Kyle Busch Captures His Third NCWTS Victory at Dover

        After winning his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series of 2013 two weeks ago at Charlotte, Kyle Busch was able to go back to back with a win in the Lucas Oil 200 at Dover. Busch did not utterly dominate the race with only fifty laps led, but he was able to make his truck better throughout the race and find his way to a victory. But Busch did not seem like the favorite lie usual for most of the race. Darrell Wallace Jr. led the first one hundred and nineteen laps of the race, but bad adjustments late led to him falling back in the running order. Chase Elliott had one of the best trucks in the race, but his chances were killed with two pit road speeding penalties. It was definitely a good race and one that was filled with may twists and turns.

       Darrell Wallace Jr. started on the pole. He became the youngest polesitter in the history of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at nineteen years old. The race went green and Wallace was able to lead the first lap, but the first caution of the race came out before the drivers had completed the first lap of the race. Max Gresham entered turn 3 a little high as Timothy Peters was on his outside. Gresham went up the track and made contact with Peters. Peters went for a spin as Gresham spun and made contact with the outside wall. John Wes Townley and Jeff Agnew also received some damage. No drivers received the lucky dog. The race went back green and it was a short time before one of the championship contenders would have trouble.

        On lap 22, Ty Dillon slowed on the backstretch and said that something had happened to his engine. He pulled the truck down pit road, but his crew could not diagnose what the problem was on pit road. They pulled the truck to the garage and Dillon would not return to the race due to terminal problems with the engine. The race continued on until the second caution of the race on lap 44. Norm Benning went for a spin coming out of turn 2. He was able to save it and continue on after replacing some flat tires due to the spin. Tim George Jr. received the lucky dog. The race went back green once again and continued on until the third caution on lap 64. C.J. Faison made contact with the the wall coming out of turn 4. He slid down the track after making hard contact with the outside wall and slammed the inside wall. The car was destroyed, but Faison was okay. James Buescher received the lucky dog. The race went back green once again and went through the longest green flag run of the race.

        The first round of green flag pit stops of the race began around lap 117 after forty seven laps under green. Darrell Wallace Jr., who had led all the laps to this point, pitted on lap 119 and gave up the lead. Chase Elliott was able to stay out for fifteen laps after this and led all of them. He finally pitted and would have been up near the front, but he was caught speeding for the second time in the race. It was a few laps after this before Kyle Busch settled into the lead for the first time of the race. He led until the fourth caution of the race came out on lap 159 after ninety laps of green flag racing. Debris was spotted on the track entering turn 3. John Wes Townley received the lucky dog. Now, a mad dash to the finish was set up.

        The leaders pitted to be on sequence for the rest of the race. Matt Crafton was able to beat Kyle Busch out of the pits to take the lead. The race went green once again and Crafton was able to hold Busch back, but Busch quickly grabbed the lead once again. The race continued on until the fifth caution of the race on lap 180. Debris was spotted on the frontstretch. Ron Hornaday Jr. received the lucky dog. Some of the drivers that were on the tail end of the lead lap, like Chase Elliott and Darrell Wallace Jr., decided to play the strategy game and came in to get tires. Since there were only eleven or twelve trucks on the lead lap, these drivers were sitting in a prime position to get to the front. The race went back green and it was a short time before the sixth and final caution of the race came out on lap 191. Tim George Jr. blew a tire in turn 3 due to previous contact with the wall. He made slight contact with the wall, but he was able to make it to pit road. Now, Matt Crafton and Kyle Busch were ready for a four lap shootout to see who could grab the victory at Dover.

        The race went back green and Kyle Busch jumped out to an immediate lead. The main battling was going on behind him. Chase Elliott, who had pitted at the lap 180 caution, made his way up to the top 5. Matt Crafton and Ryan Blaney battled for the second position, but Crafton was able to secure the spot and take it to the finish. As the checkered flag waved, Kyle Busch crossed the line easily and grabbed his thirty second career win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. It was an up and down day for Busch, but it definitely ended with a lot more up than down.

        It has been said a lot lately and you can tell it on the drivers' faces. They are absolutely sick and tried of Kyle Busch winning races in the smaller series. He has won the last two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races that he has been in and he has won six of the nine races he has attempted this year in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. To be honest, I am actually getting tired of him winning every race too, but only the drivers have a chance to stop him and I hope they are able to real soon. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Texas for a Friday Night Shootout under the lights next week. Will Johnny Sauter grab his third consecutive victory at the track or will one of the rookies in the series grab his first career victory? We will have to wait until next Friday to find out, but it will sure be a good show.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 1- Max Gresham made contact with Timothy Peters coming into turn 3 and the two went for a spin. John Wes Townley and Jeff Agnew also received some damage.

2nd Caution: Lap 44- Norm Benning went for a spin coming out of turn 2.

3rd Caution: Lap 64- C.J. Faison made contact with the outside wall coming out of turn 4 and also made contact with the inside wall on the frontstretch. 

4th Caution: Lap 159- Debris was spotted on the track in turn 3.

5th Caution: Lap 180- Debris was spotted on the frontstretch.

