Ty Dillon Passes Kyle Busch Late For the Win at Kentucky

        After passing Kyle Busch with 25 laps to go, Ty Dillon cruised away from the field and took the win. Brad Keselowski attempted to chase him down late in the race, but Dillon was too fast to catch. It almost didn't happen for Dillon. Ryan Blaney was much faster than Kyle Busch when Busch was leading late in the race, but Blaney hit the wall when he tried to pass Busch on the outside in turn 4 with about 30 laps to go. This allowed Dillon to catch Busch and pass him for the win. One story line to follow is the amount of problems for contenders in the championship. Jeb Burton, Matt Crafton, Johnny Sauter, Joey Coulter, Brendan Gaughan, and Darrell Wallace Jr. all finished outside the top 8. A final story line to follow is the amount of strategy in the race. Many drivers took two tires on certain pit stops, four tires on others, and some didn't take tires on some stops. It was interesting to see whose strategy would work and if others would lose the race because of it.

        Ryan Blaney started on the pole. It was his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series pole. Before the race could even go green, one of the championship contenders would have trouble. On the pace laps, Johnny Sauter slowed in turn 3. The engine had shut off due to a kill switch problem. He got a push back to pit road and he stopped in his pit box. His truck immediately got started, but he would have to start at the back of the field. The race went green and Ryan Blaney was able to lead the first lap. The race continued on until the first caution of the race came out on lap 26. Brendan Gaughan's truck began to smoke after an oil line broke. He pulled down pit road and there was a small fire underneath the truck. It was put out quickly and the crew was eventually able to get him back on the track, but his chances for a win were lost. Ryan Sieg received the lucky dog. This is where strategy began to be a part of the race. Darrell Wallace Jr., Brad Keselowski, Ty Dillon, and Matt Crafton got two tires. Now, the drivers were on edge to see if they could win the race.

        The race went back green and it was a very short time before the second caution of the race on lap 31. Brennan Newberry lost a transmission on the restart and it began to drag the track causing a small fire underneath the truck. It was not a major fire, but his night was finished. C.J. Faison received the lucky dog. The race went back green and one of the race contenders would have trouble. Brad Keselowski began to fall back in the field due to a tire going down. He was about to pit when the third caution of the race on lap 40. Max Gresham got loose in turn 1 and slammed the outside wall. His truck was really damaged and he did not continue on in the race. Scott Riggs received the lucky dog. Keselowski got a break and was able to pit under the caution, but he lost a lot of track position since no other front runners pitted. It would be interesting to see if he could make his way back to the front with speed or if he would resort to strategy to move up through the field. 

        The race went back green and continued on until the fourth caution of the race on lap 80. John Wes Townley got loose in turn 4 and slid up the track. Somehow, he made a great save and avoided the wall. He continued on without damage. Ryan Sieg received the lucky dog. Brad Keselowski, who had taken four tires during the previous caution, decided to take two tires. He would have to come back to pit road during the caution due to overheating problems. The race went back green and another race contender would have trouble. Darrell Wallace Jr., who had led a good portion of the race, got loose underneath Ryan Blaney in turn 3. Wallace slid up the track and slammed the outside wall. He received a good bit of damage and his chances for a win were lost. This resulted in the fifth caution of the race on lap 86. C.J. Faison received the lucky dog. Now, Brad Keselowski and Ron Hornaday Jr. were going to try to run the rest of the race without pitting. Time would tell if this strategy would work.

        The race went back green and it was  a short time before all strategy was thrown out the window with the sixth and final caution of the race on lap 107. Bryan Silas got loose in turn 3 and made slight contact with the outside wall. He had a little bit of damage, but he continued on. Jeff Agnew received the lucky dog. Now, the race would be all about speed and car control since drivers would not have to pit again. The race went back green for the final time and Kyle Busch took the lead. On lap 119, Ryan Blaney finally made it to Busch's back bumper. Blaney went to the outside coming out of turn 4 and he got really high. The truck made contact with the outside wall and he lost a lot of momentum. He fell back and lost his chance for a win. Now, Busch looked like he could run away, but Ty Dillon had something to say about that. Dillon made it up to Busch and was able to pass him with 25 laps to go. Dillon cruised away from the field. Brad Keselowski made a late charge, but it did not seem to be enough. The race almost had one final caution. Joey Coulter got loose in turn 4 with two laps to go and slammed the wall. Coulter was able to make it down pit road and avoid a caution. This allowed Dillon to make it to the checkered flag and win his second career NCWTS race.

        It was an impressive show for Dillon. He used a bit of strategy from earlier in the race to win and he made it look easy doing so. Plus, he moved back into the chase for the championship with his win and struggles from other contenders. Once again, Brad Keselowski was unable to win his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. It should be a short time before he is able to capture this victory, but it could be a little while before he jumps back into the truck. Jeb Burton continued his magical season with another top 10, but he only finished one spot ahead of Matt Crafton, the championship leader. It is always good to finish ahead of the point leader, but you can not gain points finishing one position ahead. It will be interesting to see if Burton can finish ahead of Crafton the rest of the races this season. The NCWTS takes a week off and then heads to the Iowa Speedway. Will Timothy Peters repeat, will Ryan Blaney win at the site of his first NCWTS win, or will another driver move up in the points? We will have to wait a couple weeks to find out.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 26- Brendan Gaughan's truck began to smoke on track.

2nd Caution: Lap 31- Brennan Newberry lost a transmission and left pieces on the track.

3rd Caution: Lap 40- Max Gresham got loose in turn 1 and slammed the outside wall.

4th Caution: Lap 80- John Wes Townley got loose in turn 3 and made an incredible save to avoid the wall.

5th Caution: Lap 86- Darrell Wallace Jr. got loose underneath Ryan Blaney in turn 3. Wallace slid up the track and slammed the outside wall.

6th Caution: Lap 107- Bryan Silas got loose in turn 3 and made slight contact with the outside wall.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: Ryan Sieg
2nd Caution: C.J. Faison
3rd Caution: Scott Riggs
4st Caution: Ryan Sieg
5st Caution: C.J. Faison
6st Caution: Jeff Agnew

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Ty Dillon
2nd: Brad Keselowski
3rd: Kyle Busch
4th: James Buescher
5th: Ryan Blaney

Notables Not in Top 5:
9th: Jeb Burton
10th: Matt Crafton
12th: Johnny Sauter
16th: Joey Coulter
27th: Brendan Gaughan
28th: Darrell Wallace Jr.




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/camping-world-truck-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_UNOH_225/C
-Image:
http://binaryapi.ap.org/e1611bc80f4b4fe796c711e90291b849/512x.jpg

Flashback Friday- 2000 CarsDirect.com 400 at Las Vegas

(*SPOILER ALERT: This is a summary of a race that some of you may not have seen. If you want to see the race before reading this article, do not scroll down past the point at the bottom of the screen. Here is the link to the race, which is also listed at the bottom of the page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8zfmc4TGAs&list=PL79D34E25321FAA1E&index=7 *)

        The NASCAR Winston Cup Series headed to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the third race of the 2000 season on March 5. The race was know known as the CarsDirect.com 400 and it had some interesting story lines behind it. The first one was the No Bull 5 $1,000,000 bonus. Since it was put into place in 1998, the program had five races and the top 5 from the previous No Bull 5 race would have a chance for the million dollar bonus. All they had to do was win the race. The top 5 finishers from the 2000 Daytona 500, the previous No Bull 5 race in the 2000 season, were eligible for the bonus in this race. The drivers were Dale Jarrett, Jeff Burton, Bill Elliott, Mark Martin, and Rusty Wallace. All had a legitimate shot for the bonus, but they had one final story line to face: rain. Rain had been a constant problem the day of the race and it would constantly plague the event. These story lines made for a good show, but one that could have lasted a lot longer.

