Both drivers experienced mechanical and traction issues in the final round, necessitating pedaling and decisions.

“I felt the tires slipping, and then I had to decide whether to keep my foot in it, and chance throwing the blower belt, or back off,” Massey explained. “I decided to keep going and the Gates belt held; I actually think we picked it up again down the track.”

It was Massey’s fifth win in nine career final rounds (3-1 in 2011), his 58th round win against 32 losses (26-9 in 2011). He qualified fourth on a 4.010-second lap at 303.64 miles per hour to gain a first-round match with Brandon Bernstein.

Massey, who had a streak of 40-consecutive runs without smoking the tires broken in the first round of the last race (Joliet, Ill.), put away Bernstein, Shawn Langdon and DSR teammate Antron Brown in the first three rounds today with clean, drama-free passes.

“Phil, Todd (Shuler and Okuhara, co-crew chiefs) and the entire FRAM team have been giving me a great race car all season, especially these last seven races, which means I just have to do my job without screwing up,” he said. “Keeping the car going despite our traction issues was the least I could do in the finals.”

Massey recorded a 4.150-second run at 269.70 mph against Schumacher’s 4.255 run at 266.95 mph, who lost a cylinder at the start before spinning his tires.

Tony Schumacher, who was looking for his first victory of the season, dropped a cylinder right at the hit of the throttle against Massey and the latter took advantage.
           
“That’s the way it goes,” said Schumacher. “We ran so well right up to that point, but just when you least expect it the car decides to have a mind of its own. I’m confident we were just trying to duplicate our three previous runs.”
           
In fact, Schumacher ran off three consistent laps (4.006-seconds/4.013-seconds/4.015-seconds) in the opening rounds to claim victories over Larry Dixon, Bob Vandergriff and Rod Fuller, respectively.

“I don’t think the track changed very much between the semis and finals,” said Schumacher, a seven-time world champion. “As always, we were just trying to take what the track was giving us. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for us.”
           
It was the third time this year Schumacher had advanced to the finals, but came up empty-handed. He’s now gone 13 straight races (counting the 2010 season finale) without a trip to victory lane.