6th Caution: Lap 191- Tim George Jr. blew a tire in turn 3 and made slight contact with the outside wall.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: Tim George Jr.
3rd Caution: James Buescher
4th Caution: John Wes Townley
5th Caution: Ron Hornaday Jr.
6th Caution: David Starr

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Kyle Busch
2nd: Matt Crafton
3rd: Ryan Blaney
4th: Chase Elliott
5th: Brendan Gaughan

Notables Not in Top 5:
7th: Johnny Sauter
9th: Jeb Burton
10th: Darrell Wallace Jr.
12th: Ron Hornaday Jr.
15th: James Buescher
31st: Ty Dillon




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Lucas_Oil_200/C
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/camping-world-truck-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
-Image:
http://photos.speedtv.com/gallery/automated/slideshow/DOVER%2C_DE_-_MAY_31%3A__%28L-R%29_Kyle_Busch%2C_driver_of_the_%2351_ToyotaCare_Toyota%2C_and_crew_chief_Ryan_Fugle/0aytc7Heeaf5h?q=Kyle+Busch

Ken Schrader Dominates the ARCA Racing Series Menards 200 at Toledo

         In his first ARCA Racing Series start since 2010, Ken Schrader was able to lead the most laps and win the Menards 200 at Toledo. It was his fifth career win in the ARCA Racing Series at Toledo and it was his first win in the series since his win at DuQuoin in 2007. Plus, Schrader became the oldest driver to ever win in the series. But it wasn't the easiest win possible for Schrader. Grant Enfinger constantly battled with him for the lead and made sure that he did not get away. Enfinger was even able to do this while he was down a cylinder and had a tire going down. All in all, it was a great race at Toledo that never disappointed. 

        Kyle Benjamin, a fifteen year old making his third start in the ARCA Racing Series, started on the pole. To add to that, Ken Schrader, a fifty seven year old making fifty eighth start in the ARCA Racing Series, started beside him. When the green flag waved, Benjamin was able to take advantage of the veteran Schrader and lead the first lap. It was a very short time before the first caution of the race waved on lap 4. Korbin Forrister spun out coming out of turn 2, but was able to keep the car out of the wall and keep going. The green flag waved and it was a sort time before a driver would have trouble. Cody Lane spun out in turn 4, but he was able to keep the car out of the wall and continue on. The caution flag did not wave and the race continued on until the second caution of the race on lap 27. Kyle Weatherman had a tire going down and was making the move to pit road in turn 4. Charles Evans did not see he was slowing and spun him out. Weatherman was able to avoid the wall and make it down pit road. The race went back green and two contenders had trouble.

        On lap 46, Kyle Benjamin, who had been in the top 2 the whole race, began to slow on the backstretch. He was able to get the car back around the track to get to pit road. The crew diagnosed the problem as an ignition issue and he would lose a bunch of laps. Shortly after this, Spencer Gallagher blew a tire in turn 4 on lap 51. This resulted in him making heavy contact with the outside wall. He was able to make it back around to pit road and avoid a caution, but the damage was too much for him to continue. The race continued on until the third caution of the race on lap 76. Jake Francis tapped Blake Hillard coming into turn 1 and Hillard went for a spin. He was able to avoid the wall and continue on. The race went back green and one of the race and championship contenders had a little trouble.

        Coming out of turn 4 on lap 85, Frank Kimmel got extremely loose and went for a spin. He was able to keep the car out of the wall and avoid any damage. This resulted in the fourth caution of the race. The race went back green and it was a short time before the fifth caution on lap 100. Kelly Kovski made contact with Roger Carter coming into turn 1. Carter went for a spin right in front of Frank Kimmel, but Kimmel was able to avoid and both drivers continued on. The race went back green once again and continued on until the sixth caution on lap 107. Bobby Gerhart and Brian Finney went for a spin in turn 3, but both drivers drove away with minimal damage. Taylor Ferns also lost power and stopped on the track, but she received a push to get back to pit road and continued on afterwards. The race went back green and continued on until the seventh caution on lap 124. Jake Francis went for a spin in turn 3, but he was able to continue with minimal damage. The race went back green and continued on until the eighth and final caution on lap 137. Brian Finney bumped Taylor Ferns in turn 4 and the two went for a spin. They continued on with only a little damage. Now, Grant Enfinger and Ken Schrader were set for a final dash for the victory.

        The race went green and immediately Enfinger and Schrader began to battle. The odd thing was that Enfinger's car had poured smoke for most of the race and now the smoke had picked up. It seemed like every corner it got darker, but Enfinger still ran laps that mirrored Schrader's. Finally, on lap 189, Enfinger's tire gave way and he had to report to pit road. This caused him to fall out of contention and Schrader cruised to the victory. It was a well deserved win for Schrader and a hard fought one as well.

        Like usual, the ARCA race at Toledo never seems to disappoint. Their was constant battling for the lead and plenty of spins to make it even more exciting. With this win, Schrader moved even closer to catching Frank Kimmel for wins at Toledo. By finishing ahead of Kimmel, Mason Mingus, who finished second, gained ten points on Kimmel for the points lead. Now, he sits twenty points back and in prime position to capture the lead. In two weeks, the ARCA Racing Series heads to Elko Speedway, but they will not be televised until, Pocono in three weeks. I hope to check that race out and see if the action continues in ARCA like it has over the past few races.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 4- Korbin Forrister spun out coming out of turn 2.

2nd Caution: Lap 27- Kyle Weatherman spun out in turn 4 after a bump from Charles Evans.

3rd Caution: Lap 76- Blake Hillard spun in turn 1 after a bump from Jake Francis.

4th Caution: Lap 85- Frank Kimmel got loose in turn 4 and went for a spin.

5th Caution: Lap 100- Roger Carter went for a spin coming into turn 1 after contact with Kelly Kovski.

6th Caution: Lap 107- Bobby Gerhart and Brian Finney went for a spin in turn 3. Taylor Ferns also lost power on the track.

7th Caution: Lap 124- Jake Francis went for a spin in turn 3.

8th Caution: Lap 137- Taylor Ferns spun in turn 4 after contact with Brian Finney.