        Ricky Rudd started on the pole. Ironically, Rudd started next to Scott Pruett, who had jumped in the Tide sponsored car the year after Rudd's sponsorship with the company was dropped. The race went green and Rudd immediately jumped out to the lead in front of Pruett. He was able to lead the first lap, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. passed him on the second lap for the lead. The race had just begun when the first caution of the race waved on lap 20. The rain became too much to continue racing and NASCAR was forced to throw a caution. Most of the drivers made pit stops while Kyle Petty and Darrell Waltrip stayed on the track. The rain persisted and the caution stayed out. Kyle Petty and Darrell Waltrip made their pit stops and put Dale Earnhardt Jr. back in the lead. After twenty laps under the caution, the rain still continued and NASCAR decided to wave the red flag. The drivers pulled their cars down the frontstretch and stopped. They were allowed to get out and move as the rain continued to fall. After a twenty minute red flag situation, the yellow was brought back out and the drivers continued out on the track. The race went back green and Dale Earnhardt Jr. held the lead. On lap 60, Jeff Burton, who was contending for the Winston No Bull 5 bonus, took the lead. It seemed like he was in charge and had the best opportunity for the bonus, but one driver was coming. 

         Since the green flag had come back out, Bill Elliott was on the move. He had the fastest car on the track and moved from eighth to third in a short amount of time. Time would tell if he could make the move to get past Burton for the lead. It was a short time after this that one driver had trouble. On lap 92, Steve Park threw up a plume of smoke as he had slowed and moved to the apron. The engine had blown due to a broken oil line and his day was finished. The race continued on after this until the second and final caution of the race on 146. Rain was once again falling on the track and it was too much to continue racing. A short time after this, the second red flag of the race was waved and the drivers pulled their cars down the frontstretch and stopped. They were once again allowed out of their cars to walk around and talk with their crews. Jeff Burton was in the lead at the time.  Most of the drivers were interviewed and the race had went on so long that ABC had to end their coverage before the race was called. Unfortunately, the race was unable to be completed after 148 of the scheduled 267 laps. This meant that Jeff Burton would win the race and the Winston No Bull 5 bonus. It was an okay race, but it could have been a lot longer and more action packed.

        Jeff Burton furthered proved why his nickname is “The Rain Man”. It was the second Winston No Bull 5 race that he had won due to rain shortening the race. It was also his third win in these races in two years. Burton also led 56 laps, which was the most in the race. All in all, it was dominating performance by Burton considering the amount of laps that were run. Another major event happened in this race. Bobby Labonte, who won the week before, took the points lead away from Dale Jarrett for the first time of the season. He had a four point advantage heading to the always action packed Atlanta Motor Speedway. Did Jeff Burton repeat with another win, did Bobby Labonte hold his point lead, or did Dale Jarrett take his points lead back? You will have to find out on the next installment of “Flashback Friday”.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 20- Rain was falling on the track.

2nd Caution: Lap 46- Rain was once again falling on the track.

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Jeff Burton
2nd: Tony Stewart
3rd: Mark Martin
4th: Bill Elliott
5th: Bobby Labonte

Notables Not in Top 5:
7th: Dale Jarrett
8th: Dale Earnhardt Sr.
10th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
14th: Matt Kenseth
15th: Rusty Wallace
28th: Jeff Gordon




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Special Thanks to de31168 for the full race:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8zfmc4TGAs
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2000_CarsDirect.com_400/W
-Image:
http://www.lvms.com/images/1365210_lg.jpg

Ryan Blaney Grabs His First Career NCWTS Pole at Kentucky

        With a time of 30.829 seconds (175.160 mph), Ryan Blaney grabbed his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series pole at Kentucky. Blaney grabbed the pole and had to hold off laps from Darrell Wallace Jr., John Wes Townley, Joey Coulter, and others to win it. It wasn't easy, but he was successful. The session was one with a lot of ups and downs for drivers. Many of the drivers got loose in the corners. Some held on, but others could not save their trucks and made contact with the wall. All in all, it was an exciting session with constant action and drivers sliding all around the track looking for speed.

        Chris Lafferty was the first driver on the track. He went out on the track, but did not finish his lap. He is still locked in the field since only 36 trucks attempted to qualify. Chris Jones was the next driver to have some trouble. On his warm up lap, he got loose coming out of turn 4 and went for a slide down the frontstretch grass. He saved his truck and decided not to complete a lap since his tires were probably flat spotted. Once again, he is looked in the field due to only 36 trucks attempting to qualify. Brett Moffitt, who is making his NCWTS debut, would be the next driver to have trouble. On his first lap, he got loose coming out of turn 2 and slammed the outside wall. The damage was too much to fix and he had to resort to a back-up truck. The next driver made a great save. Ty Dillon got extremely loose coming out of turn 2 on his first lap. Somehow, he saved the truck and was able to run a good lap, but it was way slower than the pole speed. The pole had switched back and forth between most drivers until Ryan Blaney, the eventual polesitter, grabbed it. He held it by outlasting runs from Darrell Wallace Jr., John Wes Townley, Joey Coulter, and others. The last driver out was Cale Gale, who had a legitimate shot for the pole. He went out on the track and took the green flag. He got loose coming out of turn 2 on his first lap and saved it, but his chance for a pole were lost. With that, Ryan Blaney had the pole for tonight's race at Kentucky.

        It was a hard fought pole for Blaney. After a win at Iowa last year, he looked to grab his first pole and he was able to do that today. One thing to look for in the race is the amount of contenders starting at the back of the field. Ty Dillon and Johnny Sauter start outside the top 15, Brad Keselowski and James Buescher start outside the top 10, and Kyle Busch and Matt Crafton start outside the top 5. Another thing to look for is the amount of youngsters near the front. Ryan Blaney and Darrell Wallace Jr. are both nineteen years old and John Wes Townley is only 23 years old. These three drivers start in the top 3 spots for the race. It will be interesting to see if one of these young guys will win with all the veteran drivers in the field and if some contenders can make their way from the back. The race will be a Thursday night shootout and should be one of the best of the season. Make sure you guys turn on SPEED tonight for the race.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Top 5 Qualifiers (With Times):
1st: Ryan Blaney    30.829 (175.160 mph)
2nd: Darrell Wallace Jr.    30.844 (175.075 mph)
3rd: John Wes Townley    30.922 (174.633 mph)
4th: Brendan Gaughan    30.924 (174.622 mph)
5th: Joey Coulter    30.971 (174.357 mph)

Notables Not in Top 5 (With Times):
6th: Kyle Busch    31.104 (173.611 mph)
7th: Matt Crafton    31.119 (173.527 mph)
12th: Brad Keselowski     31.210 (173.021 mph)
13th: James Buescher    31.232 (172.900 mph)    
17th: Johnny Sauter     31.530 (171.265 mph)
22nd: Ty Dillon     31.901 (169.274 mph)

DNQs: None




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/camping-world-truck-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-qualification.html
-Image:
https://twitter.com/NASCAR_Trucks/status/350386674682957824/photo/1

A.J. Allmendinger Defeats All Odds And Wins His First Race in NASCAR at Road America

       After failing a drug test last year and not having a full schedule this season, A.J. Allmendinger jumped in the #22 for Penske Racing at Road America in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and won the race. It was a big confidence booster for Allmendinger and could propel him to a bright future in the years to come in NASCAR. But it was definitely the most exciting and tense race this year in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Talladega and Daytona were awesome, but this race was absolutely fantastic. Drivers were running off the track, bumping into other drivers, messing up their cars, getting stuck on the track, running out of fuel, and slapping each other. Yes, slapping each other. It was filled with strategy calls, flared tempers, worn out equipment, and feel good stories. A little example of this is Cole Whitt. Whitt, who jumped in a pretty much unsponsored race car a couple of weeks ago, finished eighth. If you are not interested yet, check your pulse and scroll down.

