock Park,” said Kobyluck. “It was really special because Mohegan Sun was there celebrating their 10th anniversary so I’m glad I could give them something to cheer on and be proud of.”
Kobyluck jumped out front at the drop of the green and remained there until lap 15 when he pulled onto pit road. After a quick fuel stop, Kobyluck was back on the track and lined up 14th for the restart at lap 19. Kobyluck began to gain ground in the field, and the long green flag run helped his efforts, but the front runners had pulled away to a significant advantage over the rest of the field.
A caution at lap 30 saw many of front-runners pit, allowing Kobyluck to move up to second for the restart at lap 37. Before the field ever reached turn one, Kobyluck had reclaimed the lead using the outside groove. Mike Olsen attempted to knock Kobyluck off the point, but the Uncasville, CT-driver shut the door on his challenges.
Kobyluck mastered the challenging 1.53-mile road course, but contact in turn one at lap 56 changed the direction of the race for the Mohegan Sun team.
“We came down into the corner there and the 14 car was on the inside of me. I was holding my line because he was going by on the outside. He was a lapped car. The 12 car was in the same line as the 14, and I don’t know what he did behind the 14, but I came into turn one, and when I got in there and he hit the rumble strips and just drove into my right rear,” explained Kobyluck.
The Mohegan Sun Casino Chevrolet spun into the grass as a result of the contact, but Kobyluck was able to get it back underway without ever bringing out a caution. Nevertheless, the team was elegated to a 12th place position in the field.
By lap 65, Kobyluck made it up to seventh. He knew he needed a boost to go for the win. At lap 69, the team decided to pit for fresh tires.
“There were only a dozen cars on the lead lap so we really had nothing to lose,” said Kobyluck. “But we had everything to gain by coming in.”
By lap 74, Kobyluck was back up to seventh and on the following circuit he was fifth. On a restart at lap 77, Kobyluck muscled past several cars to take over second. He was in position for the win and closing in on Pardo with the laps counting off.
The white flag was not shown, and Kobyluck felt he had time to set up a challenge, but NASCAR corrected the situation by the time the cars reached the back half of the track. Unfortunately, it was too late for Kobyluck, who gave his best effort to make a run on Pardo at the checkers. The two came to the line neck and neck. Kobyluck finished second.
Kobyluck was on the podium at LIme Rock