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Ken Schrader 
2nd: Mason Mingus
3rd: Frank Kimmel
4th: Justin Boston
5th: Matt Tifft

Notables Not in Top 5:
10th: Tom Hessert
15th: Grant Enfinger
16th: Bobby Gerhart
23rd: Kyle Benjamin
26th: Spencer Gallagher





Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://timing1.arcaracing.com/
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Menards_200_Presented_by_Federated_Car_Care/A
-Image:
http://www.toledoblade.com/image/2013/05/19/800x_b1_cCM_z/SPT-ARCA19p.jpg

Kyle Busch Overcomes Adversity to Win the NCWTS Race at Charlotte

         After receiving a penalty on his pit stop during the fourth caution, Kyle Busch was able to fight his way back through the field to win the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte. He was able to get by Miguel Paludo to take the lead with fourteen laps to go and he would not look back. He was challenged by a late race caution and a hard charge by Brendan Gaughan, but he was able to get the job done. One storyline in the race to follow was the horrible time that some of the NCWTS regulars had. Todd Bodine, Johnny Sauter, Ron Hornaday, and Joey Coulter all had struggles and tough races. Also, Brad Keselowski, a NSCS regular, had trouble as well. It was a difficult race for some, but others, like Max Gresham, had the night of their life.


         Jeb Burton started on the pole. It was his third pole in five races this season. The green flag waved and Burton was unable to lead the first lap as Ty Dillon was able to get by him. It was only a short time before Kyle Busch flexed his muscles and made it to the lead. On lap 8, the first contact of the race occurred. German Quiroga and Caleb Holman ran into each other coming out of turn 4. Quiroga moved up the track and Holman was there and the two went up into the wall. Quiroga received the most damage, but both drivers made it back around to the pits. Oddly enough, the caution did not wave and the race continued. It was a short time after this when the first caution of the race came out on lap 17. Bryan Silas blew an engine in turn 1 and left some oil in turn 2 and on the backstretch. Todd Bodine received the lucky dog. But the weirdest part of this caution was yet to come.

          German Quiroga made his pit stop and came back out on the track. He was going down the backstretch when he blew a tire and slammed into the outside wall in turn 3. His truck slid down the track and he stopped at the bottom of the turn. The damage was too much to continue in the race. With that incident cleaned up, the race went back green and continued on until the second caution of the race on lap 25. Caleb Holman made huge contact with the wall in turn 4. He received a lot of damage and did not continue on in the race. No drivers received the lucky dog. The race went green and continued on until the first round of green flag pit stops on lap 69. Immediately after these stops, one driver would have some problems. 

         Joey Coulter made his pit stop on lap 69 and got four tires and fuel. He came back on track and his night went downhill. He made one lap, but on lap 71, he blew a tire in turn 4 and slammed into the outside wall. He received a good bit of damage and the third caution flag of the race waved. Jake Crum received the lucky dog. The race went back green and there were more tire problems. Ross Chastain, Matt Crafton, and Ryan Blaney all pitted within the span of two laps due to right side tires going down.  It was a short time after this when the fourth caution of the race came out on lap 84. Tyler Young got loose coming out of turn 4 and went for a spin down the frontstretch. Danny Efland drove into the grass to avoid Young and went for a spin as well. Amazingly, both drivers avoided each other and kept their trucks out of the wall. Brennan Newberry received the lucky dog. But the importance of this caution occurred during the pit stops. 

         Kyle Busch made his way down pit road as the leader of the race and had a routine stop. When he pulled out his stall, it all went downhill. His gasman was getting as much fuel in as possible when Kyle pulled out. His gasman could not pull the can out and it slid out of the stall. This garnered a pass through penalty that put Kyle at the back of the field. Now, he would have to fight his way back to the front and he would have only have a short time.

         The race went back green and it was a short time before the fifth caution of the race came out on lap 95. Ron Hornaday blew a tire on the backstretch from previous contact with the wall. He was trying to make it down pit road, but the truck went up the track and Ryan Blaney and Jake Crum were there. Blaney got away with minor damage, but Crum could not avoid and slammed into Hornaday's rear, causing Hornaday's truck to rise off the track. Both drivers received damage, but Crum's was much worse. Ross Chastain, who had just had tire problems, received the lucky dog. The race went back green and it was a short time before the sixth caution of the race on lap 06. Tyler Young made contact with the outside wall on the frontstretch. Matt Crafton, who had also had tire problems, received the lucky dog. The race went back green and a championship contender would have a lot of trouble.

        On the restart, James Buescher and Johnny Sauter made contact after Sauter got loose in a three wide situation. Buescher fell back and was not too happy with Sauter. Buescher was able to catch up to Sauter and he made the most of his opportunity for revenge. In turn 4, Buescher tapped Sauter and Sauter sailed hard into the outside wall. He had a good bit of damage and his night was over. This resulted in the seventh caution of the race on lap 116. Tim George Jr. received the lucky dog. The race went back green and the eighth and final caution of the race came out on lap 123. Justin Lofton got loose in turn 2 and went for a spin. Somehow, James Buescher and Brennan Newberry avoided Lofton and prevented a major incident from occurring. But that wasn't all that happened.

         Darrell Wallace Jr. and Brad Keselowski were running up front as the caution occurred. When the two drivers were coming out of turn 2, Wallace got loose and went up into Keselowski. Keselowski hit the wall and Wallace went for a spin down the backstretch. Wallace slammed into the inside wall and his night was over. He had done an excellent job all night, but he had nothing to show for it. Todd Bodine received the final lucky dog of the race. Now, the final mad dash of the race was set up and it was sure to be a good one.

          The race went back green and Kyle Busch immediately jumped out to the lead. Brendan Gaughan stayed close and made sure that Busch did not get away, but Busch's truck was too much to overcome and Gaughan was unable to catch him. This gave Busch his first win of the season in the NCWTS and his thirty first career win. He had overcome the adversity and proved that he wasn't just good out front; he could move his way from the back.