        A.J. Allmendinger started on the pole. It was his first career NASCAR Nationwide Series pole. The green flag waved and he made it around to lead the first lap. The strategy calls started on lap 1. Trevor Bayne, Alex Bowman, Michael Annett, Travis Pastrana, Elliott Sadler, Brendan Gaughan, and Andrew Ranger decided to pit on lap 1. Since the cars could not be fueled after qualifying, some drivers decided to make three pit stops while others where only going to try to make two stops. These drivers who pitted on lap 1 were planning on a three stop race. It was a short time after this that the first caution of the race came out on lap 4. Michael McDowell stopped on the track in turn 6 due to a broken distributor in the engine. It was a horrible break for McDowell because he seemed to have a race winning car, but it just wasn't meant to be. No drivers received the lucky dog. Even more strategy calls were made. Parker Kligerman, Justin Allgaier, Brian Vickers, and most of the drivers at the back of the field decided to come in and get fuel. The top few drivers, like A.J. Allmendinger, Billy Johnson, and Owen Kelly, had not made stops at all. The race was starting to shape up and it would be interesting to see which strategy worked.

        The race went back green and A.J. Allmendinger jumped out to a nice lead. On lap 7, he ran off course in turn 6 and Billy Johnson was able to get by him for the lead. Allmendinger fell to third as Owen Kelly also got by. More strategy started to take shape shortly after this. Nelson Piquet Jr. and Johnny O'Connell decided to pit on lap 13. Regan Smith, Kyle Larson, and Austin Dillon decided to pit on lap 14. Austin Dillon would have some trouble on pit road. He was caught speeding on the exit of pit road and he would have to come back down for a pass through penalty. Next, Billy Johnson, A.J. Allmendinger, and Owen Kelly, the leaders of the race, pitted on lap 15 with Sam Hornish Jr. and Max Papis. Billy Johnson, who was in the lead at the time of stops, was caught speeding on pit road and he would have to serve a pass through penalty. At the same time as these stops, the second caution of the race came out on lap 15. Andrew Ranger stopped on the track. Kevin O'Connell received the lucky dog. Even more strategy was put into place. Most of the drivers who pitted during the first caution or before that time pitted once again. One driver had trouble on his stop. Brian Vickers did not have all the lug nuts tight on the right front and he was forced to come back down pit road to tighten it. Now, the race was getting to where strategy was the most important part and the one driver who used it the best would come out on top as the winner.

       The race restarted and Parker Kligerman jumped out to the lead. He did not pit so he was at the front of the field on the restart. It would be a short time before this move really hurt him. On lap 20, he was racing with Owen Kelly for the lead coming into turn 14 when Kelly chased him off the track. Kligerman was going to make the move to pit road, but he could not get in front of traffic which caused him to lose a lot of time and he wasn't able to pit on that lap. On lap 21, the first driver of the race crushed his hood. Nelson Piquet Jr. wheel hopped going into turn 1 and slammed into the back of Brian Scott which caused his hood crinkle up. He continued on, but the crew had to tape up the nose. It was a short time after this that Kenny Habul had his first trouble of the day. On lap 26, Habul spun in turn 12 and slid down the track and slammed the tire barriers, but he was able to get back going and the caution did not wave. A short time after this one of the contenders would have trouble. On lap 29, Owen Kelly stopped on the track in between turns 8 and 9. The team had miscalculated the fuel mileage and he had run out of fuel. This resulted in the third caution of the race. Kenny Habul received the lucky dog. It was a costly mistake for Kelly, but he was pushed back around to pit road and the team got fuel in the car before he lost a lap. Most of the leaders made pit stops as Sam Hornish Jr. stayed out to become the leader. As the pace car pulled to pit road for the restart, Hornish made the move down to pit road. It would be costly as he was caught speeding exiting and he had to make a pas through. Meanwhile, the other drivers were beginning to race hard in the second half of the race.

        Shortly after the restart on lap 34, Mike Wallace went off track in turn 6, but he was able to get back on track and avoid a caution. Shortly after this, a rookie who had been doing well all race would have a hat trick of problems. On lap 37, Kyle Larson drove too hard into turn 1 and slammed into the back of Max Papis causing the nose of Larson's car to crinkle up. On the same lap, Larson made contact with Johnny O'Connell exiting turn 6, which caused O'Connell to slide off the track and make slight contact with the tire barrier. To finish off the hat trick, Owen Kelly went hard into turn 12 and made contact with Brendan Gaughan, which caused Gaughan to spin out. He saved it as Larson spun trying to avoid him. This resulted in the fourth caution of the race on lap 37. Both drivers continued on without damage from the spin. Kevin O'Connell received the lucky dog. The race went back green and one driver would have trouble before crossing the line. Kenny Habul misjudged the speed of the restart and swerved to avoid the driver in front of him. He went sliding through the grass and made contact with a sign. A piece of the sign was thrown on the track and another sat on his front bumper. NASCAR was forced to throw the fifth caution of the race on lap 40 because the sign debris was in the middle of the racing surface. Andrew Ranger received the lucky dog. The caution caused some misfortune for two guys. Travis Pastrana and Jeremy Clements received the word for a caution a little late. The two continued racing and Pastrana slammed into the back of Trevor Bayne and Clements slammed into the back of Austin Dillon. Both drivers had crinkled hoods that had to be taped. Now, the race would move into the final stage and it was sure to be the best racing, possibly, of the afternoon.

        The race went back green and A.J. Allmendinger immediately sought retribution from Billy Johnson. On the previous restart, Johnson moved Allmendinger off track and caused him to slide all the way back to fourth. Now, the tables were turned. Coming into turn 5 on lap 42, Allmendinger moved Johnson out of the way for position. Allmendinger moved to second as Johnson slid to fifth. In turn 7, Johnson, who was looking to gain positions back quick, drove in deep and sent Max Papis for a spin off course. Papis avoided damage and continued on while the caution did not wave. More would come from these actions after the race. Shortly after this on lap 44, Johnny O'Connell had more struggles as he got off track in turn 5. He continued on and once again the caution was avoided. This led to the sixth caution of the race on lap 44. Jeremy Clements went off track in turn 7 and slammed the tire barrier. He was stuck there, which forced the caution to wave. Andrew Ranger received the lucky dog. Now, the race had only a few laps and most were hoping to finish in regulation.

        The race went back green and it was obvious that the action had begun to pick up. Parker Kligerman and Owen Kelly went hot into turn 5 on lap 47. The two slammed into each other and plowed into Regan Smith and Billy Johnson. Johnson and Smith went off track, but they continued on without bringing out a caution. It was a short time after this that the seventh caution of the race came out on lap 48. John Young stopped in between turns 5 and 6 on the track. Michael McDowell received the lucky dog. It had not worked out for some of the drivers. They would have to deal with at least one green-white-checkered and some might not have enough fuel to make it.

