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
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