         The race was filled with a lot of exciting moments and was one of the best of the year. Matt Crafton was able to further solidify his points position and Jeb Burton continued his great beginning to the season by holding his second place points position. The NCWTS takes a week off and then heads to the always exciting Dover International Speedway. Will the rain allow a full race or will Todd Bodine repeat at Dover? We will have to find out in a couple of weeks.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 17- Bryan Silas blew an engine in turn 1 and left some fluid on the track.

2nd Caution: Lap 25- Caleb Holman made contact with the wall in turn 4.

3rd Caution: Lap 71- Joey Coulter blew a tire in turn 4 and slammed into the outside wall.

4th Caution: Lap 84- Tyler Young and Danny Efland both spun coming out of turn 4.

5th Caution: Lap 95- Ron Hornaday blew a tire and went up the track in turn 3. Jake Crum slammed into the rear of his truck, causing Hornaday's truck to lift off the track.

6th Caution: Lap 106- Tyler Young made contact with the wall on the frontstretch.

7th Caution: Lap 116- James Buescher bumped Johnny Sauter in turn 4 and Sauter sailed into the outside wall.

8th Caution: Lap 123- Justin Lofton got loose in turn 2 and went for a spin. Darrell Wallace Jr. got loose coming out of turn 2 and made contact with Brad Keselowski. Keselowski hit the wall and Wallace spun towards the inside wall and made contact with it.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: Todd Bodine
2nd Caution: None
3rd Caution: Jake Crum
4th Caution: Brennan Newberry
5th Caution: Ross Chastain
6th Caution: Matt Crafton
7th Caution: Tim George Jr.
8th Caution: Todd Bodine

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Kyle Busch
2nd: Brendan Gaughan
3rd: Max Gresham
4th: Matt Crafton
5th: Ty Dillon

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: James Buescher
13th: Jeb Burton
14th: Brad Keselowski
17th: Todd Bodine
27th: Darrell Wallace Jr.
28th: Johnny Sauter




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_North_Carolina_Education_Lottery_200_(May)/C
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/camping-world-truck-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
-Image:
http://images.news14.com/media/2013/5/18/images/ENLARGE_01Busch.jpg

Jeb Burton Grabs His Third Pole of the Season in Only Five Races at Charlotte

         With a time of 29.773 seconds (181.372 mph), Jeb Burton grabbed the pole easily for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte. It was his third pole of the season in only five races. The session was filled with many good drivers and plenty of pole position changes, but Burton was able to outlast all these things and win the pole. But it was not as easy a pole as it seemed. He had to deal with drivers like Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Johnny Sauter, and many others to get the job done. Plus, the constant weather changes could have spelled disaster for the drivers. All in all, it was a session worth watching.

        Norm Benning was the first driver out on the track. Jennifer Jo Cobb had actually been scheduled to go out first, but her team encountered problems with her truck before she made her run. She was put on the five minute clock, but her team could not get the truck fixed and she didn't make a run. Consequently, she did not make the race because she had to qualify on time. Benning ran a slow lap and was the second and final driver to miss the race. The pole switched back and forth between the drivers who qualified at the beginning of the session, but that changed when Tim George Jr. took the provisional pole. It would be seven drivers before Ross Chastain was able to overtake George's lap. It was six more drivers before Kyle Busch was able to overtake Chastain's lap. Finally, Jeb Burton grabbed the pole right after Busch's run and he would not give it up. But the session would not end without an incident. German Quiroga was very loose on his run. He made a slide on his first lap in turn 4, but he was able to save it. He decided to run a second lap and it went downhill. He went into turn 4 on the second lap and he made a slide once again. He was unable to save it this time and made contact with the outside wall. He received minor damage and his team should be able to fix the truck before the race tonight. Timothy Peters was the final driver out and he made his run, but he was unable to surpass Burton's time. With that, Jeb Burton grabbed his third pole of the season.

        Burton has been a definite surprise this year in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He has the three poles and two top 5's along with three top 10's to go with it. After the race at Kansas, he sits in third place in the points and has a good shot and grabbing the championship lead with his momentum. But Burton doesn't have one thing yet in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: a win. He came close to one at Martinsville, but he is looking to close the deal tonight and capture his first career victory. It should be a great Friday Night Show with a lot of beating and banging. I hope you guys can tune in to see it. 
(More Stats Down Below!)




Top 5 Qualifiers (With Times):
1st: Jeb Burton    29.773 (181.372 mph)
2nd: Ty Dillon    29.951 (180.294 mph)
3rd: Timothy Peters    29.951 (180.294 mph)
4th: Kyle Busch    29.960 (180.240 mph)
5th: Miguel Paludo    29.964 (180.216 mph)

Notables Not in Top 5 (With Times):
6th: Justin Lofton    29.967 (180.198 mph)
12th: James Buescher    30.091 (179.456 mph)
13th: Darrell Wallace Jr.    30.120 (179.283 mph)
14th: Matt Crafton    30.126 (179.247 mph)
16th: Johnny Sauter    30.169 (178.992 mph)
19th: Brad Keselowski    30.223 (178.672 mph)

Go-or-Go Homers (With Times):
15th: Brennan Newberry    30.146 (179.128 mph)
19th: Brad Keselowski     30.223 (178.672 mph)
24th: Scott Riggs    30.446 (177.363 mph)
25th: Jake Crum    30.462 (177.270 mph) 
26th: Tyler Young    30.494 (177.084 mph)
27th: Caleb Holman    30.623 (176.338 mph)
29th: Chris Jones    30.717 (175.798 mph)
31st: Bryan Silas    30.753 (175.593 mph)
34th: Danny Efland    31.105 (173.606 mph)
35th: Blake Koch     31.110 (173.578 mph)
36th: Mike Harmon     31.554 (171.135 mph)
37th: Norm Benning    31.656 (170.584 mph)
38th: Jennifer Jo Cobb    No Time*
(*: Jennifer Jo Cobb had problems before he run and couldn't make a run.)