        The race went back green and all the drivers were on edge. They didn't know who would make the first mistake and continue the race. It was a short time before they found out with the eighth and final caution of the race on lap 50. Owen Kelly bumped Michael Annett coming into turn 7 and Annett made contact with the wall. His car became stuck in the grass and NASCAR was forced to wave the caution. Michael McDowell received the lucky dog. Now, it seemed like nobody would have fuel to make the finish. A.J. Allmendinger had not pitted in a while and it looked like the winner would be the man who had the most fuel. The race went green and the drivers were up on their steering wheels. Trevor Bayne was the first driver to have some trouble. He began to slow on track due to a broken transmission. He was able to continue on in the race, but his chances for a win were lost. Nothing else happened and the field made it to the white flag. A.J. Allmendinger held the lead and he made it back around to the checkered flag for his first career victory in NASCAR. But the action was not finished. Max Papis, who had been dumped by Billy Johnson earlier in the race, wanted to have a word with Johnson. Papis got out of his car and walked over to Johnson's car just as he was getting. Papis gave Johnson a huge slap to his helmet. No other altercation occurred, but words can not describe the feeling after the slap. With that, Allmendinger was able to celebrate one of the greatest triumphants this season.

        It was a remarkable race for many of the drivers in the race. There were many good notes after the race. Cole Whitt came home eighth, Mike Wallace came home thirteenth after all his problems, Kenny Habul avenged his problems in the race and finished eighteenth, and Stanton Barrett made his first race of the season and grabbed a nineteenth place finish. Other championship contenders had trouble. Trevor Bayne finished 30th with transmission problems and Regan Smith finished 32nd after an incident on the final lap of the race. Justin Allgaier finished second and Sam Hornish Jr. finished fifth which caused Smith's point lead to shrink heading to Kentucky. The Nationwide Series leaves the best race of the season and heads to the Bluegrass State for a Friday night shootout. Will Austin Dillon win for the second year in a row, will another driver take the point lead, or will Regan Smith extend his point lead with a good finish? We will have to wait until next Friday to find out.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 4-  Michael McDowell stopped on the track at the entrance to turn 6.

2nd Caution: Lap 15- Andrew Ranger stopped on the track.

3rd Caution: Lap 29- Owen Kelly stopped on the track in between turns 8 and 9.

4th Caution: Lap 37- Brendan Gaughan spun in turn 12 after contact with Owen Kelly. Kyle Larson also spun trying to avoid the incident.

5th Caution: Lap 40- Sign debris was on the frontstretch from Kenny Habul's contact.

6th Caution: Lap 44- Jeremy Clements went off track in turn 7 and slammed the tire barrier.

7th Caution: Lap 48- John Young stopped on the track in between turns 5 and 6.

8th Caution: Lap 50- Michael Annett went for a spin in turn 7 and made contact with the tire barrier after previous contact with Owen Kelly.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: Kevin O'Connell
3rd Caution: Kenny Habul
4th Caution: Kevin O'Connell
5th Caution: Andrew Ranger
6th Caution: Andrew Ranger
7th Caution: Michael McDowell
8th Caution: Michael McDowell

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: A.J. Allmendinger
2nd: Justin Allgaier 
3rd: Parker Kligerman
4th: Owen Kelly
5th: Sam Hornish Jr.

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Brian Vickers
9th: Elliott Sadler
10th: Austin Dillon
16th: Travis Pastrana
30th: Trevor Bayne
32nd: Regan Smith




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Johnsonville_Sausage_200/B
-Image:
http://www.autoweek.com/galleryimage/CW/20130622/NASCAR02/622009999/PH/1/3/Allmendinger-Victory-Lane-NASCAR.jpg

A.J. Allmendinger Grabs His First NASCAR Nationwide Series Pole at Road America

       With a time of 2:13.41 minutes (109.233 mph), A.J. Allmendinger captured the pole for the first road course race of the season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Road America. Owen Kelly had the pole in the last group, but A.J. Allmendinger decided to run a second lap to get a pole lap and he definitely did. The qualifying session used the typical group qualifying format used at road courses in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Like usual, the group format made it a very interesting session to watch with cars going off track, cars sliding around, and drivers searching for all the speed they can get. Plus, they can not refuel the car before the race starts so they had to be watchful of how much fuel they used during the session. All in all, it was an interesting session with excitement at every turn.

        Like it was previously stated, the session used the group qualifying format. There were 5 groups with 8 cars in each group. Landon Cassill was the first driver out on the track. He ran the second quickest lap of the first group behind Elliott Sadler. Group 1 had the most trouble in the session. Dexter Stacey spun around in one of the turns, but he was able to get back going. Elliott Sadler, who had problems in practice on Friday, ran his fast lap and he lost the engine and transmission. He still had the provisional pole, but he will have to start in the back since the engine has to be changed. Group 2 went out and everything stayed the same with Elliott on top of the board. This would change in group 3 as Brian Scott and Brian Vickers took the pole with Vickers taking the provisional pole when the group was finished. Travis Pastrana had a little trouble in group 3. He went off track in one of the corners, but he was able to continue on and run another lap. Justin Allgaier and Parker Kligerman went out in group 4 and took the pole with Kligerman grabbing the provisional pole when the group was finished. Now, it was time for the fifth and final group with the fastest drivers in practice going out. Owen Kelly, the fastest driver in practice, jumped out to the provisional pole with most drivers only doing one lap. A.J. Allmendinger decided to run two laps and the second overtook Kelly's lap. This gave Allmendinger the pole as the session came to a close. This is the first time Allmendinger has been in the Nationwide Series this year and he made sure he did not disappoint.

        Allmendinger hasn't been in these Nationwide cars this year, but he competed in the Indianapolis 500 and has run a few races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It was an impressive show for Allmendinger and others. Many of the road course ringers, like Owen Kelly and Billy Johnson, had successful qualifying runs while championship contenders, like Regan Smith and Elliott Sadler, had slower laps and need to make up a lot of ground during the race. It should be a good show later in the day with a lot of strategy calls and plenty of tough road course racing. Make sure you tune in because it could be one of the best of the year.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Groups:
1st Group: Landon Cassill, Eric McClure, Kevin O'Connell, Dexter Stacey, Jeff Green, Tony Raines, Derek White, and Elliott Sadler

2nd Group: Stanton Barrett, Mike Bliss, John Young, Brendan Gaughan, Reed Sorenson, James Buescher, Jeffrey Earnhardt, and Kenny Habul

3rd Group: Brian Scott, Brian Vickers, Kyle Kelley, Mike Wallace, Alex Bowman, Cole Whitt, Jeremy Clements, and Travis Pastrana

4th Group: Austin Dillon, Max Papis, Justin Allgaier, Parker Kligerman, Michael Annett, Regan Smith, Andrew Ranger, and Trevor Bayne

5th Group: Owen Kelly, Billy Johnson, A.J. Allmendinger, Michael McDowell, Sam Hornish Jr., Johnny O'Connell, Nelson Piquet Jr., and Kyle Larson

Fastest in Each Group (With Times):
1st Group: Elliott Sadler    2:17.03 (106.348 mph)
2nd Group: Mike Bliss    2:17.14 (106.261 mph)
3rd Group: Brian Vickers    2:14.35 (108.471 mph)
4th Group: Parker Kligerman    2:13.76 (108.947 mph)
5th Group: A.J. Allmendinger    2:13.41 (109.233 mph)

Top 5 Qualifiers (With Times):
1st: A.J. Allmendinger    2:13.41 (109.233 mph)
2nd: Owen Kelly    2:13.64 (109.044 mph)
3rd: Parker Kligerman    2:13.76 (108.947 mph)
4th: Justin Allgaier    2:13.91 (108.825 mph)
5th: Michael McDowell     2:14.01 (108.747 mph)

Notables Not in Top 5 (With Times):
8th: Sam Hornish Jr.    2:14.35 (108.471 mph)
9th: Brian Vickers    2:14.35 (108.471 mph)
11th: Trevor Bayne    2:14.81 (108.101 mph)
14th: Austin Dillon    2:15.05 (107.904 mph)
16th: Regan Smith    2:15.59 (107.479 mph)
22nd: Elliott Sadler    2:17.03 (106.348 mph)




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-qualification.html
-Image:
https://twitter.com/NASCAR_NNS/status/348521262617853952/photo/1

Flashback Friday- 2000 Dura Lube/Kmart 400 at Rockingham

(*SPOILER ALERT: This is a summary of a race that some of you may not have seen. If you want to see the race before reading this article, do not scroll down past the point at the bottom of the screen. Here is the link to the race, which is also listed at the bottom of the page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xhjP6zzBdA&feature=youtu.be*)
       

         The NASCAR Winston Cup Series headed to North Carolina Speedway for the second race of the 2000 season on February 27. North Carolina Speedway, better known as Rockingham or “The Rock”, has always held great races with a lot of wear on equipment, dedication, and mental stability. The 2000 Dura Lube/Kmart 400 was no different. Tires were falling off quickly and drivers struggled to hold on with the rough contditions of the track. Some drivers, like Bobby Labonte and Dale Earnhardt Sr., had the track figured out while others, like Jerry Nadeau and Matt Kenseth, had some trouble. Bobby Labonte eventually came out on top, but not without a last ditch effort from Earnhardt Sr. late in the race and other drivers having better cars at different parts of the race. All in all, it was a great race to spark the season on.

       Rusty Wallace started on the pole. When the race went green, he immediately jumped out to the lead and he was able to lead the first lap. It was a short time before the first caution of the race waved on lap 20. Kenny Irwin Jr. got loose in turn 4 and spun, but received no damage. Robby Gordon also spun down the apron. Chad Little did not spin, but he received some damage trying to slow down from the wreck. This is when the strategy started playing out for the field. Drivers like Ward Burton, Bobby Hamilton, Sterling Marlin, Dale Jarrett, and Michael Waltrip decided to pit. Other drivers like Bobby Labonte, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt decided not to pit. Immediately, we found out which decision was the best.

        The race went green and the drivers with fresh tires shot to the front of the field. Ward Burton took the lead with Bobby Hamilton behind him. All the drivers who didn't take tires fell back and lost a lot of time. Those drivers finally pitted around lap 70 to make their way back through the field. The race continued on until the second caution of the race on lap 106. Dave Marcis' car began to smoke and NASCAR spotted oil on the track. The team found out that the radiator had busted and they were able to fix the car. The oil was cleaned up and the race went back green once again. The race continued on until the third caution on lap 112. Darrell Waltrip was running slow and cars behind him began to check up. Jerry Nadeau got bumped from behind and went for a spin down the frontstretch, but he was able to save it and prevent damage. He got back going and the field set up for the restart. The race went back green and one of the contenders in the race would have trouble.

        Bobby Hamilton, who was in the lead, began to slow on the track on lap 136. He coasted the car onto pit road for his team to look at. He immediately told his crew that the problem was with the ignition. He had already switched over from the primary ignition earlier in the race and the secondary system was now having trouble. The team took the car behind the wall and replaced the distributor. He was able to get back running, but his chances for a win were lost. The race continued on until green flag pit stops began on lap 180. These stops ended as the fourth and final caution of the race came out on lap 187. Jeff Fuller got high coming out of turn 2 and made contact with the outside wall. The track was cleaned up and the drivers got ready for the restart. Now, they only needed two pit stops to finish the race and the winner would be the driver who used his equipment the best. 

        The race continued on until green flag pit stops began on lap 250. The stops went well with Ward Burton taking the lead afterwards and Bobby Labonte passing him later. The race continued until one of the contenders would have trouble. With about 80 laps to go, Jeff Burton, who had been running up front, began to see his lap times slowing. His crew felt that he was having problem with one of the valve springs. He was able to continue on for a little while, but his chances for a good finish were lost.  After a short time, his car began to smoke and NASCAR black flagged him. He reported to pit road and his team thought they had fixed the problem, but his car began to smoke again and he was forced to pit. The race continued on until the final pit stops of the race began on lap 325. Bobby Labonte held the lead before and after the stops. He continued to hold the lead as Dale Earnhardt Sr. made a charge late in the race. It wasn't enough as Bobby Labonte cruised to his first win of the season and his thirteenth in his career. Bobby, along with his brother, Terry, became the third set of brothers to win a race at Rockingham. Also, Bobby moved within five points of Dale Jarrett's point lead, but the season was far from over.

        Bobby Labonte had a dominating day. He led 134 of the 393 laps, which included the last 113 laps of the race. Dale Earnhardt Sr., Ward Burton, Tony Stewart, Bobby Hamilton, Jeff Gordon, and Rusty Wallace all had chances to win throughout the race, but Bobby Labonte was just too impressive to beat. It was a good momentum booster for Bobby's team and they would look to take it to their first Winston Cup championship. The next race of the season was the 2000 CarsDirect.com 400 at Las Vegas. Did Bobby Labonte repeat with a win, did a driver win the one million dollar bonus, or did another throw his name in the championship chase? It was an okay race that will be good for the next installment of “Flashback Friday.”
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 20- Kenny Irwin Jr. and Robby Gordon spun in turn 4, but neither driver received damage. Chad Little did not spin, but received some damage.

2nd Caution: Lap 106- Dave Marcis' car began to smoke and NASCAR spotted oil on the track.

3rd Caution: Lap 112- Jerry Nadeau spun along the frontstretch after being bumped when cars started to stack up in front of him.

4th Caution: Lap 187- Jeff Fuller got into the wall coming out of turn 2. 

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Bobby Labonte
2nd: Dale Earnhardt Sr.
3rd: Ward Burton
4th: Tony Stewart
5th: Dale Jarrett

Notables Not in Top 5:
8th: Mark Martin
10th: Jeff Gordon
11th: Rusty Wallace
19th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
32nd: Jeff Burton
37th: Matt Kenseth




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Special Thanks to SKracing for the full race:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xhjP6zzBdA&feature=youtu.be
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2000_Dura_Lube_Kmart_400/W
-Image:
http://onlineathens.com/images/022800/labonte.jpg

Greg Biffle Wins His First Race of the Season at Michigan

        After taking the lead on the final pit stops of the race, Greg Biffle never looked back and captured the win at Michigan. It was Jack Roush's twelfth win at Michigan and it was the one thousandth win for Ford in NASCAR. It was definitely a historic day for Roush and Ford, but it definitely worked out in their favor. Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr., two of the dominant cars in the race, had race ending problems before they had a chance to win. Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson, who looked like they would win late in the race, had problems on the last run of the race. A few other story lines to follow are the amount of tire failures, constant strategy calls, and problems for the leader of the race. All in all, it was a tense and exciting race with many twists and turns that kept it extremely interesting.