DNQs: Norm Benning and Jennifer Jo Cobb




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/camping-world-truck-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-qualification.html
http://racing-reference.info/driver/Jeb_Burton
-Image:
https://twitter.com/NASCAR_Trucks

Rest In Peace Dick Trickle

       
          I came home from school today and received some of the worst news in a while. I found out that we lost one of the greats of short track racing and NASCAR, Dick Trickle. He died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 71. But I don't want to remember him that way. I want to remember him for the great things he did for the sport. He was one of those men that you always remembered for doing something extraordinary. He won over 1,200 feature events in his short track racing career, which gives him the designation of the winningest short track driver in history. He took these credentials to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series. In the Winston Cup Series, he was unable to win a race, but he grabbed fifteen career top 5's and thirty-six career top 10's. He also won the NASCAR Rookie of the Year award in 1989 at the age of 47, making him the oldest to pull off the feat. In the NASCAR Busch Series, he was able to win two races and capture twenty-four top 5's along with forty-two top 10's. He was mostly known for his antics in the race car. He was allowed by NASCAR to install cigarette lighters in his car and a hole in his helmet so that he could smoke during caution flags. He was a class act that created a lot of good times for the drivers in all the series. I did not have the pleasure to watch him race live, but I have seen some of his races and feel that he would have been one of my favorites. I still feel his impact on the sport and wish that he was still here. Rest in peace, Dick Trickle, and you will never be forgotten.






Credits:
-Image: http://sphotos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/p480x480/547340_10151605021151052_326296383_n.jpg

Kyle Busch Wins His Fifth Race of the Season at Darlington in Dominating Fashion

         After starting on the pole and leading one hundred and seven of the one hundred and forty seven laps, Kyle Busch won in dominating fashion at the track “Too Tough To Tame”, Darlington. Busch had a problem with his pit stop after the third caution, but he was able to make it back to the front and continue his domination. With a move on Joey Logano with about twenty laps to go, Kyle Busch grabbed the lead for the final time and cruised to the win. It was a quite a race with many drivers receiving the famed Darlington Stripe and many others not making it back with a clean race car.

        Kyle Busch started on the pole. He took the green and immediately proved his dominance. He led the first lap and was able to lead all the laps until the first caution of the race on lap 24. Trevor Bayne thought he was clear of the lapped car of Bryan Silas in turn 1. He was not and the two made contact and Silas slammed into the wall. The two received a good bit of damage. Kyle Fowler received the lucky dog. The race went back green and it was a short time before the second caution of the race on lap 34. Harrison Rhodes made contact with the outside wall in turn 4 and Eric McClure made contact with him and went for a spin down the track. The two drove away with minimal damage. Hal Martin, who was making his first Darlington Nationwide start, received the lucky dog. The race went back green and one of the contenders in the race had a bit of trouble.

        Coming into turn 2 on lap 51, Elliott Sadler got loose. Sadler went for a spin down the track, but he was able to make a nice save and keep it out of the wall. He continued on and this resulted in the third caution of the race on lap 51. Eric McClure, who was unable to race at Darlington last year due to his injury at Talladega, received the lucky dog. The most important event from this caution was what happened to Kyle Busch during his pit stop.

        Kyle Busch came into the pits as the leader. His crew did a good job on the right side, but as his jackman came around the car, he slipped and fell. He was able to get up and finish the stop, but Busch fell from first to eleventh. Considering how good he had been in the lead, it didn't seem like a big deal, but he had not raced in traffic at all during the race. The race went back green and Busch began making moves to the front, but one pretty notable driver experienced his first incident with the walls of Darlington. 

        On lap 72, Travis Pastrana went up the track in turn 4 and made a little contact with the wall, resulting in his Darlington Stripe. He tried to stay out as long as possible, but he eventually had to make his move onto pit road on lap 77 to fix the sheetmetal damage that had occurred. But no caution waved and the race continued on. After fighting his way from the middle of the pack, Kyle Busch was finally able to make the move past Matt Kenseth for the lead on lap 82. It was a short time before  Busch and Kenseth's teammate had trouble on lap 91. 

        Brian Vickers, who was running third at the time, made an unscheduled pit stop on lap 91. Vickers had been experiencing a horrible vibration that he figured was caused by a loose lugnut. He pulled into his stall and the team changed tires. The vibration had not been caused by a loose lugnut, but the team was able to fix it and he was able to continue. It was a short time after this when the first round of green flag stops of the race began on lap 108. Kyle Busch, who was the leader before the stops, was able to cycle back around to the lead after they were over. It was a short time after this before the fourth and final caution of the race on lap 120. Kyle Fowler went into turn 1and the car made a hard right turn into the outside wall. He hit the wall hard and slid down the track to the inside wall and stopped with significant damage. He was unable to continue in the race. Brian Scott received the lucky dog. Because of this, Brian Vickers was able to gain his positions back and returned to the front. Also, Joey Logano and Austin Dillon stayed out while the rest of the leaders pitted. Now, a mad dash was set up for the finish. 

         The race went back green and Joey Logano was able to streak away a little from Kyle Busch. With about twenty laps to go, Busch was able to finally make his move past Logano and he never looked back. He cruised to his fifth win of the season in only eight races attempted. It was also his fifty sixth career win in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. It was a quite a race for Busch and if he had not had the incident on his lap 51 pit stop, he could have led even more laps and showed even more dominance.

         After taking the race off last week at Talladega, Kyle Busch showed that he had not lost a beat in the Nationwide Series. Also, Joe Gibbs Racing continued their dominance at Darlington. All four of his cars finished in the top 5 and two of his drivers, Brian Vickers and Elliott Sadler, even had troubles during the night, but were able to make it back through the field. All in all, it was  complete domination from the Gibbs team. The NASCAR Nationwide Series takes a week off and then heads to the Charlotte Motor Speedway for the History 300 on May 25. Make sure to tune into that race because it should be a good one.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 24- Trevor Bayne made contact with Bryan Silas in turn 1 and the two went up into the wall.