        Carl Edwards started on the pole for the race. On the start, he would quickly find Kurt Busch's behavior unappealing. Busch drove down into turn 1 underneath Edwards and went up the track. Busch made contact with Edwards and Edwards immediately fell back. Busch took the lead and led the first lap. Edwards was not too happy, but had to settle in around fifth place. It was a short time before the first caution of the race waved on lap 6. Bobby Labonte got loose in turn 2 and went for a spin up the track. Jeff Gordon checked up and slammed into Labonte. Both drivers slammed into the outside wall and slid down the backstretch. Both had huge amounts of damage, which led to Labonte retiring and Gordon losing over one hundred laps to fix the car. No drivers received the lucky dog. The race went back green and continued on until the second caution of the race on lap 20. NASCAR waved a competition caution because it rained at the speedway during the night. David Gilliland received the lucky dog. Kyle Busch received a penalty for passing on the entrance to pit road and he had to start at the back of the field, but he would make his way back up. Now, the drivers were ready to race after making sure everything was good with the track and the strategy calls began to come out.

       The race went green once again and it was a short time before the third caution of the race waved on lap 29. Kurt Busch, a contender in the early part of the race, got loose coming out of turn 2 and slammed the outside wall. He received a good bit of damage and would fall a few laps down. Travis Kvapil received the lucky dog. The race went back green and continued on until the fourth caution of the race on lap 41. Debris off Kurt Busch's car was spotted on the track in turn 1. David Ragan received the lucky dog. Jamie McMurray, Austin Dillon, Mark Martin, Marcos Ambrose, and Danica Patrick decided not to pit. The race went back green once again and most of the drivers who stayed out made it work. They eventually had to pit and this led to the fifth caution of the race on lap 76. Debris was spotted on the track in turn 1. David Stremme received the lucky dog. The race went back green and there was some trouble on the restart. Dale Earnhardt Jr. spun the tires in the lead and Jimmie Johnson did not want to beat him to the line so he slowed down. Things stacked up behind them and Johnson got shuffled way back while Earnhardt was able to take the lead with Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, and Matt Kenseth following. Kahne would quickly take the lead away, but his day would go from good to awful in a split second. 

        Coming into turn 2 on lap 104, Kahne's car instantly shot to the right due to a blown tire and he pounded the wall. The car slid across the wall and burst into flames as it neared a stop. Kahne quickly jumped out of the car and was able to douse the flames with the extinguisher, but his race was finished. This resulted in the sicth caution of the race. A.J. Allmendinger received the lucky dog. The race went green once again and the place exploded as Dale Earnhardt Jr. returned to the lead. He held the lead well and seemed like he had a car that could win, but it quickly went downhill. On lap 128, Earnhardt began to slow on the frontstretch. He had lost a cylinder in his engine and it would only be a short time before the motor expired. On lap 131, Earnhardt began to smoke and his engine was gone. This resulted in the seventh caution of the race for the oil his engine left on the track. His day was done and his chances to win were dashed. David Ragan received the lucky dog. All the top 10 drivers took two tires, but Jimmie Johnson decided to take four. He was stuck back in traffic, but he could definitely move through it. These moves were setting up for an awesome finish.

        The race went back green and the blue ovals began to show their might. Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, and Greg Biffle were the top 3 and they stayed up there until the eighth and final caution of the race waved on lap 167. Jamie McMurray blew a tire at the end of the frontstretch and hit the wall. He received a good bit of damage. This is where the strategy really picked up. Joey Logano was the only driver in the top 10 to take four tires. Brad Keselowski and a few of the other front runners decided to take two tires and one can of fuel while Jimmie Johnson took two tires and two cans of fuel. It would be interesting to see which moves would pay off. The race went back green and Matt Kenseth would have some trouble. On the restart, he got loose in turn 2 and made slight contact with the wall. He lost many spots, but he gained most of them back by the end of the race. Now, the mad dash to the finish was set and it was certainly one of the best of the season.

       Greg Biffle led the race, but Kevin Harvick was in hot pursuit. He stayed close behind Biffle, but he could not capitalize. Eventually, Jimmie Johnson caught up and passed Harvick for second. Now, Johnson, who had one of the best cars, was looking to chase Biffle down. He came close, but he had a problem. On lap 197, he moved up the track and made slight contact with the wall. Johnson had a tire going down and this ended his chance for victory and his race. The caution did not wave and Biffle could cruise to the win. Before that happened, Brad Keselowski ran out of fuel coming to the line and fell out of the top 10. This did not affect Biffle as he grabbed his fourth career victory at Michigan and his first of the season. It was quite a day as Biffle solidified his standing in the points and that he is a threat for the title as well. 

        It was a good day for Jack Roush and his team. Greg Biffle won the race in one of his cars, Carl Edwards finished eighth and gained points on Jimmie Johnson for the championship lead, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished sixteenth in his debut at Michigan. In fact, many of the Ford drivers had good finishes. On the other hand, Rick Hendrick and his team did not have finishes to show for their good cars. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 37th after losing his engine, Kasey Kahne finished 38th after blowing a tire, Jeff Gordon finished 39th after an early accident, and Jimmie Johnson finished 28th after blowing a tire with three laps to go. They all lost a good many points, but they all have chances to make the chase in the end. All things considered, it was an action packed race that was definitely one of the best of the year. The Sprint Cup Series heads to the first road course event of the season at Infineon. Will Clint Bowyer repeat after his win last year, will Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson rebound at a track they have won at previously, or will a road course ringer make it to victory lane? We will have to wait until next Sunday to find out all these questions and more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 6- Bobby Labonte got loose in turn 2 and went for a spin as Jeff Gordon slammed into his side.

2nd Caution: Lap 20- Competition caution waved due to rain at Michigan during the night.

3rd Caution: Lap 29- Kurt Busch got loose coming out of turn 2 and slammed the wall.

4th Caution: Lap 41- Debris off Kurt Busch's car was spotted in turn 1. 

5th Caution: Lap 76- Debris was spotted on the track in turn 1.

6th Caution: Lap 104- Kasey Kahne blew a tire in turn 2 and slammed the outside wall.

7th Caution: Lap 131- Dale Earnhardt Jr. lost an engine and left oil on the track.

8th Caution: Lap 167- Jamie McMurray blew a tire at the end of the frontstretch and hit the wall.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: David Gilliland
3rd Caution: Travis Kvapil
4th Caution: David Ragan
5th Caution: David Stremme
6th Caution: A.J. Allmendinger
7th Caution: David Ragan
8th Caution: Carl Edwards

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Greg Biffle
2nd: Kevin Harvick
3rd: Martin Truex Jr.
4th: Kyle Busch
5th: Tony Stewart

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Matt Kenseth
12th: Brad Keselowski
13th: Danica Patrick
28th: Jimmie Johnson
37th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
38th: Kasey Kahne
39th: Jeff Gordon





Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Quicken_Loans_400/W
-Image:
http://cmsimg.indystar.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=BG&Date=20130616&Category=SPORTS03&ArtNo=306160025&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&q=80&NASCAR-Greg-Biffle-holds-win-again-Michigan

Regan Smith Holds Off a Late Charge From Kyle Larson to Win at Michigan

        After taking the lead from Parker Kligerman with thirteen laps to go, Regan Smith held off a challenge from Kyle Larson to win his second race of the year. Smith started in the 20th position, which was the same place he started when he won the race at Talladega earlier this year. Early in the race, it seemed like the race was Austin Dillon's, but his day quickly spiraled out of control. A couple of story lines to follow are the struggles for Kyle Busch in the race, the amount of strategy calls due to the impending weather, and the amount of parts and pieces flying off the cars. This last thing will lead to some bad problems for some contenders in the race. It was a tense and thrilling race at Michigan that was worth watching.