2nd Caution: Lap 34- Harrison Rhodes made contact with the wall in turn 4 and Eric McClure ran into him and went for a spin.

3rd Caution: Lap 51- Elliott Sadler went for a spin in turn 2, but was able to keep it out of the wall.

4th Caution: Lap 120- Kyle Fowler made hard contact with the outside wall in turn 1 and slid down the racetrack.

Lucky Dogs:
1 Caution: Kyle Fowler 
2 Caution: Hal Martin
3 Caution: Eric McClure
4 Caution: Brian Scott

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Kyle Busch
2nd: Elliott Sadler
3rd: Brian Vickers
4th: Joey Logano
5th: Matt Kenseth

Notables Not in Top 5:
7th: Regan Smith
8th: Sam Hornish Jr.
9th: Kasey Kahne
11th: Austin Dillon
28th: Travis Pastrana
32nd: Trevor Bayne




Credits
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_VFW_Sport_Clips_Help_a_Hero_200/B
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html#
-Image:
http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2013/0510/rpm_g_kyle-busch2_mb_600.jpg

Upcoming Schedule/Update For The Weekend at Darlington

          Hey guys, it's me Ralph G. or HarvickKevin29. I have a few updates plus a schedule for the upcoming weekend. In case you guys don't know, I go to Darlington Raceway for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race every year. This means that I will not be able to do a summary of the Bojangles' Southern 500, but I will do qualifying for the Sprint Cup Series and the summary Nationwide Series race. Cup qualifying will be posted on Friday and the summary for the Nationwide race will be posted on Sunday due to the lack of internet on the way and I will have to work on it on the way to Darlington. Finally, I plan on posting a story with pictures and videos on either Monday or Tuesday when I get back. It will be filled with large amounts of photos and some videos to show you guys the excitement of being there. Hopefully, you guys will enjoy those posts and I am definitely sure I will be pumped about the race. Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,
Ralph G.
HarvickKevin29
(Schedule Below):



Friday: Bojangles' Southern 500 Qualifying (Sprint Cup)

Sunday: VFW/Sports Clip Help A Hero 200 Race (Nationwide)

Monday or Tuesday: My Trip in Pictures and Videos

Regan Smith Goes From Seventh To First In One Lap To Win A Crazy Race at Talladega

        With the help of teammate Kasey Kahne, Regan Smith was able to maneuver his way through the field and win while cars wrecked behind him. Kasey Kahne was the first across the stripe, but NASCAR rules state that the driver that is leading when the next flag waves after the white flag is the winner of the race. This gave the win to Regan Smith. With the win, Smith was also able to move ahead of Sam Hornish Jr. to take the points lead. This was by far the craziest and most bizarre race of the year with a three hour delay before it even started and a change to only run one hundred and seven of the scheduled one hundred and seventeen due to incoming darkness. Plus, they had to run one hundred and ten in the end due to a green-white-checkered. If you aren't interested yet, check your pulse.

          Like previously stated, the race did not start on schedule due to rain. After a three hour delay, the command was given and the race was ready to begin. Travis Pastrana started on the pole. It was his first career NASCAR Nationwide Series pole and he certainly used the spot well. He was able to lead the first lap and Trevor Bayne pushed him out to a nice lead before the lead changes began to occur. It was a short time before the first caution of the race came out on lap 15. Kyle Larson was drafting with Danica Patrick coming into turn 3. Larson hooked Patrick into the outside wall and Patrick went spinning into the grass after a hard hit to the outside wall. She was able to drive away, but did not continue on in the race. No drivers received the lucky dog. NASCAR had planned a competition caution for lap 20, but this caution was used instead. Now, the drivers were ready to really begin the race.

         The race went back green and it was a short time before the second caution on lap 35. Kyle Larson blew a tire in turn 3 and went for a spin in the grass. Jeffrey Earnhardt also spun, but he did not receive any damage. Larson, though, received a huge amount of damage. Mike Wallace received the lucky dog. The race went back green and the longest green flag run of the day ended with the third caution of the race on lap 72. Brian Scott turned Reed Sorenson going down the backstretch. Sorenson hit the wall and went down the track. Travis Pastrana was there and slammed into Sorenson. Sorenson almost got airborne while Pastrana slammed hard into the outside wall. They both ended up in the grass with large amounts of damage. Morgan Shepherd received the lucky dog. The race went back green once  again and it continued on until the fourth caution on lap 88. Justin Allgaier turned Blake Koch into the wall and Koch received a lot of damage, which caused debris to fall on the track. Austin Dillon received the lucky dog. The race now had a mad dash set up and the Big One was waiting at every corner.

        The race went back green and there were moves made all over the track. Finally, the track could not hold the moves any more and this resulted in the fifth caution of the race on lap 94. Sam Hornish Jr. tried to thread the needle between Johanna Long and Eric McClure on the backstretch and the three made contact. They all went spinning and other drivers like Brian Scott, Trevor Bayne, Ty Dillon, Robert Richardson Jr., Tim Andrews, Bobby Gerhart, Nelson Piquet Jr., Kyle Larson, Mike Harmon, and Donnie Neuenberger piled in and created a huge mess in turn 3 that we know as the Big One. No drivers received the lucky dog. Due to the incoming darkness over Talladega, NASCAR decided to shorten the event from one hundred and seventeen laps to only one hundred and seven laps. Now, the drivers only had about ten laps to get the job done and it would be a definite mad dash.