       Austin Dillon started on the pole. Earlier in the day, he had become the first driver in the history of the Nationwide Series to win four consecutive poles. He was able to lead the first lap of the race, but it was not completed under green as the first caution of the race waved. Alex Bowman got loose underneath Brian Scott in turn 3 and he went for a spin. He saved it and avoided huge damage, but he still had a small amount. Behind them, Travis Pastrana got loose coming into turn 3 and went for a spin up the track. Jeffrey Earnhardt thought he could clear Pastrana before he moved all the way up the track, but he couldn't and Earnhardt slammed into Pastrana's side. Brian Vickers also spun and received some front end damage while the rest of the spins were going on. All five drivers had damage with Brian Vickers and Jeffrey Earnhardt's being the worst. No drivers received the lucky dog. The race went green and it was a short time after this that the second caution of the race waved on lap 7. Dexter Stacey blew a tire in turn 3 and slammed the outside wall. He received heavy damage and did not continue.  No drivers received the lucky dog. Now, the race could finally begin without incident.

        The race went back green and it continued on until the first round of green flag pit stops of the race on lap 40. Brad Sweet ran out of gas, but he would later recover. Everything else went smoothly and Austin Dillon returned to the lead. These stops led to the third caution of the race on lap 64. Debris flew out from the back of Justin Allgaier's car and littered the backstretch. Subsequently, Allgaier received the lucky dog. Now, the strategy calls began to come out. Austin Dillon, Regan Smith, Brian Scott, and Chris Buescher decided to stay out. The race went back green and it was obvious that the move might have been a mistake for Dillon. He was freight trained and Joey Logano moved to the lead.  All the other drivers seemed to have made a mistake too, but Regan Smith held on for third spot. On lap 70, a caution was narrowly avoided. Mike Bliss, who was running sixteenth, got loose coming out of turn 2 and went for a spin down the backstretch. He saved the car and continued on while the race stayed green. This is where Austin Dillon's day started getting bad. He had to come down pit road on lap 71 because he had a flat left rear tire that was caused by debris from the previous caution. His team replaced it and he fell a lap down. Now, he had to fight his way back to the lead lap and it would not be easy.

       The race continued on until the fourth caution of the race on lap 80. Brian Scott littered debris on the frontstretch. This wasn't the only thing that happened. Sam Hornish Jr., who had been a contender the whole race, began pouring out smoke from the back of his car. He reported to pit road and his team sent him to the garage. The problem was a punctured oil pump caused by the debris from Justin Allgaier's car. Brad Sweet received the lucky dog. With this, Regan Smith was sure to gain a good many points to add to his large points lead. Even more strategy was used on this caution as Joey Logano, Chris Buescher, Elliott Sadler, and Parker Kligerman did not pit. The race went green and Chris Buescher immediately dove to pit road since he had stayed out the last two cautions. He gave up second as the leaders took off. Joey Logano got away with the lead and held it until the fifth and final caution of the race on lap 98. Debris was spotted on the frontstretch. Even more strategy was used as Parker Kligerman was the only driver to stay on the track as others took two and four tires. It was sure to be a good finish and Austin Dillon also received the lucky dog. This put him back on the lead lap and put him in a good spot to battle for the win.

        The race went back green for the final time and Parker Kligerman jumped out to a quick lead. The battle was for second as Trevor Bayne, Regan Smith, Kyle Larson, Paul Menard, and Kyle Busch contended for the spot. Since Kligerman would have to pit if the race went green the rest of the way, this would be the battle for the win. Things finally settled out and Regan Smith held second spot as Kyle Larson followed in third. Kligerman finally made his stop and Smith inherited the lead. All he had to do was hold off Larson, which wasn't an easy task. Larson gained on him every lap, but Smith gained back on the frontstretch. The good racing almost ended due to a caution. On lap 121, Austin Dillon's bad day became even worse. On lap 121, he was running ninth when he began to slow on the backstretch. By the time he reached turn 3, the car was smoking and he had to make his way to the apron. He had lost an engine and his chance at victory was finished. The caution did not wave and the racing continued. After a valiant battle, Larson came up a bit short and Smith went on to his third career NASCAR Nationwide Series victory.

       All things considered, it was an awesome day for Regan Smith. Not only did he win the race, but he also gained points on Sam Hornish Jr. and Austin Dillon after they had bad days. Plus, Smith further solidified that he is a contender for the championship. Also, Kyle Larson continued to perform. He grabbed his second runner up position of his Nationwide Series career and gained points on Alex Bowman in the rookie battle. If you are looking for a future favorite driver, Larson is one that definitely will not disappoint. Also, Kyle Busch finished an astonishing fourth and did not lead a lap. This could foretell the future of his season in the Nationwide Series or it could fuel the fire and make him strive for more wins. The NASCAR Nationwide Series heads to the first road course race of the season at Road America. Will Nelson Piquet Jr. repeat at Road America, will a road course ringer grab the victory, or will a Nationwide regular shine at a road course event? We will have to wait until next week to find out.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 1- Alex Bowman got loose underneath Brian Scott in turn 3 and went for a spin. Travis Pastrana went for a spin coming into turn 3 and Jeffrey Earnhardt slammed into his door. Brian Vickers also spun in turn 3 while the other drivers were spinning.

2nd Caution: Lap 7- Dexter Stacey blew a tire in turn 3 and slammed the outside wall.

3rd Caution: Lap 64- Debris from Justin Allgaier's car was spotted on the backstretch.

4th Caution: Lap 80- Debris from Brian Scott's car was spotted on the frontstretch.

5th Caution: Lap 98- Debris was spotted on the frontstretch.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nd Caution: None
3rd Caution: Justin Allgaier
4th Caution: Brad Sweet
5th Caution: Austin Dillon

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Regan Smith
2nd: Kyle Larson
3rd: Paul Menard
4th: Kyle Busch
5th: Trevor Bayne

Notables Not in Top 5:
8th: Elliott Sadler
11th: Joey Logano
17th: Travis Pastrana
20th: Austin Dillon
32nd: Sam Hornish Jr.
33rd: Brian Vickers




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-live.html
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Alliance_Truck_Parts_250/B
-Image:
http://media.syracuse.com/motorsports/photo/12937127-standard.jpg

Austin Dillon Makes History By Grabbing His Fourth Consecutive Pole of the Year at Michigan

       With a time of 37.523 seconds (191.882 mph), Austin Dillon grabbed his fourth consecutive pole of the season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and destroyed the track record he set last year at Michigan. He also became the first repeat polesitter at Michigan in the history of the Nationwide Series. His run was not without threats from other contenders. Paul Menard, Brian Scott, Trevor Bayne, and Alex Bowman all came within half a second of Dillon's lap, but his time held on for the pole. The session was one for the books with some of the fastest laps ever run in qualifying for the Nationwide Series.

       Carl Long was the first driver on the track. He ran a fairly slow lap, but he still made the field because only 39 cars attempted to make the race. The first change in the qualifying order was with Ken Butler III. NASCAR gave his team a little extra time to work on the car. He ran his qualifying lap after Jeremy Clements made his run and Butler will start 35th. The second change in the qualifying order was with Joey Gase. Gase blew an engine in practice on Friday so NASCAR allowed his team to work on the car. He went out last and wil start 36th. The pole switched back and forth between drivers until Chris Buescher grabbed the provisional pole. After he did this, Trevor Bayne, Brian Scott, and Paul Menard would take the provisional pole in that order. In fact, Paul Menard's lap also bested the track record set last year by Austin Dillon. It looked like a challenge for Austin Dillon, but it definitely did not seem like that. He went out in his scheduled last place and he ran a lap that was two tenths ahead of Paul Menard's speed. With Joey Gase's run, Dillon had made history and became the first driver to win four consecutive poles. 