         The race went back green and drivers began to set up there two car tandems for the end. It looked like the drivers would wait until the white flag lap to make their great move, but the sixth caution of the race on lap 106 stopped them. Justin Allgaier turned Joey Coulter on the frontstretch and Coulter slammed into the outside wall.  Fortunately, no other cars were coming and Coulter was able to slide down the track safely. Now, the event would be extended to one hundred and ten laps and the drivers would have only one chance at a green-white-checkered to finish.

          The green flag waved and the tandems began to set up. Everybody got into line and the white flag waved. The mad dash was set up and the eventual winner, Regan Smith, was in seventh. Smith and his drafting partner, Kasey Kahne, made their way up through the pack and Smith made a huge move coming out of turn 4 and slid between Kurt Busch, Alex Bowman, Joey Logano, and Parker Kligerman and the mayhem began. Drivers started wrecking behind Kahne, Logano, and Smith as they made it three-wide going to the line. They crossed the line and Kahne had come across first and had the win. But before we talk about that we need to talk about the seventh caution on lap 110. Coming into the tri-oval, Elliott Sadler turned Brian Vickers into the outside wall. Vickers made contact with Alex Bowman and drivers like Landon Cassill, Mike Wallace, Jamie Dick, and Josh Wise piled in, causing a massive mess on the frontstretch. Since a caution had waved, NASCAR had to revert to the nearest scoring loop to decide the winner. Kahne was the first across the line, but Regan Smith was in first when the caution lights came on and he was awarded the win. It was by far the craziest finish I have seen in a while and it did not disappoint in the end. Well, it would have been better if Kahne won, but I won't complain.

          The race started with questions of rain and ended with thoughts of darkness, but the drivers did not care and fought for it all in the end. Regan Smith gained retribution from the win he lost at Talladega in 2008 and grabbed the points lead from Sam Hornish Jr. With this win, Smith hopes to take the championship and grab a couple more wins along the way and I will be backing him the entire way. The NASCAR Nationwide Series now heads to the always crazy and exciting Darlington Raceway. Will Elliott Sadler get retribution for his restart wreck last year that ended his chances to win or will a someone else possibly tame the beast. We will have to find out next Friday.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 15- Kyle Larson was drafting with Danica Patrick coming into turn 3 and Larson hooked Patrick into the wall.

2nd Caution: Lap 35- Kyle Larson blew a tire in turn 3 and went for a spin in the grass. Jeffrey Earnhardt also went for a spin.

3rd Caution: Lap 72- Brian Scott turned Reed Sorenson going down the backstretch. Sorenson slid down the track and Travis Pastrana was there and ran into Sorenson. Sorenson almost got airborne while Pastrana slammed into the outside wall.

4th Caution: Lap 88- Justin Allgaier turned Blake Koch into the outside wall on the backstretch.

5th Caution: Lap 94- Sam Hornish Jr. tried to thread the needle between Johanna Long and Eric McClure on the backstretch. The three made contact and drivers like Brian Scott, Trevor Bayne, Ty Dillon, Robert Richardson Jr., Tim Andrews, Bobby Gerhart, Nelson Piquet Jr., Kyle Larson, Mike Harmon, and Donnie Neuenberger also got involved.

6th Caution: Lap 106- Justin Allgaier turned Joey Coulter on the frontstretch and Coulter slammed the wall.

7th Caution: Lap 110- Coming into the tri-oval, Elliott Sadler turned Brain Vickers into the wall. Drivers like Alex Bowman, Landon Cassill, Mike Wallace, Jamie Dick, and Josh Wise also got involved.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: Mike Wallace
3rd Caution: Morgan Shepherd
4th Caution: Austin Dillon
5th Caution: None
6th Caution: Tim Andrews
7th Caution: None

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Regan Smith
2nd: Joey Logano
3rd: Kasey Kahne
4th: Kurt Busch
5th: Justin Allgaier

Notables Not in Top 5:
10th: Austin Dillon
11th: Elliott Sadler
15th: Brian Vickers
25th: Sam Hornish Jr.
28th: Trevor Bayne
36th: Travis Pastrana
39th: Danica Patrick




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Aarons_312/B
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
-Image:
http://mediacenter.smugmug.com/002-SPORTS/Motor-Sports/2013-05-04-Talladega-NASCAR/i-3qCtjNj/0/L/365266e516a1f10f300f6a7067002c24-L.jpg

Qualifying Canceled For the 2013 Aaron's 499; Carl Edwards To Start On The Pole

            After constant rain falling at Talladega Superspeedway, NASCAR decided to cancel Sprint Cup Series qualifying. Because of this, the starting grid will be decided based on first practice speeds. This gives the pole to Carl Edwards with Martin Truex Jr. starting on his outside. The rain-out will force drivers like Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, Jeff Burton, and Danica Patrick to work their way from the back. Other drivers like Trevor Bayne, David Ragan, and Michael Waltrip will look to capitalize on their good starting spots. There were forty-four drivers that were going to attempt to qualify, so only Elliott Sadler will miss the race. We will have to wait until tomorrow to see if starting spots make any difference, which I doubt they will. Also, we will have to see if the rain subsides and we can see a full show at Talladega.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Top 5 Starters:
1st: Carl Edwards 
2nd: Martin Truex Jr.
3rd: Marcos Ambrose
4th: Joey Logano 
5th: Ryan Newman

Notables Not in Top 5:
8th: Jimmie Johnson
9th: Jeff Gordon
10th: Kasey Kahne
11th: Brad Keselowski
12th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
13th: Kyle Busch
23rd: Danica Patrick
24th: Kevin Harvick

DNQ: Elliott Sadler



Credits:
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2013/05/04/sprint-cup-pole-qualifying-talladega-superspeedway.html
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2013/05/04/sprint-cup-pole-qualifying-talladega-superspeedway.html
-Image:
http://www.jayski.com/news/schemes/2013/story/_/page/2013-NASCAR-Sprint-Cup-99-Team-Schemes

Frank Kimmel Wins A Rain-Shortened ARCA Race at Talladega

        After rain began to pour at Talladega Superspeedway with only 73 of the scheduled 94 laps completed, Frank Kimmel was awarded with the win. It was his second career ARCA victory at Talladega and his seventy seventh career victory. This win put him only two wins behind Iggy Katona's record of seventy nine career victories in the ARCA Racing Series. Kimmel seemed like the dominant car and he definitely was most of the day. But strategy caused by the impending rain nearly cost him the win and a good finish as well.