        Dillon ran well last week at Iowa after winning the pole and dominating the race, but Trevor Bayne passed him late in the race for the win. He will look to take the momentum from his pole win to his first victory of the season. One storyline to follow in the race is the amount of championship contenders and race contenders stuck near the back of the field. Joey Logano, Sam Hornish Jr., Kyle Busch, Elliott Sadler, and Regan Smith all qualified outside the top 9. It will be fun to watch all of these drivers make their way to the front of the field. The race is later today on ABC and it is sure to be a good show.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Top 5 Qualifiers (With Times):
1st: Austin Dillon     37.523 (191.882 mph)
2nd: Paul Menard    37.762 (190.668 mph)
3rd: Brian Scott    37.831 (190.320 mph)
4th: Trevor Bayne     37.833 (190.310 mph)
5th: Alex Bowman    37.849 (190.230 mph)

Notables Not in Top 5 (With Times):
9th: Brian Vickers    38.058 (189.185 mph)
10th: Joey Logano     38.064 (189.155 mph)
12th: Travis Pastrana     38.076 (189.095 mph)
13th: Sam Hornish Jr.    38.104 (188.957 mph)
14th: Kyle Busch     38.123 (188.862 mph)
19th: Elliott Sadler     38.184 (188.561 mph)
20th: Regan Smith    38.215 (188.408 mph)

DNQs: None





Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/nationwide-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-qualification.html
-Image:

http://www.hardcoreracefans.com/nationwide-news/7550-dillon-speeds-to-michigan-nationwide-poll-

Brennan Poole Makes His Return to the ARCA Racing Series With a Win at Michigan

        After a spin by Justin Boston late in the race while he was in the lead, Brennan Poole found himself with the lead. He held off Ryan Blaney on the restart for his fourth win of his career in the ARCA Racing Series. Brennan had a fast car all race, but he could not get past Blaney. When Blaney made a pit stop late in the race and got stuck a lap down, Poole finally found his way to the front and a victory. It was not an easy weekend at all for Brennan. He had an engine blow up in practice on Thursday, but he still started on the front row in his return race. One storyline to follow in this race was the amount of tire failures. In total, four drivers had tires fail on them. All in all, it was a great race and one that never disappointed in the amount of action.

         Ryan Blaney started on the pole. It was his second career ARCA Racing Series pole in four career races. The green flag waved and he was able to lead the first lap after jumping out to a quick lead. It was a short time into the race when the action really picked up. Grant Enfinger and Mason Mingus were running for position on the frontstretch around lap 15. The two came up on James Swanson and Kent Schenkel, who were lapped cars running a good bit slower than the two front runners. Mingus made the move high and Enfinger decided to go low. Austin Rettig, who was much slower than all four of the other drivers, was running the bottom line. Somehow, Grant Enfinger made the move around him and they were five wide across the line. All five drivers made it out without incident and Enfinger even gained a spot on Mingus. This action led to the first caution of the race.

        The first caution of the race waved on lap 23. Mason Mitchell, who was running in the top 10, blew a tire coming into turn 1 and slammed the outside wall. He had a good bit of damage and would fall many laps down. Buster Graham received the lucky dog. The race went back green and continued on until the second caution on lap 41. Tom Hessert, who was running in the top 10, blew a tire in turn 3 and slammed hard into the outside wall. His car was badly damage, but Hessert was all right. Roger Carter received the lucky dog. The race went back green once again and Ryan Blaney, who had been leading the race almost all day, made a mistake.

       Ryan Blaney decided to make a green flag pit stop on lap 69. It seemed like a good move since all the other leaders would have to pit soon, but it did not work. Before any of the other leaders could pit, the third caution of the race came out on lap 72. Spencer Gallagher, who was running in the top 10, became the third driver running in the top 10 to have tire problems. He blew a tire coming into turn 1 and slammed the outside wall. He received a good amount of damage and did not return to the race. Fortunately for Ryan Blaney, he received the lucky dog after he had went a lap down on his pit stop. Now, Blaney looked like he was in good position to make it back to the front and win. But he made another mistake.

        Since Blaney was the lucky dog recipient, he was to move to the back of the field for the restart. He moved to the back of the lead lap cars, but he was supposed to be behind the lapped cars, too. The race restarted and he started making moves to the front. Since he had not been in the right spot, ARCA officials made him report behind Buster Graham, who he was positioned behind at the restart and did not fall behind. Blaney slid back behind him and his chances were pretty much dashed. Now, two Venturini Motorsports cars, Justin Boston and Brennan Poole, were holding the top two spots and looked like they would finish that way. But something miraculous happened.

        Brennan made the move to pass Justin coming into turn 2 and he got underneath him. Brennan's car began to get loose and he chased it up the track. The air from his car caught Justin's car and Justin went spinning down the backstretch. He avoided the inside wall and continued on. This resulted in the fourth and final caution of the race on lap 88. Roger Carter received the lucky dog. The two Venturini Motorsports teams were stunned.  Not only did they have the race won, but Ryan Blaney had no chance at catching them. Now, he was third and had a chance to pass Brennan for the win. The mad dash to the finish was set and it was sure to be good.

         The race went back green for the final time and Brennan established himself as the leader. Blaney made his way to second and got right behind Brennan. Blaney ran the car out trying to pass him  and Brennan stretched the lead and looked like he had the win. Kent Schenkel almost changed that. With two laps to go, Schenkel blew a tire in turn 3 and made slight contact with the outside wall, but he was able to make it down pit road and the race stayed green. Poole took the white flag and made it back for the victory at the checkered flag. It was his return to the ARCA Racing Series after running the full season last year and he made sure it was big return. He surely didn't disappoint.

        It was quite a race at Michigan. There were battles for the lead, spins by the leader, five wide battles, and many close calls. Frank Kimmel did not tie Iggy Katona's record of 79 wins, but he did finish third and make some points on Mason Mingus. Mingus finished sixth, but he can not win the championship while finishing behind Kimmel. The series will head to the always great Road America next week for a great road course event. It will be the first time the ARCA Racing Series heads to the track and it will not be disappointing. It will be a month before the series is once again televised at Chicagoland. Will Frank Kimmel tie Iggy Katona's record at the track or will he defeat it after a win at Road America or Winchester? We will have to wait until the coming month to have these questions answered.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 23- Mason Mitchell blew a tire in turn 1 and slammed the outside wall. 

2nd Caution: Lap 41- Tom Hessert blew a tire in turn 3 and slammed the outside wall.

3rd Caution: Lap 72- Spencer Gallagher blew a tire in turn 1 and slammed the outside wall.

4th Caution: Lap 88- Justin Boston went for a spin down the backstretch after Brennan Poole took the nose after his back bumper.

Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: Buster Graham 
2nd Caution: Roger Carter
3rd Caution: Ryan Blaney
4th Caution: Roger Carter

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Brennan Poole
2nd: Ryan Blaney
3rd: Frank Kimmel
4th: Justin Boston
5th: Grant Enfinger 

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Mason Mingus
11th: Milka Duno
16th: Josh Williams
17th: Spencer Gallagher
19th: Mason Mitchell
21st: Tom Hessert




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2013_Patriot_Pumps_200/A
http://timing1.arcaracing.com/
-Image:
http://www.arcaracing.com/images/stories/MIS/victory.jpg