       Milka Duno started on the pole, but there was some controversy behind it. John Wes Townley had the fastest time in qualifying, but his time was disallowed due to unapproved suspension mounting/placement and he was forced to start at the back. Bobby Gerhart, Mark Thompson, and Korbin Forrister also had their times disallowed and were forced to start at the back. The green flag waved and Duno was able to jump out to a quick lead and lead the first lap. It was a very short time before the first caution of the race came out on lap 2. Debris was spotted on the track in turn 1. The race went back green and the fastest car in the race would have huge problems.

       John Wes Townley had been making his way from the back to the front in good time. He was outside of his teammate Milka Duno when it turned horrible. The field came up on a lapped car and Duno veered to the right because she thought she could not make it passed the lapped car. She made contact with Townley and Townley went sailing into the outside wall. He could not slow down the car and made even heavier contact with the inside wall. He would get out of the car and be okay. This resulted in the second caution of the race on lap 29. The race went back green one more time and once again Milka Duno ruined somebody's race. But this time there was a lot more drivers involved.

       On lap 35, Thomas Praytor made contact with Milka Duno in turn 2, which resulted in a stack up behind them. Mason Mitchell was pushing Grant Enfinger and Enfinger slammed into Duno and they went for a spin, causing a massive pileup. Drivers like Spencer Gallagher, Tom Hessert, James Hylton, Drew Charlson, George Cushman, Justin Boston, Bo LeMastus, Donnie Neuenberger, Clay Campbell, Buster Graham, and Galen Hassler went spinning trough the grass and running into each other. There were cars with catastrophic damage everywhere. This resulted in the third caution of the race. The race went back green and it was a short time before the fourth caution of the race on lap 46. Debris was spotted on the frontstretch. The race went back green and one of the contenders in the race fell out. 

        Bobby Gerhart was coming out of turn 4 on lap 52 and a puff of smoke shot out from behind his car. He immediately slowed and it was obvious that he had a mechanical failure. He attempted to make it to pit road, but he did not have a lane and would have to limp back around. He was unable to and he was forced to stop on one of the exit roads on the backstretch. It was a short time before the fifth caution of the race waved on lap 56. Track officials were given time to move Bobby Gerhart's car from the exit road. The race went back green and it was a short time before the sixth caution of the race came out on lap 66. Thomas Praytor blew a tire in turn 2 and he went up the track. Darrell Basham was on his outside and they made significant contact. Basham also hit the wall with an extreme amount of force. Basham was able to drive away, but Praytor had too much damage to continue. Now, the race entered the late stages and the rain was coming quickly.

         The race went back green and there was a mad dash to get up to the front, but it was a short time before the seventh and final caution came out on lap 72. Rain had begun to fall steadily on the track. Nobody was able to make a move on Frank Kimmel and he had the lead. The rain began to fall quickly after the caution flag waved and ARCA was forced to wave the red flag and pull the cars down pit road. Now, it was a waiting game. All the drivers wanted to get back to racing except for Kimmel, who had the win if it was called. It was a short time before the waiting game was over and Frank Kimmel was declared the winner. It was his first win of 2013 and his first since Springfield in 2012. It was a race packed with action, but we can only imagine what would have happened in those last twenty laps.

         This race was a very physical one with drivers always contending for the lead and setting up their plans for a pass. It left you on the edge of your seat waiting for that one mistake that could cost the entire field. Like I said, no one knows what would have happened in those last twenty laps and I am certainly not going to take the win from Frank Kimmel. He fought hard all day and deserved it in the end. The ARCA Racing Series takes a week off and then heads to its birthplace, Toledo Speedway. It should be an action packed short track race and I hope to check it out on SPEED on May 19th.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 2- Debris was spotted in turn 1.

2nd Caution: Lap 29- Milka Duno moved up into John Wes Townley in turn 2 and Townley went into the wall. Townley would then make contact with the inside wall.

3rd Caution: Lap 35- Milka Duno and Thomas Praytor made contact in turn 2. Mason Mitchell pushed Grant Enfinger into Duno and Enfinger and Duno went for a spin. Drivers like Spencer Gallagher, Tom Hessert, James Hylton, Drew Charlson, George Cushman, Justin Boston, Bo LeMastus, Donnie Neuenberger, Clay Campbell, Buster Graham, and Galen Hassler also received damage.

4th Caution: Lap 46- Debris was spotted on the frontstretch.

5th Caution: Lap 56- Track officials were given time to move Bobby Gerhart's car.

6th Caution: Lap 66- Thomas Praytor blew a tire in turn 2 and went up the track into Darrell Basham. 

7th Caution: Lap 72- Rain began to fall on the track.

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Frank Kimmel 
2nd: Mason Mingus
3rd: Caleb Armstrong
4th: Mark Thompson
5th: Terry Jones

Notables Not in Top 5:
16th: Grant Enfinger
24th: Bobby Gerhart
26th: Tom Hessert
27th: Spencer Gallagher
29th: Milka Duno
34th: John Wes Townley



Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_International_Motorsports_Hall_of_Fame_250/A
http://timing1.arcaracing.com/
-Image:
http://binaryapi.ap.org/dba01ea5c92b47748cc0eb4caa7c99e4/512x.jpg